"The owner of that giant hand sent a voice transmission to me, the Snow Empress, and the Titan Snow Demon King, saying that someone named Huo Yuhao would come here in the future, wielding a great dragon-scale halberd."
The Ice Empress turned to glance at Huo Yuhao. "He said that if you didn't dare resist, that thing would be left for the Far North to claim."
"If you dared strike to kill me or either of the other two Heavenly Kings of the Far North, then we would have to give it to you."
"The Snow Empress and I didn't know at first that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was possessing you, so we attacked you together. We never expected you to arrive so soon, much less unleash such a powerful attack using the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual power. You truly are worthy of being the person he specifically gave us instructions about."
Huo Yuhao's mind was a jumble now.
What was the thing the Martial Ancestor wanted to give me?
It was not difficult to work out from the Ice Empress's words that whatever the Martial Ancestor wanted to give him seemed vitally important to the Far North as well.
And judging by the Ice Empress's tone, the Far North truly wanted to keep it. Only the Martial Ancestor's overwhelming might forced them to hand it over to him now.
Could it be some sort of divine ice treasure?
As the Ice Empress gradually descended toward the ground, Huo Yuhao finally saw the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan in its entirety.
A network of emerald veins stretched across the ice fields, its flowing green light surging like waves, more dazzling than the auroras in the sky.
Right at the center of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan stood a pyramid-shaped structure.
Huo Yuhao could hardly imagine how Soul Beasts had built such a complex pyramid.
"That is the Ice God Altar."
The Ice Empress explained, "The Ice God is the supreme object of worship throughout the Far North. Every Soul Beast living here worships the Ice God, without exception."
As the Ice Empress continued descending, Huo Yuhao noticed what seemed to be an enormous egg resting at the base of the pyramid.
The egg measured about ten feet across, with ice-blue dragon patterns on its surface. At present, no Soul Beast stood beside it except the Snow Empress.
"This is what he wanted to give you."
The Ice Empress brought Huo Yuhao beside the enormous egg. "This is a dragon egg-a true-dragon-level Ice Dragon Egg."
Huo Yuhao understood at once.
The Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art!
Heavenly Dragon Qi was indispensable for cultivating the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art. Without it, one could not even begin.
And only true dragons with pure dragon bloodlines could possess Heavenly Dragon Qi.
Yet the only dragon openly known on the Douluo Continent was Beast God Di Tian in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Where did the Martial Ancestor get this dragon egg?
The Snow Empress had already been waiting here for the Ice Empress and Huo Yuhao.
Seeing the two arrive, the Snow Empress gently stroked the Ice Dragon Egg, her eyes filled with reluctance to part with it.
"Actually, this wasn't a dragon egg at first."
The Snow Empress told Huo Yuhao, "At first, it was only an eighty-thousand-year Ice Dragon Head Soul Bone. His power reached the very mysteries of creation. With a slight movement of his finger, he tore through space and time and retrieved the Soul Bone from downstream in the river of time. Then, by the time the Soul Bone fell, it had already become a dragon egg brimming with life."
"He said your purpose in coming here was to make the Ice Empress your Martial Soul."
The Snow Empress looked into Huo Yuhao's eyes, her voice betraying nothing of what she felt:
"If you didn't attack me and the Ice Empress, he said he would revive this dragon egg and let it become the future king of the Far North's Soul Beasts."
"But if you dared attack, the dragon qi inside the egg would remain as it is. In human terms, it is full of vitality, but essentially in the state of an unconscious living corpse."
"You can make it your second Martial Soul."
Huo Yuhao stepped forward and pressed his palm against the enormous Ice Dragon Egg. His spiritual power quietly spread as he carefully sensed the conditions inside.
The dragon qi was so dense that it seemed ready to burst through the shell.
Just as the Snow Empress had said, there was not a trace of the consciousness a living being should possess inside, only dragon qi of the utmost density.
Although the Martial Ancestor had reversed the cycle of life and death, retrieving a Soul Bone from the future and reviving it as a dragon egg, he had not bestowed consciousness upon the dragon qi within. Thus, this dragon egg could only be called a dead egg brimming with vitality.
"Given the Martial Ancestor's abilities, I suspect the moment I begged the Ice and Snow Empresses for mercy, the dragon qi inside the egg would have become a real young dragon and broken out of its shell."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had just been released by the Martial Scripture within the Sea of Consciousness, had already gone wild.
"A dragon egg! A true dragon Martial Soul! Brother Hao, is this real?"
"My heavens! This is a true dragon! Its Ultimate Ice abilities even far surpass the Snow Empress's!"
"Brother Hao, the deity whose inheritance you received treats you far too well!"
Huo Yuhao ignored the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's cries.
He looked at the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress and asked, "Apart from that, did he say anything else? For example... about the Ice Empress."
The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress fell silent.
After a long while, the Ice Empress sighed and said in an unreadable tone, "He said I should simply follow my heart."
"If I'm willing to sacrifice myself to you and become your Soul Ring, he won't interfere."
"If I'm unwilling..."
"He will help me overcome the Four Hundred Thousand Year Tribulation. If I can gain some insight from this opportunity, I will also have ways to deal with the tribulations that follow."
Huo Yuhao said nothing. He simply placed both palms against the Ice Dragon Egg and slowly began circulating the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.
Whatever the Ice Empress chose was her own affair. He had no right to interfere.
After all, it was the Ice Empress's own life and freedom.
Huo Yuhao now placed little importance on the Ice Empress's Ferocious Beast-level Soul Ring and Soul Bone.
He slowly circulated the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art. In an instant, thunder seemed to descend, and rumbling filled heaven and earth.
An ice-blue pillar of light erupted skyward from the dragon egg with vast, overwhelming force.
Bathed in that light, Huo Yuhao felt a tearing agony rip through his sinews and bones.
He heard his bones give off teeth-grating cracks, as though someone were crushing them inch by inch with a giant hammer, then mercilessly pulling them out.
Ghastly white bone fragments scattered across the ground. The fierce pain made Huo Yuhao double over and let out a beastlike growl.
Every muscle in his body was tearing apart. In a mere instant, Huo Yuhao was drenched in blood.
His vision began to double. Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth and endured, because he could also feel faint wriggling movements inside his body, as though something wanted to burst out.
The pillar of light exploded high in the sky, becoming a skyful of luminous rain that sank into Huo Yuhao's body.
Huo Yuhao roared in excruciating pain, his struggles growing ever more violent.
This was also the first time the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress had witnessed a process that could truly be called replacing bones and regrowing flesh. For a moment, neither had any idea how to help Huo Yuhao.
"He can only rely on himself to endure," the Snow Empress finally said softly.
Under the Ice Empress's and the Snow Empress's gazes, waves of violent fluctuations gradually emanated from Huo Yuhao, who was enveloped in ice-blue light.
Thump.
A drumlike heartbeat suddenly sounded from Huo Yuhao's chest.
As that heartbeat rang out, Huo Yuhao abruptly punched forward. A terrifying blast of wind swept in every direction with a howl.
Through-Back Fist, Ten Resonances!
Eight Desolations Palm, yin and yang in harmony!
Mysterious Gate Seal! Pure Yuan Finger!
Finally, Huo Yuhao drew the Heavenly Scale Ancient Halberd, whipping up wind as he swung it, freely venting the violent energy inside him.
"Roar!"
He let out a piercing dragon's cry. Then his figure shuddered, and he shot out of the spreading ice-blue light.
He beat his wings and hovered steadily in midair.
Ice-blue light surged wildly over his body, ultimately seeping out as something resembling a horny layer.
At this moment, ice-blue light suffused his entire body. That cold radiance gathered outside his skin, seemingly forming a special membrane patterned with dragon markings.
Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art, achieved!
True-dragon-level Ice Dragon Martial Soul, achieved!
Ice Dragon Wings External Soul Bone, achieved!