The Ceremony Begins
Electrolux gave the Snow Empress time to consider carefully. Only after sensing that her spiritual fluctuations had stabilized did he turn to look at Huo Yuhao and speak in a solemn tone:
"Yuhao, the most crucial factor in completing this ceremony is not us—but that Black Dragon."
"If I am to help you establish a soul contract with the Snow Empress, an enormous amount of spiritual power will be consumed. Neither I, in my current state, nor that million-year Iceworm can fully sustain the expenditure required by the ritual."
After saying this, Electrolux paused slightly before continuing:
"So you must properly coordinate with him."
Yuhao naturally understood what Elder Yi meant.
Back when he had fused with the Snow Empress in his previous life, he had been forced to burn a portion of his own spiritual origin to barely complete the contract. At that time, external interference had nearly caused the ritual to fail, and the backlash had almost shattered his Sea of Spirit.
But now, everything was different.
He would never again allow outside forces to interfere with his destiny.
As Electrolux had said, only Di Tian possessed the strength to support such consumption.
As the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King of the Star Dou Great Forest, with cultivation approaching nine hundred thousand years and in possession of the Dragon God Claw, Di Tian's combat strength far exceeded ordinary Ultimate Douluo. More importantly, he was in his absolute peak state.
Unlike Electrolux, who retained only a wisp of divine consciousness, or Tianmeng and the Ice Empress, who had lost their physical bodies and existed merely as spiritual origins, Di Tian was a complete and thriving top-tier ferocious beast.
Yuhao nodded firmly.
"Don't worry, Elder Yi. Di Tian will obey my command."
His tone carried quiet confidence.
For Di Tian, not only was he absolutely loyal to Yuhao, but the birth of a new path for soul beasts—transforming into Spirits while retaining consciousness—was of immeasurable significance.
At this moment, the Snow Empress finished her contemplation and spoke in a deep, steady voice:
"I accept. I will entrust everything to you."
Neither Yuhao nor Electrolux showed any surprise.
After all, if successful, she would obtain not only survival, but also a chance at transcendence beyond the limits imposed upon soul beasts by heaven's tribulation.
Soon, Yuhao summoned Di Tian and explained the general outline of the Spirit Contract plan, carefully omitting any mention of Electrolux's true origin.
After listening, Di Tian's golden eyes trembled with excitement.
"Lord… have you truly succeeded?"
Previously, within the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, Yuhao had mentioned the possibility of allowing soul beasts to become soul rings while preserving their consciousness.
Was this not precisely that future?
Yuhao nodded.
"Yes. But the Snow Empress' situation is special. To transform her into a Spirit, I require your strength."
Di Tian immediately knelt on one knee.
"As long as it benefits the soul beast race, this subordinate would not hesitate even at the cost of his life."
As the Beast God and spokesperson of countless soul beasts, Di Tian's greatest wishes were to see the revival of the Dragon God's glory and to secure a path of survival for the soul beast race.
Yuhao raised his hand.
"Good. Then let us begin."
Di Tian stepped forward and pressed his palm against the energy sphere that sealed the Snow Empress.
The Snow Empress cooperated fully, cautiously releasing the violent energy within her body. Because she remained in a state of ignited origin, even the slightest imbalance could trigger instant detonation.
Boom!
The moment her power emerged, the surrounding air crystallized into endless frost. The sealed sphere was instantly covered in layers of ice, and the temperature plummeted sharply.
But in the next instant, a vast dark aura erupted from Di Tian's body.
Like an abyssal beast opening its jaws, it swallowed the released power in a single breath.
The contrast was shocking.
The Snow Empress' Ultimate Snow was peerless in purity—but Di Tian's devouring darkness was equally terrifying.
Thus, the Snow Empress continuously guided and released the unstable energy within her, while Di Tian absorbed it without pause.
Time passed.
Eventually, all excess energy was drawn away.
However, Di Tian did not refine or absorb it for himself. Instead, he sealed it deep within his dragon core, preventing any external leakage.
What remained within the Snow Empress was her pure spiritual consciousness and the most essential fragment of her origin.
Yuhao spoke calmly.
"Release the seal."
Di Tian withdrew his suppressing power.
The Snow Empress broke free immediately.
Though her cultivation had been stripped away, the pressure of her origin remained astonishing. She looked at Yuhao's composed expression and clenched her silver teeth slightly.
"See it through to the end."
With that, she opened her arms and embraced him directly.
The moment their bodies touched, pale flames erupted across her form.
Sacrifice.
Unlike ordinary soul beast sacrifices, this was the burning of origin under conscious control.
"Big worm, little scorpion—protect her spiritual consciousness!"
Electrolux's voice echoed within the Sea of Spirit.
"Yuhao, endure it."
"I understand."
Yuhao's reply was firm.
Back when he fused with the Ice Empress, even with most of her power sealed, he had endured bone-shattering agony.
Now, the Snow Empress' origin was even purer and more tyrannical.
Yet Yuhao was no longer the youth he once was.
His body had been repeatedly tempered—by Ultimate Ice, by soul bones, by dragon bloodline suppression. His endurance was incomparable to before.
The Snow Empress' physical form burned away rapidly.
Under her control, her origin power slowly merged into Yuhao's body.
The instant that boundless Ultimate Snow entered him, his entire body froze solid.
This cold surpassed even the Ice Empress' Ultimate Ice—it was the extreme chill of blizzard and glacier combined.
In response, his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul activated automatically, resonating with the invading energy and beginning absorption.
His soul power surged violently, breaking through a level within mere breaths.
But this growth was trivial compared to the vast origin flooding his meridians.
It had to be sealed.
Soon, all of the Snow Empress' origin had entered him.
Yet it raged like wild horses within his body, crashing against every meridian.
Had Yuhao's physique not undergone multiple evolutions, he would have exploded instantly.
Even so, his limit was approaching.
"Elder Yi… hurry…"
Yuhao gritted his teeth.
Worse still, he sensed the sealed aura of the Golden Dragon King bloodline deep within him beginning to stir, greedily attempting to devour the Snow Empress' origin.
Yuhao's will surged.
"Stay suppressed."
He forcibly pressed it down.
This was the Snow Empress' life essence—not nourishment for a dormant dragon.
Electrolux understood the urgency.
"Leave the rest to me."
Ancient, complex incantations began to echo through the Sea of Spirit.
Yuhao instinctively followed the rhythm, chanting along.
At the same time, Tianmeng and the Ice Empress released their spiritual origins to stabilize the Snow Empress' consciousness.
"Di Tian—relax your mind. Allow control of your spiritual origin."
Yuhao's eyes turned gray as he looked at Di Tian.
Being gazed upon by those eyes caused even the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King's heart to tremble.
To open one's soul to another was equivalent to surrendering life itself.
Yet Di Tian did not hesitate.
If this was the path for the future of soul beasts, then he would stake everything.
Electrolux silently admired him.
"Yuhao… this subordinate of yours is willing to entrust you with his life."
Yuhao did not respond aloud.
But his heart was heavy with emotion.
Under the immense spiritual consumption of Di Tian's dragon soul and origin power, the ritual circle gradually took form within Yuhao's Sea of Spirit.
Gray light intertwined with icy blue radiance.
The ceremony was nearing completion.
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