The Unusual Child

The Far North was known as a forbidden zone for humans. Even nine-ring Titled Douluo dared not venture deep into it lightly.

Yet now, above the heart of the Far North, patches of blood-red thunderclouds suddenly appeared in the emerald sky. A mighty, terrifying power gathered overhead as blood-colored lightning danced through the clouds.

Suddenly, a bolt of blood-red lightning struck toward the core region, carrying a terrifying aura of slaughter.

With a bang, an ice mountain shattered as though it were made of paper.

After the mountain was destroyed, all the soul beasts living there scattered in terror.

Just then, a streak of white light flew in from an entirely different direction. At the sight of it, the fleeing soul beasts all stopped and bowed their heads, their eyes filled with deep reverence. Even the surrounding wind and snow stilled, settling from a frenzy into calm.

The white light gradually came to a halt above the mountain's ruins. As it faded, a graceful figure slowly emerged, stepping upon snowflakes. Her long, snow-white hair fell down her back all the way to her feet, and her sky-blue eyes were clear and ethereal, as though they could see through everything in the world. Her slender figure was flawless. Though her white dress bore no adornments, it only made her look all the more pure and breathtaking. Immaculate, she stood like a winter plum blossom in the snow, peerless and proud against the frost.

She was the ruler of the Far North, the foremost of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, and the third-ranked of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts: the Snow Empress.

As the soul beasts prostrated themselves before her, the Snow Empress looked toward the mountain's ruins.

Just then, a ball of light wreathed in blood-red lightning slowly rose. The moment the Snow Empress saw it, she suddenly felt as though everything in the world had fallen still because of him, herself included. In that instant, it was as though he was the world itself.

Once the light dissipated, the figure within gradually revealed his true form.

It was... a baby.

The Snow Empress stared in disbelief. The source of that terrifying blood-colored lightning was actually a human infant. At first, she had thought some hundred-thousand-year soul beast in the Far North was undergoing its tribulation!

The Snow Empress approached the infant. Suddenly, an ultimate blood-colored power poured straight out of the child's body, enveloping everything within a hundred meters. Yet despite its strength, it showed no hostility toward her.

The instant that energy erupted, the Snow Empress felt the surrounding Heaven and Earth Origin Force converge upon this spot. Even she was affected. Witnessing this, she could not help murmuring, "Such pure Heaven and Earth Origin Force. It can actually speed up my cultivation. And although this domain cannot affect me, it makes me feel an urge to submit. Could he be an Auspicious Beast?" At that thought, wild joy surged through her heart.

But after examining the child's body, she quickly dismissed the idea. No, these meridians were unmistakably human.

"No, even if he isn't an Auspicious Beast, the benefits this human infant brings are essentially no different from one."

With that thought, she stepped forward and picked up the infant. The moment she touched him, she felt a vast flood of Heaven and Earth Origin Force surge toward her.

Shock flashed across the Snow Empress's face.

Just then, another powerful presence came from the sky. Though it was weaker than the Snow Empress's, it was still formidable.

A graceful figure descended from above. Her delicate features lacked some of the Snow Empress's pride but possessed an added touch of icy beauty. Four emerald markings adorned each side of her lovely, fair face, and dark green hair flowed loosely down her back. Her skin was as white as ice and snow, with a translucent quality and faint green light circulating beneath it. As she appeared, the surrounding temperature plummeted. She wore an emerald dress.

After landing, the Ice Empress immediately ran toward the Snow Empress and asked with concern, "Snow Empress, I just saw a bolt of blood-colored lightning strike down. What happened?"

The Snow Empress turned and smiled gently. "Everything's fine now. Oh, Bing'er, look."

The Snow Empress revealed the child in her arms, and the Ice Empress peered at him curiously.

"Hm? A human baby?"

But the Snow Empress shook her head. "No, not a human. At least, not an ordinary human."

The Ice Empress scratched her head, puzzled by what the Snow Empress meant.

The Snow Empress merely smiled without answering. She quietly held the child out to the Ice Empress, motioning for her to place a hand on him.

As soon as the Ice Empress touched him, an enormous amount of Heaven and Earth Origin Force surged toward her. Feeling it, she exclaimed in surprise, "Snow Empress, what's going on? Why do I feel all the surrounding Heaven and Earth Origin Force rushing toward me? My cultivation has become so much faster!"

The Snow Empress smiled. "I'm puzzled too, but I've heard that some beings are born blessed by heaven and earth, like Auspicious Beasts and myself. Considering the lightning that appeared earlier and this baby's extraordinary qualities, that must be the case. Otherwise, there's simply no way to explain his appearance."

After speaking, the Snow Empress rubbed the little fellow's cheek with a finger. It was soft and springy. Suddenly, a feeling unlike anything she had ever experienced welled up in her heart.

She turned to the Ice Empress and said, "Bing'er, look how adorable he is. Why don't we adopt him?"

The Ice Empress froze for a moment. She had not expected the Snow Empress to come up with such an idea so suddenly. After all, the Snow Empress was a sovereign who had ruled the Far North for well over a hundred thousand years. Apart from her dealings with the Ice Empress, she was usually cold toward everyone. As for humans, she practically killed every one she saw. But remembering how special this child was, the Ice Empress nodded.

Her next great tribulation and the Snow Empress's were fast approaching. Without some extraordinary opportunity, their chances of surviving were slim. Yet this child had given her hope.

Meanwhile, as the Snow Empress sensed the little fellow's presence in her arms, she grew fonder of him with every glance and even rubbed her cheek against him. Looking at his little face, the Ice Empress said, "Since we're adopting him, let's give him a name! We can't keep calling him 'little fellow' forever!"

"You're right!" The Snow Empress nodded, then thought for a moment.

"When he was born, he came from the sky amid thunderclouds, and he's so extraordinary. Blessed by heaven with an immortal grace beyond mortal dust... let's call him Tian Chen," the Snow Empress said with a smile.

"What a lovely name!" the Ice Empress praised. Then, looking at Tian Chen in the Snow Empress's arms and recalling how he had sped up her cultivation, she could not resist stepping forward to hold him too.

But the Snow Empress swatted her hand away. Then she gave a soft cough and said, "I'd better hold this child. What if you drop him or bump him against something?"

The Ice Empress pursed her red lips and grumbled inwardly, Who are you trying to fool? You just want this little fellow all to yourself!

Just then, Tian Chen stirred in the Snow Empress's arms. His eyes slowly opened, revealing two different colors: gold and red.

"He's awake!" the Ice Empress exclaimed delightedly.

The Snow Empress looked down and poked the little fellow's cheek.

She smiled at Tian Chen. "Little fellow, you're awake!"

Who could have imagined that, a second later, Tian Chen would burst into tears in her arms?

"Waaah, waaah—"

The Ice Empress and the Snow Empress immediately panicked. The Snow Empress, in particular, hurried to soothe him. "There, there. Don't cry, don't cry!"

But no matter how the Snow Empress coaxed him, Tian Chen would not stop crying.

Just then, the Ice Empress scratched her head and said, "Could he be hungry?"

The Snow Empress realized she was right. This child had only just been born and had not drunk a single drop of milk! The problem was that neither she nor the Ice Empress had any!

"Snow Empress, why don't we have another soul beast in the Far North nurse him?" the Ice Empress suggested.

The Snow Empress slapped her forehead, instantly realizing the answer. Of course! She and the Ice Empress had no milk, but other soul beasts in the Far North did!

At that thought, the Snow Empress immediately seized a nearby Ice Wolf that had recently given birth and was still nursing, and ordered her to feed him.

How could a mere ten-thousand-year Ice Wolf dare defy the Snow Empress's command? Without hesitation, she lay down and exposed her teats.

When Tian Chen saw the "food," he seemed to have found the wellspring of life and began suckling greedily at his milk supply.

Once he had eaten his fill, Tian Chen soon fell asleep. Holding him in her arms, the Snow Empress disappeared into the wind and snow with the Ice Empress.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at a magnificent palace of ice and snow. A barrier seemed to surround it, keeping out all the wind and snow.

Now, a little fellow lay fast asleep on a bed, with two women as beautiful as celestial maidens beside him.

The Ice Empress kept gazing at Tian Chen, gently soothing him with her palm as he slept. Her eyes held such affection that she looked as though she wished she could squeeze him into her embrace and keep him there. How had she never noticed humans could be so adorable?

Beside her, the Snow Empress gently stroked his forehead. Looking at his adorable face, she could not resist kissing his forehead, leaving a distinct imprint of her lips.

She silently promised, Don't worry, little Tian Chen. We'll make sure you grow up happy.