An Encounter

As morning light filtered through the branches covering the cave entrance and fell across Huo Yuhao's face, he felt its faint glow and ended his Meditation, opening his eyes to look toward the entrance. Through the branches, he could see the pale sky. Huo Yuhao didn't wash his face; he simply ate some rations, gathered his things, left the cave, and headed north.

Before the Far North lay the Frozen Forest, the largest Soul Beast forest in the northern part of the Heaven Dou Empire. It was home to large numbers of ice-attribute Soul Beasts, and Soul Masters often came there to hunt them. Huo Yuhao was hurrying through it; this was the only route to the Far North.

As Huo Yuhao used her spiritual power to observe her surroundings and avoid Soul Beasts and Soul Masters, she ran quickly north. The morning mist had yet to clear from the forest, and a small figure darted through it. Huo Yuhao had not heard from Evil Lord for a long time. She thought that perhaps the journey was too far and he had to cross the entire Ocean, so he had no time to contact her. But none of that mattered now. Huo Yuhao had crossed the Frozen Forest, and beyond it lay the territory of the Far North.

The frigid wind swept snowflakes against Huo Yuhao's face. The humans of this era had yet to explore the Far North. A tiny figure moved across the boundless snowfield. Even though Huo Yuhao pressed forward with all her strength, facing the bitter wind and snow, the freezing gusts still left the girl struggling to endure. The snowstorm made it hard for her to keep her eyes open. Like a fish swimming upstream, she faced the gale and headed for the Far North's Core Area. The boy of those days had journeyed across the snowy plains of the Far North in the same way, and now she did too. Only now, the girl no longer had the companion and teacher who had been by her side ever since she became a Soul Master. Huo Yuhao activated her Snow Maiden Martial Soul to withstand the harsh weather. Please hold on a little longer, she thought.

At that moment, Xiao Bai was staying in a cave.

"Give me another one." As he spoke, Xiao Bai reached toward the pile of fish.

"Brother Bai, why are you being so polite with me? Take as many as you want."

At those words, Xiao Bai grinned happily and stuffed the fish into his mouth. He licked his bear paw and couldn't help thinking of the meals Huo Yuhao used to make. Back in the Divine Realm, everyone had eaten and played together in the Undead Demiplane. Although the Divine Realm looked down on them for being Soul Beasts, they had been free and carefree in Huo Yuhao's demiplane. He could wander wherever he liked in the Far North and felt free there too, but somehow, it felt as if something was missing.

"By the way, A Ling, how are you planning to deal with your Hundred-Thousand-Year Heavenly Tribulation? Should I ask Mom for some heavenly treasures to help you?" A Ling wasn't a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast yet, but she was very close. She had an easygoing temperament and was famous throughout the Far North for being easy to get along with. Even though A Ling and Xiao Bai were different species, Xiao Bai would visit her whenever he had nothing to do. Thinking of how A Ling later failed to survive her Heavenly Tribulation, Xiao Bai really wanted to help her.

"Forget it. With my situation, no heavenly treasure will help. I've only got another ten years or so anyway. I've made peace with it."

"Don't you want to try taking human form? You could live for another hundred years as a human, after all. I think Mom would allow you to cultivate until you reached maturity before leaving the Far North." Xiao Bai still couldn't bear to see A Ling give up like this.

A Ling shook her head. "No need. Even if I took human form, I'd only be eking out another hundred years. It wouldn't mean anything. With my talent, there's no way I could become a god."

Xiao Bai knew it would only buy her some time, and that even taking human form wouldn't let her become a god. He knew very well what the Divine Realm was like, but he kept quiet so he wouldn't upset A Ling.

Just then, Xiao Bai sensed a familiar presence moving from the outskirts toward the Core Area. Was that presence Mom's? But Mom had always been cultivating in the Core Area. After saying goodbye to A Ling, Xiao Bai set off toward the presence to see what was going on.

Meanwhile, Snow Empress, in the Core Area, woke from her cultivation. "That same Origin Power, so similar to mine. This time it's appeared in the Far North. It's time I went to see what's going on." With that thought, Snow Empress set off, flying toward it.

The gale made it extremely difficult for Huo Yuhao to move. Thanks to her Snow Maiden Martial Soul, the bitter cold of the Far North wasn't a problem for her, but the fierce wind still gave her plenty of trouble. Amid the wind's howling in her ears, she heard another sound mixed in. The rumble of approaching footsteps grew louder, and Huo Yuhao instinctively dropped to the snow and covered herself with it, hoping she wouldn't be discovered.

Xiao Bai ran across the snowfield and followed the presence to Huo Yuhao's location. He pawed at the snow on the ground, revealing a white-haired little girl. Xiao Bai sniffed her. It was this presence.

Huo Yuhao knew she had been discovered and prepared to run. Then she looked up and saw a familiar figure before her. Instinctively, she said, "Xiao Bai?"

Xiao Bai looked at the girl too. Her presence was very similar to Mom's, and she knew him, but Xiao Bai couldn't remember who she was.

"I'm Yuhao. You remember me, right, Xiao Bai?"

"Grandpa? What are you doing here? And how did you become a girl?"

Huo Yuhao reached out and touched Xiao Bai's head. "Just call me Yuhao. I'm back, Xiao Bai. Is everyone all right?"

Xiao Bai nodded, then said, "All right, Grandpa. Hurry and come with me." As he spoke, Xiao Bai had Huo Yuhao sit on his back and ran toward A Ling's home.

The White Bear raced across the snowfield with Huo Yuhao on his back. She had no idea what Xiao Bai was up to. They hadn't gone far when a powerful presence swept toward them. A woman in white descended from the sky. Seeing the girl on Xiao Bai's back, Snow Empress knew that this human had to be connected to that presence.

"Mom, Grandpa is back!" Xiao Bai saw Snow Empress and ran toward her happily.

Snow Empress was startled by what she heard. Could Xiao Bai's nonsense have something to do with this human too? How had she affected him? "Xiao Bai, get away from her and come over here!" As she spoke, Snow Empress moved, an ice sword of solid ice appearing in her hand, and thrust it toward Huo Yuhao.

At Snow Empress's words, Huo Yuhao knew she didn't remember her. Xiao Bai, beneath her, wanted to explain, but Huo Yuhao stopped him. She got down from Xiao Bai's back and Snow Empress seized her. Xiao Bai could only watch anxiously from the side, unable to do anything.

With the sword's tip pressed against Huo Yuhao's throat, Snow Empress demanded, "Who are you? Why do you have my Origin Power, and what have you done to Xiao Bai?"

"I didn't come here with any ill intentions. I came to ask for help, and I've brought what you need." Huo Yuhao didn't immediately exchange memories with Snow Empress. She knew that if she gave Snow Empress her memories right away, Snow Empress wouldn't believe her. Besides, Huo Yuhao didn't want to do that. She didn't want to force a set of memories onto Snow Empress just so they could recognize each other; that method was no different from brainwashing. Huo Yuhao didn't want to do that to her companion.

"What I need? A little thing like you, with only ten levels of Soul Power, could give me what?" Snow Empress said, scrutinizing Huo Yuhao with her eyes. After all, there was still much that puzzled Snow Empress.