One Chip Was Enough

"A trade?"

The Snow Empress's spectral body stilled. A trace of bewilderment surfaced in her cold, exquisite eyes.

She had imagined being forced into a contract, being offered shelter out of kindness, even being seized by greedy humans. But she had never imagined that, after she refused a Fate Bond, he would propose a trade.

A calm smile touched Huo Yuhao's lips. He sounded as though he were joking, but every word was carefully measured. "Mm. A trade you can't lose. Put simply, I'll stake the Ice Empress as my chip in exchange for your future."

The Snow Empress frowned. "The Ice Empress is already your Soul Ring, part of your fighting strength. She isn't a bargaining chip. What exactly do you want?"

"It's simple."

Huo Yuhao's smile faded. His voice turned solemn, each word cutting through the frost filling the room:

"I'll refine a Transfiguration Pill for you, help you form a solid body, and free you from your confinement."

"You'll join the force under my command, with no contract to shackle you, no Soul Power Fate Bond to bind you, and no restrictions on your freedom."

"And in the end, I... will help you become a god."

He looked into the Snow Empress's shaken eyes and added:

"I should tell you now: across this entire Douluo world, I'm the only one who can do it. I don't mean becoming an ordinary Douluo Deity. I mean attaining a Divine Position that truly transcends the Douluo system."

The Snow Empress was shaken to her core, but skepticism edged her cool voice. "How is that different from forming a Soul Contract? I would still be dependent on a human! And what makes you so certain you alone can help a Soul Beast become a god?"

"The difference is night and day."