Inside the stone chamber.
The Snow Empress had sealed all seven hundred thousand years of her cultivation, along with her origin power, within the Snow Lotus's nine petals and the Snow Pellet she had just swallowed.
This way.
Once she began cultivating anew as a human.
As time passed, she could slowly release the sealed power.
And thus hasten her return to her peak!
Fortunately, the process had gone fairly smoothly.
A trace of joy appeared on the Snow Empress's peerlessly beautiful face.
But utter solemnity followed close behind.
For she had reached the most crucial step.
Transforming into a human!
"Success or failure hinges on this one move!"
Dazzling light shone in the Snow Empress's azure eyes.
Her hands rapidly formed seals as she drew upon the concentrated energy within the hundred-thousand-year snow lotus to begin transforming into human form.
"Ngh!"
The unbearable pain of transformation drew a muffled groan from the Snow Empress.
Soul beast transformation was inherently an act of defiance against heaven.
For a soul beast, it was practically rebirth!
And the Snow Empress was no ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beast undergoing transformation; she possessed seven hundred thousand years of cultivation.
The pain of transformation would multiply exponentially.
Throughout the process, agony would pierce her heart and pain would carve into her bones.
She had to undergo a complete metamorphosis, inside and out.
Every bone in her body had to be crushed and reassembled, every scrap of flesh broken down and regrown.
Her soul would also have to fall into a prolonged slumber.
But faced with her only hope.
The Snow Empress did not stop.
Instead, she endured the pain and continued her transformation.
Some time passed.
The intense, stabbing pain finally began to fade.
The next instant.
Dazzling radiance erupted from the Snow Empress's entire body.
The temperature of the surrounding space plummeted.
As though everything were about to freeze solid.
Soft white strands of light, like silken threads, gradually enveloped the Snow Empress.
Her body slowly became illusory.
In just a little while longer, her transformation would succeed.
But just as everything was heading in the right direction.
Disaster struck!
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, the stone chamber began to shake.
The ice wall in the center was shattered by an immensely powerful external force.
!!!
The noise disturbed the Snow Empress, whose transformation had already reached its final stage.
Her figure faltered!
Looking up, she saw a huge hole in the ice wall.
The dense energy filling the chamber instantly poured outside with the cold currents.
"Who's there!"
The Snow Empress was startled.
Clearly.
She had never imagined that another living being would come to interrupt her.
Even more baffling was how they had found this place.
Listening to the footsteps drawing ever closer.
The Snow Empress had no time to ponder these questions and instead hurried to complete her transformation.
Unfortunately, no matter how fast she moved, it was already too late.
A string of sinister laughter rang out.
"Heh heh heh~"
"Just as that expert said."
"There really is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast undergoing transformation here!"
"I truly am favored by destiny!"
The black-robed old man's eyes were bloodshot, his breathing as heavy as an ox's.
Unable to contain his excitement, he laughed aloud.
"Human, why are you here?" the Snow Empress demanded sharply.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to claim you. Be a good girl and become my second martial soul!"
The black-robed old man took out the God-Sealing Platform.
Without hesitation, he hurled it at the Snow Empress.
"Insolent!"
The Snow Empress was enraged.
As the sole ruler of the Far North.
Even Di Tian had to show her a measure of courtesy.
Yet today, a mere human dared to swagger before her.
And even declared that he would make her his second martial soul.
How could she not be furious?
But fury was one thing.
Faced with the God-Sealing Platform hurtling toward her, she was helpless, utterly unable to fight back.
For she had already sealed all her cultivation and origin power within the Snow Lotus's petals.
And this was the critical stage of her transformation.
Her entire body was terribly weak.
She could not mount any effective counterattack.
She could only turn into icy mist and keep dodging within the stone chamber.
With the God-Sealing Platform constantly devouring what little soul power she had left, and the space around her rapidly shrinking.
The Snow Empress's situation grew perilous.
"Heh heh heh!"
"Stop struggling. This is the God-Sealing Platform I developed under an expert's guidance!"
"It was prepared especially for you!"
The black-robed old man laughed without restraint.
Clearly, in his eyes, the Snow Empress was already in the bag.
An expert's guidance?
A God-Sealing Platform prepared especially for me?
Hearing this, the Snow Empress felt both anger and bewilderment.
She was furious that someone had plotted against her, even building a God-Sealing Platform specifically for that purpose!
But what baffled her was who had been plotting against her.
After finally finding a hundred-thousand-year snow lotus, she had gained a sliver of hope.
Yet now she had fallen into this desperate plight.
Could heaven truly intend to destroy me?
Desolation and despair showed on the Snow Empress's face.
She, the mighty ruler of the Far North, with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation.
Now faced a thoroughly ordinary human Titled Douluo.
Yet she could do nothing.
Unless she abandoned her transformation into a human.
And forcibly released the power within the petals.
That would certainly allow her to dispose of the human before her.
But doing so would be no different from mutual destruction.
She would lose her own life as well.
"Stop struggling and obediently become my second martial soul. Don't worry, I'll nurture you until you grow stronger and stronger. Once I become a Limit Douluo, you and I can stand at the pinnacle of this entire continent!"
The black-robed old man spoke again.
His tone was supremely arrogant, as though he had the Snow Empress firmly in his grasp.
The Snow Empress did not hesitate in the slightest.
As the ruler of the Far North, she had a pride that belonged to her alone.
Better to shatter as jade than remain whole as clay.
She immediately released her sealed power.
The Snow Empress fixed her icy gaze on the black-robed old man.
Coldly, she spat out three words: "You! Must! Die!"
In an instant.
An immense power suddenly spread outward.
It tore straight through the sealing power released by the God-Sealing Platform.
The Snow Empress condensed ice and attacked the black-robed old man!
"Damn it!"
"She's actually throwing her life away!"
The black-robed old man was horrified.
Why wasn't this soul beast following the script?
Though he was a Titled Douluo.
Against a berserk soul beast beyond the hundred-thousand-year level.
In a one-on-one fight.
He was simply no match.
Just as he turned to flee.
He discovered that his legs had somehow frozen solid.
He was about to shatter the ice and escape.
But the Snow Empress had already formed an ice sword and swiftly charged toward him.
"Oh no!"
Seeing the ice sword about to pierce his chest.
The black-robed old man was filled with regret.
Had he known that this chance to reach the limit carried such tremendous danger, he would never have come.
Yet at that moment of life and death.
The Snow Empress's pupils contracted slightly, and her face turned as pale as paper.
Pfft!
A mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Seizing the opportunity, the black-robed old man struck with all his strength.
He sent the Snow Empress flying.
Already suffering injury upon injury, the Snow Empress completely lost her ability to act under that blow.
She could not even move her body.
"You gave me quite a fright. So that was just a dying counterattack."
"Too bad. You've lost your chance."
The black-robed old man picked up the God-Sealing Platform and threw it at the Snow Empress.
Now, never mind dodging, the Snow Empress could no longer manage even the simplest act of self-detonation.
She could only watch the God-Sealing Platform fly toward her, her eyes filled with defiance.