"Done! It's finally done!"
In the Sea of Consciousness, Skydream was cheering and jumping for joy. Looking at the Ultimate Ice Martial Soul that Huo Yuhao had successfully fused with, she felt even more proud than if she had done it herself.
The Ice Emperor, however, was still a bit dazed.
She could clearly feel that while her soul had become a Soul Spirit, her nearly 400,000 years of cultivation hadn't just disappeared. Instead, it had been transformed into the purest origin energy, fueling the birth of this Martial Soul.
And the most terrifying part was that this Martial Soul... was alive.
Because it was born from her cultivation and Huo Yuhao's potential, she could perfectly harmonize with it. It was as if she had become the "Soul" of this Martial Soul.
"Yuhao, what are you going to name this Martial Soul?" Skydream asked curiously.
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment. In his hand, the ice-blue light swirled, neither a beast nor a tool, but a manifestation of the concept of "Cold" itself.
"Let's just call it... Ultimate Ice," Huo Yuhao said softly.
Simple, direct, and highlighting its absolute purity.
"Alright, since the Martial Soul is fixed, it's time to give it its first Soul Ring."
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged. According to his "Soul Core-Bearing Soul Ring Method," he didn't need to hunt Soul Beasts. With the Ice Emperor as his Soul Spirit, she could provide the energy, and he would use his own logic to construct a Soul Ring that most perfectly suited him.
However, just as Huo Yuhao was about to begin, his expression suddenly changed.
Beside him, Elder Yi's figure also flickered as he looked toward the entrance of the cave.
"She's coming."
Boom—!
The entire mountain cave trembled violently. A coldness that transcended even the Ice Emperor's peak state swept in, instantly turning the moisture in the air into fine ice powder.
Outside the cave, the sky had turned a pale, crystalline white. A woman walked slowly through the blizzard.
She was dressed in a long, snow-white dress that seemed to blend into the world. Her long, white hair trailed behind her, and her eyes were a deep, sapphire blue—eyes that seemed to contain the entire Extreme North.
Snow Emperor! The top of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North, a 700,000-year-old Soul Beast!
"Bing... I felt your aura suddenly weaken and then vanish," the Snow Emperor's voice was like the tinkling of ice crystals, cold and melodious. "And Skydream... that aura of yours is unmistakable."
She walked into the cave, her gaze landing on Huo Yuhao, then on the silver-glow Soul Rings around him. Finally, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the empty air beside him.
"And a human... with a soul-form elder I cannot see through."
The Ice Emperor quickly manifested her spirit form, standing in front of Huo Yuhao. "Sister Snow! Wait! It's not what you think!"
The Snow Emperor looked at the Ice Emperor's current state—a spiritual entity without a physical body—and her cold aura intensified.
"You've been sacrificed? By this human?"
"No! It's a contract! A Soul Spirit Contract!" the Ice Emperor explained frantically.
"A contract that requires you to give up your body?" The Snow Emperor took a step forward, and the temperature in the cave plummeted even further. "I don't care what lies this human told you. To harm the King of the Extreme North is to provoke the Extreme North itself."
Huo Yuhao sighed. He knew this would happen. The Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor had a bond deeper than sisters; sensing the Ice Emperor's "death" would naturally bring her here in a rage.
He stood up, the ice-blue light of his second Martial Soul flickering in his palm.
"Snow Emperor, I have no intention of fighting you. If you want proof that she is fine, look at her soul. Is she being suppressed, or is she stronger than ever?"
The Snow Emperor paused. She looked at the Ice Emperor, who indeed looked vibrant, even though her body was gone. More importantly, she felt a trace of a "Divine" aura coming from the boy.
"Sister Snow, he is the person Skydream chose, and now he is the one I chose," the Ice Emperor said firmly. "He is going to become a God. If we follow him, we can bypass the Heavenly Tribulations entirely!"
The Snow Emperor fell silent for a long time. Then, she looked at Huo Yuhao.
"A God? Humans have said that for ten thousand years, yet only one has succeeded recently."
"Then I will be the second," Huo Yuhao replied calmly, his eyes meeting hers without a hint of fear.
The Snow Emperor stared at him, then suddenly, she retracted her aura. The blizzard outside slowed down.
"I am nearing my own 700,000-year tribulation. I know my chances of survival are less than ten percent." She looked at the Ice Emperor, then back to Huo Yuhao. "If your 'Contract' is as miraculous as she says... then perhaps the Extreme North should place all its bets on you."
Huo Yuhao blinked. This was easier than he expected. He thought he'd have to fight her at least a little bit.
"You want to join as well?"
"Not yet," the Snow Emperor said, her gaze turning sharp. "I need to see if you can truly support the Ice Emperor's origin. If you can successfully form her first Soul Ring and your body doesn't collapse under the weight of Ultimate Ice... only then will I consider it."
She sat down on a nearby ice pillar, acting like a supervisor.
"Begin. I will be watching."
Huo Yuhao wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. Having a 700,000-year-old Soul Beast watching your every move was a unique kind of pressure.
"Alright. Sister Skydream, Ice Emperor, let's show her."