The Ice Empress and the Snow Empress spent their days deep within the gathering grounds.
It was almost impossible for them to notice Zhang Yang directly.
Fortunately, they were not the only ones in the Far North who could sense auspicious Qi.
One particular exception stood out. Unlike the two homebodies, Ice and Snow, he liked to roam around.
His name was the [Titan Snow Demon King], and in terms of status, he was also one of the "Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North."
Although he was more than a little weaker than the Ice Empress and the Snow Empress, he still had 250,000 years of cultivation, and his understanding was perfectly sound.
Perhaps it was precisely the auspicious Qi at work.
Recently, he just happened to be wandering the snowy plains.
He was looking for the Evil Soul Master, intending to avenge the ice-attribute Soul Beasts, so he was naturally not far from the outer circle.
The instant Zhang Yang entered the Far North, before he had even made any special arrangements, the fellow had already sensed something.
"Is this... the presence of an ancient Auspicious Beast?"
"No, no. Why is there also the scent of a human?"
"How strange. There can't be two Auspicious Beasts at the same time. I clearly remember the only one being in the Star Dou Great Forest."
The Titan Blood Demon King was a brute of the Soul Beast Realm.
His body was tough and his strength immense, but his brains were nothing to speak of.
He went over everything he knew, yet couldn't make sense of it, so he scratched hard at his head with an enormous hand.
Had the Auspicious Beast come to the Far North from the Star Dou Great Forest? Surely it hadn't been captured and brought here by humans?
"I have to go back and tell the Snow Empress!"
Unable to figure it out, he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.
Let the clever ones think about such a complicated problem. I'm a warrior, not much good at using my head.
Without hesitation, he turned and charged toward the Core Circle. His enormous feet pounded the ground, and the violent commotion carried a long way.
Ever since Zhang Yang had checked in on Xiao Xiao and obtained the [Law of Music], his hearing had been excellent, so he naturally noticed the vibrations.
He simply didn't know what they meant yet.
After a brief discussion with Zhang Lexuan, he carried on with what he was doing.
He was completely unaware that things were going exceedingly smoothly, drawing ever closer to the result he wanted.
It could even be said that, even if he stood still now, the blessings of auspiciousness and good fortune alone might allow him to achieve his goal.
"Snow Empress, it's me, A-Tai. Are you there?"
The Titan Blood Demon King soon returned to the Core Circle and called out in a low voice.
His tone held not only fear but also a hint of concealed affection. This fellow had once pursued the Snow Empress.
The result, however, was that she had given him a vicious beating, leaving him half dead and sprawled on the ice plains for a long time.
After that, he never dared mention it again.
But the fantasy in his heart had not completely faded.
He usually feared disturbing the Snow Empress, but today he had a legitimate reason, and he managed to remain calm.
"A-Tai, are you asking for death again? The Snow Empress works so hard on her cultivation every day. Why would she be bored enough to see you?"
As soon as his voice fell, a woman's voice came from afar.
But it wasn't the Snow Empress's cold yet gentle voice.
Instead, it was supremely overbearing, laden with unmistakable killing intent, and her spiritual power scraped across him.
"Get back to your territory. If you disturb the Snow Empress, watch out or I'll beat you up," she added.
"I really do have important business today, so don't make trouble," the Titan Snow Demon King said with a snort, naturally recognizing who it was.
Compared to the Heavenly Snow Woman and her terrifying 700,000 years of cultivation,
this one was also stronger than him, but the difference wasn't too outrageous.
The Titan Snow Demon King glanced over and saw a huge scorpion crawling along an ice- and snow-covered rock face.
She was also one of Zhang Yang's targets, the last of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, with more than 300,000 years of cultivation.
"Important business? What important business could you possibly have?"
The Ice Empress's attitude was terrible, and her eyes were full of chill.
The Titan Snow Demon King felt rather helpless about it. Who would believe that the two of them counted as "love rivals"?
It was said that this Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion also had a different sort of affection for the Heavenly Snow Woman, which was why she had always disliked him.
"Ice Empress, enough. Let me ask him."
Just then, a woman's voice drifted over from afar.
Though it was also cold, it clearly carried no killing intent.
The Snow Empress frowned slightly, then turned into a gust of wind and swirling snow, appearing before them almost as if she had teleported.
Because of Zhang Yang's appearance, the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North had gathered without warning, and the atmosphere was somewhat delicate.
"A-Tai, I hope you really do have business."
The Snow Empress's attitude toward her former admirer was lukewarm.
The Titan Snow Demon King knew this very well. Hearing her, he answered in a muffled voice; he had long since learned his lesson.
"I sensed the presence of an ancient Auspicious Beast. Yes, the one you're thinking of. She's in the Far North."
"But it's very strange. I also detected a human scent. I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I came to you."
His reason was exceedingly simple.
I don't understand, so of course I should find someone clever.
The Snow Empress was taken aback. Puzzlement appeared on her beautiful face; she didn't understand what was happening either.
As the purest living being formed from the condensation of ice-attribute elemental power of heaven and earth, she understood the value of an ancient Auspicious Beast better than the Titan Snow Demon King.
The Ferocious Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest would never have allowed the Auspicious Beast to leave and come all the way to her Far North. Something must have gone wrong along the way.
"Where did you detect it? Take me there."
The Snow Empress barely hesitated before deciding to get to the bottom of it.
The Titan Snow Demon King had naturally expected this reaction. He nodded and turned to leave.
"I'll go with you. An Auspicious Beast has appeared, and it has something to do with humans. I don't think that's right!"
The Ice Empress volunteered, her expression somewhat strange.
Although she found it awkward, the Snow Empress still agreed.
And so, the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North all headed toward the outer circle.
They soon arrived near their destination and spread their spiritual power over a wide area, searching for traces left in the air.
Before long, they locked onto Zhang Yang's scent. Not only had he made no attempt to hide it, he had released it with great fanfare, so naturally it was easy to find.
"Hm? Why is it a human? Could he have killed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and turned her into a Soul Ring, giving him the same presence?" The Ice Empress's expression grew somewhat gloomy.
"The auspicious Qi carried by an Auspicious Beast belongs exclusively to our Soul Beast Clan. It can't be transferred to a human. Besides, although this boy's presence is very similar, it's not the same!" The Snow Empress shook her head.
Her gaze settled on Zhang Yang in the distance.
The passive effect of max-level charm, combined with the boost from auspicious Qi,
somehow gave her a favorable first impression, and curiosity dominated her gaze.
It was precisely this reaction that displeased the Ice Empress beside her, leaving her with two complicated emotions.
Zhang Yang's bearing could affect the Snow Empress, and naturally, it could also pose a "threat" to the Ice Empress.
She was not entirely unmoved, but her secret love for the Snow Empress made the increase in her favorable impression less obvious.
On one hand, she thought Zhang Yang was special, a little interesting, and wanted to learn more about him.
On the other, she couldn't help feeling hostile, leaving her head muddled.
As for the Titan Snow Demon King? He didn't have much of a reaction; he had no say in the matter anyway.
"Wait here."
"I'll go over and take a closer look."
"Before I return, remember not to beat the grass and startle the snake. Auspicious Qi is more important than you imagine..."