The Snow Empress didn't refute the Ice Empress's question.
It was rare for the Ice Empress's intellect to shine through, so she let it linger, lest it devolve into the lovesick heroine trope from some mainland novels.
"Speak! Say something!" Seeing the Snow Empress's prolonged silence and pensive expression, the Ice Empress couldn't hold back. "Snow Empress, don't forget, you and I are the rulers of the Far North. As leaders of soul beasts, we have a duty to ensure its future."
"What do you think of Ning Rongrong from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?" The Snow Empress's demeanor remained calm and serene, her gaze gently assessing the Ice Empress.
"What do I think? What else is there to think?" The Ice Empress gritted her teeth. "She's inherently evil, no different from other wicked human soul masters. Planning to slaughter soul beasts on a large scale? From our soul beast perspective, that's a crime deserving death!"
"She's targeting sea soul beasts, not land-based ones, and it has nothing to do with the Far North," the Snow Empress countered. "Have you considered what happens if we act? What about the Ice Phoenix sealed below?"
"There'll be a way," the Ice Empress said, clenching her fists, her heart filled with reluctance.
"Don't deceive yourself," the Snow Empress sighed. "That's a god-level being, beyond level 100. Over the years, my explorations in the Far North have confirmed one thing: the Ice God's inheritance might be tied to that Ice Phoenix."
"But… but!" The Ice Empress's expression shifted. "Snow Empress, do you really trust them?"
In truth, whether it was land or sea soul beasts being killed, the Ice Empress didn't care much as long as it didn't involve the Far North. But fundamentally, she didn't trust humans. Even if that "manual" had improved her relationship with the Snow Empress, it didn't change the soul beast perspective: humans were inherently evil.
"Ice Empress, you've met Di Tian with me before," the Snow Empress said with a sigh. "Soul beasts cannot become gods. No matter how hard we try, we're stuck at the 990,000-year limit. Compared to tens of thousands of years ago, humans now have the strength to rival soul beasts, and they have the God Realm above them. If we don't adapt, in a few tens of thousands of years, soul beasts might face extinction. Even you and I won't be exempt."
"But…" The Ice Empress opened her mouth to argue.
A hand rested on her shoulder. In a blink, the Snow Empress stood before her, meeting her gaze.
"I know your feelings for me, and I don't dislike them, but… I'm not in the mood for that right now," the Snow Empress said. "Ice Empress, I plan to leave the Far North for a while. Want to come along?"
The Ice Empress froze. "You mean…?"
"Follow those two humans to their world. Last time was too brief; I didn't understand much," the Snow Empress explained. "As humans say, know your enemy to win a hundred battles. I want to deeply understand Ning Rongrong as a person."
"Snow Empress, are you crazy, or am I?" The Ice Empress stepped back, shocked. "You've read the book she gave me. Curiosity is often the first step to a woman's downfall—and that applies to soul beasts too. I can already see you being tricked into sacrificing yourself!"
Black lines crept across the Snow Empress's forehead as she snapped, "Stop thinking weird things. After Di Tian's visit last time, I went to the human world. That book wasn't some secret manual—it's just noble nonsense about mating or some sort of game."
The Snow Empress facepalmed, her voice tinged with exasperation.
The Ice Empress's eyes widened. "What? You went to the human world to see that stuff? Damn it, humans are evil—they've corrupted my Snow Empress!"
The Snow Empress: "…"
"I'm not yours, and our relationship is perfectly normal," she clarified, feeling the need to set things straight. "For the future of the Far North, I must go. I'll also check out this sea soul beast tide."
Seeing the Snow Empress's cautious expression, the Ice Empress grew serious but hesitated. "Is it really okay? There are Limit Douluo outside the continent. If we're not careful…"
"Invincible in the sky, on land, and in the sea?" the Snow Empress murmured, referring to the three pillars of human soul masters—Limit Douluo quasi-god powerhouses. "No matter. Nothing is entirely risk-free. I saw no greed for our soul rings in Ning Rongrong's eyes. I'm willing to take a chance. Even against them, I could drag one down with me."
"Snow Empress, you…" The Ice Empress began.
"With my 690,000 years of cultivation, I'm nearing my limit," the Snow Empress said calmly. "My next thunder tribulation could come anytime. If the enemy is too strong, I'm confident I can take one with me."
"Is that really necessary?" the Ice Empress's tone grew heavy.
"Yes, for the Far North."
"Then I'm coming with you," the Ice Empress declared.
"Alright," the Snow Empress nodded after a moment's thought. The chill from the sealed Black Ice Phoenix had made the Far North harsher than it was two and a half years ago. The already sparsely populated region had grown even quieter. "We'll leave the Far North's defense to Little White (Titan Snow Demon Ape). Nothing major should happen in the short term. Make some preparations, and we'll set off."
"According to Ning Rongrong, Dugu Yan's cultivation should be nearly complete," the Snow Empress added.
"Dugu Yan…" The Ice Empress's gaze shifted to the white-haired girl in the venom pool, her eyelids twitching.
With her strength comparable to a level 97 soul master, the Ice Empress shouldn't care about a mere near-Soul Douluo Soul Sage. But her instinctive understanding of poison forced her to take notice. "If she reaches level 80, she'll need a high-age soul ring. With her constitution, she might even absorb a 100,000-year soul beast. What then?"
As a ruler of the Far North, the Ice Empress couldn't stand by while humans hunted soul beasts in her domain. She might not care much about less intelligent soul beasts, but she loathed humans killing those under her protection. A 100,000-year soul beast was no small matter.
This was the era of Douluo Continent I. A 100,000-year soul beast was a near-mythical legend in the human world, whether in the Star Dou Great Forest, the Far North, or the deep sea, where such beasts were plentiful.
"Becoming a god allows one to resurrect life," the Snow Empress said out of the blue. "If they want a 100,000-year soul beast, make them agree to that condition."