Long Yao vs. the Snow Empress?!

Long Yao reached for the guqin and gently plucked its strings.

"A divine inheritance."

The Snow Empress stood beside him.

She looked up at the sky, her white hair stirring in the wind and snow.

"You don't care?"

"There's nothing worth caring about."

Long Yao looked toward the Golden Ranking.

"If the rewards are precious enough, I might take them and have a look."

The Snow Empress lowered her gaze to him.

Then she stepped closer.

Her long white dress swept over the ice, stirring a shimmer of scattered snow.

Long Yao was just about to put away the guqin when the Snow Empress reached out and wrapped both arms around his neck from behind.

Her soft body pressed against his back.

Her cool breath brushed his ear.

Long Yao paused.

"What is it?"

The Snow Empress did not let go.

She gently rested her chin on Long Yao's shoulder, her gaze still on the sky.

"Waiting for the Golden Ranking to announce the rewards is far too boring."

"So?"

"So I want to lean against you."

The Snow Empress tightened her arms a little.

Her fair, bare feet rested on the ice, her skirt brushing lightly against her legs. Amid the wind and snow, she looked especially graceful.

"Will that make the wait go faster?"

Long Yao looked at the Golden Ranking ahead.

"No."

"Then I'll keep holding you."

The Snow Empress answered quite naturally.

Long Yao raised his hand and gently laid it over hers.

A moment later.

A vast swath of golden light suddenly illuminated the heavens.

Bibi Dong's name reappeared on the Golden Ranking.

The golden lettering rose steadily before finally settling in tenth place.

The chatter across the entire continent fell silent in an instant.

The next moment.

A mighty will of the Heavenly Dao spread in every direction.

[Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking, tenth place: Bibi Dong.]

[Reward: Million-Year Soul Ring.]

[Reward: Hundred-Thousand-Year Godslayer Spider Emperor Chest Bone.]

Above the Golden Ranking.

Two golden orbs slowly took shape.

Within the first orb floated a soul ring of deep gold.

Golden patterns flowed across its surface, its oppressive aura sending ripples through space itself.

Within the second orb was a dark purple bone.

Shaped like a giant spider's breastplate, the bone bore sharp ridges along its edges.

An intense aura of slaughter radiated from it.

A Million-Year Soul Ring.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Godslayer Spider Emperor Chest Bone.

The moment the rewards descended, the Douluo Continent erupted.

"A Million-Year Soul Ring?"

"Did I hear that right?"

"Aren't soul rings supposed to top out at a hundred thousand years? What level is a Million-Year Soul Ring?"

"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone is already a supreme treasure, and the Godslayer Spider Emperor Chest Bone is especially suited to Bibi Dong's martial soul!"

The barrage of comments exploded in shock.

At that moment, countless soul masters across the Douluo Continent gasped.

A Million-Year Soul Ring.

A top-tier hundred-thousand-year soul bone.

Were these the rewards the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking had promised?

Unbelievable!

The moment the Golden Ranking's rewards appeared, the discussions across the sky erupted.

"A Million-Year Soul Ring?"

"Soul rings can reach a million years?"

"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone is already a supreme treasure on the continent, and the Godslayer Spider—" The barrage of comments exploded in shock.

At that moment, countless soul masters across the Douluo Continent looked up at the heavens and gasped.

"A Million-Year Soul Ring?"

"A top-tier hundred-thousand-year soul bone?"

"Are these the Heavenly Dao's rewards?"

"If tenth place gets rewards like these, just how incredible will the later rewards be?"

The appearance of the Golden Ranking's rewards sent the sky into an uproar.

Comments from the various factions kept appearing.

At Spirit Hall.

Bibi Dong stood before the Papal Palace, her gaze fixed on the golden soul ring.

Just moments earlier, the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking had revealed her entire past.

Even her inheritance from the Rakshasa God had not remained hidden.

That had displeased Bibi Dong.

But once the rewards appeared, her expression changed.

"A Million-Year Soul Ring?"

"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?"

Bibi Dong gazed at the golden orbs, astonishment filling her eyes.

She was currently planning to hunt hundred-thousand-year soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings were already the highest-tier soul rings accessible to soul masters.

Yet the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking had simply bestowed a Million-Year Soul Ring upon her.

A soul ring of that level lay beyond even Bibi Dong's understanding.

She turned toward the second golden orb.

The dark purple soul bone floated in midair, its surface covered in spider emperor patterns.

Bibi Dong could sense that the power within it far surpassed that of a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone produced by a death spider emperor.

This soul bone was exceptionally well suited to her martial soul.

"Nice."

Bibi Dong extended her hand.

The two golden orbs turned into streaks of light and dropped straight into her palm.

The soul ring and soul bone merged into her body.

Immense power spread through Bibi Dong.

She closed her eyes, sensing the changes within herself as her expression gradually relaxed.

Who said being exposed by the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking was a bad thing?

A Million-Year Soul Ring and a Hundred-Thousand-Year Godslayer Spider Emperor Chest Bone.

These rewards made it more than worthwhile.

Within the imperial palaces of the two great empires.

Xue Ye and the Star Luo Emperor both gazed at the sky, their expressions grave.

The appearance of a Million-Year Soul Ring had already exceeded their understanding of a soul master's power.

Within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi adjusted his glasses, his gaze lingering where Bibi Dong had disappeared.

"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone is enough to make every faction on the continent fight over it."

"And a Million-Year Soul Ring is utterly unheard of."

Sword Douluo Chen Xin gripped his sword hilt and remained silent for a long time.

Bone Douluo Gu Rong's expression also grew solemn.

Once Bibi Dong absorbed these rewards, her strength would undoubtedly rise again.

At the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Yu Yuanzhen looked up at the Golden Ranking, the smile gone from his face.

Within the Clear Sky Sect.

Tang Xiao exchanged looks with several elders.

They all understood that the Heavenly Dao Golden Ranking's rewards had already changed the balance of power on the continent.

At Shrek Academy.

Tang San stood in the square, staring up at the sky with burning eyes.

A Million-Year Soul Ring.

What level of power was that?

Yu Xiaogang also looked up at the Golden Ranking, his expression grave.

"The Heavenly Dao's rewards truly are extraordinary."

He quickly regained his composure.

"As long as you keep cultivating, you'll find opportunities of your own in the future."

Tang San and the others did not respond.

Their gazes remained fixed on the heavens.

In the Far North.

Wind and snow swept past the ice platform.

Long Yao sat at the edge of the platform, watching the golden orbs gradually fade from the Golden Ranking.

His expression was calm, but a hint of interest had entered his eyes.

"A Million-Year Soul Ring for just tenth place."

Long Yao lightly tapped the guqin's strings.

"It seems the rewards to come really will be something special."

The Snow Empress stood beside Long Yao.

Her white hair fell to her waist, and her long white dress swayed gently in the wind and snow.

"If they can catch your interest, the Golden Ranking's rewards must be extraordinary."

Long Yao did not deny it.

His gaze settled on the distant heavens.

Precious as a Million-Year Soul Ring was, it was not enough to truly tempt him.

Still, if the Golden Ranking could offer such a reward, those for the top few places were worth anticipating.

The Snow Empress turned her head to look at Long Yao.

Living beside him day and night in the Far North, she knew his strength and understood the gap between them.

For a long time, she had only been able to stand behind Long Yao.

Now, however, she wanted him to see her progress.

The Snow Empress lowered her eyes, her fair fingers lightly gathering the edge of her skirt.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke.

"Long Yao."