"Snow Empress, you can choose to become my soul. Alternatively, you can continue on the path of reconstruction with my assistance. However, upon success, you must establish a cooperative relationship with me."
Following his inner thoughts, Huo Yuhao presented the Snow Empress with two options.
Upon hearing the solutions proposed by Huo Yuhao, both the Ice Empress and Skydream were stunned.
How had Yuhao managed to grasp the Snow Empress's original sealing method so quickly?
The Snow Empress gazed at Huo Yuhao with a complex expression.
Originally, due to the "life-saving grace" and the Ice Empress's persuasion, she had mentally prepared herself to sign a soul contract and become his soul. Yet now, Huo Yuhao had offered her such a choice...
Even the Snow Empress, who had always been as cold as ice, felt a slight stir in her heart.
It was important to note that her original power remained largely intact. By signing the soul contract, she could undoubtedly bestow upon Huo Yuhao the benefits of a 700,000-year soul ring and soul bone.
Moreover, the soul method was far more advanced than mere sacrifice. According to the Ice Empress and Skydream, this was a technique created by a former god-level entity. There was no need to worry about the disposition of the Snow Empress's immense source power.
Although Huo Yuhao's current physical body was not strong enough to bear the full extent of the Snow Empress's original power, it didn't matter. The power could be temporarily sealed and gradually processed over time.
This kind of opportunity was truly unique across the entire Douluo Continent, enough to drive any soul master to madness! With the Snow Empress's soul as an ally, a soul master would almost certainly reach the Super Douluo level, and breaking through to the Ultimate Douluo level would not be difficult.
However, what the Snow Empress never expected was that Huo Yuhao remained unmoved and instead offered her two independent choices.
The Snow Empress fell into deep thought, and the white mist around her trembled slightly.
The Ice Empress and Skydream looked at the Snow Empress expectantly.
They had already done their part earlier, and now the decision rested solely with the Snow Empress.
"Bing'er, you know me. In this life, I have never been inferior to humans. I do not deny that soul beasts cannot become gods, but I also wish to try the human path to godhood!" A cold voice resonated.
At this moment, though the white mist was expressionless, the ethereal and awe-inspiring aura unique to the Snow Empress was fully displayed.
It was undeniable that Huo Yuhao's talent and strength were unparalleled among the soul masters the Snow Empress had encountered.
For a moment, the Snow Empress felt an inexplicable certainty that Huo Yuhao would ascend to godhood in the future.
Even compared to the few gods that had appeared in human history, at his age, they paled in comparison.
However, the Snow Empress was not one to simply follow the path of least resistance.
In other words, she preferred to hold her destiny in her own hands.
Though the soul method was advantageous, she did not wish to become a vassal to the man before her.
She would remember the kindness of aiding the Ice Empress and rescuing her. She would carry this gratitude in her heart.
The Snow Empress made her decision decisively. Within the white mist, a pair of sky-blue eyes shone with determination.
"The Ice God is above me. The Snow Empress swears in the name of Ice. Huo Yuhao and I hereby form a contract to work together for eternity. Should either of us violate this oath, all that belongs to Ice shall be taken away by the Ice God!"
The soul beasts of the Extreme North were the people of the Ice God. As the former ruler of the Extreme North, the Snow Empress had sworn the most solemn oath among them.
Huo Yuhao: ?
He felt somewhat embarrassed by the formality of it all.
Originally, Huo Yuhao had only planned to use the Ice Empress as leverage to influence the Snow Empress.
Now, it seemed he had misjudged her intentions.
Huo Yuhao quickly retreated into his second sea of consciousness, seeking out Electrolux, who had been observing the situation.
"Help me, Electrolux!"
Electrolux, who had been quietly watching, waved his sleeve and spoke in a deep voice:
"Yuhao, I was just about to speak with you. If you wish to assist the Snow Empress in changing her cultivation, I suggest you sign a soul contract. This will be mutually beneficial. Through the contract's connection, you can truly aid her."
"I understand, Electrolux." Huo Yuhao nodded. No wonder he had felt something was amiss during his rapid deduction and learning. This was the missing piece.
After returning from his sea of consciousness, Huo Yuhao coughed and relayed Electrolux's advice.
"Ahem, that's how it is."
With Electrolux's guidance, Huo Yuhao waved his right hand, drawing a gray scroll in the void. It contained undead magic and a soul contract.
Huo Yuhao inscribed an agreement for mutual cooperation and support on the path to godhood. The two signatories would form a community of destiny to a certain extent.
After presenting it to the Snow Empress and receiving her approval, both parties left their spiritual imprints and names on the soul contract.
The contract was completed, and the gray scroll exploded into countless points of light, merging into Huo Yuhao and the Snow Empress. Both could feel an additional rule and connection within their souls.
Huo Yuhao even sensed a cool sensation spreading through his limbs and bones, and his mental power seemed to improve slightly, bringing him closer to the realm of tangible and intangible.
The Snow Empress felt the same. The power from the contract was an ultimate ice, purer and more domineering than the Ice Empress's. It also carried a spiritual blessing, allowing her, in her currently weakened state, to fully control her sealed original power.
Without Huo Yuhao's prompting, the Snow Empress spontaneously began stabilizing the seal.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao and the Snow Empress seemed to be of one mind, working together to suppress and confine the slightly chaotic original power.
The white mist vibrated intensely, and strong soul power fluctuations resonated with it. The surrounding ice and snow elements began to resonate spontaneously.
Visible to the naked eye, the remaining energy in the lotus pond, along with the pure ice energy surging around, was completely absorbed into the Snow Empress's body.
The previously restless original power quickly calmed. At this rate, it would take only a few hours for the Snow Empress to successfully rebuild herself as an adult.
Soon, Huo Yuhao withdrew from the resonance. The rest of the process was something the Snow Empress could handle on her own, and he could offer little further assistance.
"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. As expected of Electrolux!"
Originally, Huo Yuhao had planned to rely on external forces to forcibly use the Snow Empress's sealing method to repair her. As long as the reconstruction succeeded, the Snow Empress could take her time to guide the follow-up origin.
But Electrolux's approach was a direct one-two punch. By temporarily enhancing the compatibility between the two, he had resolved the issue from the very beginning, which was incredibly clever.
"Hey, it would have been great if the Snow Empress could become Yuhao's soul. Then we could have obtained a 700,000-year soul bone. Though it's not spiritual, it would have been perfect for Yuhao."
Skydream couldn't help but feel a sense of regret.
If Huo Yuhao could absorb such a soul bone, his mental power could directly break through to the tangible and intangible realm, and he might even glimpse higher levels.
"What? Are you regretting that Xue'er didn't become Yuhao's soul?" Though Skydream was complaining, the Ice Empress also felt a pang of regret.
She and Skydream were already firmly tied to Yuhao, sharing life and death with him. They could only do their utmost to help him ascend to the divine throne.
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao was exceptionally talented. He had already half-stepped into the realm of Titled Douluo, and his path to be a Ultimate Douluo had been smooth thus far.
If the Snow Empress could join them, the god-making plan might not be 100% guaranteed, but the probability of success would certainly be high! With the right opportunity, Yuhao would undoubtedly be the soul master closest to godhood in this world!
However, the Snow Empress had ultimately chosen to walk her own path.
The Ice Empress knew that the Snow Empress was concerned about leaving the Extreme North and was too proud to trouble Huo Yuhao. Given her personality, this decision was to be expected.
Yet, after finally reuniting with the Snow Empress, the outcome was not what they had hoped for. The chances of achieving godhood within a human lifespan of three to five hundred years were slim...
Both the Ice Empress and Skydream fell silent, their usual bickering mood absent.
"Instead of worrying about the Snow Empress, we should consider what we should do next. Is it possible that the Snow Empress has already caught the attention of a certain god?"
Huo Yuhao's voice broke the silence in the spiritual sea.
Even Electrolux appeared, and the four of them, who had not gathered in a long time, convened in the sea of consciousness.
"That power indeed reached the level of a god," Electrolux recalled thoughtfully.
At the end of his "merging" with the Snow Empress, Huo Yuhao had felt a call from the Extreme North before disconnecting from her.
After discussing with Electrolux, they had reached this conclusion.
"Perhaps, it is the Ice God you speak of!" Huo Yuhao's words were startling. As soon as the term "Ice God" was mentioned, the Ice Empress and Skydream froze in shock.
Who in the Extreme North had not heard of the Ice God?
Just as the creatures of the sea revered the Sea God, all beings of the Extreme North held the Ice God in the highest regard.
"Is that possible?" The Ice Empress was the first to retort, though her tone lacked certainty.
"Is the Ice God truly still in the Extreme North?" Skydream was equally puzzled. The era of the Ice God was so distant that even she, despite her long life, had never witnessed the Ice God's true form.
Though the northern soul beasts often invoked the ancient Ice God in their oaths, it was more of a ritual. After all, some malevolent soul beasts had broken their oaths without facing any apparent consequences, right?
Of course, unlike human soul masters, most soul beasts took their oaths seriously and would not break them lightly.
"Perhaps we will know after the Snow Empress succeeds." Though it was just intuition, Huo Yuhao felt it was highly credible.
This was the choice of fate!
In the original work, the Ice God had left no trace and was likely long deceased. However, it was highly probable that the ancient Ice God was a soul beast.
If the Snow Empress could become the Ice God's successor after her reconstruction, that would be far better than simply becoming his soul.
After all, he was also under the watchful eye of a certain God King.
The pressure was indeed immense.
Though the Ice God was at most a first-level god, and the gap between a first-level god and a God King was vast, having more allies could only help.
The Gu worm rewards he would receive from the Snow Empress for completing achievement tasks in the future would more than compensate for his investment.
[Achievements triggered!]
[Achieved the Ice Empress's "Searching for the Snow Empress" achievement. Received the Ice Knife Gu as a reward.]
[Ice Knife Gu: A fourth-level Gu worm that instantly condenses into a massive ice blade. Under the attack of extreme cold, it has a chance to ignore defenses of the same level.]
[Evaluation: My blade will be very strong!]
[Achievements triggered!]
[Achieved the Snow Empress's "Rebuilding an Adult" achievement. Received the Heavenly Snow Woman Gu as a reward.]
[Heavenly Snow Woman Gu: A fourth-level Gu worm that transforms into a Heavenly Snow Woman upon use.]
[Evaluation: Gorgeous transformation.]
'Transformed into a Heavenly Snow Woman?' If he recalled correctly, this was a Gu worm more suited for women.
The Gu worm suitable for men was called the Ice Crystal Gu.
Of course, to adapt to the rules of Douluo Continent, the effects of the Gu worm might vary.
Huo Yuhao knew that most of the Gu worms he had obtained so far depended on the number of revolutions. The higher the number of revolutions, the more soul power was required, and the stronger the final effect.
'So, could the Heavenly Snow Woman Gu truly transform into a Heavenly Snow Woman on Douluo Continent?'
Huo Yuhao was curious.
After all, though Heavenly Snow Womans were rare in the Extreme North, they did exist. Similar to the Ice Jade Scorpion, their attributes had reached an extreme level.
Of course, there was only one Ice Heavenly Snow Woman like the Snow Empress—unique and unparalleled.
The fact that only one Snow Empress had appeared in the Extreme North over so many years demonstrated how difficult it was to birth an Heavenly Snow Woman.
Therefore, it was unlikely that the Heavenly Snow Woman Gu could transform into an Ice Women.
Huo Yuhao wouldn't test this himself, but he might have others try it in the future.
The Ice Empress's voice interrupted Huo Yuhao's thoughts.
"Yuhao, is the Ice Bear King alright?" At this moment, the Ice Empress suddenly remembered that there was another soul master who had invaded the Extreme North—a Titled Douluo who had led the Ice Bear King away earlier.
Huo Yuhao's spiritual detection swept the area in an instant.
"Yes, it's been resolved." He had been keeping an eye on the battle earlier.
Though the Titled Douluo who had led the Ice Bear King away was powerful, he was at a disadvantage due to his lower soul power level and lack of a 100,000-year soul ring.
His martial soul was the Earth Bear, and while he had thick skin and flesh, he was no match for the Ice Bear King's attacks.
The outcome had been clear from the start.
Now, upon further investigation, it turned out the unfortunate Titled Douluo had perished at the hands of the Ice Bear King, his body frozen into an ice sculpture.
The Ice Bear King, however, had simply resumed patrolling the periphery after dealing with the enemy, oblivious to the possibility of a sneak attack.
Was it a lack of adaptability?
Or was it simply dutifully carrying out its task?
...
Time passed slowly.
The white mist flickered until it finally settled, falling into the lotus pond. A brilliant white light erupted.
The next moment, a snow-white, delicate little hand emerged from the pond.
Then, a six-year-old girl appeared in the lotus pond.
Her deep blue eyes seemed to hold the snow of millennia, with a brilliance beyond her years, yet her expression carried a hint of innocent clarity.
Her silver-white hair, petite frame, and slightly chubby face exuded a noble temperament, creating a striking contrast.
…
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