The morning sun slowly rose over the Far North, its golden light piercing the clouds and spilling onto the valley's ice crystals, which refracted it into dazzling halos.
The Ice Empress slowly descended from midair, her feet hovering above the ground as her emerald skirt brushed the icicles with a faint rustle.
She gazed at Tian Meng. Much of the cold hardness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a complicated sense of relief. "You fool. To think you would swear an oath like that just to make me believe you."
Tian Meng smiled, a gentle glow shimmering across his ice-blue body:
"As long as you're willing, it's all worth it."
"Since I've agreed, when will we sign the Soul Spirit Contract?"
The Ice Empress looked at Qian Daoliu, a trace of eagerness in her voice.
She knew full well that the sooner she signed the contract, the sooner she could use Qian Daoliu's resources to break through her bottleneck. That was far better than remaining trapped in the Far North.
Qian Daoliu, however, slowly shook his head. His gaze turned toward the Far North's horizon, his expression growing grave:
"There's no hurry. The time isn't right yet."
The Ice Empress froze, her emerald eyes filled with confusion:
"Why? Have you changed your mind?"
"I haven't. There's something more important that requires caution."
Rather than answer directly, Qian Daoliu waved a hand, and the ancient, imposing phantom of the Chaos Bell slowly appeared above his head.
The patterns of the Four Symbols-earth, water, fire, and wind-suddenly lit up on the bell. Pale golden light spread outward, forming a translucent barrier around the three of them.
The frigid wind outside was completely shut out. Even the ice mist unique to the Far North could not seep inside. The temperature within gradually