Let's Make a Deal

As the Snow Empress sized up Qian Chongling, he was sizing her up as well.

He had to admit that a Snow Spirit born and nurtured by nature really was like the snow maidens of island folklore: cool and beautiful, slender where she should be slender and ample where she should be ample.

"Human, rein in your gaze and state your purpose!" Perhaps uncomfortable with Qian Chongling's scrutiny, the Snow Empress's normally ethereal voice rose a little.

"Ahem, nothing much. I just wanted to reserve your Soul Rings, and then..." Hearing the slight anger in her voice, Qian Chongling gave a light cough and answered with utter seriousness.

At the mere mention of Soul Rings, an ice-blue longsword rapidly formed in the Snow Empress's delicate hand. Bone-piercing cold and incomparably powerful sword intent radiated from its edge.

"Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless!"

Her frosty voice carried anger into Qian Chongling's ears as Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless, one of the Snow Empress's Three Absolutes, came slashing down.

As the blade descended, a frigid, crescent-shaped arc of sword light cut through the air and reached Qian Chongling in an instant.

Qian Chongling smiled faintly and drew a purplish-black longsword, made of neither metal nor iron, from his Soul Tool. As he gripped it, he flicked his wrist and, before the Snow Empress's shocked eyes, deflected her Ice Extreme Peerless with his blade.

Boom!

It blasted a nearby snowy peak to pieces.

"Swordsmanship? Need me to give you a few pointers?" Qian Chongling beckoned to the Snow Empress with a wicked grin.

The Snow Empress nearly exploded with anger. Her national-treasure-sized "giant pandas" heaved up and down, and fury poured from her beautiful eyes. If looks could kill, Qian Chongling would probably have died hundreds of times.

"Die, you bastard! Emperor's Cold Heaven: Ice Extreme Peerless!"

Before her words had faded, countless streams of freezing energy erupted from her graceful body. Everything they touched froze, even the air, and not even the sun could melt it.

This was the Snow Empress's domain, also known as Xue Wu Shining Sun!

Within this domain, depending on the difference between her cultivation and her opponent's, all of the opponent's attributes were reduced by thirty to ninety percent, including but not limited to spiritual power, Soul Power, speed, and thought.

With her domain suppressing every aspect of her enemy, she unleashed nine consecutive strikes of Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless, instantly attacking vital points such as the head, heart, collarbone, and throat. This attack of the Snow Empress's was truly dazzling!

This was the Snow Empress's strongest move! Emperor's Cold Heaven: Ice Extreme Peerless!

I can win. This time, I can win!

The Snow Empress believed this without a doubt. This strike had already reached the realm of gods. Unless her opponent was a deity, no matter how powerful they were, they would meet a bitter end beneath it.

"Now this strike has some flavor."

Facing the overwhelming assault, Qian Chongling instead closed his eyes. In the next instant, his figure moved!

Qian Chongling's figure split into nine, and in an instant, he swung the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword in his hand. His movements were graceful, some thrusting upward, some sweeping sideways, and some slashing down.

He was like a butterfly dancing among flowers, beautiful and dreamlike, ethereal to the utmost, yet he also seemed never to have moved a single step.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The nine consecutive strikes of Ice Extreme Peerless were all deflected by nine even more exquisite attacks. The frozen ground shattered and snowstorms swept across it, blowing the Snow Empress's long hair high and revealing her utterly horrified, lovely face.

"How is this possible? We're both peerless, yet the gap is this enormous."

The Snow Empress's beautiful face went blank. The instant Qian Chongling attacked, she had sensed that, although his Soul Power was very strong, it had not surpassed rank ninety-nine.

"Hey, spacing out on the battlefield isn't a good habit." Qian Chongling's slightly cold voice came from behind the Snow Empress, snapping her out of her daze.

The Snow Empress turned around in terror, only to see a large hand growing steadily larger before her eyes. Qian Chongling spread his palm and grabbed her face.

The Snow Empress had an exceptionally perfect figure, but her face was exquisitely small. Qian Chongling actually covered her entire face with one hand.

With a resounding boom!

Headshot achievement x1

Qian Chongling rubbed his hands excitedly and slowly walked out of the dust-filled area. In the large crater behind him, the Snow Empress lay motionless, seeing stars.

"Big sister."

At the sight, the Ice Empress's eyes nearly split with rage. Ignoring her injuries, she charged straight at Qian Chongling, but he merely shook his head slightly.

The night was black as ink. The Far North was even colder at night than during the day, and ordinary humans simply could not survive in such an environment.

"Hah... hah... hah..."

Heavy, exhausted panting continued without pause. On the frozen ground beneath the night sky, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's six legs trembled. Her mouthparts gaped as she greedily gulped the freezing air, unable even to lift her pincers, as though this could calm her boiling blood and her aching, tingling muscles.

"What exactly do you want?"

The Ice Empress's eyes were full of fury. This human was far too strange. He was simply toying with her, neither injuring nor killing her, merely wearing down her stamina and Soul Power.

Qian Chongling spread his hands and said helplessly, "Didn't I say so at the beginning? I just wanted to reserve your Soul Rings."

As for his Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword, he had long since tossed it into a ditch. What a piece of junk. Its blade had chipped after just a few exchanges with the Snow Empress.

All he could say was that only the system could have such a super-low, low, low-quality imitation. And it even claimed that everything produced by the system was guaranteed to be top quality. What utter nonsense.

"You defeated us, so we have nothing to say. But one day, an even stronger Soul Beast will kill you!" the Ice Empress said resentfully.

"You mean those beneath the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest-Di Tian, Xiong Jun, or perhaps the Silver Dragon King?"

"Sorry, but Di Tian might not be able to beat me. As for the Silver Dragon King, if she dares come out, those people up above will probably go dragon-slaying, won't they?" Qian Chongling pointed upward.

The Ice Empress was instantly stunned. The human before her not only knew of Di Tian's existence, but also knew about the sovereign of their Soul Beasts. She looked at Qian Chongling and opened her mouth to speak, yet had no idea what to say.

"Besides, can't you let me finish speaking? Snow Empress, if you're awake, stop pretending to sleep," Qian Chongling said helplessly.

Hearing this, the Ice Empress looked dumbfounded. Then she saw the Snow Empress behind her slowly stand up.

She immediately ran to the Snow Empress's side. Once she learned that her sister was not seriously hurt, both beasts watched Qian Chongling warily.

"Now we can have a proper chat, right?"

"I watched the little scorpion's Heavenly Tribulation clearly from the sidelines. Unless something unexpected happens, you'll die beneath your next tribulation, or the one after that. As for you, snow maiden, you might withstand a few more, but the eventual outcome will still be death!" Qian Chongling said.

"So what?" the Ice Empress said.

"I'm guessing neither of you wants to die."

Wasn't that just stating the obvious? Who wanted to die when they could live? Neither the Ice Empress nor the Snow Empress had any desire to answer that question. All he got were four great big eye rolls.

"So, I'm planning to make a deal with you. Here's how it works: sometime in the next fifty to one hundred years, I'll bring someone whose talent is sufficient to become a god. You'll sacrifice yourselves to her and become her Soul Rings. Then, after she becomes a god, she'll revive you."