The first floor of the gigantic Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda opened, but this time, what emerged was not the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. It was a scorpion, an emerald-green Ice Jade Scorpion.
Most astonishing of all, the Ice Jade Scorpion actually spoke in human language. "I never imagined your martial soul would be so unusual. To think I could actually come out, beyond your Sea of Consciousness."
The one who had emerged was naturally the Ice Empress. Even Ning Yuhao had never expected that the wisdom soul ring attached to his third martial soul could also be summoned through his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Yet she had emerged from the first floor, which originally belonged to the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
"Right, Bingbing? I told you to trust my choice." As they spoke, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm also emerged from the first floor.
"Hmph!" Although the Ice Empress was surprised herself, she still showed the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm no kindness and remained icy cold.
"Brother Sky Dream, you've lived for so many years, and you're also the first wisdom soul ring. What do you think about this?" Ning Yuhao asked humbly.
A remarkably human look of contemplation appeared in the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's two little yellow eyes. "This... really wasn't something I expected. But I think it might have something to do with wisdom soul rings, along with your unusual martial soul."
The Ice Empress jabbed the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm with her tail stinger. He cried out, "Ow!" and rolled aside. "Isn't that no different from saying nothing at all? We know it probably has something to do with those things too."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said rather aggrievedly, "Well, we don't have enough samples right now, do we? You're the only sample. It's hard to draw a conclusion."
But then the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sidled up to Ning Yuhao again. "But don't worry, Xiao Hao. Trust me. We'll definitely figure this out in the near future."
Ning Yuhao nodded. He was already considering that if they really could all be like the Ice Empress, then with his three martial souls-the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Wicked Lord Shingan, and Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion-even if he could not upgrade Seven Treasures to Nine Treasures, he could still assemble a soul beast team of twenty-five soul beasts.
Perhaps even a ferocious beast team with ferocious beasts at its core.
On a throne built from skulls and ice crystals, Ning Yuhao sat languidly, yet radiated boundless majesty. Below him stood a host of ferocious beasts and soul beasts.
Ning Yuhao pictured such a scene in his mind and could hardly keep himself from grinning foolishly.
The Ice Empress, meanwhile, seemed to suddenly realize something and poked the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, though she used no force this time. "You're not setting your sights on other super soul beasts too, are you?"
"I'm a million-year soul beast, and you're a soul beast approaching four hundred thousand years, Bingbing. Would you really want to keep company with those low-ranking soul beasts?" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm seemed quite disdainful. "If possible, having nothing but super soul beasts would obviously be best."
The Ice Empress said, "In the Far North, only we Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North are super soul beasts. You could capture me, but you can't control the Snow Empress. And the Titan Snow Demon King wasn't injured that badly during his last heavenly tribulation. You might not succeed."
"No rush, no rush. Xiao Hao has three martial souls, which will need at least twenty-five soul rings altogether. Even if we slaughtered our way through the Soul Beast Realm, I'm afraid we couldn't scrape together twenty-five super soul beasts. There will have to be some weaker soul beasts." The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was quite philosophical about it. "There are still plenty of ten-thousand-year soul beasts, especially that bunch who treated me as a cultivation pack back then!"
As he spoke, a blazing fire of vengeance ignited in the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's eyes.
"I still can't beat a ten-thousand-year soul beast right now, can I?" Ning Yuhao asked, rubbing his chin.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said with a smile, "It might be a little difficult on your own, but don't forget, Bingbing and I can both be summoned. When the time comes, we'll just show a little of our imposing presence, and those ten-thousand-year soul beasts will wet their pants."
Ning Yuhao nodded. "I'm already at rank thirty now. It really is time to prepare to obtain my third soul ring."
Although most of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's powerful Soul Power origin had been sealed, it had still taken Ning Yuhao straight from rank twenty-seven to rank thirty. Moreover, his soul bone and three martial souls were constantly improving his physique.
Ning Yuhao already had an extremely strong constitution. Now, with his physical body alone, he could probably subdue some hundred-year soul beasts, or even thousand-year soul beasts.
"Xiao Hao, where are you planning to get your third soul ring?" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked.
The Ice Empress suggested, "Why not simply fill in the second and third soul rings of your Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul here in the Far North?"
Ning Yuhao shook his head. "I'll get soul rings for my first martial soul first. Once my cultivation is higher, I'll fill in the second and third martial souls."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm teased, "Bingbing, you don't understand this as well as I do. Xiao Hao definitely shouldn't be filling in his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul right now. Your soul ring's level is too high. If he keeps adding more too early, his body could very well burst."
"Hmph, you're the one who knows everything." With that, the Ice Empress returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda without waiting for the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm to respond.
"All right, Xiao Hao, head back first. We've achieved a great initial success, and these past few days have worn you out. Go back to Dragon City and get some proper rest." After saying this, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm also returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
Then both of them returned to Ning Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness.
Ning Yuhao returned to Dragon City and first enjoyed a hot meal. In the Far North, even pastries rich in sugar and oil had turned crumbly and had no texture to speak of. Then he slept before finally setting off for the Star Dou Great Forest.
He planned to obtain his third soul ring from a combat-type soul beast. After all, aside from Spiritual Shock, his offensive power now relied entirely on the two soul skills granted by the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion and the two soul skills granted by his soul bone.
"Xiao Hao, your body's capacity to withstand strain is extremely strong right now. The age of my first soul ring has already risen to the ten-thousand-year level. You could say the Ice Empress has greatly strengthened your body this time. But what surprises me most is your Wicked Lord Shingan. As expected of a martial soul the Auspicious Beast personally helped you awaken, it really has brought me plenty of surprises."
Hearing the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's words, Ning Yuhao merely gave a crooked grin. "I'm the Tyrant's Eye Wielder, after all. The Wicked Lord Shingan is the strongest."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice also took on a chuunibyou tone. "I, the Great Dream Nether Abyss Emissary, acknowledge you!"
The Ice Empress slowly produced a "?".
She felt as though she was having trouble keeping up with their conversation. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sidled up to her. "Bingbing, you should pick a nickname too. Then when we go out and announce ourselves, it'll be ridiculously cool, won't it?"
"No way." The Ice Empress felt an inexplicable chill of revulsion.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, however, refused to let it go. Now that they were in the Sea of Consciousness, he was much less afraid of the Ice Empress. In the end, he even began thinking up a title for her himself.
"Let's call you the Northern Nether Ice Soul Emissary. It suits you perfectly!" the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm finally decided.