"Thud!"
In an instant, before either Lin Xuanchen or Wang Dong'er could react, an emerald-green figure shot in from afar and slammed heavily into the ground roughly a thousand meters ahead of them, sending up a vast spray of snow with a dull thud.
Only when the snow slowly settled did the newcomer come into view.
She was a petite young girl.
The girl had jade-green hair and four emerald-green demon marks on each side of her lovely, fair, delicate face. Her hair fell down her back, with little braids tied into it, giving her a rather adorable appearance.
"This is... ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow! It really is ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow!" The Ice Empress's amber eyes stared unblinkingly at the piece floating a short distance above Lin Xuanchen, her voice filled with unprecedented shock.
But just as the Ice Empress was about to seize it, her heart suddenly sank.
A gray, illusory figure stood behind Lin Xuanchen, and the aura radiating from him made even the Ice Empress hesitate to act rashly.
Only then did the Ice Empress suppress her indescribable excitement and turn her gaze toward Lin Xuanchen and Wang Dong'er.
"Human, how did you come to possess ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow?" The Ice Empress's amber eyes narrowed sharply as she regarded Lin Xuanchen and Wang Dong'er coldly and asked in a low voice.
It looks like Elder Yi's intimidation worked. Seeing that the Ice Empress had not immediately rushed over to seize the ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow, Lin Xuanchen could not help breathing a sigh of relief.
The aura Electrolux was emitting had been deliberately simulated to deceive the Ice Empress.
Otherwise, given her intense hatred of humans, she would surely have snatched the ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow the moment she discovered it. Why would she bother speaking civilly with them?
"Senior Ice Empress, why don't you hear me out? I'll also tell you where this ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow came from," Lin Xuanchen said, cupping his hands toward her.
"Ice... Ice Empress!" Feeling the unfathomable aura emanating from the Ice Empress and hearing the words from Lin Xuanchen's mouth, Wang Dong'er's beautiful pink-and-blue eyes involuntarily contracted.
"She... she's the Ice Empress! The Ice Empress ranked seventh among the Top Ten Ferocious Beasts!" Wang Dong'er said incredulously. Even the lingering traces of drowsiness vanished like smoke in the wind.
Earlier, Wang Dong'er had been somewhat shocked when Lin Xuanchen told her what would happen next. Although she had prepared herself a little, facing the Ice Empress still gave her quite a fright.
"Yes, Dong'er, the person before you is the Ice Empress." Lin Xuanchen took Wang Dong'er's hand and reassured her, "But don't worry. Everything will be fine."
"Why should this empress take your word for it?" The Ice Empress folded her arms and narrowed her amber eyes slightly. A cold, dangerous aura seeped from them as she spoke indifferently.
If she had not been somewhat wary of the elderly figure behind Lin Xuanchen, she would already have lashed out with a pincer.
"Because I have forty-five pieces of ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow just like this one!" Lin Xuanchen said with a grin.
"F-forty-five pieces of ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow?!" An unmistakable flash of burning desire swept through the Ice Empress's amber eyes, and even her folded arms unconsciously loosened.
"Why should this empress believe you have forty-five pieces of ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow?" The Ice Empress took several deep breaths before continuing.
Although the Ice Empress was sorely tempted, Lin Xuanchen's claim was simply too outrageous.
In her eyes, it was already extraordinarily rare for Lin Xuanchen to possess even one piece of ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow. She still found it hard to believe that he actually had forty-five.
As though he knew the Ice Empress could not possibly believe him, Lin Xuanchen simply decided not to bother explaining.
The next moment, Lin Xuanchen's expression suddenly turned solemn. Keeping hold of Wang Dong'er's hand with one hand, he raised the other high and declared in a deep voice, "I, Lin Xuanchen, swear upon my martial soul that everything I just said is true. If even a single word was false, may my martial soul shatter of its own accord this instant, may I die a wretched death, and may my soul be scattered to the winds!"
"What... you... you swore upon your martial soul!" The Ice Empress froze briefly, then spoke in surprise.
On the Douluo Continent, if there was anything that inspired absolute trust, it was an oath sworn upon one's martial soul.
Without absolute certainty, even a Titled Douluo would not make such an oath lightly.
Of course, Lin Xuanchen had sworn upon his martial soul precisely because he was absolutely certain. He would never be foolish enough to gamble with his own future.
"Oh, right." Lin Xuanchen hurriedly added, "Although I have forty-five pieces of ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow, I'm not carrying them with me."
Lin Xuanchen feared the Ice Empress might simply try to rob him. Failing that, she might even summon the Snow Empress for the ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow, so he told a little lie.
Hearing this, the Ice Empress frowned in displeasure. The thought of simply seizing it by force had indeed crossed her mind, but now that Lin Xuanchen said he was not carrying it, she temporarily abandoned the idea.
"Human, what do you want in exchange for the ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow?" the Ice Empress asked bluntly, looking at Lin Xuanchen.
She was no fool. He could produce ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow and had gone to such great lengths to travel to the Far North and lure her out. She certainly would not believe he had merely come to throw his life away because he had nothing better to do.
"Hehe." Lin Xuanchen chuckled. "Senior Ice Empress, I can offer twenty pieces of ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow as payment to hire you to protect and guide me for a little over ten years."
"When the time is up, you can take those twenty pieces of ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow and make your Million-Year Escape," Lin Xuanchen said with a smile. "It's a win-win. You'll obtain the ten-thousand-year profound ice marrow, and you can use its energy to heal your hidden injuries and survive the heavenly tribulation a hundred years from now. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The Ice Empress's previously calm mood jolted violently at Lin Xuanchen's last sentence, and her amber eyes filled with astonishment.
She had told only the Snow Empress when her heavenly tribulation would come, yet Lin Xuanchen had just stated it so plainly. How could she not be shocked?
Moreover, Lin Xuanchen not only knew when her heavenly tribulation would descend, but even knew that she had hidden injuries.
"Human, how do you know that?" Soul power surged around the Ice Empress as she stared fixedly at Lin Xuanchen.
"I guessed, of course." Lin Xuanchen spread his hands nonchalantly. "Not only do I know your heavenly tribulation is approaching, I also know the Snow Empress's is coming soon. And just like you, she has accumulated hidden injuries within her body."
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