A crisp female voice sounded.
With a flash of red light on Lin Xiao, a little red bird stood on his shoulder, exuding an aura of sanctity and nobility, its voice filled with unquestionable pride.
"Lin Xiao, is your master!"
With that, Maple Leaf no longer hid.
Instead, it revealed its Phoenix True Body.
A magnificent and stunning Fire Phoenix appeared before the Ice Empress.
The Bloodline Suppression emanating from it made the Ice Empress feel both familiar and awestruck, involuntarily generating a thought of submission.
After revealing its Phoenix True Body, Maple Leaf spat out a stream of red light, which shot into the Ice Empress's mind. This was a memory from the Dragon-Phoenix War, as well as Maple Leaf's own memories as the Phoenix God King, serving as the best proof of its identity.
The Ice Empress seemed stunned.
It took a long time for her to recover.
After a while, having digested the information in her mind, she looked at Maple Leaf with shock and reverence.
"Lord Phoenix God!"
Maple Leaf said calmly, "Theoretically, you should call me Master, or Lord."
The Ice Empress hesitated for a moment.
She vaguely knew that Maple Leaf's current strength was not what it used to be.
But she finally said:
"Greetings, Master."
Maple Leaf transformed, becoming a stunning young girl.
She looked only slightly older than the Ice Empress.
Maple Leaf said, "The situation of Soul Beasts should not be like this today. You all live difficult lives. Unfortunately, I only recently underwent Nirvana and have not yet recovered my strength."
"As you can see, I have chosen Lin Xiao."
"He is the successor I have chosen, the Co-Lord of Soul Beasts. I hope he can help me recover my strength and help Soul Beasts escape their predicament."
"At the very least, the path to godhood for Soul Beasts should not be blocked!"
The Ice Empress believed Maple Leaf.
After learning of its identity, she had no reason not to.
However, the Ice Empress only had one objection.
"Master, why do you think so highly of a human?"
"Even to the point of having this human become the Co-Lord of Soul Beasts..."
This made the Ice Empress very displeased. She could accept Maple Leaf's existence, but she could not tolerate a human riding over her.
Maple Leaf chuckled.
"How strong do you think Lin Xiao is now?"
The Ice Empress pondered for a moment.
"To be able to venture deep into the Extreme North and resist my pressure, he should be a Titled Douluo among humans, but that is far from enough."
The Ice Empress felt she could suppress a mere Titled Douluo with a flick of her finger.
Soul Beasts believed in strength above all else.
Lin Xiao's strength clearly had not reached that point yet.
The corners of Maple Leaf's lips curled up, and a hint of playfulness appeared on its exquisitely beautiful face.
"But what if I told you that Lin Xiao has only cultivated for eleven years? He is only one step away from becoming a Soul Douluo after obtaining his eighth soul ring, and his current combat power can completely rival that of a Level 95 Super Douluo."
The Ice Empress's face, which had been somewhat unconvinced, was instantly filled with shock.
Eleven years?!
Compared to the long lifespan of Soul Beasts, eleven years was merely the blink of an eye.
Even in the human world, it was incredibly unbelievable, almost miraculous.
But the Ice Empress's shock was far from over.
Maple Leaf said seriously:
"Lin Xiao is the successor I have chosen. Whether it is his talent or his character, I sometimes feel he surpasses me. His future achievements are limitless."
"Actually, you don't necessarily have to become Lin Xiao's Soul Spirit."
"This seemingly binds you, but why isn't it also an opportunity? Can you guarantee godhood through your own cultivation? But you can certainly soar with Lin Xiao's momentum."
"Everything depends on your own choice."
The Ice Empress fell into deep thought.
She put aside her prejudice and arrogance.
She seriously pondered Maple Leaf's words.
Seizing the moment, Maple Leaf continued, "Lin Xiao has now inherited the Asura God's legacy, a God King level inheritance, but he won't be limited by it. He will forge his own path."
"If you choose him,"
"Your future potential will not only depend on you, but also on him."
"He is a truly monstrous genius, one that even I find astonishing."
Honestly, Lin Xiao didn't know what Ice Empress thought of his words, but Lin Xiao himself felt incredibly awkward standing there.
Ugh, Maple Leaf is exaggerating way too much.
Lin Xiao blushed listening to him...
After a long period of thought and deliberation.
Ice Empress looked at Lin Xiao and suddenly found the human before her quite pleasing. At the very least, she didn't find him detestable.
She said, "Can I touch his bone age?"
"And see what potential he has?"
Lin Xiao readily extended his hand.
Ice Empress's soft, boneless hand touched him and found he was only 17 years old. Moreover, his physical strength was astonishingly high, even giving the illusion of a human-shaped ferocious beast.
Next, Lin Xiao released the four types of Phoenix Fire he possessed.
Ultimate Phoenix Fire, Destruction Phoenix Fire, Great Sun Golden Flame, and Black Sun Purifying Fire, corresponding to the attributes Lin Xiao mastered such as flame, destruction, darkness, light, and soul. What's more, each attribute had reached its extreme.
Not to mention anything else, just the Ultimate Phoenix Fire alone.
The feeling it gave Ice Empress was stronger than her Ultimate Ice.
Ice Empress took a deep breath.
She knew it was time to make a decision.
Ice Empress's gaze was complex.
"If I choose to become your Soul Spirit, I am essentially giving you my all. Wherever you go, I must follow. If you exist, I exist. If you perish, I perish."
"From another perspective, aren't I also your slave?"
Lin Xiao said, "I won't do that."
But he also knew.
For such matters, everyone who says they won't do it cannot give a true guarantee.
"I agree to become your Soul Spirit."
Ice Empress made her choice.
This surprised both Maple Leaf and Lin Xiao.
After all, Ice Empress still had ten thousand years left; she wasn't at a critical juncture yet. Who knew if new variables might arise in the future?
However.
Ice Empress didn't say.
Her purpose in making this choice wasn't entirely for herself.
It was made with Snow Empress in consideration.
With only ten thousand years left until her 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation, Ice Empress could already feel a stinging sensation like a thorn in her back, as if the Sword of Judgment hung overhead, poised but not yet striking.
She had a premonition that 400,000 years would be her limit.
And 700,000 years would be Snow Empress's limit.
The predicament she faced was also the predicament Snow Empress faced. When she underwent her 400,000-year Heavenly Tribulation, Snow Empress would likely intervene to help, but this would inevitably have a severe impact on Snow Empress.
And when Snow Empress faced her 700,000-year Heavenly Tribulation, Who would help her then?
Therefore, Ice Empress chose to become Lin Xiao's Soul Spirit.
She wanted to use herself to find a path for Snow Empress to experiment with.
If this path proved viable, if Maple Leaf hadn't lied to her, and if Lin Xiao truly was a good person... then Snow Empress would undoubtedly have another option.
If she chose incorrectly.
Then it would be as if she used her life and freedom
To eliminate a wrong answer for Sister Xue.
Ice Empress had no expectations of becoming Lin Xiao's Soul Spirit.
Instead, she felt a sense of heroic sacrifice for a righteous cause
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