30: Chapter 30 I don't want to become your spirit! I just don't want to be outdone by that good-for-nothing Tianmeng!

The Ice Empress's voice fluctuated violently for the first time.

Son of the Plane!

As a peerless vicious beast that had survived for four hundred thousand years, she knew better than anyone what those four words meant.

That was an existence favored by the entire plane!

It was the embodiment of fortune!

It was the darling of the World! It was theoretically the existence most likely to break the shackles and ascend to a God Position!

No wonder... no wonder that million-year-old loser Tianmeng would choose such a weak human!

So this was what she was betting on!

The Ice Empress's chest heaved violently.

Her emerald green eyes stared at Huo Yuhao, as if trying to see through his very soul.

The wind and snow had ceased at some unknown moment.

For a long, long time.

The Ice Empress finally retracted that gaze that almost froze people solid.

She took a deep look at the Tianmeng Iceworm, her gaze complex to the extreme.

She turned around slowly.

"Follow me."

Her voice remained cold, but it lacked some of the previous contempt, replaced by a trace of unquestionable majesty.

"If you dare to pull any tricks, I will let you know what true Eternal Freezing means."

After speaking, she did not look back, walking straight towards the depths of the collapsed iceberg ruins.

The Tianmeng Iceworm winked triumphantly at Huo Yuhao, mouthing the word "Done".

Then, she turned into a streak of white light and returned to his Spiritual Sea.

"Let's go." Gu Yuena's voice remained calm.

But Huo Yuhao could feel that when she stood in front of him just now, beneath that seemingly casual action, there was hidden concern for him.

He smiled at her and followed the Ice Empress's footsteps.

...

The Ice Empress's cave was hidden beneath the iceberg ruins.

The entrance was a huge ice cavern, but upon walking in, it was a World of its own.

A chill, even more extreme than outside, rushed towards them.

This cold was no longer mere low temperature, but a power of law capable of invading the bone marrow and freezing Soul Power.

The silver cloak on Huo Yuhao's shoulder flashed slightly, isolating most of this chill.

But even so, he still felt a bone-piercing cold.

However, unexpectedly, the inside of this ice cavern was not dark at all; instead, it was as bright as day.

The surrounding ice walls were not ordinary ice blocks, but rather a strange type of ice crystal that appeared dark green.

These ice crystals themselves emitted a soft and bright light, illuminating the entire huge cave until it was completely transparent.

At the deepest part of the cave was a gorgeous and majestic throne carved from a single, massive piece of green ice crystal.

The Ice Empress's figure had already appeared silently on the throne.

She sat there casually, one long leg elegantly crossed over the other, one hand supporting her chin.

Her emerald green long hair cascaded down from the throne like a waterfall, and the scorpion tail behind her swayed slowly in the dark green light.

She looked coldly at Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena who had walked in, like a monarch inspecting her subjects.

"Alright, there are no outsiders here now."

The Ice Empress's voice echoed in the empty ice cavern.

"Tianmeng, come out. Use all your tricks. I want to see what you have to persuade me to bet my own fate on such a weak human."

With a flash of white light, the Tianmeng Iceworm's figure appeared beside Huo Yuhao again.

"Ice Empress, I know you have deep prejudices against humans."

Sister Tianmeng put away her previous playfulness, her expression becoming unprecedentedly serious.

"But feel carefully — on Yuhao, besides the mark of the Son of the Plane, there is also an aura that both you and I... are very familiar with."

Hearing this, the Ice Empress frowned slightly.

She closed her emerald green eyes, and her vast Mental Energy surged towards Huo Yuhao like a tide.

This Mental Energy had no malice; it was purely for investigation.

Huo Yuhao did not resist, letting her Mental Energy sweep over his body and penetrate deep into his soul origin.

A moment later.

The Ice Empress suddenly opened her eyes!

In those emerald green pupils erupted a shock even more intense than when she had seen the Son of the Plane mark earlier!

"This... this is... the Snow Empress's aura!!"

Her voice, due to extreme shock, even cracked slightly!

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! Why would the Snow Empress's aura appear on a human?! And... this aura is so pure, so original... it's as if..."

It was as if the Snow Empress had fused a part of her own life origin into this human's body!

Snow Empress?

He was certainly no stranger to this name.

The leader of the three great kings of the Extreme North, one of the top vicious beasts on the Douluo Continent, the King of the Extreme North with seven hundred thousand years of cultivation!

Immediately, scenes from his past life suddenly surfaced in his mind!

It was on the eve of his past life's end, when the Snow Empress, who had already become a Soul Spirit, exhausted her last strength to help him resist the space-time turbulence of the Divine Realm.

On the verge of extinction, she seemed to have injected a most original power into his soul...

Could it be...

Huo Yuhao realized instantly!

After his rebirth, that power had been lurking deep in his soul, never manifesting.

He had almost forgotten about it himself.

Unexpectedly, it was sensed by the Ice Empress today!

"What exactly is going on?!"

The Ice Empress's gaze, like two cold sharp swords, pierced straight at Huo Yuhao, "You! Must give me an explanation!"

The Snow Empress was the faith of the Extreme North, the King of all their ice and snow Spirit Beasts.

Her aura appearing on a human was a blasphemy against their King!

"This... it's a long story." Huo Yuhao touched his nose, not knowing how to explain his rebirth for a moment.

"Then make it short!" The Ice Empress's voice was unquestionable.

"Ice Empress, calm down first."

Sister Tianmeng spoke up in time, "Regarding this matter, I can guarantee to you that Yuhao definitely has never harmed the Snow Empress.

As for the source of this aura... when there is an opportunity later, he will tell you personally. Now we should talk about business."

The Ice Empress's chest heaved, obviously her heart was extremely unsettled.

But in the end, she forcibly suppressed the urge to continue questioning and turned her gaze back to Tianmeng.

She looked at Huo Yuhao, her eyes becoming incomparably complex.

The Son of the Plane, plus the Snow Empress's origin aura...

How many secrets were still hidden on this human youth?

"Tianmeng,"

The Ice Empress's voice finally recovered a trace of calmness, "You mean, you want me to be like you, in the form of a Soul Spirit, Parasite on this kid's body?"

"Not Parasite, it's symbiosis!"

Sister Tianmeng corrected, "Breaking the shackles that prevent Spirit Beasts from becoming gods, this is the only path we know of at present!"

Hearing this, the Ice Empress let out a cold laugh.

"You sure think beautifully, betting your entire life on a human."

She glanced at the Tianmeng Iceworm, her tone full of undisguised mockery.

"Who was it back then who looked down on humans the most, thinking they were despicable, weak, and untrustworthy? How come now, you are licking humans so happily?"

"Because I know this is right."

Sister Tianmeng's answer was simple and firm.

She looked at the Ice Empress, without the slightest flinching in her eyes.

"I have already seen hope. And you, Ice Empress, your deadline is coming soon, right?

Do you want to turn into dust meaninglessly in this cold snowfield, or do you want to come with me and see the scenery of the Divine Realm?"

The Ice Empress was silent.

Tianmeng's words hit her weak spot.

She only had three hundred and ninety thousand years of cultivation; she was not confident in breaking through to four hundred thousand years. She already felt that her life was coming to an end.

At most, no more than ten thousand years.

After ten thousand years, she would also be like countless predecessors, disappearing silently on this land she had guarded all her life.

Unwilling!

Of course, she was not willing!

Just when the Ice Empress was struggling intensely in her heart, Huo Yuhao's voice sounded again.

"Senior Ice Empress."

He took a step forward, his gaze sincere.

"I will not force you. The choice is in your own hands."

"But I sincerely hope you can consider it. I can guarantee you that as long as you are willing to become my Soul Spirit, in the future I will definitely do my utmost to help you fulfill your wish and set foot in the Divine Realm together with me."

His voice was neither humble nor pushy, filled with sincerity.

He did not analyze the pros and cons like Tianmeng did, nor did he use his identity as the Child of the Plane to apply pressure.

He simply offered the simplest and most sincere promise.

The Ice Empress looked at him.

Looking at this boy who was only seven and a half years old, with a cultivation of only two rings, yet dared to come to the Extreme North all alone to face her directly.

Looking into those clear and firm eyes, inside them, there was no greed, no calculation, only complete openness.

A long time passed.

She slowly stood up from that throne.

"That sounds better than a song."

She flexed her wrists, making a crisp "crack" sound.

"Want me to believe you? Fine."

"Let me test your strength."

The corners of her mouth curled into a cold arc.

"If you can take three of my moves, I will... consider it."

"Alright, three moves, right? No problem." Huo Yuhao nodded and agreed almost without the slightest hesitation.

"Are you crazy?!"

A cold, soft hand suddenly grabbed his arm.

Gu Yuena had appeared at his side before he knew it, and in those unchanging purple eyes of hers.

A clear emotion called "anxiety" was revealed.

"She is not those hundred-year or thousand-year Spirit Beast! She is a peerless fierce beast of four hundred thousand years! Forget about three moves, she could take your life with just one!"

Huo Yuhao felt a warmth in his heart.

He knew that Gu Yuena was caring for him.

He turned his head and gave her a reassuring smile; that smile appeared exceptionally warm under the illumination of the eerie green light.

"Don't worry."

His voice carried a convincing magic.

"I have my own measure."

After speaking, he gently broke free from Gu Yuena's hand, walked forward a few steps, stood in the center of the cave, and faced the Ice Empress all alone.

Gu Yuena watched his back, her outstretched hand frozen in mid-air.

She bit her lower lip and finally lowered it slowly.

A complex light flashed in her purple eyes that even she herself had not noticed.

"Very good, you have courage."

The Ice Empress nodded approvingly, but her eyes instantly became sharp!

"Then, take this!"

"First move!"

Before the words had even faded, she just casually raised her right hand, flicked her finger towards Huo Yuhao!

"Swish!"

A point of emerald green cold light instantly formed at her fingertip.

Then it transformed into an incredibly solid ice cone as thick as an arm, tearing through the air at a speed difficult for the naked eye to capture, stabbing straight at Huo Yuhao's chest!

Too fast!

So fast that Huo Yuhao's body couldn't react in time at all!

The ice cone contained the power of Ultimate Ice, and wherever it passed, even the space seemed to be frozen!

Just at the moment when the ice cone was about to touch his body!

A flash of golden light appeared at the center of Huo Yuhao's forehead!

His Spirit Eyes Spirit, without being actively summoned, awakened on its own at this life-or-death moment!

An invisible yet incredibly tough Mental Energy barrier instantly formed in front of him!

"Bang!!"

The ice cone slammed heavily against the Mental Energy barrier, emitting a dull, loud sound!

That invisible barrier twisted and dented violently, as if it were about to shatter the next second!

Huo Yuhao only felt his Spiritual Sea being hit hard by a heavy hammer, and his whole body flew backward uncontrollably.

His throat felt sweet, and a mouthful of blood welled up, but he forcefully swallowed it back down.

And that seemingly indestructible ice cone also shattered into pieces in mid-air, turning into ice crystals all over the sky.

First move, taken!

"Oh? Not bad Mental Energy." A flash of surprise appeared in the Ice Empress's eyes, but her movements did not pause at all.

"Second move!"

She opened her mouth and blew gently.

A visible emerald green cold current gushed out from her mouth!

This cold current was not ordinary mist, but solidified ice mist condensed from the purest Soul Power of Ultimate Ice!

The ice mist spread extremely fast, and in almost an instant, it covered a range of a hundred meters, completely swallowing Huo Yuhao!

Visibility inside the ice mist was less than half a meter, and even more terrifyingly, that pervasive cold air was frantically eroding Huo Yuhao's Soul Power and vitality!

The silver cloak on his shoulders shone brightly, barely resisting this deadly chill.

But Huo Yuhao knew that if this continued, he wouldn't last long!

At the critical moment, he instead closed his eyes.

Spiritual Detection Sharing!

In an instant, a three-dimensional image of the entire ice cave appeared clearly in his mind.

In this World constructed by Mental Energy, the seemingly impregnable ice mist's energy flow and changes in strength were all in full view!

He "saw" it!

On the left side of the ice mist, there was an extremely tiny gap in the energy flow!

That's it!

Huo Yuhao did not hesitate, unleashing his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to the limit, his whole body turning into a blurred shadow.

Threading through that deadly ice mist in a perilous manner, he finally rushed out of the ice mist's coverage before his Soul Power was exhausted!

"Hoo... hoo..."

He knelt on the ground, gasping for air, a thin layer of white frost already congealed on his hair and eyebrows.

Second move, also taken!

"Spiritual Detection... to be able to use Mental Energy to such an extent..."

A trace of genuine appreciation finally appeared in the Ice Empress's eyes.

But her voice remained cold.

"There is one last move."

"If you can still take it, I will admit that you are qualified to negotiate terms with me."

She slowly raised her scorpion tail.

That emerald green scorpion tail, shimmering with a deadly cold light, aimed remotely at Huo Yuhao.

An unprecedented sense of crisis instantly enveloped Huo Yuhao's entire body!

He could feel that this move was completely different from the first two!

If the first two moves by the Ice Empress still had elements of testing, then this move was absolute power and speed!

It was a fatal strike from her, a peerless fierce beast approaching four hundred thousand years of age!

"Careful!" In the Spiritual Sea, exclamations from Tianmeng and Electrolux came simultaneously!

Gu Yuena's body also instantly tensed up, silver Soul Power flickering in her palms!

But it was already too late!

"Third move!"

The Ice Empress's voice was like the judgment of the Grim Reaper!

"Hum"

That emerald green scorpion tail instantly disappeared from its spot!

There was no sound of breaking air, no energy fluctuations; it seemed to have crossed space directly!

When Huo Yuhao saw it again, that tail needle shimmering with eerie light had already reached his face, stabbing straight at his forehead!

The shadow of death had never been so clear!

Huo Yuhao's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks.

He exhausted his last bit of strength, driving his Spirit Eyes Spirit to the limit.

Golden light formed a small vortex at the center of his forehead.

He knew he couldn't dodge it.

All he could do was... face it!

Time seemed to become incredibly slow at this moment.

He could even see the tiny ice crystals that had formed on the tail needle.

Then...

"Ding."

A light sound.

That deadly scorpion tail, capable of piercing divine artifacts, stopped abruptly at a distance of only one inch from his forehead.

The tip of the tail needle touched gently against the golden vortex of Mental Energy condensed at his forehead.

A cold sensation came from his forehead.

Other than that, there was no other damage.

The strength in Huo Yuhao's whole body seemed to be completely drained in this instant.

His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, but he still used his strong willpower to force himself not to fall.

The Ice Empress slowly retracted her scorpion tail, a trace of undisguised approval flashing in those emerald green eyes.

"Not bad."

She said.

"Your reaction is fast, your willpower is also very strong, and your Mental Energy... is even more of an existence far surpassing those of the same rank."

"Human, you barely... count as qualified."

She turned around and walked back toward the ice crystal throne, leaving Huo Yuhao with an arrogant back.

She slowly closed her eyes, as if making a final decision.

A long time later, her cold voice rang out again, echoing throughout the entire ice cave.

"I can become your Soul Spirit."

"But do not think that this is your victory."

"I just... don't want to be shown up by that trash Tianmeng, that's all, hmph~."