The God-Making Plan

Douluo Continent, the Far North.

Ice sealed a thousand miles, and snow swept across ten thousand. This deadly wilderness at the continent's northernmost edge had been forbidden ground for Soul Masters since ancient times.

The freezing wind was a knife, slicing the heavens; ice and snow were blades, devouring life.

Zhang Lan set foot alone upon this land of deathly silence.

He gripped his Martial Soul tightly. Each time the tip of his cane struck the hard ice, it chipped out a faint, brittle echo.

The wind and snow blurred the path ahead, yet he never stopped.

Step by step, he walked deeper into the Far North.

That solitary figure was as small as a speck of dust beneath the boundless heavens, yet as unyielding as a mountain peak.

"This spot should do. Do you know what Second Martial Soul your big brother's going to find you?"

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke within the Sea of Consciousness.

"No."

Although Zhang Lan knew, he still played along and gave that answer.

"You know about the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, right?"

Zhang Lan nodded at his words.

Before awakening his Martial Soul, he had read books at an academy in Shrek City.

Although the academy in the city had offered nothing particularly advanced,

general information like this had still been available.

"Our target this time is the second of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, the undisputed ruler of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan."

"The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, the Ice Empress."

"I'm going to begin now."

"Little Lan, without the protection of my shed skin-"

While Tian Meng was speaking, Zhang Lan had already begun shutting out the wind and snow.

The Star of Eden lightly tapped the ground, then constructed a hemispherical, multilayered Gravity Dome around Zhang Lan.

When the wind blew toward it, the air currents and snowflakes did not strike the barrier head-on. Instead, as though they had encountered an invisible slide, they were flung outward along a tangent.

Seeing that Zhang Lan was ready, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm immediately began drawing out the Ice Empress.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm emerged from Zhang Lan's Sea of Consciousness, and a platinum-white Soul Ring appeared behind him.

Across the vast central region of the Far North, the light suddenly dimmed.

It was as though day had abruptly turned into night.

Then an invisible majesty instantly spread outward.

Accompanied by terrifying spiritual power, it radiated in every direction from Zhang Lan's body.

Rumbles of muffled thunder began sounding in the gloomy sky.

The moment the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual body took shape, a powerful intent spread outward.

"Ice Empress, I know you've sensed my presence."

"I've returned. Do you dare meet me?"

Before long, the pitch-black sky turned jade green in the blink of an eye.

"Tian Meng, you're actually still alive."

"Have you come back to become a meal on my plate?!"

A clear, ringing voice sounded from every direction.

With that voice came a terrifying sonic wave.

It churned up waves of snow across the frozen ground.

But shielded by Zhang Lan's Gravity Dome, they remained unaffected.

"Ice Empress, you're not dead yet, so why can't I still be alive?"

"Do you remember what I told you?"

"As long as I don't die, one day I'll become your mate."

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice suddenly turned so smarmy that goosebumps rose all over Zhang Lan.

He helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead, almost too embarrassed to look at him.

"Tian Meng, you're courting death!!!"

The Ice Empress's clear voice suddenly filled with murderous intent.

In that same instant, the jade-green sky turned dark green, and dense killing intent descended from above.

It sent ripples rolling across Zhang Lan's Gravity Dome.

The very next moment, the Ice Empress appeared.

Jade light flashed, and a Soul Beast materialized opposite the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion slowly revealed herself.

Her body was only a meter and a half long, yet she possessed an oppressive presence that made all things bow low.

Across her carapace, icy blue and jade green shone against each other. The icy hue was translucent as thousand-year-old frost jade, while the green was deep as a frozen spring in an ancient well.

Hexagonal, diamond-like protrusions covered her carapace and six long legs, refracting dazzling brilliance in the snowy light.

It was the most magnificent crown in the Far North, and its deadliest armor.

Her two front claws were each a meter long, their silvery, mirrorlike pincers reflecting the snow swirling through the sky.

Six crystalline yellow venomous eyes were set into her head armor, glittering like jewels.

She raised her long tail.

The tail had five segments and was jade green throughout, each segment narrower and darker than the last, as though the concentrated hues of spring had been frozen into ice.

"As a fellow Soul Beast of the Far North, I'll give you a chance to say your last words."

The Ice Empress's clear voice rang out.

"Last words? Ice Empress, isn't that a little heartless?"

"I came all this way, and you're already so eager to send me off?"

"Enough nonsense!"

Cold light blazed from the Ice Empress's tail hook, and her dark-green stinger pointed straight at Tian Meng.

"You barely escaped from me back then, yet today you dare deliver yourself to my doorstep."

"Since you're tired of living-"

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Tian Meng hurriedly waved his hands, his tone suddenly becoming more serious.

"Ice Empress, I didn't come here to fight you today."

"I came to show you a path."

"A path?"

"A path to godhood."

The Ice Empress fell silent for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.

"You? A big worm who only knows how to eat and sleep?"

Rather than becoming angry, Tian Meng smiled.

"Yes, me."

"Do you still remember what happened ten thousand years ago?"

At those words, the Ice Empress's expression stilled.

"When heaven and earth changed color, and godhood was attained in an instant?"

"Of course..."

After a period of persuasion, the Ice Empress reluctantly agreed to Tian Meng's god-making plan.

"Reaching level twenty at just seven years old does lend your god-making plan some credibility."

"In that case, you can call me Ice Empress, just as Tian Meng does."

The Ice Empress spoke as she looked at Zhang Lan beside them.

She could tell that Zhang Lan had not relied on Tian Meng's assistance amid the wind and snow.

With his own abilities alone, he could move through the central region of the Far North.

Zhang Lan's talent was absolutely unmatched in the human world.

No wonder Tian Meng valued this human so highly and had chosen him as the foundation of his god-making plan.

Just then, as though something had occurred to him, Zhang Lan asked the Ice Empress,

"Sister Ice Empress, can you contact the Snow Empress?"

Hearing Zhang Lan's question, Tian Meng panicked and immediately sent him a telepathic message.

"Little Lan, what are you doing?"

"Are you trying to bring the Snow Empress into the plan too?"

"We should already be burning incense in thanks that the Ice Empress agreed."

"If we add the Snow Empress, I won't be able to guarantee you'll survive."

"Don't worry, Brother Sky Dream. Just stay calm."

The Ice Empress considered for a while, then said,

"The Snow Empress is attempting to overcome her seven-hundred-thousand-year tribulation. I have no intention of disturbing her."

"Forget about it."

"Then what if I know of a cavern containing Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow?"

"With that Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, the Snow Empress could face her seven-hundred-thousand-year tribulation with peace of mind, couldn't she?"

The moment Zhang Lan finished speaking, the Ice Empress's aura erupted, bearing down on him.

"You had better be telling the truth, human."

"Otherwise, the god-making plan ends here."

"Of course. I swear on my Martial Soul."

"Everything I said is true."

Zhang Lan spoke with confidence written across his face.

"Little Lan, do you really know where that place is?"

Tian Meng asked worriedly.

"Relax. I'm ninety-eight percent certain."

"Otherwise, if the Ice Empress disappears, no matter what excuse we give,"

"would the Snow Empress let us leave the Far North?"

"We might as well use this opportunity to make contact with the Snow Empress and have her safeguard our god-making plan."

Zhang Lan sent those words to Tian Meng telepathically.