"Power that came from nowhere. There clearly wasn't even one percent as much of it as my own power, yet its strength actually held mine firmly beneath it."
The instant Yang Xingchen's soul returned, the Snow Empress detected the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' source power.
Even Di Tian, who possessed dual soul cores, could not accomplish such a thing, yet this unknown power had done it effortlessly.
At that thought, the Snow Empress immediately realized that the owner of this unknown power had probably already reached the divine realm.
Had Yang Xingchen come into contact with the power of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings?
The Snow Empress recalled Yang Xingchen once telling her that the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well owed its birth entirely to the two Dragon Kings falling here.
Only that could explain to the Snow Empress why this unknown power could suppress her own source power.
By then, the three powers that had still been wrestling moments earlier had completely become part of Yang Xingchen's body.
The Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' source power merged into Yang Xingchen's left and right arms, becoming two marks on the backs of his hands.
The moment Yang Xingchen opened his eyes after completely absorbing the power within him, a mouthful of water from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well rushed down his throat.
Choking, Yang Xingchen covered his mouth and was just about to swim upward with all his might, following the bubbles escaping between his fingers.
But he suddenly recalled the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings saying before he left that the space they occupied was at the bottom of the spring.
Noticing Yang Xingchen choking on water, the Snow Empress was just about to have Cangyuan help him surface quickly, but before she could speak, Yang Xingchen turned and swam downward.
Could Yang Xingchen have discovered something at the bottom of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?
With that unknown power's help, facing the waters of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was now like undergoing ice body tempering for Yang Xingchen.
Thus, the Snow Empress was not worried that Yang Xingchen would fail to reach the bottom of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Yet Yang Xingchen had barely swum any farther down when the gravity around him suddenly increased, pressing down on him until he could barely swim.
His weakening limbs were urging Yang Xingchen to give up. In any case, as long as he dealt with Dugu Bo, he could come down whenever he wanted.
No, I can't give up here. Going back up to make a deal with Dugu Bo would definitely cost me a long time.
There are less than five years left of the ten-year agreement, and I can only withstand the third seal now. The seventh seal is still far too distant!
Rallying himself, Yang Xingchen summoned Cangyuan and hooked the Space-Time Fishing Rod's hook onto him.
Then, relying on Cangyuan to propel him, Yang Xingchen pushed against the increasingly outrageous water pressure and swam toward the bottom of the spring, only three or four meters away.
When he was still two meters away, Yang Xingchen, whose consciousness was already growing hazy, felt as though the water pressure had flattened his lungs into a thin sheet.
Yang Xingchen struggled to widen his eyes, trying to see how far he still was from the bottom of the spring.
When Yang Xingchen was less than a meter from the bottom, he finally succumbed to the immense pressure of the spring water and passed out.
Before his consciousness faded, Yang Xingchen could not help smiling bitterly inwardly. Looks like my body isn't as strong as I imagined!
"I told you, you gave this kid too little source power when he left."
"Easy to say after the fact. Why didn't you give him a little more back then?"
As soon as Yang Xingchen regained consciousness, he heard a commotion beside him. He was very familiar with the owners of those voices.
He had never expected that he would actually enter the space occupied by the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings in his physical body.
"If you're awake, get up and prepare to absorb these two Soul Bones!"
In fact, the Fire Dragon King and the Ice Dragon King had noticed the moment Yang Xingchen regained consciousness.
But neither dragon cared about things like appearances, and they had already been bickering for so long. Would suddenly stopping count as losing?
The Fire Dragon King shoved two arm Soul Bones into Yang Xingchen's hands, then immediately turned to the Ice Dragon King and declared that he had won their argument.
"This is my six thousand six hundred and sixty-sixth victory over you. Ice Dragon King, celebrate for me!"
Holding the two Soul Bones, Yang Xingchen watched the rather smug Fire Dragon King and tried hard to keep a straight face without laughing aloud.
The Ice Dragon King had long since grown accustomed to the Fire Dragon King's flighty temperament. Faced with the Fire Dragon King boasting about his record, he decisively shifted the subject to Yang Xingchen.
"You must have cultivated an ice and fire body with that small portion of source power. Circulate the Soul Power within you and activate your ice and fire body."
Yang Xingchen naturally understood that the Ice Dragon King wanted to change the subject, and promptly followed his instructions, activating his ice and fire body.
Immediately, a faint layer of red-and-blue Soul Power enveloped Yang Xingchen's entire body, and symbols of ice and fire appeared on the backs of his hands.
The ice- and fire-attribute Heaven and Earth Yuan Power drifting through the air surged into Yang Xingchen's body with particular eagerness. He did not even need to deliberately direct it.
It was like an extension of Yang Xingchen's body, doing whatever he wanted it to do.
Yang Xingchen dared say that if he fought Dugu Bo again in his current state, he could definitely withstand several more of Dugu Bo's Soul Skills.
"With the help of your ice and fire body, you'll be able to absorb the Soul Bones a little faster."
"All right. Thank you for your guidance, Senior Ice Dragon King."
A mouth that ate another's food grew soft, and a hand that took another's gifts grew short. Having both eaten and taken, Yang Xingchen certainly had to show the right attitude. Otherwise, how could he keep receiving things?
Considering that his second martial soul was the Heavenly Snow Woman, Yang Xingchen planned to absorb the Ice Dragon King's Right Arm Soul Bone first.
The Ice Dragon King's Right Arm Soul Bone resembled deep-blue crystal, clear and translucent, with the Ice Dragon King's source power flowing within it.
Once Yang Xingchen officially began absorbing the Ice Dragon King's Right Arm Soul Bone, the Ice Dragon King suddenly spoke to him:
"Heavenly Snow Woman, you needn't keep hiding yourself. I have something to say to you."
"I am the Snow Empress, chief of the Heavenly Snow Woman clan. Greetings, Senior Ice Dragon King and Senior Fire Dragon King."
Seeing that she could no longer remain unnoticed, the Snow Empress immediately emerged from Yang Xingchen's Spiritual Sea and bowed to the two Dragon Kings.
The Snow Empress bowed to the two Dragon Kings not only because she respected her seniors, but also because their seniority spoke for itself.
Even if the Silver Dragon King came here today, she would have to respectfully address the two Dragon Kings as seniors.
Ultimately, the Silver Dragon King had merely inherited the Dragon God's power; she was not the Dragon God himself.
"Snow Empress, your talent is quite good. Now that you have shed your Soul Beast body and escaped the Dragon God's curse, I hope you can do something for me."
"The Ice God Divine Seat has been missing for a long time, and my strength has yet to recover, so I cannot recall it."
"Therefore, I will teach you how to recall the Ice God Divine Seat. Once you possess divine-level strength in the future, recall it."
With that, the Ice Dragon King raised a finger and touched the Snow Empress's forehead, imparting the method for recalling the Ice God Divine Seat to her.
After a long while, having finished receiving the method for recalling the divine seat, the Snow Empress could not help rubbing her temples.
The knowledge the Ice Dragon King transmitted was far too vast and complex. Even with her seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, the Snow Empress could not fully digest and absorb it all at once.
"Then, Senior Ice Dragon King, what should be done with the Ice God Divine Seat after it is recalled?"
The Snow Empress had often heard tales of the Ice God since her birth, and instinctively wanted to know what the Ice Dragon King would do with the divine seat after she recalled it.
"I think that after devouring your other self, you would be quite suited to becoming the next Ice God. Don't limit yourself to becoming a Million-Year Soul Beast."
Ever since discovering that the Snow Empress did not belong to this space-time, the Ice Dragon King had roughly guessed what she would do next. He would have done the same in her place.
Devouring other people or Soul Beasts might still result in needing to refine their source power or in contamination of the soul.
But when devouring another self, there was no need to worry about any of that. Both source power and soul would merge of their own accord, without any rejection.
Hearing that the Ice Dragon King wanted her to become the next Ice God, towering waves of shock surged through the Snow Empress's heart!