In the Core Circle of the Far North, the temperature approached that of ultimate ice. Unless someone was powerful enough to withstand the bitter cold or possessed a high-grade defensive soul tool, no human could survive there.
Protected by the Angel God Ring, Xiao Zi released his peak level 91 soul power after acquiring his Titled Level Demon Slayer Race clone, propelling himself through the Core Circle at tremendous speed.
The Ice Empress had sacrificed herself to Huo Yuhao. The loss of one of the Far North's great Heavenly Kings was enough to shake heaven and earth, and the Snow Empress, who had been extremely close to her, would not sit idly by. Presumably, her attempt to condense yin-yang complementary soul cores was not far off. Having requested an extended leave from Shrek, he did not have to worry about being expelled for missing classes. He had ample time to wait.
The Core Circle was not particularly large. Amid the boundless wind and snow, faint fluctuations of soul power reached him, along with a slight metallic clang. This was thanks to the Golden Horned Beast's traits: its immense appetite for metal made it something of a natural metal detector.
Suppressing his aura, Xiao Zi once again made crucial use of his low presence. As he drew closer to his target, he discovered that the aura of the figure with Ice Element attributes was gradually weakening, while the metallic aura grew increasingly intense.
The state of the battle was clear at a glance.
His original body found a nearby cave to hide in, sheltering from the ice and snow storm outside, while he switched viewpoints and took control of his clone.
The Demon Slayer Race clone's viewpoint.
Peeking through a gap, he saw that the former Far North First Heavenly King had already taken on an embryonic form. Her life force was like a candle flame in the wind, ready to gutter out at any moment.
On the other side, a Level 9 Soul Engineer controlled a metal device that blazed with light. Boundless suction surged fiercely from it, seeking to draw the Snow Empress Embryo inside and devour her completely.
The original story's plot had already begun. The Snow Empress was being hunted by a Level 9 Soul Engineer from the Sun Moon Empire, who intended to take her to the Star Luo Empire and sell her for a handsome price. As for that glittering golden object producing the suction, it was presumably the Level 9 Soul Tool, the Sealing God Platform.
No wonder the Golden Horned Beast was so desperately hungry. Its craving was directed at the Sealing God Platform. If it swallowed that soul tool, it should be able to gain several levels, shouldn't it?
Suppressing his martial soul's craving, Xiao Zi considered the matter carefully and decided to hold his position, watching how events unfolded.
The Sun Moon Empire's soul engineer had to die, but the Snow Empress was hardly easy to deal with either. Given a chance to prolong her life, she might not agree to sacrifice herself. If he rushed to save her only to be stabbed in the back and brought low, wouldn't he become the farmer who rescued a snake?
Only after a long while, when the Snow Empress's strength gave out and she was about to be sucked into the Sealing God Platform, did Xiao Zi finally reveal himself, moving before the two like a ghost.
Not only was the Snow Empress at her weakest, but the Level 9 Soul Engineer was no exception. Pouring all his power into the device left him no time to pay attention to his surroundings. With the immense rewards of capturing a seven-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Snow Woman clouding his judgment, the soul engineer's advantages had become useless.
Unwilling to trigger the Soul Tool Shield, the Demon Slayer Race clone struck using physical strength alone. A single palm shattered the man's skull and sent him off to the Western Heaven. He then took over the Sealing God Platform, maintaining its hold on the soul beast.
Yet after hearing the boy's words, the Snow Empress laughed instead of growing angry. "A deal? You make it sound so nice, but don't you still just want my soul ring and soul bone?"
Xiao Zi nodded without denying it. "You're right. I do want your seven-hundred-thousand-year soul ring. But I won't force you. I'll make you agree willingly!"
With the jar already broken, the Snow Empress decided she might as well smash it completely. She simply abandoned her resistance and arched an elegant brow. "Let's hear it."
"You failed to condense yin-yang complementary dual soul cores, and your time is running out. It's life or death now. Your only chance of survival is to abandon your body and merge your soul into a soul ring. Only then can you preserve a thread of life and await resurrection someday."
"I admit you have a point, but that isn't enough to make me willing. I am the foremost ruler of the Far North. How could I possibly submit to a human and betray the soul beasts?"
"Do you know what would happen if I didn't save you? That Level 9 Soul Engineer would sell you to the human world. You'd either become a martial soul or be turned into a soul ring and soul bone-a miserable end. By comparison, wouldn't sacrificing yourself to me and retaining your complete consciousness be vastly better?"
The Snow Empress answered with silence. His words had indeed struck home, leaving her unable to refute them.
If she were sealed inside the Sealing God Platform and sold to the human world as merchandise, how could the mighty Far North First Heavenly King accept it? The moment she was released, she would detonate herself, denying the humans any chance to succeed.
But although she would have her revenge, her body and soul would perish, leaving her no chance to rise again.
Death awaited her either way. The boy's proposal undoubtedly tempted her. There was only one problem...
"In the end, we have no way to establish genuine mutual trust. The road to godhood is so long, while humans live for only a hundred or two hundred years. When you die, I'll vanish with the wind as well, swallowed by the shadow of death." The Snow Empress sighed.
As though he had not heard those words, Xiao Zi stared at her with burning eyes. "So... you do want to sacrifice yourself, right?"
The Snow Empress clenched her teeth and decided to risk everything. "Yes. At this point, there's no reason to hide it. As long as you can convince me completely, there's nothing unacceptable about sacrificing myself!"
"Good!"
Speaking with someone intelligent was refreshingly straightforward. It spared him from having to seal her inside the Sealing God Platform and take her away, becoming the same sort of person as that Level 9 Soul Engineer.
Xiao Zi's original body approached from the other side and stopped a short distance in front of her.
The Snow Empress's pupils trembled. This sudden appearance of another person left her deeply shaken. "Two identical people?"
Only then did she realize that the boy who had just spoken to her possessed the strength of a Titled Douluo, yet lacked a normal human heartbeat. In other words, he was a living corpse.
The one approaching her now was a living, breathing person, with a heartbeat and emotions. His soul power was merely a little low, only in the thirties.
Even the knowledgeable and experienced foremost ruler of the Far North could not comprehend it at that moment. Her mind had completely frozen.
With no intention of explaining just yet, Xiao Zi exchanged a look with his clone, cut off the soul power flowing into the Sealing God Platform, and put it into his Storage Soul Tool.
The instant she regained her freedom, the pressure that had borne down on her like toppling mountains and surging seas vanished. Exhausted, the Snow Empress lowered her guard and slowly began recovering her strength.
She could not help asking curiously, "Aren't you afraid I'll run away?"
Calm and composed, Xiao Zi asked in return, "Do you have the strength to do that?"
The Snow Empress fell silent again.
Although he was young and his soul power was low, his insight was truly incisive.
Failing to condense yin-yang dual soul cores, undertaking human form re-cultivation, resisting an outside enemy...
One unexpected disaster after another had swept over her, long since draining all her reserves. If she could not recover soon, death would not be far away.
Xiao Zi continued on his own. "To answer your earlier question, I have a way to let you retain your autonomy and all your strength after sacrificing yourself. You'll have a chance at a second resurrection someday... because I am a god!"
He opened his left hand, revealing his second martial soul, the Destruction Scepter. Its destruction aura blotted out the sky and earth, sweeping entirely toward her and bringing a profound, bone-deep pressure.
And there, in the position of his first soul ring, a Golden Soul Ring shone brilliantly. An aura of divine light spread outward, and a graceful figure slowly emerged...