"That's how things stand, Ah Tai. Do you understand now?"
The Titan Snow Demon King nodded heavily, glancing at the three humans behind Snow Empress. Three? Yes, that seemed right.
He had noticed them from the beginning, these humans, along with the many soul beasts gathered here in the Extreme North. Humans were generally unwelcome here. But if Snow Empress hadn't acted against them, then no soul beast had the right to question her choice.
Only after hearing Snow Empress's explanation regarding the hope of the Extreme North did the Titan Snow Demon King understand the origins of these humans—soul spirits, a revolutionary concept created by the only male among them, a young human. The idea genuinely shocked him.
Though he had his doubts about how real or feasible soul spirits were, the fact that Snow Empress herself had affirmed it was enough to dispel those doubts. What astonished him even more was that Snow Empress herself had become that youth's soul spirit.
"Snow Empress, I understand. The gates of the Extreme North shall be opened to humans approved by you. Also, let me extend my deepest respect to the human who conceived the concept of soul spirits."
As a ferocious beast with over 200,000 years of cultivation, the Titan Snow Demon King was no fool. He was well aware of the current tension between soul beasts and humans. The humans, empowered by soul devices, were slowly and continuously encroaching upon the Extreme North. If the soul spirit system could be adopted across the entire Douluo Continent—led by the Extreme North—it truly could be seen as a symbol of hope.
As for the request to allow humans from the Sun-Moon Empire to mine the outer edges of the Extreme North's mineral veins, since Snow Empress had given her approval, the Titan Snow Demon King naturally wouldn't object. As the newly crowned great king of the Extreme North, he pledged to ensure the soul beasts would avoid harming humans bearing the ice insignia provided by Snow Empress and Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao simply smiled and nodded toward the colossal beast. In return, the Titan Snow Demon King lowered his massive head slightly in a show of respect for Huo Yuhao's identity and ability.
"Then, Snow Empress, I shall take my leave."
"Mm. Go settle my former subjects and reassure them."
As the Titan Snow Demon King led his clan away into the distance, Snow Empress's gaze became distant, full of sentiment.
"Snow Empress, what about me? What should I do?"
Below Snow Empress, the equally massive but far more rotund and naive-looking Ice Bear King—Xiao Bai—blinked his less-than-brilliant eyes and asked.
He had listened to her conversation with the Titan Snow Demon King but, with his limited intelligence, had understood almost nothing.
Snow Empress looked at his silly yet earnest face and couldn't help but smile warmly. She patted his massive head and gently descended to the ground.
"There's nothing urgent now. Xiao Bai, from now on, come with us. Leave the Extreme North."
"Hmm?" The Ice Bear King was momentarily stunned. "Follow you? But... aren't you going into seclusion?"
Snow Empress calmly replied, "On this northern icefield, if I'm gone, only you and your clan can stand against Ah Tai. He's stronger overall, but you're not without a chance. If I'm not around, can you truly obey him?"
At her question, the Ice Bear King fell silent. He couldn't lie to her, so he remained speechless.
Snow Empress continued, "That's why, once I leave, only one of you can remain in the Extreme North. If not, peace here will be difficult to maintain."
"Snow Empress," Ice Bear King cried out mournfully, "Fine. I'll do as you say. My life was given by you. You raised me, made me strong, helped me become the emperor of the Ice Bear Clan. Everything I have is because of you. Tell me what to do, and I'll do it—even if it's death."
The three humans—Huo Yuhao and the others—could only break into cold sweat. This ferocious beast's intelligence was... indeed a bit lacking.
Snow Empress chuckled, "Fool. Why would I ask you to die? Between you and Ah Tai, I chose him to govern because his temperament and the nature of the Titan Snow Demon Clan make him better suited for the role. But in terms of closeness... he could never compare to you. In my heart, you're like family—just like Bing'er. Bing'er is my sister, and you, you are my child."
As she said this, Ice Bear King's eyes immediately softened. He rubbed his massive nose against her affectionately. "Snow Empress, then what should I do?"
Snow Empress sighed gently. "Come with me from now on. I can feel that you're not far from your third bottleneck. There's a thirty percent chance you can break through. If I were still here, I could guard you, and your chances would improve. But I can't stay. So I want you to walk another path with me."
Ice Bear King looked at her with a puzzled expression, clearly not understanding what she meant.
Snow Empress continued, "Once you're with me, you'll understand. What I seek is the path to godhood. If we succeed, we'll transcend this world and never again be threatened by it. If we fail, we'll still have another chance. On this continent, no matter how strong a soul beast becomes, we can never truly touch the divine realm. That's the law of this world. Ditian is strong enough, yet even he couldn't break that curse. He failed. I failed. You all would fail too. Only by relying on the strongest beings in this world—perhaps even those who created the Divine Realm itself—can we leave."
"I don't understand any of this, Snow Empress, but I'll follow you, no matter what," Ice Bear King said simply, expressing his unwavering trust in the most straightforward way.
Snow Empress turned and waved at Huo Yuhao. "Yuhao, come here."
Huo Yuhao immediately stepped forward and came to her side.
Snow Empress smiled and said, "Xiao Bai, let me introduce someone. This is my master."
Huo Yuhao: "..."
Calling him her master wasn't exactly wrong. Although their soul spirit contract was a mutual one, it had been initiated and led by Huo Yuhao. So calling him her master wasn't incorrect.
But coming from Snow Empress's mouth... it just sounded so very strange.
(End of Chapter)
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