The tension in the frigid air didn't exactly dissipate, but it shifted. The aggressive edge was gone, replaced by a wary, pragmatic truce. The Ice Jade Scorpion Empress, still radiating immense power but no longer actively hostile, lowered her massive form slightly, a subtle gesture of acceptance.
"Follow," her mental voice commanded, devoid of its earlier fury, now holding only cool direction. "The place where the Reversal Herb grows is deep within the ice caves beneath the central glacier. A place of extreme Yin energy, treacherous even for those born of ice."
She turned her colossal, jade-green body, pincers tucked slightly, tail held less aggressively, and began to move across the ice field, her steps surprisingly silent for her size.
Song Qing retracted his Primordial Life Tree Avatar, returning to his human form, though he kept his senses keenly alert. He signaled for the others to follow.
Bibi Dong smoothly recalled her protective barrier from around the younger girls. Qian Renxue gave a slight nod, her expression returning to its usual serene composure, though her eyes held a lingering spark from the battle and Song Qing's bold declaration. Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Song Cai'er exchanged relieved glances before falling into formation behind Song Qing, Renxue, and Bibi Dong.
Their journey transformed instantly. Before, they had been intruders, battling their way through hostile territory. Now, they were guests (of a sort), escorted by one of the region's undisputed rulers.
Lesser ice-attribute spirit beasts, which previously might have attacked on sight, now sensed the Empress's presence and either froze in terror or hastily scuttled out of their path, clearing a wide berth. The oppressive ambient cold seemed to lessen slightly, as if the very environment acknowledged the Empress's passage. Travel became exponentially faster, smoother.
'Well, this is certainly easier,' Rongrong thought cheerfully, skipping slightly to keep up with the Empress's surprisingly swift pace. 'Having a giant, scary ice scorpion queen as a tour guide has its perks!'
Zhuqing remained vigilant, her eyes constantly scanning, but the lack of immediate threats allowed her posture to relax fractionally.
Cai'er looked at the Empress's massive retreating form with a mixture of awe and residual apprehension. 'She's so powerful… even Qing had to switch tactics. But… she agreed to help us find the herb for A'Rou… maybe she's not so bad?'
As they traversed a particularly bleak expanse of cracked ice under a sky the color of bruised plums, the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress slowed her pace slightly, her mental voice reaching out, directed solely at Song Qing.
'Human… Song Qing.'
Song Qing met the thought calmly. 'Yes, Empress?'
There was a moment of hesitation, a flicker of something almost… vulnerable… in her usually cold mental tone.
'You spoke of herbs… Immortal Herbs. You demonstrated… creation.'
'I did,' Song Qing confirmed simply, waiting.
'Your power over life… it is profound. Unnatural, perhaps, but undeniable.' Another pause. 'There is… another. Here, in the North. One whose life… whose path… is precarious. Threatened.'
Song Qing focused. 'Another powerful being?'
'The most powerful,' the Empress's mental voice was filled with a reverence that bordered on devotion. 'My closest… companion. My dearest friend.' The word 'friend' felt slightly inadequate for the depth of emotion conveyed.
'She seeks greater power,' the Empress continued, 'through a dangerous method. A fusion of Yin and Yang within her soul core. A path to potential godhood, perhaps, but one fraught with immense peril. Failure means… oblivion.'
Song Qing listened intently. 'Yin Yang Complement soul core method? I've read ancient texts mentioning such a theoretical path. Extremely high risk, requiring perfect balance and immense control. Virtually impossible for most beings.'
'She is not most beings,' the Empress projected proudly, fiercely. 'She is the Snow Empress. The Heavenly Snow Woman. Born from the purest ice and snow, spirit of this frozen land, daughter of the North itself. She wields the Ultimate Snow, a power rivaling the Ultimate Fire and Light your companion possesses.' Her mental gesture indicated Qian Renxue.
'But even for her… this path is dangerous,' the Empress admitted, her pride warring with deep-seated fear. 'The balance is fragile. The slightest misstep… the backlash could shatter her spirit, extinguish her existence.'
Her mental voice became pleading, desperate, dropping all pretense of regal command. 'You, Song Qing… with your life energy, your impossible herbs… Is there anything you possess? Anything that could aid her? Bolster her chances? Stabilize the process? Protect her if… if things go wrong?'
The plea was raw, heartfelt. 'I ask not for myself. But for her. If you can help Xue'er… if your power can safeguard her life… I would offer more than just my ring and bone upon proof. I would offer my eternal loyalty.'
Song Qing processed the request, the desperation behind it. The Snow Empress. Ultimate Snow. Attempting the Yin Yang Complement method. And the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress… clearly held deep, perhaps even unrequited, feelings for her.
'Interesting dynamics,' he noted inwardly. 'But the request… Helping stabilize such a dangerous cultivation? Extremely difficult. Risky even for me.'
However… the potential rewards were significant. The eternal loyalty of a near-400,000-year-old beast? Gaining favor, or at least neutrality, from the legendary Snow Empress herself? Strategically valuable. And ethically… letting such a unique being perish due to a cultivation mishap felt like a waste.
He considered the herbs he possessed, the abilities of his Life Tree spirit. Stabilization… mitigation of backlash… perhaps enhancing resilience…
"Your concern for your friend is… palpable, Empress," Song Qing projected back carefully. "The cultivation method you describe is indeed perilous. Success hinges on absolute balance and control, something easily disrupted."
He paused, choosing his words deliberately. "While I cannot guarantee success in such a fundamentally dangerous endeavor – the ultimate outcome rests on the Snow Empress's own power and will – I do possess resources that could potentially aid her. Immortal Herbs focused on stabilizing spiritual energy, enhancing resilience, protecting the soul core from backlash. My own life energy, properly applied, can help soothe volatile energies and accelerate recovery from internal damage."
He made his promise, understanding the weight of it. "If the situation allows, if my intervention is welcomed and feasible without causing further disruption… I will do what I can to assist the Snow Empress. Consider it… a gesture of goodwill, reinforcing our current truce."
He didn't promise miracles. He offered potential aid, contingent on circumstance.
But for the terrified Ice Jade Scorpion Empress, that cautious promise was enough. A wave of profound relief and gratitude washed over Song Qing.
'Thank you, human! Thank you! Knowing there is even a chance… it means more than you can imagine! Xue'er… she must be protected!'
Her pace quickened slightly, a new purpose driving her. "Her sanctuary is close," she projected, her earlier coldness replaced by anxious energy. "We are nearing her territory now."
As they followed the Empress into a region where the glaciers seemed even more ancient, carved into breathtakingly intricate patterns, the atmosphere shifted again. The air grew colder still, but paradoxically, it also felt… purer. Cleaner. As if cleansed by millennia of pristine frost.
A palpable aura began to press down on them. It wasn't aggressive like the Empress's or the Titan's. It wasn't overwhelming like Di Tian's. It felt… like the essence of winter itself. Vast, silent, beautiful, and holding unimaginable power beneath a tranquil surface.
Song Qing felt it keenly. His spirit senses tingled. 'This power… it's different. Ultimate Snow… passive, pervasive, absolute.'
Even Bibi Dong's expression turned serious. She subtly reinforced the protective barrier around the younger girls, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned the surroundings.
'This presence…' she thought, instinctively comparing it to her own. 'Rank 99? Perhaps even touching the divine threshold, like myself? But… different. Colder. Purer. More… elemental.'
She glanced sharply at the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress leading them. 'Is this a trap? Leading us into the lair of another near-god level being? Does she intend betrayal?' Her hand instinctively tightened, ready to unleash devastating power at the slightest sign of treachery. 'If this scorpion thinks she can play games…'
Qian Renxue also felt the shift, her Seraphim spirit resonating defensively against the overwhelming cold energy, her golden aura flaring slightly. 'Ultimate Snow… a worthy opponent. Or a powerful ally, if Qing plays this right.'
Ning Rongrong shivered despite her warmth. "Whoa… what is that feeling? It's like… the whole world is holding its breath."
Zhu Zhuqing tensed, her hand hovering near her hidden daggers. "Danger. Immense power. Controlled, but… absolute."
Song Cai'er felt her Golden Dragon spirit stir uneasily, the Ultimate Fire within her pushing back against the encroaching Ultimate Snow. "Cold… so cold, deep inside…"
The Ice Jade Scorpion Empress finally stopped at the entrance to a vast cavern carved directly into the heart of a colossal glacier. Unlike her own dark, jagged den, this entrance glowed softly with an internal blue-white light, intricate ice crystals forming delicate archways. The air here was perfectly still, unnaturally silent.
"She is within," the Empress projected softly, a note of reverence entering her tone. She hesitated, then looked back at Song Qing. "Wait here. Allow me to announce our arrival. Her cultivation… it may be at a critical stage."
She started to move towards the glowing entrance, but stopped as a voice, softer than falling snow yet carrying across the ice with perfect clarity, echoed from within.
"There is no need, Bing'er."
The voice was feminine, impossibly beautiful, holding a melody like wind chimes made of ice. It wasn't projected mentally; it was spoken aloud, yet everyone heard it perfectly.
The Ice Jade Scorpion Empress froze, turning back slowly. 'Bing'er?' Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow. 'She has a name?'
From the glowing entrance, a figure emerged.
The temperature seemed to drop another ten degrees instantly. Frost patterns bloomed spontaneously on the ice around her feet.
She was… divine.
Not in the imposing, armored way of Qian Renxue's Seraphim avatar, but in a natural, elemental way. She appeared as a human woman of breathtaking, mature beauty, likely looking to be in her late twenties or early thirties similar to Song Cai'er. Her skin was paler than fresh snow, flawless, seeming to radiate a soft, internal luminescence. Her hair cascaded down her back like a frozen waterfall, the purest white imaginable, yet shimmering with faint hints of ethereal blue.
Her eyes… her eyes were the most captivating feature. They were the color of the deepest glacial ice, ancient and piercing, holding the wisdom and stillness of millennia, yet fringed by thick, dark lashes that hinted at hidden warmth, perhaps even sorrow.
She wore a simple, elegant gown that seemed woven from solidified snowflakes and moonlight, clinging perfectly to a figure that was both regal and achingly voluptuous. Her breasts were large and high, straining slightly against the delicate fabric. Her waist was incredibly slender, flowing into hips that were full and exquisitely curved. She moved with a grace that seemed lighter than air, as if floating just above the ice.
This was Xue Di. The Snow Empress. The Heavenly Snow Woman. Spirit of the Extreme North.
And her impossibly beautiful, ice-blue eyes fixed instantly, unerringly, on Song Qing.
She ignored the powerful Ice Jade Scorpion Empress entirely. Ignored the near-god presence of Bibi Dong. Ignored the radiant Seraphim potential of Qian Renxue. Ignored the younger girls huddled behind their shield.
Her gaze locked onto Song Qing, and a small, almost imperceptible smile touched her full, pale lips. It wasn't a smile of amusement or welcome. It was a smile of… recognition. Deep, profound recognition.
She glided forward, silent as falling snow, stopping directly before him, much closer than propriety would normally allow. The scent of pure, cold air and something indefinably ancient emanated from her.
The Ice Jade Scorpion Empress watched, her multifaceted eyes wide with shock and a dawning, painful jealousy. 'Xue'er… she… she ignored me? Went straight to… him?'
Xue Di tilted her head slightly, her glacial eyes scanning Song Qing's face, probing his aura, his very soul.
"You," she whispered, her voice like the softest winter wind, yet carrying immense weight. Her plump, pale lips barely moved. "You feel… like me."
Song Qing frowned slightly, confused. 'Like her? Ultimate Snow? My spirits are Abyss and Life…'
Xue Di elaborated, her gaze impossibly deep. "Not in element. But in essence." She raised a delicate, snow-pale hand, almost touching his chest but stopping just short. "The world… favors you."
Her voice dropped further, becoming intimate, conspiratorial. "This land," she gestured vaguely, encompassing the Extreme North, "chose me. Nurtured me. I am its daughter. Its manifestation."
Her ice-blue eyes met his emerald ones again, holding an uncanny understanding. "But you…" she whispered, a note of awe entering her melodic voice. "You are not merely the child of one land. You are blessed by the world itself. The entire planet… resonates with your soul."
The statement hung in the air, baffling everyone present except, perhaps, Song Qing himself.
'Blessed by the world?' Rongrong whispered to Zhuqing. 'What does that mean?'
'No idea,' Zhuqing whispered back, equally confused but intrigued.
Cai'er tilted her head. 'The world likes Qing? That makes sense. Qing is the best!'
Renxue frowned thoughtfully. 'World's blessing? Is she sensing his potential? His connection to destiny?'
Bibi Dong watched Xue Di and Song Qing intently. 'This Snow Empress… her perception is extraordinary. What is she sensing in him?'
Song Qing felt a jolt of understanding. She wasn't sensing his abyssal power, nor his temporal abilities, nor even his connection to destiny in the usual sense. She was sensing… the core of his second spirit. The Primordial Life Tree. The spirit that represented not just plant life, but the fundamental life force of the planet itself, a spirit intrinsically linked to the world's own burgeoning consciousness.
He allowed a small smile. To confirm her perception, he subtly activated his second spirit again. The gentle, vibrant green aura of the Primordial Life Tree pulsed around him, washing away the lingering abyssal chill, replacing it with warmth, vitality, the scent of ancient forests and burgeoning spring.
Xue Di's breath hitched audibly. Her ice-blue eyes widened slightly, losing some of their ancient stillness, replaced by open wonder and a palpable sense of… comfort. Relief, almost.
"Ah," she breathed, the sound like melting frost. She instinctively took a step closer, unconsciously reaching out as if seeking the warmth, the familiarity. "There it is. Life. Pure, primal… the world-heart."
She looked up at him, her earlier reserve dissolving into something softer, more open. "Yes," she affirmed, nodding slowly. "This… this is why. This is the resonance I felt." She seemed utterly captivated, drawn to his life energy like a moth to a flame, a stark contrast to her icy nature.
The Ice Jade Scorpion Empress watched this interaction, her jade-green carapace seeming to dim slightly. Xue Di, her Xue'er, ignoring her completely, drawn instantly to this human male, looking at him with an openness and fascination Bing'er had never received in millennia of companionship.
A sharp, unfamiliar pang of jealousy, cold and bitter as the deepest ice, pierced through the Empress's ancient heart.