Her skin was as radiant and flawless as jade, exuding an aura of cool elegance and nobility. With graceful steps and a perfect, enchanting figure, Snow Empress approached, sitting down beside Su Yu. Her icy-blue eyes shimred with light, never straying from Su Yu for even a mont.
Su Yu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, caught a whiff of her pleasant, subtle fragrance and slowly opened his eyes. As he turned slightly, the exquisite and flawless face of Snow Empress appeared before him. A gentle smile tugged at the corners of Su Yu's lips, and his eyes held a hint of affection.
He lifted his hand and lightly brushed Snow Empress's slightly damp snowy hair. A faint icy-blue light glimred at his fingertips, and strands of white mist rose into the air. Her damp long hair quickly beca dry and smooth.
Snow Empress's beautiful eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Your control over ice has grown even stronger," she remarked. This wasn't a simple use of soul power to forcibly dry the hair; it was a refined technique that extracted and froze the moisture within her hair, leaving it fresh and dry. Such mastery of ice manipulation required incredible skill.
"That's all thanks to your excellent teaching," Su Yu chuckled softly as he wrapped an arm around Snow Empress and playfully tapped her delicate nose.
"Flatterer. Always saying sweet things to make happy," Snow Empress pouted playfully and rolled her eyes at him, before nestling her head gently against Su Yu's chest.
Looking at her smooth and serene profile, Su Yu's gaze softened, and a tender warmth filled his heart. Ever since he had passed the Nine Trials of the Ice God, Snow Empress seed to have let go of her once-proud deanor.
Su Yu had always held a high status, freely traversing both the human world and the realm of soul beasts. Yet Snow Empress's change in attitude had little to do with Su Yu's status or power—it wasn't born of vanity. The shift was purely because the Ice God was a sacred existence in her life.
For hundreds of thousands of years, Snow Empress had revered the Ice God as her faith. When Su Yu completed the Nine Trials and was confird as the successor to the Ice God, it caused a profound change in her heart. She had always loved Su Yu, but her pride had held her back. After all, as the sovereign of the extre north and the one-of-a-kind Ice Sky Snow Maiden born of nature itself, she had always carried an innate sense of superiority. Even though she admired and liked Su Yu, she couldn't set aside her pride while Su Yu's strength had yet to surpass her peak.
But the Ice God's trials changed everything. Snow Empress's faith in the Ice God was deeply ingrained, and her pursuit of ice was the essence of her entire existence. Before the future Ice God, her pride crumbled entirely.
Her pride was tied to her identity as the ruler of ice, but in the presence of the ultimate master of ice, it beca insignificant. Without her once-haughty deanor, Snow Empress transford into an ordinary girl—sweet, charming, and affectionate.
Su Yu lowered his head, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair. Smiling, he said, "Little Snow, it's getting late. We should get moving."
Snow Empress raised her head in puzzlent. "Where exactly are we going?"
"You'll know when we get there," Su Yu teased, gently pinching her soft cheeks before letting her go. He got out of bed, put on his shoes, and reached for Snow Empress's hand, leading her outside.
It was already close to five in the evening, and in the Ice Snow City, smoke from cooking fires was beginning to rise. After all, soul masters, too, needed to eat. Despite the late hour, the sky remained brightly lit.
Su Yu and Snow Empress left the palace and headed toward the center of Ice Snow City.
"This is… the direction of the Ice God's Nine Halls," Snow Empress observed, glancing at Su Yu. Could they be heading to one of the nine halls?
Su Yu responded with a mysterious smile, quickening his pace without answering.
Soon, they arrived at the northwest corner of the city, where a towering palace, over a hundred ters tall, lood ahead. The palace stretched two hundred ters in length and over a hundred and fifty ters in width, occupying an imnse area. On its eastern and southern sides stood two other similarly grand palaces.
This palace was constructed from Ice Extre Divine Crystals, exuding an ethereal icy-blue glow. In front of the palace's vast square, guards clad in icy-blue armor stood in formation, the chilling air of their presence filling the area. Snow Empress noted that this palace's guards seed slightly less imposing than those of the Ice Phoenix Hall they had visited earlier. However, stationed at the entrance stood two Titled Douluos, each marked with red sigils.
Having undergone the Eight Trials of the Guardian, Snow Empress understood the significance of a red trial—it was a top-tier test, bestowed only upon those destined to reach the pinnacle of power as Super Douluos.
Above the grand entrance of the palace hung a plaque with three bold, flowing characters carved into it: Ice Treasure Hall.
"Ice Treasure Hall?" Snow Empress murmured.
Su Yu smiled and explained, "This is the ninth hall of the Ice God's Nine Halls—the Ice Treasure Hall. It is a repository for the rarest and most precious heavenly treasures."
As they approached, the guards knelt in unison upon seeing Su Yu. Leading Snow Empress up the steps, Su Yu watched as the grand doors slowly opened, revealing three figures who erged to greet them.
"Greetings, Young Master!" the three exclaid in unison. They were Mu Wu, Shui Lingguang, and the guardian of the ninth hall, Bing Qing.
"Rise and follow inside," Su Yu instructed.
"Yes, Young Master," they responded in unison.
Upon entering, Snow Empress was astonished by the sight before her. Unlike the vast emptiness of the Ice God's Main Hall, the Ice Treasure Hall was filled with intricate displays.
On the left were towering cabinets made of ten-thousand-year-old frozen ice, holding countless heavenly treasures. Su Yu quickly scanned them and identified hundreds of labels at a glance.
On the right was a massive patch of icy-blue frozen soil, where nurous fresh herbs grew, including so of extraordinary rarity.
At the center of the hall was a circular pool, spanning over fifty ters in diater. The pool's water shimred with an icy-blue hue, releasing wisps of white mist. Within the pool, vibrant aquatic plants thrived, clearly heavenly treasures in their own right. Fish and shrimp swam gracefully, their unusual appearances marking them as rare, nourishing species.
But the most striking feature was the enormous ice lotus in the center of the pool. Its flower alone spanned over five ters in diater, with leaves as large as water basins. The petals were crystalline and icy blue, while the leaves glead like pure snow. The lotus stem was long and adorned with sparkling ice crystals, resembling a masterpiece of art.
The sheer vitality and energy radiating from the lotus were astonishing, leaving Snow Empress in awe. Even the ten-thousand-year-old celestial herbs she had seen at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well paled in comparison.
"This is the Ice Treasure Hall's most prized possession—the Rebirth Ice Lotus," Su Yu explained. "If the Yearning Heartbroken Red is the King of Immortal Herbs, then the Rebirth Ice Lotus is the Emperor. Its dicinal effects surpass even the Yearning Heartbroken Red."
He continued, "The Rebirth Ice Lotus can reverse death, forge an immortal body, rejuvenate the soul, enhance cultivation, elevate one's attributes, grant immunity to all poisons, and preserve youth forever. It is the ultimate treasure among treasures."
"Of course, the lotus itself cannot be consud directly—that would be a waste. However, its seeds contain the sa miraculous properties."
Turning to Bing Qing, Su Yu asked, "How many seeds does the Rebirth Ice Lotus currently have?"
Bing Qing bowed and replied, "Young Master, the Rebirth Ice Lotus produces one seed every ten thousand years. Currently, there are four seeds in total."
"Four seeds!"
Su Yu appeared deep in thought.
The seeds of the Rebirth Ice Lotus were incredibly powerful, almost defying the natural order, and they were most suitable for those with an affinity for ice. After so quick calculations, the four seeds were essentially already divided: one for Snow Empress, one for ng Hongchen, one for future use, and the last one...
Su Yu glanced at Shui Lingguang and gently spoke, "Lingguang!"
Mu Wu's eyes lit up, and he lightly nudged Shui Lingguang forward.
Shui Lingguang took two steps forward, stopping about two ters in front of Su Yu, and slightly bowed.
"Young Master!"
"There are four seeds left. You may take one for yourself," Su Yu said calmly.
Shui Lingguang's beautiful eyes widened, and disbelief flashed across her delicate face. "Young Master?"
"Your Ice Phoenix martial soul is only half a step away from reaching the Ultimate Ice. If you can allow our Ice God Palace to gain another Ultimate Ice soul master, then using this seed would be worth it."
"The continent is undergoing turbulent changes, and with the current strength of our Ice God Palace, it is still insufficient."
"I have a feeling that great changes are coming," Su Yu sighed.
"Young Master, but..."
"But what? Lingguang, aren't you going to thank the Young Master?" Seeing Shui Lingguang still in a daze, Mu Wu couldn't help but urge her.
This was the seed of the Rebirth Ice Lotus! If Shui Lingguang consud it, her future would be limitless. She might even surpass him—sothing that wasn't impossible.
Even achieving Yin-Yang complentary twin soul cores wouldn't be out of reach for Shui Lingguang.
This rare act of kindness from the Young Master—how could this girl still be so clueless?
"... I... thank you, Young Master. I swear here and now that I will dedicate my life to you."
Shui Lingguang knelt on one knee and swore an oath with her martial soul.
"You... forget it. This is what you deserve. Your lineage has endured much over the years," Su Yu said gently as he stepped forward to help her up.
Among the nine guardians of the Ice God Palace, Shui Lingguang's lineage was the most unique.
In her lineage, each generation produced a guardian, and every guardian was a peerless beauty with extraordinary talent. However, once chosen to inherit the guardian position, they were required to remain pure and chaste until their death.
This was why Mu Wu referred to this lineage as the saintess lineage of the Ice God Palace—the one that sacrificed the most.
After learning this secret, even Su Yu felt imnse pressure on his shoulders.
Over a hundred generations of saintesses, all living and dying in loneliness—what kind of concept was this?
And over tens of thousands of years, this lineage had been waiting for the arrival of the palace inheritor.
And who was this inheritor?
It was none other than Su Yu himself.
Upon learning all of this, Su Yu felt his scalp tingle.
He hadn't done anything, yet he was deeply connected to it all.
Sotis, he didn't even know how to face Shui Lingguang.
"Young Master~"
Hearing Su Yu's words, Shui Lingguang's eyes turned slightly red.
Her lineage's sacrifices, rembered by the Young Master—that was enough.
How many predecessors had waited for these words, only to never hear them?
She was fortunate. She had seen the Young Master's arrival and received his acknowledgnt.
Shui Lingguang's heart felt warm, and she was deeply content.
"Ahem, Lingguang, let's focus on the task at hand. Get up for now," Su Yu coughed awkwardly. Shui Lingguang's gaze made him feel a bit uneasy.
"Yes, Young Master~"
Shui Lingguang stood up and turned her attention to the Rebirth Ice Lotus in the pool.
With a gentle motion of her hand, the ice lotus trembled slightly, and then a radiant light slowly rose from within.
"Whoosh~"
A streak of light shot out, landing in Shui Lingguang's palm.
It was a bead about the size of a fist, crystal-clear and icy blue, radiating dazzling brilliance.
The bead emitted white mist, which was the purest form of icy energy.
If one used spiritual power to sense it, one would discover the bead contained an unimaginable amount of energy.
The bead gave off a faint fragrance—a refreshing and cooling scent.
Just slling it made Snow Empress feel her soul power surge.
"What a treasure!" Snow Empress exclaid.
"Of course. It only produces one seed every ten thousand years—it's bound to be extraordinary," Su Yu said with a faint smile.
"Lingguang, don't waste ti. Consu it here, and we'll guard you," Su Yu said softly.
"Yes, Young Master."
Shui Lingguang looked at Su Yu with eyes full of reverence and admiration. She then sat cross-legged by the pool.
Opening her delicate lips, she quickly consud the lotus seed in a few bites.
Imdiately, a layer of icy blue light spread from within her body, enveloping her entirely.
Soon, a gentle yet vast energy began to flow through Shui Lingguang's limbs and bones. The intense energy fluctuations spread several ters around her.
Su Yu and the others took a few steps back, their gazes fixed on Shui Lingguang, their expressions serious.
"What incredibly pure and dense energy," Snow Empress remarked in amazent.
"The seed of the Rebirth Ice Lotus—it can help a Level 98 peak Douluo break through to beco an Ultimate Douluo. And it does so without instability. It's far superior to the dragon pill Mu En consud back then," Su Yu said with a light laugh.
"Young Master is right. The Rebirth Ice Lotus is the most treasured item of the Ice Treasure Hall. Everything else here combined cannot compare to this single lotus," Bing Qing added.
Su Yu neither agreed nor disagreed and said calmly, "Little Snow, you should take a seed as well. I estimate that after consuming it, you'll not only regain your youthful appearance, but you'll step into the Soul Sage realm in one leap."
"And you'll also instantly possess a physical body on par with a Super Douluo."
Reviews
All reviews (0)