Long Yao exposed, Snow Empress bound to him in life and death?!

The instant the name appeared.

The entire Douluo Continent fell silent.

In the Far North.

Ice Empress looked up at the white figure in the sky.

She turned to look at Snow Empress beside her.

Snow Empress was also looking at her own name.

A hint of surprise appeared in her pale blue eyes.

Ice Empress was the first to react.

"Sister Snow Empress, you really made the ranking!"

Around the ice platform.

Countless soul beasts bowed down at once.

"We pay our respects to Lady Snow Empress!"

"Congratulations to Lady Snow Empress on entering the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking!"

"The Far North has a powerhouse on the ranking, too!"

Soul beasts bowed in great swaths.

Snow Empress stood before the ice platform without speaking immediately.

Her gaze lingered on seventh place.

Evil Emperor had seven hundred and eighty thousand years of cultivation, yet ranked eighth.

She had only seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, but ranked higher.

This result already proved that the Golden Ranking did not rank them solely by years of cultivation.

Ice Empress came up to Snow Empress.

"It seems the Golden Ranking has already counted the soul skill our lord bestowed on you as part of your strength."

Snow Empress nodded gently.

There was no other possible explanation.

Without the god-level soul skill Long Yao had bestowed on her, the outcome of a fight between her and Evil Emperor would have been uncertain.

Now that she ranked above Evil Emperor, it had to be related to Absolute Zero.

Snow Empress looked toward the distant continent.

Long Yao was in that direction at this very moment.

"Our lord should have seen it by now."

Ice Empress looked at her.

"You ranked seventh. Our lord will certainly be happy for you."

The joy in Snow Empress's eyes grew more apparent.

To her, her position on the Golden Ranking was not what mattered most.

What truly mattered was that Long Yao could see her progress.

High in the sky.

The brief silence ended.

Countless discussions swiftly broke out.

"Who is Snow Empress?"

"The leader of the Far North's Three Great Heavenly Kings?"

"Another soul beast!"

"She only has seven hundred thousand years of cultivation. Why is she ranked above Evil Emperor, who has seven hundred and eighty thousand?"

"There's an eighty-thousand-year gap in cultivation, yet Snow Empress is stronger than Evil Emperor?"

"Could Snow Empress have an ability stronger than the Light of Time and Space?"

"What race is the Heavenly Snow Woman?"

"She looks completely human already!"

"The Far North actually has a hidden powerhouse like this!"

At Spirit Hall.

Bibi Dong looked at Snow Empress in the sky, her brows drawing together slightly.

Seven hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Seventh on the Golden Ranking.

Judging by cultivation alone, Snow Empress was clearly inferior to Evil Emperor.

But the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking would not assign such a rank without reason.

This ruler of the Far North had to possess power the Golden Ranking had yet to reveal.

Bibi Dong looked at that white figure.

"Ultimate Ice."

She could already feel the oppressive force of that attribute through the Golden Ranking's images.

Even through the sky, the temperature around the Papal Palace continued to fall.

White frost formed on the stone pillars.

A thin layer of ice gradually covered the steps.

A Spirit Hall Elder raised a hand.

Soul power turned into flames as he tried to dispel the surrounding chill.

The flames shrank rapidly the moment they appeared.

The Elder's expression changed slightly.

"Just an image on the Golden Ranking can suppress my fire-attribute soul power."

Qian Daoliu gazed at Snow Empress.

"Her ice attribute has already touched the level of laws."

Bibi Dong said nothing.

She had been considering hunting Evil Emperor.

Now that Snow Empress had appeared, she quickly reined in those thoughts.

Evil Emperor lived on the distant Sun Moon Continent.

Snow Empress, however, was right there in the Far North.

If she hunted a seven-hundred-thousand-year soul beast, the soul ring and soul bone she obtained would surely far surpass those of an ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

But Snow Empress's ranking above Evil Emperor proved that she was even more dangerous.

Bibi Dong would not act rashly before she had a clear understanding of her opponent's strength.

At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi raised a hand and adjusted his glasses.

Chen Xin and Gu Rong stood beside him.

All three had their eyes fixed on Snow Empress.

Gu Rong spoke first.

"Seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, yet she ranks above Evil Emperor with his seven hundred and eighty thousand."

"It seems years of cultivation really cannot represent a soul beast's full strength."

Chen Xin watched the ice and snow swirling around Snow Empress.

"She hasn't unleashed a soul skill yet."

"Just by standing there, she's already drawing the ice elements between heaven and earth toward her."

"She isn't controlling the ice and snow."

"The ice and snow themselves are part of her."

Ning Fengzhi's expression grew even graver.

Though the Far North was far from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, it was still part of the Douluo Continent.

Tang Chen, Evil Emperor, and Snow Empress had entered the ranking one after another.

The powerhouses hidden on the continent had already exceeded every faction's previous understanding.

Ning Fengzhi looked toward the sect's forbidden grounds.

That ancient sword still lay dormant deep within them.

Now, he could only hope that Chen Xin would comprehend a stronger sword path from the ancient sword.

In the Star Dou Great Forest.

Beside the Lake of Life.

Di Tian, Scarlet King, and Xiong Jun were all looking at Snow Empress's name.

Di Tian's expression changed.

He knew Snow Empress.

He also knew of the Far North's Three Great Heavenly Kings.

Within the Soul Beast Clan, Snow Empress's bloodline and talent were both among the very best.

But she had only seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, after all.

By Di Tian's previous assessment, Snow Empress should have been weaker than Evil Emperor.

Yet now, the Golden Ranking had placed her seventh.

Xiong Jun looked at Di Tian.

"Snow Empress is stronger than Evil Emperor?"

Di Tian did not answer immediately.

He recalled his battle with Evil Emperor.

Evil Emperor's spiritual power was immensely formidable.

The Light of Time and Space could even interfere with time and space.

If Evil Emperor fought Snow Empress in the Far North, even if he could not win, he should not lose easily.

Gu Yuena stood on the lake's surface.

She looked at Snow Empress in the sky, a thoughtful gleam flashing through her violet eyes.

"She possesses god-level laws."

Di Tian turned around.

"God-level laws?"

Gu Yuena nodded gently.

"It is not an innate ability naturally comprehended by a soul beast."

"It is a god-level soul skill that has been fully developed."

Di Tian's expression tightened.

It was almost impossible for a soul beast to master a god-level soul skill.

Unless they had surpassed a million years of cultivation and truly entered the god realm.

But Snow Empress had only seven hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Where had she obtained a god-level soul skill?

Gu Yuena looked toward the Far North.

She once again recalled the Dragon Clan aura that had crossed the continent earlier.

That aura had also come from the Far North.

Could the changes in Snow Empress be related to that aura?

Gu Yuena found no answer.

She turned her gaze back to the Golden Ranking.

On the Sun Moon Continent.

Deep within the Evil Demon Forest.

Evil Emperor abruptly opened his single eye.

Purple-black light enveloped the mountains.

He looked at the name ranked above his own, and his spiritual fluctuations instantly swept through the entire forest.

"Snow Empress?"

Of course Evil Emperor knew of the Heavenly Snow Woman in the Far North.

Seven hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Ultimate Ice.

The leader of the Far North's Three Great Heavenly Kings.

But in Evil Emperor's eyes, Snow Empress's strength should never have placed her above him.

What was more, he had now absorbed the Golden Ranking's rewards.

His cultivation approached a million years.

His bloodline had evolved.

The Evil God Crown had also completely fused with his spiritual origin.

He was now far stronger than he had been before entering the ranking.

Evil Emperor stared at the Golden Ranking.

"With seven hundred and eighty thousand years of cultivation, I rank only eighth."

"Snow Empress has only seven hundred thousand years of cultivation. What gives her the right to rank above me?"

The Evil God Crown blazed with purple light.

Vast spiritual power surged toward the heavens.

The Evil Emperor tried to probe the Golden Ranking with his spiritual power.

But the moment his power neared the sky-spanning display, a layer of golden light blocked it.

His spiritual power scattered on the spot.

The Evil Emperor's single eye snapped shut.

Only after a moment did he open it again.

"I do not accept this ranking."

"If the Snow Empress truly deserves seventh place, then let the Golden Ranking show her full strength."

"I want to see what makes her stronger than the Light of Time and Space and the Light of Destruction."

The Evil Emperor withdrew his spiritual power.

He made no further attempt to strike the Golden Ranking.

In that brief instant, the Golden Ranking had already warned him.

He could only suppress his doubts and wait.

Skywater Academy.

Long Yao sat on the ninth floor of the True Dragon Tower.

A pale blue screen floated before him.

On it, the Snow Empress stood upon a boundless icefield.

Long Yao was not surprised by the ranking.

When he had first come to the Far North, the Snow Empress had not yet reached her current level of cultivation.

Back then, she had only just developed full intelligence.

The Heavenly Snow Woman had been born of heaven and earth.

She had no parents and no others of her kind.

The Snow Empress had lived alone deep within the icefields, unsure how to get along with other living beings.

When Long Yao first saw her, she was sitting atop a snow-covered mountain.

Snow had settled across her white dress.

She sat motionless, watching the Soul Beasts below.

Long Yao sat beside her for a day.

She stayed with him and watched the wind and snow for a day.

On the second day.

The Snow Empress followed Long Yao of her own accord.

From then on, the two often traveled through the Far North together.

Long Yao taught her how to cultivate.

He also taught her to command Ultimate Ice.

The Snow Empress learned quickly.

No matter how complex a Soul Skill was, she could grasp its basics after watching it a few times.

Whenever she encountered something she could not understand, she stayed beside Long Yao until she got an answer.

Long years passed.

The Heavenly Snow Woman who had once known nothing of the world had become the ruler of the Far North.

She guarded the icefields.

She sheltered the Soul Beasts of the Far North.

And she had always watched over the ice platform Long Yao had left behind.

Long Yao gazed at the white figure in the sky.

The Snow Empress's present strength did not come solely from seven hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Her command of Ultimate Ice had long surpassed that of most ice-attribute gods.

Absolute Zero also gave her the power to freeze space and time.

The Evil Emperor could manipulate space and time.

The Snow Empress could freeze both outright.

There was a difference between those abilities.

Seventh place was exactly where she belonged now.

Shui Bing'er stood below the platform.

She looked up at Long Yao.

"Headmaster, do you know the Snow Empress?"

"I do."

Long Yao pulled himself from his thoughts.

Shui Yue'er looked at the Snow Empress on the screen.

"What's your relationship with her, Headmaster?"

Shui Bing'er turned toward her, signaling her not to press further.

But Long Yao did not avoid the question.

"She trained under me for a long time."

Shui Bing'er froze.

Shui Yuerou looked up as well.

Seventh place on the Golden Ranking.

First among the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North.

A Heavenly Snow Woman with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Someone like her had trained under Long Yao.

Shui Bing'er finally understood how the Snow Empress had mastered a God Level Soul Skill.

Shui Yuerou looked toward the sky.

"So the Snow Empress ranks above the Evil Emperor because of your guidance, Headmaster?"

Long Yao nodded gently.

"Her own talent is exceptional, too."

"I merely opened a door for her."

Silence returned to the True Dragon Tower.

Shui Bing'er looked at the Snow Empress with newfound respect.

She, too, possessed the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul.

If she could watch the Snow Empress's entire showcase, perhaps she could learn something from it.

High in the sky.

The golden words slowly faded.

The view of the Far North expanded.

The blizzard grew fiercer.

An endless chill swept across continents and seas.

In the Evil Demon Forest, the Evil Emperor raised his single eye.

In the Star Dou Great Forest, Di Tian and Gu Yuena watched the sky.

Across Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Clear Sky Sect, and the two great empires, countless Soul Masters fell silent.

At that moment.

Every gaze fixed on the Golden Ranking.

They all wanted to know.

How could the Snow Empress, with only seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, rank above the Evil Emperor?

Star Dou Great Forest.

Beside the Lake of Life.

Di Tian looked up at the Snow Empress in the sky, his brow gradually furrowing.

"Seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, yet she ranks above the Evil Emperor."

Xiong Jun stood by the lake, his gaze fixed on the Snow Empress.

"The Evil Emperor has nearly a million years of cultivation, along with the Light of Time and Space and the Light of Destruction."

"What makes her stronger than him?"

All three of the Scarlet King's heads lifted at once.

"Can Ultimate Ice really overcome the Evil Emperor's spiritual power?"

The gathered Soul Beasts exchanged looks.

When the Evil Emperor appeared on the ranking, they had already felt the might of his Spiritual Origin.

Yet the Snow Empress now ranked higher.

The Soul Beast Clan was both shaken and curious.

Di Tian did not answer.

He kept his eyes on the Snow Empress, recalling rumors he had once heard.

The Heavenly Snow Woman.

A unique being born in the Far North.

The Snow Empress had never stayed away from the Far North for long, nor had she often clashed with other Soul Beasts.

Di Tian had seen her once.

She had stood on the icefield without the slightest fluctuation of Soul Power around her.

Yet the ice element throughout that vast expanse of heaven and earth had drawn toward her.

That was not control.

It was the response of the world's very essence.

"The Snow Empress's strength can't be judged by her cultivation alone," Di Tian said slowly.

Xiong Jun turned to him.

"Can she really defeat the Evil Emperor?"

"I don't know."

Di Tian shook his head.

"The Evil Emperor's spiritual attacks are deeply strange. Unless the Snow Empress has something stronger, she can at most fight him to a standstill."

"But since the Golden Ranking placed her seventh, she must possess a power capable of changing the course of the battle."

Gu Yuena stood on the lake's surface.

Her silver dress rippled gently with the water.

She did not join Di Tian and the others' discussion.

Her violet eyes remained fixed on the sky.

The Snow Empress.

That name stirred a faint sense of familiarity in her.

It did not come from the Snow Empress herself.

It came from the power within her.

Beyond the pure essence of ice and snow, it carried a trace of something on a higher plane.

Gu Yuena had sensed that aura somewhere else before.

The Far North.

Long Yao.

Gu Yuena's gaze deepened.

"Her power is connected to that man."

Di Tian's expression shifted.

"My lord, do you mean the one who carries the aura of the Dragon Clan?"

Gu Yuena nodded gently.

"The Snow Empress bears laws that do not belong to a Soul Beast's own nature."

"Since that man appeared in the Far North, the change in her cannot be a coincidence."

Di Tian looked toward the sky.

On the display, the Snow Empress still stood upon the icefield.

Her white hair streamed in the wind, and ice lotuses bloomed beneath her feet.

Gu Yuena said no more.

Anticipation rose in her eyes.

She wanted to know what Long Yao had done for the Snow Empress.

And she wanted to know whether the ruler of the Far North truly possessed the power of a god.