The Ice Empress narrowed her eyes slightly, her beautiful, emerald-gem-like pupils flashing with a dangerous glint. She sized Lin Xiao up, seemingly assessing his strength.
"Human, this is not a place you should be."
The Ice Empress's voice was pleasant.
But it was also incredibly cold, as if it were the eternally unfrozen ice of the Extreme North.
Lin Xiao said, "I've traveled a long way, and naturally, I have a request."
"Even if I gain nothing, being able to witness the might of the Extreme North's three great monarchs is a journey well worth it."
The Ice Empress sneered.
A powerful pressure suddenly emanated from her.
The Ice Empress's cultivation had reached 390,000 years, not far from the 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation. Coupled with her status as the sole Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, her bloodline was exceptionally strong.
In an instant, extreme cold assailed Lin Xiao's body.
In a daze, he could still see the powerful phantom image of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion roaring towards the sky.
Lin Xiao's body ignited with the Great Sun Golden Flame.
The dominance of fire within fire nullified the Ice Empress's attack, rendering it formless.
Lin Xiao smiled.
"Ice Empress, you've just returned. I haven't had a chance to welcome you properly. I happened to brew some flower tea; would you do me the honor of sharing a cup?"
The Ice Empress had already smelled the elegant floral fragrance permeating the air.
It was refreshing and invigorating.
Even her usually irritable temper couldn't help but relax, bringing her pleasure.
Moreover, her spirit felt subtly uplifted.
"You have quite the generosity. Even the tea leaves are ten-thousand-year-old precious herbs!"
Lin Xiao smiled without speaking.
In truth, he was just a little schemer.
Given the Ice Empress's fiery temper, to avoid her not even giving him a chance to speak, Lin Xiao had been brewing this mood-lifting flower tea for days.
Then, a faint jade light enveloped the Ice Empress, and a stunningly beautiful figure appeared before Lin Xiao. She had a delicate, pretty face with four jade-colored demonic patterns on each side and long, flowing jade hair cascading down her back.
The Ice Empress's skin was as translucent as ice and snow, and her demeanor was cold and captivating.
If there was any flaw, it was that the Ice Empress was only 1.5 meters tall, which inexplicably reminded Lin Xiao of a middle schooler. Despite her cold and captivating face and aura, she appeared incredibly young.
It was hard to imagine what it would be like to be stepped on and cursed at by someone with the Ice Empress's appearance and fiery personality.
The Ice Empress's expression was icy as she entered Lin Xiao's tent.
Earlier, Lin Xiao's ability to withstand her pressure had earned him the right to sit and talk with her. Otherwise, in the soul beast world where strength reigned supreme, let alone drinking tea with Lin Xiao, Lin Xiao himself would have belonged to the Ice Empress.
His life and death, his coming and going, would all be at the Ice Empress's disposal.
He would be whipped with a small leather whip if he disobeyed.
...
Inside the tent.
The aroma of tea was exceptionally rich.
Lin Xiao offered a cup of tea to the Ice Empress. She took it and sipped it lightly.
No poison.
How fragrant!
She couldn't help but drink the entire cup in one go.
Unbidden, a hint of pleasure surfaced on the Ice Empress's small, delicate face, and her previously icy demeanor melted away.
However, she quickly realized this.
She tried to pull the corners of her mouth down, her expression returning to a cold and serious one.
"This tea of yours is decent. It should have good effects on calming the mind and restoring energy."
"But if you're trying to win me over with this tea, I advise you to give up that idea!"
"You said you have a deal for me? And it concerns my 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation?"
"You must give me a satisfactory explanation, or I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead!"
This loli is so fierce!
Although appearance is external, it can sometimes be incredibly important.
Even though the Ice Empress spoke to Lin Xiao with ferocity, he didn't feel the slightest bit threatened. The culprit, naturally, was her adorable face.
Lin Xiao sighed.
"Soul Beasts experience Heavenly Tribulation every hundred thousand years."
"Heavenly Tribulation is a near-death experience, and the further along you get, the lower your chances of survival."
"Among the rulers of the Extreme North, the Snow Empress faces a 700,000-year Heavenly Tribulation, while you, Ice Empress, face a 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation. It's truly lamentable."
"How difficult is the life of a Soul Beast?"
The Ice Empress's expression grew colder, her voice gradually chilling.
"I'll ask you one last time!"
"I want a way to survive the 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation!"
"If you dare to spout more nonsense, don't blame me for turning hostile!"
It seemed Lin Xiao's words had struck a nerve with the Ice Empress.
Her attitude grew even more hostile.
Lin Xiao slowly said:
"What's the rush?"
"The ultimate goal of Soul Beast cultivation is immortality, and the only way to achieve immortality is to become a God. For Soul Beasts, there are usually two paths to becoming a God."
"First, the Ferocious Beast route. Cultivate to a million years, enduring ten Heavenly Tribulations in total. Furthermore, because the God Realm does not tolerate Soul Beasts, even if you pass the Heavenly Tribulation and become a God, your ultimate fate might be very tragic."
"Second, the transformation and re-cultivation route. Transform into a human, but before reaching Soul Saint, there's the danger of being discovered and hunted by humans for Soul Rings. Even if you successfully cultivate to Titled Douluo or even Limit Douluo, apart from having a longer lifespan than humans, the hope of becoming a God remains slim."
"Moreover, after Soul Beasts pass their second Heavenly Tribulation, they can no longer transform and re-cultivate. For you, Ice Empress, this path is no longer viable."
Listening to Lin Xiao's words, a shadow fell over the Ice Empress's face.
Everything Lin Xiao said was accurate.
And she didn't have much confidence in surviving the 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation.
"However, I have a way."
The young man's words were extremely plain, almost as if he were casually chatting.
The Ice Empress was initially taken aback, then she reacted.
Her pair of jade-green pupils fixed on Lin Xiao.
"Human, you should know what the consequences are for deceiving me!"
The Ice Empress's face was as cold as frost.
If Lin Xiao gave her hope only to shatter it, then the Ice Empress would make him understand what cruelty was.
Lin Xiao had piqued her curiosity and no longer played coy.
"Ice Empress."
"This third option is to sacrifice yourself to me, become my Soul Spirit, and share my fate, whether it's glory or ruin! When I become a God, you will undergo a qualitative transformation with me, thus achieving eternal life, and even becoming a subordinate God under my command!"
After speaking, Lin Xiao looked intently at the Ice Empress, awaiting her choice.
But the Ice Empress's expression changed drastically, and she sternly roared:
"Presumptuous! Who exactly are you?"
"Why are you so boastful!"
A terrifying, ferocious aura was released from the Ice Empress's body.
It was as if the vast wind and snow had converged into a giant dragon, crushing down towards Lin Xiao.
At this moment, the Ice Empress was still ten thousand years away from her Heavenly Tribulation, not as imminent as in Douluo 2. This was Lin Xiao's disadvantage compared to Huo Yuhao.
But he also had an advantage.
That is, compared to the initially weak Huo Yuhao.
Lin Xiao possessed enough strength to prove that becoming a God was not difficult for him!
But at this moment, the Ice Empress had lost the patience to listen further.
Her voice was chilling, and her emerald-green Soul Power began to gather around her. She said coldly:
"Answer my question, who exactly are you!"
Just then, a powerful bloodline aura suddenly surged from Lin Xiao's body, an aura that even made the Ice Empress feel a sense of awe.
A clear female voice rang out.
"Who is Lin Xiao?"
"I'll tell you, he is your master!"
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