"Patriarch Shui, you're a clever man, so I'll get straight to the point."
Lin Xiao took an immortal herb from his Storage Ring and pushed it toward the center of the table.
"This is a Frostglass Heart Blossom, an immortal-grade medicinal herb rarely found in this world. After your daughter Shui Bing'er consumes it, her ice phoenix martial soul may evolve."
"Xuan Zi and I will be heading deep into the Far North. When we return, the Shui Family will receive additional Soul Bones as part of this offer."
Shui Tianyi felt his heartbeat quicken. As a Soul Saint, he had naturally heard something of the effects of immortal-grade medicinal herbs.
But only in books.
Looking at the herb radiating potent medicinal energy, Shui Tianyi felt his heart beat even faster.
And there were Soul Bones as well.
Even with a century of accumulated wealth, the Shui Family possessed only two inherited Soul Bones: one thousand-year and one ten-thousand-year.
If he could obtain another Soul Bone, regardless of its age...
Shui Tianyi would become a Soul Douluo as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
But after that surge of wild joy, Shui Tianyi immediately calmed down.
Immortal-grade medicinal herbs and Soul Bones.
Every one of them was something all Soul Masters in the world would fight over.
What could our Shui Family possibly have that would attract Lin Xiao enough to offer such generous stakes to win us over?
Shui Tianyi pondered for a long while but could not figure it out.
After all, even if Lin Xiao had taken a liking to Bing'er...
She could hardly be worth that much...
"Ahem..."
Lin Xiao cleared his throat.
"What I want is the entire Shui Family!"
Once Lin Xiao finished speaking, Xuan Zi stopped concealing his aura.
The aura of a level-99 Peerless Douluo erupted.
One Soul Ring after another descended around him.
Until the final, blood-red ring appeared.
"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!"
Shui Tianyi and the other two felt the immense pressure bearing down on them, nearly crushing the breath from their lungs.
Xuan Zi stopped once he had made his point.
"Patriarch Shui, to be frank, we come from a secluded family. I've ventured out this time to establish a force of my own."
Lin Xiao stared straight at Shui Tianyi.
"The Shui Family would make an excellent partner."
"Before this, Senior Poison Douluo also became one of our sect's elders."
"His Excellency Poison Douluo!"
Shui Yunxi cried out in surprise.
They were unfamiliar with the Taotie Douluo before them, but Dugu Bo's name could not have been more familiar.
Even Poison Douluo, who had long served as a guest elder to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family to repay their kindness, had become an elder of the force before them.
Shui Tianyi's expression shifted uncertainly.
He seemed to be deep in thought.
Lin Xiao was in no hurry either. He simply watched him with a smile, occasionally sipping his tea and taking a couple of bites of meat.
After a long period of deliberation...
Shui Tianyi let out a long breath.
"Very well. Our Shui Family will certainly lend you our strength, Sect Master!"
Since even Dugu Bo had chosen to go all in...
What reason did Shui Tianyi have not to follow?
People like them, who had spent years making their way through the Soul Master World...
Naturally knew something of Dugu Bo's character.
"Good. Then please accept this immortal herb first, Patriarch Shui."
Lin Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
"The food has cooled a little too. I was so busy eating the Snow Wolf meat in front of me that I haven't tried the other dishes yet!"
With that joking remark, Lin Xiao dispelled Shui Tianyi's last trace of misgivings.
"Yes, yes, my young friend Lin Xiao. That was my fault. Let me offer you a toast!"
Just after Lin Xiao left...
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er slowly poked their little heads through the doorway.
"Auntie, Mom, Dad, what happened?"
"Who is that Lin Xiao?"
Shui Yue'er asked curiously.
Shui Tianyi walked over to Shui Yue'er and gently rubbed her head.
"He might be the benefactor our Shui Family needs... From now on, we should call him Sect Master Lin Xiao. Remember to speak respectfully, understood?"
"Oh, okay. I understand."
Shui Yue'er looked bewildered, but she still nodded and agreed.
Then Shui Tianyi took Shui Bing'er's small hand.
He slowly led her inside.
What greeted Shui Bing'er was a flower radiating dense Soul Power.
"This is the immortal herb Lin Xiao left for you. Absorb it. I'll stand guard for you."
Shui Bing'er was a little cleverer and more mature.
Looking at the immortal herb before her, she simply nodded in silence.
"I'll repay him."
She suddenly spoke.
Shui Tianyi was momentarily speechless. He merely tapped her head in amusement and said nothing more.
As for what Shui Tianyi was planning, no one knew.
By then, Lin Xiao and Xuan Zi had returned to the hotel.
After a quick wash, they fell into a deep sleep.
Awaiting the coming of tomorrow.
Early the next morning, the two set out and entered the Frozen Forest.
The Frozen Forest formed the outer reaches of the Far North and was also the only passage into it.
The weather was poor. A blizzard seemed to have raged throughout the previous night.
The fierce wind howled.
Even the outskirts of the Far North remained at ten degrees below zero year-round.
With an average elevation of nearly three thousand meters, oxygen was also growing scarce.
Although Lin Xiao's Ice and Fire Golden Body meant he did not fear the cold...
The fierce wind still lashed his face painfully.
Bitterly cold air poured relentlessly into his mouth and nose.
Lin Xiao had no choice but to raise a Soul Power shield against the wind.
"How strange. Why has such a fierce snowstorm suddenly appeared in the Far North?"
Lin Xiao muttered to himself.
Even when Huo Yuhao had come to obtain the Ice Empress's Soul Ring...
Winds this strong had only appeared deep within the Far North...
The icy-blue bead shone ever more brightly.
At first, it had been dull and lightless, with only a faint thread of sky-blue light spreading outward from within.
Now, the entire bead had turned blue.
That inexplicable sense of attraction grew stronger and stronger.
Lin Xiao put it away.
As a Soul Master, he could regulate his body with Soul Power.
He did not need to acclimatize to the elevation of the Far North's plateau like an ordinary person.
Nor did he need to advance step by step to promote hemoglobin production and combat the low pressure and lack of oxygen at high altitudes.
With Xuan Zi leading him, they also had no need to push deeper one step at a time like ordinary Soul Hunting parties, stopping occasionally to recover their Soul Power.
He therefore decided to have Xuan Zi fly him straight into the deepest reaches.
Xuan Zi raised a Soul Power shield around Lin Xiao, then rose into the air and flew toward the depths of the Far North.
Along the way, Xuan Zi released his Peerless Douluo aura over the twenty to thirty meters surrounding them.
Thus, no Soul Beasts foolish enough to block their path appeared.
The two soon reached the heart of the Far North.
The average elevation here had already reached forty-five hundred meters.
When Lin Xiao tried going without Soul Power, he could feel the warmth in his body slowly draining away with every breath.
His stamina consumption doubled, and he involuntarily began breathing through his mouth.
For this trip into the Far North, he had worn only a fleece coat.
"Tsk, tsk."
Smacking his lips twice, Lin Xiao began circulating his Soul Power again.
After all, the extreme temperature stayed below minus eighty degrees year-round, with winds exceeding a hundred kilometers per hour.
He could not withstand that.
Once he felt his bodily functions gradually return to normal...
Lin Xiao finally turned his gaze into the distance.
He planned to find the Ice Empress first.
For one thing, convincing the Ice Empress would greatly improve his chances of convincing the Snow Empress.
For another, although the Snow Empress's palace should be located in the very heart of the Far North...
Under normal circumstances, the Snow Empress would not remain in her palace all the time.
As the ruler of the Far North, she also bore a portion of its destiny.
She was intensely eager for the approaching heavenly tribulation and for ascension to godhood.
Thus, she was most likely cultivating in seclusion somewhere Lin Xiao knew nothing about.
He could hardly sneak into her bedchamber and wait for her to return just to give the Snow Empress a surprise.
An image suddenly sprang into his mind of himself clinging to the ceiling of the Snow Empress's room.
Then dropping down the moment she pushed open the door.
"Hey, hello there, Snow Empress. Care to make a deal?"
A chill of revulsion ran through Lin Xiao. He immediately shook himself, banishing that wicked idea from his mind.
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