Warm Ice Finds Its Way, the Far North Joins the Alliance

The tip of Ice Empress's tail went numb.

She was coiled on an ice mound at the entrance to the Ice Valley, her Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion body shrunk to half the size of a human, its emerald green scorpion carapace gleaming coldly in the aurora.

The tip of her tail was numb because she had been sitting for too long. She was sitting here when Nan Feng left, and she was still sitting here when Tang San left. In total, she hadn't moved for five days.

Snow Empress came to persuade him three times in between.

The first time I asked, "Doesn't your tail feel numb?" she said, "No."

The second time I said, "Your tail is purple," she replied, "From the cold."

The third time, the Snow Empress said nothing, but simply patted a hot cloth on her tail. The Ice Empress jumped up, and her scorpion armor knocked over the wine jar behind her.

"Snow Empress! You did this on purpose!"

Snow Empress squatted beside the ice stove, brewing tea, her long, silvery-white hair hanging over her shoulders, without even raising her head.

"Yeah, it was intentional. If your tail gets any colder, it'll have to be amputated in a couple of days."

Ice Empress was so angry that she picked up the wine jar. There was still half a jar of strong liquor that Nan Feng had brought last time. She hugged the jar and took two gulps. The strong liquor burned her throat, and only then did the tingling sensation in her tail subside.

She looked down at her scorpion carapace. A layer of pale gold patterns had appeared on the emerald green shell at some point.

Fine and dense, like vines or runes, it climbed along the gaps in the armor plates all the way to the tip of the tail.

"Snow Empress, look at this."

She stretched out her tail, the barbs at the tip gleaming with gold.

When did it grow?

Snow Empress put down her teaspoon, walked over and glanced at it, remained silent for a moment, then raised her hand and compared it to the back of her hand.

Ice Empress followed her gaze. Snow Empress's originally pure white and flawless ice and snow body was now covered with a layer of warm golden light, a thin layer that was almost invisible unless you looked closely.

Ice Empress blinked, then blinked again.

"You've grown too?"

"It's grown." Snow Empress's tone was indifferent. "You've grown more than me. The golden stripes on your tail are almost completely covered."

Ice Empress retracted its tail and examined it three times over.

After confirming that the golden ring wasn't frostbite or dirt, she remembered what had happened before Nan Feng left.

Before Nan Feng left, he stayed with her for seven days, pouring his Immortal Power into her every day, saying it was to dispel the Abyss's corruption. At the time, she thought he was meddling in her affairs, but now that she thinks about it, the Immortal Power that boy poured into her was indeed worthwhile.

"He said something before he left," Ice Empress suddenly said.

What did you say?

He said, "Ice Empress, your essence is evolving. Stop using ice shards to attack people; try mixing some warmth into the ice."

Ice Empress rolled their eyes and retorted, "What's so special about 'warm ice'?" Nan Feng smiled but didn't reply, and left the next day.

Snow Empress looked at the golden halo on the back of her hand and said.

"What he said might be true. My essence has changed too. Before, when I controlled ice and snow, there was only extreme cold within them; now, I can draw out a little warmth."

Ice Empress paused for a moment, looked down at her scorpion armor, and tried to channel a stream of primal power into the tip of her tail.

A flash of golden light appeared on the hook, and icy blue chill shot out from the tip of its tail, striking the ice wall opposite. The ice wall frosted over, and a layer of pale golden mist rose from it.

The mist was warm and cozy, and felt like soaking in a hot spring when it touched your skin.

Ice Empress himself was startled, and with a flick of its tail, it dispersed the warm mist.

"What is this thing?!"

"Immortal Power." The Snow Empress, who had witnessed the entire event, said, "The Immortal Power that Nan Feng left in your essence has merged with your own ice attribute. Even though he's no longer here, his Immortal Power is still growing."

Ice Empress pulled his tail back, hugged the sake jar, and took two more gulps. After a long while, he mumbled something.

When will he be back?

Snow Empress glanced at her.

Ice Empress was horrified by that look.

"What are you looking at! I'm just asking him so I can pay him back for the drinks!"

Snow Empress withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup, and squatted back down next to the ice stove, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"I don't know. He's been held up in Heaven Dou City by that Elder Ning Yuan. Shifang sent a message a few days ago saying that Tang San has gone there too."

Ice Empress clicked their tongue.

"That Sea God who's practically falling apart? What's he doing causing trouble?"

"Nan Feng asked him to go. The Far North rift needed the Sea God's Power to reinforce it, Tang San agreed to guard it for three days. Nan Feng didn't return after five days, so he flew off to find someone himself."

Ice Empress held the sake jar in silence.

She remembered how Tang San staggered onto the ice that day, his hands covered in burn marks, and a petal of Nine Heart Begonia in his mouth.

He even laughed and told her, "I just tripped and fell, please excuse me."

At the time, she thought this Sea God was really pathetic. Now that she thinks about it, a man who was almost falling apart flew over to help Nan Feng guard the crack, and after guarding it, he even chased after her to help fight. Pathetic as he may be, he certainly has backbone.

What about the cracks?

Ice Empress gestured towards the Far North.

"Before Nan Feng left, he suppressed a surge of Immortal Power, and Tang San also infused him with the Sea God's Power, but five days have passed, and no one has reinforced it."

Snow Empress put down her teacup and stood up.

"I'll go take a look."

Ice Empress placed the sake jar on the ice block and then jumped down.

"I'll go with you."

The two walked side by side toward the Far North, as the wind and snow grew stronger. Ice Empress walked ahead, sweeping away the snow with her tail, while Snow Empress followed beside her, chatting idly.

As Ice Empress walked along, he suddenly remembered something and turned his head to ask.

"Snow Empress, if that kid Nan Feng really does fail in Heaven Dou City, do you think we should go and bail him out?"

Snow Empress paused for a moment and turned to look at her.

You want to go?

"I--"

Ice Empress was speechless, and it took them two seconds to manage to utter a single sentence.

"I'm afraid he'll fall into someone else's hands, making the Far North Immortal Alliance lose face!"

Snow Empress chuckled but didn't reply.

When the two reached the crevice, they could see two beams of light, one golden and one blue, hanging above it. The golden layer was much thinner, and the blue layer was almost transparent.

Ice Empress crouched at the edge of the crevice, looking down. Dark purple Abyss turbidity surged deep within the crevice, but was suppressed by the two layers of light above, preventing it from rising for the time being.

She poked the golden layer with the tip of her tail. The Immortal Power was still there, but without anyone to maintain it, it wouldn't last long.

"I'll infuse some of my essence into it; that should sustain me for a few more days." Ice Empress glanced back at Snow Empress.

Snow Empress nodded.

The two stood on either side of the crack, with Ice Empress pouring the power of Ice Jade into it and Snow Empress assisting from the side with the power of Ice Heaven.

The two extremely cold forces collided, causing the turbid air in the crack to stagnate.

Just as Ice Empress was about to stop, the golden markings on the tip of its tail suddenly lit up. A wisp of warm golden mist seeped out from the tip of its tail and mixed into the Ice Jade Essence.

The warm mist lingered along the edge of the crack, patching up each loosened gap in the seal.

After it finished repairing the tail, it shrank back to the tip, and the golden markings faded.

Ice Empress stood frozen in place, its tail held high in the air, its eyes wide open.

Snow Empress saw it too. She looked down at her hands and tried to pour her essence into the crack.

Sure enough, the golden halo on her hand also lit up, and a wisp of warm mist seeped out to replenish the seal.

After she finished repairing it, the warm mist didn't return to her hand; it circled the crack three times before dissipating.

"This..." Ice Empress pulled her tail back and examined it five times. "This thing can do things by itself?"

Snow Empress looked at the seal that had stabilized on the crack and remained silent for a while.

"The Immortal Power that the Nan Feng left in our very being seems to know its way."

"Know the way?"

"We recognize the Abyssal Rift in the Far North," the Snow Empress said. "Before he left, he infused us with seven days' worth of Immortal Power Immortal Power, which has taken root in our very being. When we encounter a fissure, it will repair itself."

Ice Empress opened their mouths, but after a long pause, managed to utter a single sentence.

"Then why is he still working even though he's not here? What's the difference between that and hiring a hired hand?"

Snow Empress laughed out loud.

The difference is that you don't have to pay for meals.

Ice Empress glared at her and stretched his tail in front of Snow Empress.

"Then you feed it. Here's the tail, you feed it."

Snow Empress ignored her and turned to walk back.

Ice Empress took a couple of steps behind, then suddenly stopped and glanced at the southern horizon. Under the Far North sky, the golden halo of the Tower Spirit Space had long since disappeared; after five days of Nan Feng's journey, even the halo had dissipated.

"Snow Empress," she called out.

"Um."

"He said he'd come back after things were settled in Ning Yuan."

Snow Empress turned to look at her.

"You remember it so clearly?"

Ice Empress turned their face away.

"I'm afraid he'll renege on the debt! He hasn't paid for the drinks yet!"

She paused, then lowered her voice.

"And he said he'd bring some outside liquor; the spirits he brought last time are almost gone."

Snow Empress walked back and reached out to press down the tuft of hair sticking up on the tip of Ice Empress's tail.

"Then wait until he gets back before we talk about it."

"Who's waiting for him!" Ice Empress retorted, "I'm waiting for the sake!"

The two walked back to the Ice Valley side by side. Ice Empress kept muttering to himself, from "the cost of the drinks" to "whose money is the warm mist?" He suddenly stopped when he reached the entrance of the Ice Valley.

A young man with red hair sat on an ice mound at the entrance to the Ice Valley, his mouth greasy, holding two grilled fish in his hands.

He was staring intently at a snow hare from the icefield.

"Shifang?" Ice Empress walked over. "When did you get back?"

Shifang placed the grilled fish on the ice cube tray and wiped his mouth.

"Just got back! Brother Nan asked me to pass on a message, saying that things in Heaven Dou City are more complicated than expected. That old bastard Ning Yuan has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, so he'll have to stay a few more days."

The tip of Ice Empress's tail drooped down a bit.

Shifang didn't notice and continued speaking.

"Brother Nan also said that he can't repair the seal on the rift in the Far North himself; you two will have to do it yourselves. The Immortal Power he infused into your essences will find its way and repair the rifts on its own. You don't need to guard it every day; just check on it every few days."

He pulled two jars of wine from his pocket, with crooked notes pasted on them.

"This is what Nan-ge asked me to bring; he said it's for the sake money at Ice Empress."

He also brought a message.

"Ice Empress, if your tail gets numb from the cold again, rub it with sake. Don't wait for Snow Empress to pat it with a hot towel."

Ice Empress took the wine jar, glanced at the note, and her ears turned red. She hugged the wine jar to her chest, turned and walked towards the Ice Valley, but after three steps she turned back and snatched the two grilled fish from Shifang's hands.

The fish will be confiscated.

Shifang looked at his empty hands, chuckled, and shrugged at Snow Empress.

Snow Empress smiled and took out a note from her sleeve, handing it to Shifang.

"When you go back, please give Nan Feng a message for me."

What did you say?

"Let's say that from today onwards, the Far North Immortal Alliance is officially merged into the Immortal Dao. The Ice Empress and I are now both under the command of the Immortal Dao."

Snow Empress paused, then added a sentence.

"Also, tell him to bring two more jars of sake next time he comes. Ice Empress's tail is numb and needs sake to be rubbed in, and I also need sake to start brewing tea in my ice furnace."

Shifang carefully put the note away and chuckled.

I will definitely convey that message.

Snow Empress turned and walked towards the Ice Valley, but after taking two steps, she turned back.

"Besides."

"Besides?"

"Tell him not to linger too long in Heaven Dou City." Snow Empress's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. "In the Far North... there are people waiting for wine."

Shifang covered his mouth to suppress his laughter and nodded.

Deep within the Ice Valley, Ice Empress squatted beside the ice furnace, clutching two jars of wine, the golden stripe around his tail shimmering in the firelight.

Snow Empress walked over and sat down opposite her. Ice Empress pushed a jar of wine towards her and said in a low voice.

For brewing tea.

Snow Empress took it, glanced at the note on the jar, and a smile curved her lips.

"Why are you laughing?"

"I'm laughing at you because your tail isn't numb anymore."

Ice Empress looked down and noticed that the tip of her tail had somehow stuck up, its golden stripes gleaming brightly. She quickly pressed the tail down, grabbed another jar of sake, broke the mud seal, and took a large gulp.

What exactly is the situation in Heaven Dou City?

She put down the wine jar, her expression turning serious.

"That old bastard Ning Yuan wouldn't really hold Nan Feng back."

Snow Empress scooped a spoonful of wine and poured it into the ice stove. The wine rose into a pale golden mist as it heated up. She watched the mist dissipate before speaking.

"Ning Yuan can't hold back the Nan Feng. But Ning Yuan has others behind it."

Ice Empress narrowed their eyes.

"Who?"

"Shifang didn't say. But he said that when Tang San arrived at Heaven Dou City, Ning Rongrong was being chased, clutching a scroll of parchment with a map of the Abyssal Rift drawn on it."

"Nan Feng asked Ning Rongrong to mark the locations of all the cracks on the continent. Ning Rongrong marked half of them, and then Ning Yuan took over."

Ice Empress slammed the sake jar onto the ice.

"The crack map was meant to reinforce the seal, so why would Ning Yuan want to steal it?"

Snow Empress didn't answer, but simply turned up the fire in the ice stove. The teapot on the stove boiled, and the lid bounced twice as it was pushed up, filling the valley with the aroma of wine mixed with the fragrance of tea.

She scooped a cup of tea and handed it to Ice Empress. Ice Empress took it and drank a sip, when suddenly he heard Snow Empress say something.

Ning Yuan doesn't want Nan Feng to reinforce the seal. He wants the crack to open.

Ice Empress almost choked on his tea.

"He's gone mad?! The first thing to happen in the Far North after the crack opened—"

"Therefore, Nan Feng in Heaven Dou City is not only to deal with Ning Yuan."

Snow Empress gazed at the snow-covered horizon outside the valley.

He also needs to find out who is backing Ning Yuan.

At the entrance to the Ice Valley, Shifang placed two freshly grilled fish on the fire, their skin curling up from the flames. He glanced south and muttered something to himself.

"Brother Nan, how many people are on your side...?"

From the direction of Heaven Dou City, three gray-cloaked Soul Douluo surrounded Ning Rongrong in a triangular formation. Ning Rongrong was holding a parchment in her arms, and her sword was already drawn.

Tang San swooped down from the sky and smashed the nearest gray-cloaked figure with a single punch.

Ning Rongrong looked up and saw him, her eyes reddened, but she stubbornly refused to shed a tear.

"Tang San! Nan Feng has been trapped in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect chamber by Ning Yuan!"

Tang San pulled her behind him, and another burn mark appeared on the back of his right hand. He shook his hand and beckoned to the three gray-cloaked figures.

"Three Soul Douluo, are you coming one by one, or all at once?"

The three people in gray cloaks exchanged a glance and attacked simultaneously.

The blue-gold Sea God's Light and the dark red Asura Power mingled together in the sky above Heaven Dou City, withstanding the combined attack of three gray-cloaked figures. Tang San cursed under his breath.

"Nan Feng, you better stay in that secret room. If these three bastards beat me to a pulp, you'd better come out and collect my corpse!"