"Who are you two?" the Snow Empress demanded coldly. Although the human who ambushed and sealed her was dead, her guard showed no signs of slackening. The Conferred God Platform that had once imprisoned her was now in the control of another human, filling her heart with vigilance. She wasn't even sure if they were truly human.
"You're the Snow Empress? You look quite pathetic. Perhaps I should take you back and make you my little test subject," Möbius said, a hint of playfulness in her eyes. She first mercilessly mocked the Snow Empress, then her gaze drifted leisurely to Lu Jingming.
"You know, suitable candidates aren't easy to find, little snake," Lu Jingming sighed helplessly. He knew Möbius's way of doing things too well; mocking a future companion right off the bat—wasn't that just escalating the conflict? He had already keenly sensed the surge of anger emanating from the Snow Empress.
"No matter who you are, you'd best kill me directly. Otherwise, I'll make you regret it!" How could the proud Snow Empress endure such humiliation? Although she wasn't sure what "little test subject" meant, her intuition told her it was definitely not a good term. At this moment, despite her difficult predicament, her unyielding aura remained formidable.
"Snow Empress, there's no need for this. We are not enemies. On the contrary, we might become companions fighting side-by-side," Lu Jingming tried to make his tone gentle and sincere, attempting to alleviate the tense atmosphere.
"Companions? What a joke! Let me be companions with humans? I'd rather self-detonate than ever allow that!" The Snow Empress sneered, her laughter filled with disdain and resolve. Even now, reduced to a fish on someone else's cutting board, she absolutely refused to accept any threats, nor would she compromise in the slightest. If given the chance, she would undoubtedly choose to self-detonate, taking everything down with her.
"Snow Empress, don't you want to understand why this human appeared so coincidentally, even bringing a ninth-tier sealing soul tool right along?" Lu Jingming knew the Snow Empress was arrogant and difficult to persuade. Since gentle persuasion wasn't working, he had to find another angle.
"What do you mean by that?" The Snow Empress's brows furrowed instantly, an alarm bell ringing in her heart. She had always been suspicious about this matter. Why would that human appear so precisely when she was at her weakest, and with a soul tool capable of sealing her, no less? To say it was all a coincidence, she simply couldn't believe it. After all, too many coincidences invariably hid unspeakable secrets.
"You are burdened with the destiny of the Extreme North, having experienced smooth sailing for countless years. Your only trouble has been the 700,000-year heavenly tribulation. Even then, you found a sliver of hope and obtained the 100,000-year Snow Lotus. Yet, with such unique destiny bestowed upon you, you fell into a desperate situation here in the Extreme North. Do you truly believe this is merely an accident?" Lu Jingming skillfully guided her, attempting to lead the Snow Empress to ponder the conspiracy hidden behind the events.
"Who exactly are you people?" The Snow Empress's heart suddenly clenched. This human's understanding of her was simply beyond imagination. One must know that although humans listed her as one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, their actual understanding of her was extremely limited. Yet, Lu Jingming not only knew that she was favored by the destiny of the Extreme North but also had a detailed grasp of her cultivation age and the heavenly tribulation she faced. This deeply unsettled her. Compared to the mysterious person who had plotted against her, these two in front of her were equally formidable.
"Allow me to introduce you. This is Lord Möbius, the revered leader of the Demon King Alliance, World Serpent," Lu Jingming said, a "respectful" smile gracing his lips as he made the introduction. "And I am her subordinate, the Sixth Throne of the World Serpent, 'God grants me fine robes, distributes the wine of death, sweet into dreams, King of Tranquility.'"
The Snow Empress didn't speak, just stared intently at Lu Jingming with a suspicious gaze. She had clearly heard Lu Jingming call the green-haired girl "little snake" earlier. How was that the address of a subordinate to a superior? Did he truly take her for a clueless fool?
"Alright, well, 'subordinate' is more like a companion, actually. Once you join the World Serpent, we'll all be equal companions, with no absolute hierarchy," Lu Jingming said, seeing that his attempt at deception wasn't working. He shook his head helplessly, then chuckled nonchalantly.
"I will not join you," the Snow Empress refused, her tone cold and decisive.
"You've already failed your human transformation, your essence is damaged, and you're about to face your seventh heavenly tribulation, practically a death sentence. Join us; we have the ability to help you," Lu Jingming didn't give up, continuing his patient persuasion.
"So what? Even if I die, I will never submit to anyone, let alone you humans," the Snow Empress's attitude remained resolute, her voice unwavering, vowing to die rather than yield.
"Is that so? It seems you truly aren't afraid of death. But don't you want to know where the Ice Empress went?" Lu Jingming played his trump card, a hint of playfulness in his tone. This move was a direct hit at the Snow Empress's weakness. He knew all too well the importance of the Ice Empress in the Snow Empress's heart.
"Bing'er? What did you do to Bing'er?" The Snow Empress's face instantly changed, no longer able to maintain her calm demeanor. The Ice Empress was one of the few beings she cared about in the Extreme North. Death couldn't move her, but the Ice Empress's safety could easily shake her ice-like heart.
"Don't misunderstand, we haven't even met the Ice Empress, so it's impossible for us to have done anything to her," Lu Jingming quickly waved his hand, signaling the Snow Empress not to misunderstand. This had nothing to do with them.
"Then where is she now?" A strong sense of foreboding welled up in the Snow Empress's heart. Earlier, when she couldn't find the Ice Empress, she had vaguely suspected something. After all, the Ice Empress usually wouldn't leave the Extreme North so easily, let alone without contacting her. It was just that she had been busy with her transformation at the time and had put the matter aside, planning to search for the Ice Empress after she had transformed. She hadn't expected to receive such news now.
"She has now become a human's soul ring, and her soul bone has also been refined," Lu Jingming honestly told her, though he omitted a few small details.
"Impossible! With Bing'er's cultivation, in this Extreme North, who could kill her?" The Snow Empress was utterly shocked, unable to believe this fact. In her opinion, with the Ice Empress's strength, plus the environmental advantage of the Extreme North, even a Limit Douluo among humans wouldn't be able to kill her. How could anyone silently kill the Ice Empress and absorb her soul ring and soul bone without her knowing?
"Heh heh, your cultivation and strength are greater, yet weren't you also plotted against in this Extreme North, ending up in your current state?" Lu Jingming's words carried a faint hint of mockery. Though a bit harsh, it was an undeniable fact.
"You!" The Snow Empress was momentarily speechless, unable to retort. Indeed, she herself had been pushed to the brink by a weaker human Titled Douluo on her own territory. If not for Lu Jingming and Möbius's timely intervention, her fate would have been extremely miserable.
"So, Snow Empress, don't you want to know who was behind plotting against you, and who absorbed the Ice Empress's soul ring and soul bone?" Lu Jingming pressed on, striking while the iron was hot.
"Good, I'll join you! But you must help me and Bing'er get revenge," the Snow Empress was silent for a long time, finally slowly lowering her arrogant head. She wasn't afraid of death, but she didn't want to die cluelessly, and she especially wanted revenge for the Ice Empress. She knew very well that anyone capable of plotting against her without her knowledge must be far stronger than her. Since Lu Jingming and Möbius knew so much insider information, then this "Demon King Alliance" must have a way to contend with them, and perhaps truly help her achieve her revenge.
"Excellent, welcome to World Serpent," Lu Jingming smiled with satisfaction. He had finally managed to subdue the stubborn Snow Empress.
"Now, can you tell me who was plotting against me, and who killed Bing'er?" The Snow Empress was impatient to know the truth.
"The one who plotted against you is a god from the God Realm. As for the Ice Empress, I never said she died," Lu Jingming said calmly, showing no intention of hiding anything.
"You lied to me?" The Snow Empress's tone instantly turned several degrees colder, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes.
"No, I didn't lie to you. The Ice Empress's soul ring and soul bone were indeed absorbed by a human, but her soul is still within that human; it hasn't perished," Lu Jingming quickly shook his head, patiently explaining.
"Why would a god from the God Realm plot against me? And who is that human?" The Snow Empress's doubts grew, these mysteries making her extremely agitated and desperate for answers.
"Naturally, it's for the destiny on your body. You probably don't know yet, but destiny can help gods cultivate and break through to higher realms."
"As for that human, you'll meet them eventually."
"Alright, I'll believe you this once."
The Snow Empress ultimately chose to believe Lu Jingming's words. After all, given her current predicament, if Lu Jingming wished her harm, there would be no need for deception; he could simply act directly.
"Little snake," Lu Jingming looked at Möbius. Möbius was currently idly playing with the Conferred God Platform in her hand, clearly uninterested in their conversation.
"Finally finished talking. If you ask me, just let me 'discipline' this little snow girl for a few days, and I guarantee she'll be docile," Möbius said with a sickly sweet smile, green lightning appearing in her hand, instantly reducing the golden Conferred God Platform to ashes in the blink of an eye.
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