Worth It After All

Star Dou Forest, beneath Life Lake.

In the dark depths of the lake, a pair of clear silver eyes with slit pupils slowly opened.

Across the silent heart of the forest, the air stirred faintly.

A massive silver dragon slowly raised her head and gazed into the distance, her expression grave.

"Is that... the aura of a super divine artifact?"

"No... something's different..."

"The power fluctuation is weak, but it's highly unusual..."

Her enormous pupils narrowed slightly as she sank into thought.

"Di Tian?"

"He went over there too..."

The silver dragon narrowed her eyes, a flicker of surprise passing through them.

After a brief pause, her eyes slowly closed again, and silence returned to the lakebed.

Back in the central region of Star Dou Forest.

After Song Que activated Bankai, his surroundings changed beyond recognition.

The earth lay blanketed in white. Snow fell thick and fast, and icy winds howled across the wilderness.

The members of the Body Sect stood stunned.

Among them, Jinpeng stared wide-eyed at Song Que, who had summoned the storm. Disbelief filled his face.

"Sect Master, what's going on with that kid Song Que? Does this count as a second awakening of his Martial Soul?"

"Isn't this power a little ridiculous? It's probably on par with an ice-attribute domain skill from a Titled Douluo."

Du Busi studied the transformed landscape, his expression grave. "I'm afraid it's more than that."

"Still, it certainly looks like a second awakening..."

"But in all my years, I've never heard of a Tool Martial Soul awakening a second time. How strange."

After a moment's thought, Du Busi flashed to Huo Yuhao's side and asked,

"Yuhao, what's going on with you two and the Snow Empress? Why did her attitude toward us change so much?"

Huo Yuhao hesitated before answering. "Teacher, simply put, it has to do with my Martial Soul."

"Your Martial Soul? The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion?" Du Busi asked in surprise.

Huo Yuhao nodded. "Yes, Teacher. My Martial Soul's source comes from the Ice Empress, and part of her consciousness remains in my spiritual sea."

"The Ice Empress and the Snow Empress are both Far North Heavenly Kings. They've always been close, which is why the Snow Empress was willing to speak with us."

Understanding dawned in Du Busi's eyes. "I see."

Huo Yuhao continued, "Unfortunately, the Ice Empress tried to persuade the Snow Empress to become a Soul Spirit and accompany us, but she refused."

"According to the Snow Empress, her source has been badly damaged, and her energy is unstable and out of control. She can't form a Soul Spirit pact for now, and she might even explode at any moment."

"Soul Spirit?"

Du Busi paused at the unfamiliar term, but did not dwell on it.

Instead, he looked toward Song Que at the center of the storm and asked curiously,

"So Song Que summoned this blizzard to help stabilize the Snow Empress's rampaging energy?"

Huo Yuhao nodded firmly. "Exactly."

Du Busi thought it over, finally piecing everything together, and nodded slowly. "So that's it..."

"A shame, though. Your 100,000-Year Embryo is lost to you after all."

Huo Yuhao shook his head. "It's all right. I'm sorry for dragging you and the elders out here for nothing, Teacher."

Du Busi laughed and waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. We haven't lost much this time."

"Jing Hongchen's the one who took a real beating."

"Over a hundred million Gold Soul Coins down the drain. What a sucker! Hahaha!"

Amid the swirling snow, Song Que stood trembling, barely able to keep his balance.

He gently touched the icy wings on his back, marveling inwardly. So this is Bankai. I finally managed to use it.

Then his gaze shifted to the blood-red Soul Ring around him, and he froze.

I never expected it to turn into a 100,000-Year Soul Ring. Incredible.

I thought I'd need to reach at least level seventy before I had enough Soul Power to sustain Bankai. But...

Not far away, Di Tian stared at Song Que. He recalled the fleeting image of a colossal ice dragon that had appeared during Bankai, and a dazed look crossed his eyes.

He studied Song Que's figure, his expression grave, and murmured, "What exactly was that ice dragon?"

"Its aura was unlike anything I've felt... yet it didn't seem to be a Soul Beast..."

Song Que slowly withdrew Bankai's power. His body shuddered, then returned to normal.

He looked at the Snow Empress and asked,

"Will this do, Senior Snow Empress?"

Now tiny, the Snow Empress danced through the falling snow like a sprite, graceful and light.

At Song Que's question, she slowly descended to the ground.

She gazed at the frozen world around her. It felt as though she had returned to the frozen reaches of the Far North, and longing flickered in her eyes.

"An extraordinary ability. I almost feel as if I've returned to the Far North."

Then her gaze settled on Song Que, and her expression grew grave.

"But the power inside you has likely exceeded what your body can bear. You're pushing yourself too hard."

The Snow Empress turned to Bi Ji.

"Bi Ji, is he truly all right?"

Bi Ji nodded gently, her voice soft.

"His life isn't in danger. But he isn't purely an ice-attribute Soul Master. Forcing his body to bear so much extreme cold has damaged his meridians and bones."

"It may slow his cultivation for some time."

The Snow Empress frowned. "How long?"

"Perhaps a year or two. Three to five at most," Bi Ji answered honestly.

"The damage isn't severe. It's simply the effect of the bitterly cold Soul Power."

Song Que's face fell.

"What? It'll slow down my cultivation?"

Bi Ji smiled. "Don't worry. The effect won't be too great. Your cultivation may just progress a little more slowly over the next few years."

"It's much like what happens to humans with Ultimate Martial Souls. Until their bodies grow strong enough, their cultivation slows considerably."

Song Que was at a loss for words.

At least I'm already level fifty-three. Maybe I'll be fine once I reach seventy.

"Uh... wait." Song Que paused and hurriedly checked the Soul Power inside him. "I think I'm level fifty-seven now."

"In that case, it wasn't too bad a trade."

The Snow Empress looked at Song Que's pale face, her feelings conflicted. She turned to Bi Ji and asked in a low voice,

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

Bi Ji opened her mouth but had no answer.

Di Tian frowned as well, but said nothing.

They had indeed overlooked it.

Intent on stabilizing the Snow Empress, Bi Ji had unconsciously ignored the price Song Que would have to pay.

Song Que gave a rueful chuckle.

"Forget it, Snow Empress."

"At least I gained a 100,000-Year Soul Ring. It was worth it."

The Snow Empress looked at the smile on Song Que's face, her heart filled with conflicting emotions.