Fusing the Snow Empress, a Soul Skill That Controls Frost

Who should be fused first, the Snow Empress or the Ice Empress... Huo Yuhao thought seriously about it. In the Original Work, the Snow Empress was such an overwhelmingly powerful being.

After becoming a Soul Spirit, she alone occupied four Soul Ring slots: one for each of the Snow Emperor Three Absolutes, plus one for the combined skill, Pride of the Ice and Snow Emperors.

Fusing with the Snow Empress was indeed excellent, but taking up four Soul Ring slots was not Huo Yuhao's ideal setup.

Could the Soul Spirit system be improved?

With that thought, Huo Yuhao looked at Electrolux, a contemplative gleam in his eyes. "Old Yi, if I fuse with the Snow Empress..."

"When performing the Soul Spirit fusion ritual, could we save one or two Soul Ring slots and grant the Soul Master higher-quality Soul Skills?"

If the Snow Empress Soul Spirit occupied four Soul Ring slots, that would effectively be a waste of potential.

A hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring could grant a Soul Master two skills. Yet the seven-hundred-thousand-year Snow Empress took three Soul Ring slots for three Soul Skills—Emperor Palm, Emperor Sword, and Emperor Frozen Sky.

Without considering any other factors, if Huo Gua normally absorbed hundred-thousand-year Soul Rings for every ring, he would obtain six Soul Skills.

While having more Soul Skills did not necessarily mean a greater advantage or higher combat power, were Huo Gua's Soul Ring slots as important as those of ordinary people?

No matter what, he should avoid wasting Martial Soul potential as much as possible and make full use of every Soul Ring slot.

Electrolux had considered this matter long ago. He chuckled. "The reason it is called a Soul Spirit, I believe, is partly because—

"It comes from the 'necromancer' in my title of Holy Necromancer, and the 'undead' in Undead Scourge. Applied to Soul Rings, it becomes 'Soul Spirit.'"

Huo Yuhao nodded thoughtfully. It did sound quite fitting.

After all, Old Yi was undoubtedly an expert in matters concerning spiritual entities.

Electrolux briefly reminisced. "The other, and most important, reason is that my research into souls can barely be considered comprehensive and far-reaching. Only then was I capable of creating Soul Spirits."

Through the previous Memory Light Orb, Old Yi had discovered that the Snow Empress Soul Spirit within it had merely been an unfinished product created in haste to preserve everyone's lives.

"Now that I know the concept of Soul Spirits in advance, I am confident that I can improve and perfect it based on the original foundation."

Hearing Old Yi say this, Huo Yuhao was naturally delighted. He asked, "Old Yi, my Second Martial Soul currently has two Soul Ring slots. If I want to fuse with the Snow Empress, what Soul Skill configuration would that give me?"

After a brief consideration, Old Yi looked kindly at the Snow Empress. "That will require her conscious cooperation with you during the fusion process, Yuhao."

"If all goes well, her three skills—Emperor Palm, Emperor Sword, and Emperor Frozen Sky—will be consciously controlled and condensed into a single Soul Ring, where they will be perfected."

"Furthermore, your other Soul Ring will gain an additional two Soul Skills from the Snow Empress's seven hundred thousand years of cultivation."

Huo Yuhao understood what Old Yi meant. "In other words, after the Snow Empress becomes a Soul Spirit this time, she will only occupy two Soul Ring slots?"

Electrolux nodded slightly. "Within one Soul Ring, you may not be able to directly and completely master the Snow Empress's three techniques. But later, the Snow Empress can personally teach you."

Huo Yuhao was already quite satisfied with this result. Under the Snow Empress's guidance, he could gradually master the Snow Emperor Three Absolutes through accumulated insight and practice.

Compared to the Snow Emperor Three Absolutes, the more important part was the two Soul Skills provided by the other Soul Ring. That was the true measure of the Snow Empress Soul Spirit's worth.

From the conversation between Huo Yuhao and Old Yi, the Snow Empress had more or less understood. Huo Yuhao wanted to fuse with her first, but because she might occupy multiple Soul Ring slots, they had been discussing a solution.

"Snow Empress, when we conduct the Soul Spirit ritual later, you will need to cooperate carefully with Yuhao," Electrolux reminded her.

Naturally, the Snow Empress agreed. "Rest assured, Senior Old Yi. Since I have chosen the path of helping Yuhao become a god, I will certainly assist him with all my strength."

Huo Yuhao trusted the Snow Empress's expertise.

"Snow Empress, after you become a Soul Spirit, it should not be too difficult for you to teach me to master the Snow Emperor Three Absolutes, right?"

The Snow Empress covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Don't worry, Yuhao. With me personally teaching you, it will not take long before you thoroughly grasp my techniques."

Seeing this, the Ice Empress could not help feeling a sour pang in her heart, so she put pressure on Huo Yuhao.

"Huo Yuhao, the Snow Emperor Three Absolutes, renowned throughout the Far North Land, are not as easy as you think. Even with the Snow Empress personally teaching you, it will be difficult for you to even get started."

Huo Yuhao flashed a bright smile. "It's fine, Ice Empress. I'll persevere, work hard, and practice diligently."

The Snow Empress felt there was a hint of distrust toward her in the Ice Empress's words. Softly, she said, "Bing'er, don't you know my expertise and teaching ability? I definitely won't hold Yuhao back."

The Ice Empress took a deep breath. Was that what she meant? They had not even fused yet, and already they were echoing each other.

Once they truly fused, would that not be unbearable? Would there still be a place for her in the Snow Empress's heart?

Just as the Ice Empress was feeling gloomy, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed and slithered over, his tone full of regret.

"Ah... Bing Bing, Yuhao's first two Soul Rings have both been taken by the Snow Empress. Looks like we'll have to wait a while longer before we can be together. True love is always so full of twists and turns."

The Ice Empress was already furious inside. Seeing Sky Dream Ice Silkworm approach, she clamped his silkworm body with one massive foreclaw.

Then she swung him fiercely in circles several times, directly flinging Sky Dream Ice Silkworm over a hundred meters away.

"Tian Meng, stop bothering me! I'm in a terrible mood right now. Come any closer, and I'll tear you to pieces and skewer you!" The Ice Empress waved her Jade Green Scorpion Tail as she shouted harshly.

After flinging Sky Dream Ice Silkworm away, the Ice Empress thought over what he had just said and scuttled over to the Snow Empress with a clacking sound.

"Snow Empress, Yuhao, what about me? When will I fuse with Yuhao?"

Huo Yuhao thought about it. In the Original Work, the Ice Empress only occupied one Soul Ring slot. "Once I cultivate to level thirty and gain a new Soul Ring slot, I can fuse with you."

"You won't make me wait too long, will you?" the Ice Empress asked.

"No. It will take no more than a year for me to cultivate to Soul Elder."

Upon hearing that, the Ice Empress's mood immediately improved considerably. For Soul Beasts at their level, a year was but a fleeting moment. She could return to cultivate or sleep, and it would pass before she knew it.

Old Yi smiled gently. "All right, Yuhao. Find a place and begin your fusion with the Snow Empress."

"Let's go to the Snow Peak where I reside." The Snow Empress gestured toward the snow-white mountains in the distance.

"Yuhao, I'll fly you there."

With that, the Snow Empress extended a fair arm, tucked Huo Yuhao into her embrace, and flew toward the snow mountain.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who had been flung over a hundred meters away, finally crawled back shamelessly to the Ice Empress. "Bing Bing, you're so domineering, so cold, I love you—Pfft!"

Before Sky Dream Ice Silkworm could finish, the Ice Empress struck him violently with her foreclaw, nearly making him spit out his Mental Origin.

Then, the Ice Empress flew after the Snow Empress.

Before long, they arrived at the summit of the snow mountain. There was a mist-shrouded Hot Spring here, suffused with an icy white aura. It could be considered a Small Blessed Land.

Through the hazy mist, they could see a Snow Lotus floating at the center of the Hot Spring, each of its petals flowing with strange halos of light.

The moment the Snow Empress set him down, Huo Yuhao hurriedly circulated the Mark of Life at full force to recover from his injuries.

"Snow Empress, you broke my arm at least three times on the way here."

Huo Yuhao said it calmly, swinging his arm a few times to show that he was badly hurt.

"Huh? Then why didn't you cry out?"

The Snow Empress hurriedly took out a healing spiritual item unique to the Far North Land and reset Huo Yuhao's bones.

Huo Yuhao glanced at the Snow Empress. "If even those tiny movements made me cry out, how would I endure our fusion later?"

The Snow Empress felt a little sorry for him. The first time she had brought Huo Yuhao to where she lived, she had already broken him several times.

"I already held back as much as possible. Who knew you would still be so fragile? You break at the slightest touch."

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Those words were exceptionally unpleasant.

With the Snow Empress's cultivation, she should not have been unable to control her strength. It could only be attributed to the emotional turmoil she felt at the thought of soon becoming a Soul Spirit.

The Snow Empress parted her rosy lips and blew gently. In the next moment, a petal from a Snow Lotus appeared in her palm.

"Yuhao, take this first. It can ease your pain during the fusion later."

The Snow Empress handed the Snow Lotus petal to Huo Yuhao.

"Snow Empress, where did you take that from?" Huo Yuhao froze. If he had seen correctly, it had appeared after the Snow Empress blew on her palm.

"It has been nurtured inside my body. Naturally, I took it from within my body."

The Snow Empress answered without a second thought, as if it were only natural.

Then her eyes suddenly narrowed. Radiating an extremely dangerous aura, she rose to her feet and slowly advanced toward Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao, look directly at me."

A cold glint flashed through the Snow Empress's eyes as she questioned him icily. "Did you think that petal had been eaten by me and find it dirty?"

Meeting the Snow Empress's gaze, Huo Yuhao immediately felt the surrounding temperature plummet, as though it would freeze him into an ice sculpture.

"Snow Empress, no, no, you misunderstood me. I didn't think it was dirty. I was just wondering whether it would still work."

The Snow Empress's expression revealed neither joy nor anger. "I said it has been nurtured within my body. How could it not work?"

"Furthermore, I am a living being formed from the primordial energy of heaven and earth. Every part of me is purely clean. Even if it had no effect, how could eating it make you even the slightest bit dirty?"

Facing the Snow Empress's icy stare, Huo Yuhao condensed his countless thoughts into a single sentence.

"The Snow Empress is right."

With that, Huo Yuhao took the petal from the Snow Empress's palm, pinched a tiny bit from the edge, and rubbed it between his fingers.

The Snow Empress frowned slightly at the sight.

Huo Yuhao stuffed the entire petal into his mouth. He did not even need to chew; it dissolved on its own into a cool liquid.

The Snow Empress gave a calm snort. At least you know what's good for you. Then she looked at Electrolux. "Sorry to trouble you, Senior Old Yi. Let us begin the fusion now."

"It's no trouble. A small matter." Electrolux chuckled and began preparing the Soul Spirit fusion ritual.

Watching the exchange between the Snow Empress and Huo Yuhao, the Ice Empress pouted deeply. "A human can receive the Snow Lotus nurtured inside the Snow Empress's body, yet I've never received such treatment..."

The Ice Empress felt utterly sour inside.

Soon, Electrolux had prepared the ritual.

The Snow Empress said softly, "Yuhao, you should also know that although I am a Soul Beast, my appearance is extremely similar to that of you humans."

"Therefore, whatever part you want for a Soul Bone, I can leave you a Soul Bone in your ideal location under the guidance of my own will."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao thought for a moment. Two ideas surfaced in his mind.

A Skull Bone, or an Arm Bone. The latter would include Hand Bones, which could later become external Hand Bones and fuse with the Dark Gold Terror Claw.

If he chose a Skull Bone, then in the Original Work, Huo Gua's Destiny Skull had been provided by the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's sacrifice. The Snow Empress, meanwhile, had ignited her origin power in the Original Work, and despite her seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, she had not left Huo Gua a Soul Bone.

This time, the auspicious beast would not sacrifice herself, while the Snow Empress would become a Soul Spirit through the normal process. That would neatly fill the gap left by the Skull Bone.

However, there was an even better choice for a Skull Bone: the eight-hundred-thousand-year Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord, the Evil Emperor.

So the choice of a head Soul Bone could be considered later.

As for an Arm Bone... Huo Gua's hundred-thousand-year Mermaid Princess right arm bone in the Original Work was honestly a little lacking for him.

A seven-hundred-thousand-year Snow Empress Arm Bone was clearly better suited to Huo Gua's setup.

An Arm Bone specialized in enhancing strength, which would benefit his cultivation of battle techniques such as Eight Extremities Collapse and Flame Splitting Wave Ruler.

"Snow Empress, can I have an Arm Bone that comes with Hand Bones?"

"Yes. Then it will be Hand Bones."

Icy white light radiated from between the Snow Empress's brows, flowing continuously toward Huo Yuhao's forehead before entering his arms.

The fusion of the Snow Empress's Hand Bones caused dull waves of pain in Huo Yuhao's arms. However, he had previously fused with the Bone Spirit Cold Fire Sub-Flame, so the pain brought by the Snow Empress's Hand Bones was entirely bearable.

"Yuhao, bone before soul. The pain of fusing the Hand Bones exceeds your imagination. I will use my ice and snow to numb your pain, reducing your suffering to the minimum."

Huo Yuhao nodded silently. The lotus petal he had taken earlier also began to take effect, bringing waves of coolness to his mind.

After some time, the icy white halo receded from Huo Yuhao's forehead, and his arms carried an unusual texture.

His hands had become jade-like, crystalline and translucent, as white as porcelain.

Huo Yuhao could clearly feel that his Mental Power and physical strength were extraordinarily abundant. This meant that the Hand Bone fusion had succeeded.

At this moment, the Snow Empress appeared through Spiritual Projection. "I didn't expect Yuhao to adapt so well to my Hand Bones. Senior Old Yi, please conduct the Soul Spirit fusion ritual."

In the next instant, a faint formation appeared around both the Snow Empress and Huo Yuhao, and an extraordinary connection formed between them.

A strange halo enveloped them both, seemingly forming a translucent membrane of light. Indescribable energy brewed within it.

"Yuhao, I'm coming." The Snow Empress slowly released her origin energy, and the immense power seemed as if it would swallow Huo Yuhao whole.

Yet under the Snow Empress's conscious control, the pure white halo flowed bit by bit into his body, instantly dyeing Huo Yuhao's entire body icy white.

As this energy poured in, Huo Yuhao's appearance began undergoing tremendous changes.

Perhaps because the Snow Empress was Huo Yuhao's first Soul Spirit, his features gradually softened under her influence, while his skin took on a snowy white color.

Second by second, two orange-gold Soul Rings faintly emerged around Huo Yuhao.

He could sense that the Soul Skills of one orange-gold Soul Ring were the three-piece set of Emperor Palm, Emperor Sword, and Emperor Frozen Sky.

As for one of the Soul Skills within the other orange-gold Soul Ring—

Praying White Snow.

The innate Soul Skill of the Heavenly Snow Woman. Within its domain, it borrowed the power of nature to gain absolute control over ice, snow, and frost energy. (Referenced from Bleach's Sode no Shirayuki, with one character changed.)