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--- Chapter 454 ---
Han Yuan and Ye Ziyun hovered in the sky, overlooking the Extreme North. Even thirty thousand years in the past, it was still a vast, infinite expanse of white snow.
Han Yuan examined the instrument given to them by Xu Deming. "Well, according to the coordinates, the Ice God's Palace should be right around here..."
He turned his head slightly. "Do you feel anything, Ziyun?"
"Your close connection with the Ice God's Heart should be able to guide us."
"Yes, Lord Han. Let me try." Clenching her fair hands into fists, Ye Ziyun closed her eyes. A sudden, rhythmic pulsation throbbed from the very depths of her soul, as if craving something hidden nearby.
"There..." Ye Ziyun's eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, pointing toward a distant, towering ice mountain.
At first glance, the mountain looked entirely unremarkable. But if one looked closer, its placement among the surrounding snowy plains felt oddly deliberate, almost unnatural.
"Oh?" Han Yuan scrutinized the peak, nodding slowly as he detected a divine force hidden within. Unlike the gloomy, oppressive energy of the Slaughter God, this divine force was piercingly cold and eternally stagnant.
Han Yuan could confidently state that this chilling divine force was vastly superior to the Slaughter God's. Even if the Slaughter God had managed to locate the Ice God's Palace, he wouldn't have had the strength to force her out.
Ultimately, it had all been nothing more than the Slaughter God's pipe dream.
"Alright, I found the entrance. Let's go," Han Yuan said, spotting a subtle flaw in the surrounding energy of heaven and earth. 'As the Barrier-Making Prodigy, solving a puzzle like this is a total no-brainer.'
Ye Ziyun blinked in awe. She couldn't believe Han Yuan had discovered the door to the Ice God's Palace so quickly. Even with her connection to the Ice God's Heart, she had only been able to faintly sense its direction.
"Wait for me, Lord Han!" She rushed after him deep into the snowy field, traversing the blinding whiteness before stopping right in front of an illusory, ice-blue gate.
Han Yuan probed the boundary wall and commented, "Ten Thousand... no, this is One-Hundred-Thousand-Year Profound Ice."
"Impressive. The Ice God actually used it just to make an entrance."
"Talk about being ridiculously rich..."
Ye Ziyun was equally stunned by the revelation. "This... If I were to refine this Profound Ice, wouldn't I be able to reach the Divine Realm in one fell swoop?"
"No, it won't take you quite that far," Han Yuan said, shaking his head. "No matter how powerful Profound Ice is, anything below the god-level cannot compare to true divinity."
"To reach the Divine Realm, you would need at least a Million-Year Profound Ice."
"However, by that point, it wouldn't be called Profound Ice anymore. It would be a Divine Ice Crystal."
"A million years... Divine Ice Crystal," Ye Ziyun repeated wistfully, the words heavy on her tongue.
Stepping through the ice gate, Han Yuan navigated the path with Ye Ziyun right by his side.
They emerged into a small, ancient city filled with countless ice statues. Guarding the thousand-meter-tall ice palace at the center was a white-furred giant.
"Intruders, retreat, or you will face my wrath!" the giant bellowed, his voice echoing through the frozen city.
"This guy is..." Pulling from Alpha's recent memories, Han Yuan instantly recognized the creature. It looked like the ancestor of the Titan Snow Demon race—the Icy Star Titan.
"Are you the Icy Star Titan?"
"Hmm? Intruder, you actually recognize my race?" The white-furred giant paused, looking down at them.
Han Yuan smiled faintly. "I know someone who personally fought against your descendant, the Titan Snow Demon."
"Though from the looks of it, your descendants haven't inherited much of your true power. I must admit, seeing you act as a mere guardian for the Ice God's Palace surprises me a bit."
"Oh? There is such a thing?" The Icy Star Titan looked surprised, a hint of pride flickering in his massive eyes.
Han Yuan nodded casually. "Yes. However, I am curious... Are you a direct creation of the Ice God, or are you her descendant?"
The Icy Star Titan's expression froze awkwardly. "Uh, I wouldn't dare call myself a descendant of Her Excellency. The Goddess created me using a handful of her own divine blood combined with the starry snow elements of this realm. That is how I was born."
"I have been serving as the guardian of the Ice God's Inheritance ever since. There were a few times in the past when I managed to access the outside world and spread my lineage. The descendant your friend fought was likely born from that."
"Is that so?" Han Yuan hadn't expected the true origin of the Titan Snow Demon Tribe to be like this.
The Icy Star Titan then shifted his gaze to Ye Ziyun, staring at her with massive, lantern-like eyes. "This little one... she has actually gained the recognition of Her Excellency's divine artifact."
He lowered his guard slightly. "In that case, the two of you are indeed permitted to enter the Ice God's Palace."
"Just like that annoying fellow from ten thousand years ago... I think he claimed to be a City Lord or something. I still don't know if 'City Lord' is a type of food or a title."
"Are you talking about Xu Deming?" Han Yuan couldn't help but chuckle at the giant's confusion.
"Ah, yes, that was his name. Xu Deming." The Icy Star Titan nodded, the sheer size of his movement causing the surrounding air to vibrate violently.
"Then, can we meet the Ice God right now?" Ye Ziyun asked eagerly.
The Icy Star Titan frowned, letting out a heavy, thunderous sigh. "I am afraid you have come at a bad time. Her Excellency is currently in deep hibernation. Let alone meeting you, she might not even react when you trigger the Ice God's Trials."
"..." Ye Ziyun's face fell. She had prepared herself for disappointment, but the giant's bluntness still stung.
Han Yuan looked around the grand structure, curiosity piqued. "How long has the Ice God been asleep, and how much longer do you think she will remain in hibernation?"
"I believe Her Excellency began her slumber around ten thousand years ago..." The Icy Star Titan scratched his massive cheek, looking a bit sheepish. "As for how much longer it will last? I honestly don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't know!"
"Really? And you call yourself her guardian?"
"Really! And what is that supposed to mean?" the Icy Star Titan huffed, crossing his massive arms. "I am stationed here specifically to guard the inheritance site!"
"Why would Her Excellency ever need me to protect her? Her strength is infinitely higher than mine! She doesn't need my protection!"
"Ah, I suppose that's true..." Han Yuan agreed. If the Ice God were fragile enough to need a bodyguard, she wouldn't be a god. Still, this made their current situation incredibly troublesome. "Wait, is there any way to wake her up?"
The giant pondered for a moment before saying, "I believe Her Excellency left a hidden mechanism within the palace for when her chosen inheritor finally arrived. If triggered, it should wake her immediately."
"Take us to the palace, then," Han Yuan and Ye Ziyun said in unison.
"Very well." The Icy Star Titan carefully scooped up Han Yuan and Ye Ziyun, carrying them up to the thousand-meter-tall ice structure.
The moment their feet touched the palace floor, a blinding, radiant blue light swept over them.
"Welcome to the Ice God's Palace. Here, your innate talent, core nature, and destiny shall be judged," a calm, completely emotionless voice echoed through the halls.
"First assessment: Talent Testing. Do not resist, or the Ice God's divine force will be unable to accurately examine your potential."
The blue light washed over Ye Ziyun first. The voice appraised her in a monotonous drone:
"Ice God's Heart detected. Target: Human (Spirit Beast transformation). Age: 20s. Martial Soul: Snow Elf Queen (Evolved). Cultivation: Level 99 Title Douluo."
"Possesses the qualifications to become the High Priest of the Ice God."
"Warning: It has been detected that the candidate has surpassed the first bond level of the Ice God's Heart. Upgrading qualification by one tier."
"Possesses the qualifications to become the Ice God's First-Class Inheritor."
"I... I have the qualifications to become the Ice God's Inheritor?" Ye Ziyun gasped in utter disbelief, a wave of pure joy washing over her.
Seconds later, the blue light shifted, sweeping over Han Yuan. But the moment the energy touched his body, the monotonous voice fractured into chaos.
"Error! Error!"
"Error! Error! Error!"
"Error! Error! Error! Error!"
"An anomaly has been detected."
"The Ice God's Trials cannot calculate the target's potential."
"Emergency Awakening Protocol triggered."
"Wake up, Your Excellency, Winter Dragon Empress! A being from beyond this world has finally arrived!"