The Shrouding the Heavens World, "the White Jade Capital.
In a side hall of the Star-Picking Tower, the Snow Empress sat cross-legged on a cold jade bed, his body enveloped in a thin layer of icy blue light.
The text " The Heavenly Emperor's True Explanation: The Saint Spirit Chapter" echoed repeatedly in her mind.
Those obscure and profound Daoist mantras, which seemed like heavenly scripture at first reading, became incomprehensible when she calmed down and deduced them based on her own accumulated ice laws over hundreds of thousands of years. They came to understand them naturally and effortlessly.
"So that's how it is... So the power of ice in the world isn't just about freezing..."
A sense of enlightenment gradually arose in Snow Empress's heart.
In the Douluo Continent, Ultimate Ice represents the pinnacle of ice-attribute power and embodies the rules.
However, in this " Heavenly Emperor's True Explanation," the Ultimate Ice is merely an introductory manifestation of the Great Dao of Ice.
The true path of ice encompasses many aspects such as "freezing," "stillness," "extinction," "returning to the source," and "creation," and even involves the subtle relationship between time and space.
Following the instructions of the cultivation method, she attempted to guide the vast Soul Power within her body—no, according to the " Heavenly Emperor's True Explanation," this should be called " Origin Spiritual Power "—to circulate along the new meridian pathways.
It was extremely difficult at first.
The inertia of cultivation formed over hundreds of thousands of years acts like a sturdy dam, preventing the flow of new power.
Each impact was accompanied by excruciating pain, as if my veins were being torn apart.
Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Snow Empress's exquisite face, but she gritted her teeth and persevered, her eyes shining with an unprecedented determination.
She knew that this was about rebuilding the foundation, abandoning the crude system of the old world, and embracing the true path to enlightenment.
The pain lasted for an unknown period of time.
At one moment, I felt a crisp "crack" sound within my body. It wasn't a real sound, but rather a spiritual sensation of some kind of constraint being broken.
In an instant, the aura surrounding the Snow Empress changed drastically!
Inside the side hall, the ice-elemental energy that had been flowing slowly suddenly surged toward her, forming a visible pale blue vortex.
At the center of the vortex, Snow Empress's long hair moved without wind, her clothes fluttered, and her aura rose at an incredible speed.
Within her body, the Soul Power that was originally surging like a river was being purified, compressed, and transformed under the guidance of the " Heavenly Emperor's True Explanation," eventually condensing into strands of extremely pure ice-type Spiritual Power.
This Spiritual Power is no longer simply stored in her meridians and Soul Core as before, but has begun to actively merge with her body and soul at a deeper level.
"Condensed Pattern..."
With a slight thought, Snow Empress guided the newly generated Spiritual Power within her body, following the instructions of the cultivation technique, to slowly construct the first " Saint Spirit Dao Patterns " in a specific location.
The moment the Dao patterns took shape, her entire life level seemed to undergo a leap.
"Boom--!"
Inside the side hall, an invisible wave spread out from Snow Empress's center.
The surrounding space seemed to freeze slightly, and exquisite and intricate ice flowers instantly condensed on the surface of the cold jade table and chairs. The cold air gushing from the spiritual spring suddenly surged, but then gently swirled and flowed around the Snow Empress when it touched three feet around him.
Snow Empress slowly opened her eyes.
Those icy blue eyes were now even deeper, with countless ice crystals seemingly appearing and disappearing deep within their pupils, reflecting the phantom of the cosmos.
She raised her slender hand, palm facing upwards, and with a slight thought, an extremely complex ice-blue Dao pattern appeared out of thin air, slowly rotating.
This pattern, though only an inch in size, exuded a terrifying chill that slightly distorted the space around it.
Even more mysteriously, the Snow Empress could clearly feel that through these patterns, she had formed an unprecedentedly close connection with a certain "law of ice" in the universe.
With another thought, the Dao patterns dissipated, and the violent energy fluctuations within the side hall subsided.
"Is this... true power?"
Snow Empress looked down at her hands, feeling the surging, yet perfectly controlled, new power within her, and felt an indescribable shock welling up inside her.
According to the Douluo Continent system, her original strength was slightly stronger than that of an ordinary Titled Douluo, but she was still quite far from the level of a god.
But now, having only initially transformed a portion of the power and condensed the first Saint Spirit Dao Patterns, the Snow Empress already had a clear feeling—
The person I am now can easily crush the person I was three breaths ago!
This exhilarating feeling of rapid advancement in strength was something she had never experienced in hundreds of thousands of years.
In the Douluo Continent, every improvement in strength requires enduring hardship for tens of thousands of years, and one must also face increasingly terrifying Heavenly Tribulation.
But now, after just one period of seclusion, her strength has undergone a qualitative leap!
"If all the power within the body is transformed and condensed into a complete system of Saint Spirit Dao Patterns..."
A burning glint flashed in the Snow Empress's eyes, "I'm afraid I could even fight a god directly!"
Just as she was immersed in the joy of her sudden increase in strength, the moonlight gate in the side hall once again emitted a soft light.
The Snow Empress's heart stirred slightly. She concealed her aura, stood up, and looked over.
The same pretty maidservant entered through the door, bowing respectfully. "Your Majesty, the Snow Empress requests your presence."
"Now?"
Snow Empress's heart skipped a beat. The confidence she had gained from her recent increase in strength vanished in an instant, replaced by a strange sense of tension.
"Yes, His Majesty is waiting in the High Heaven Hall." The maid bowed her head respectfully.
Snow Empress took a deep breath, calmed herself, and nodded slightly. "Lead the way."
Walking once again on that corridor suspended among the stars, Snow Empress's state of mind was completely different from last time.
Last time, she felt lost, fearful, and humiliated. But this time, after personally experiencing the wonders of the " Heavenly Emperor's True Explanation," her awe of Lin Hao deepened, but she also felt an indescribable mix of anticipation and... trepidation.
What was the purpose of this summons?
Is it because he has cultivated the " Heavenly Emperor's True Explanation " and wants to test the results?
Or is there a new task or... arrangement?
Amidst my chaotic thoughts, the High Heaven Hall was already close at hand.
Unlike the ethereal and otherworldly atmosphere of the Star-Picking Tower, the High Heaven Hall is majestic and solemn, its height unknown. It seems to be carved from a single piece of white jade. The palace doors are open, and the interior is filled with golden light. One can vaguely see golden pillars with coiled dragons supporting the dome that has no top.
The maidservant stopped outside the palace gate, bowed, and stepped aside.
Alone, the Snow Empress stepped into the hall that symbolized the supreme authority of the Heavenly Court.
The emptiness inside the hall was unsettling; her footsteps echoed faintly in the vast space.
In the distance, atop the nine jade steps, a simple cloud bed sits on a high platform. Lin Hao sits cross-legged on it with his eyes closed, his aura emanating from him, yet he seems to be the center of the entire world.
The Snow Empress stopped ten feet below the jade steps.
Lin Hao did not open his eyes, nor did he respond.
Time passed slowly, and Snow Empress grew increasingly uneasy.
She could feel a gaze upon her—no, not a gaze, but a vast, intangible perception scrutinizing everything about her, inside and out.
Just as Snow Empress was about to succumb to the silent pressure, Lin Hao on the jade steps slowly opened his eyes.
What kind of eyes were those?
Deep within his pupils, it seemed as if the universe was being created and destroyed, stars were revolving, and countless paths were intertwined.
There was no outward display of authority, yet just being calmly gazed upon by those eyes gave Snow Empress the illusion that her very soul had been pierced through.
Then, Lin Hao raised his right hand and gently beckoned to Snow Empress.