Having fully comprehended the Rule of Ice and grasped a portion of its authority, she could naturally sense the presence of that human.
In her view, the only purpose humans had for coming to the Land of Extreme North was to hunt Soul Beasts for their Soul Rings.
If it were just ordinary ice-attribute Soul Masters hunting low-level Soul Beasts in the outer regions, she wouldn't interfere much.
After all, she spent most of her time in slumber, and many Ice Jade Scorpions had been secretly hunted. She could only turn a blind eye as long as the humans didn't go too far.
But this human was clearly a possessor of Ultimate Ice and would never be satisfied with ordinary ice-attribute Soul Beasts.
Venturing deep into the core of the Land of Extreme North could only mean they were after high-level ice-attribute Soul Beasts!
Though the Ice Empress was the leader of the Ice Jade Scorpion tribe, she was also one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Land of Extreme North!
To her, this human's brazen intrusion into her territory to hunt her subjects was no different from spitting on her head!
Who could tolerate such insolence?
"Crack, crack, crack—"
The next moment, the ice shattered.
The Ice Empress slowly rose to her feet, stretching her stiffened body after prolonged slumber, and slightly tilted her head to gaze in a certain direction.
"Whoosh—"
In an instant, she transformed into a streak of emerald light, vanishing from the cave in the blink of an eye.
...
Meanwhile.
Ye Feng and Bi Ji had already arrived at the very core of the region.
The temperature was so low that even the air seemed on the verge of freezing. The entire world was a vast expanse of white, utterly silent.
Even Soul Beasts naturally resistant to cold couldn't endure such a place for long.
But for Soul Masters with the Ultimate Ice attribute, it was an unparalleled cultivation paradise, boosting their cultivation speed by at least tenfold.
Though Ye Feng's Martial Soul wasn't of the Ultimate Ice attribute, cultivating here still benefited him greatly, allowing him to advance further in his comprehension of the Ice Rule.
Ye Feng had already fully grasped the Ice Rule—what remained was to gradually master it bit by bit.
Despite his relatively low cultivation level, his extraordinary perception allowed him to faintly touch the threshold. If he could cultivate here for a month or two, he might truly gain control over a sliver of the Ice Rule...
Mastering a rule was the domain of gods!
Only Limit Douluos or Soul Masters with ultimate attributes could touch such realms before ascending to godhood.
Yet Ye Feng had the chance to achieve this at level 60—a feat that would undoubtedly shatter historical records!
"Young Master, she seems to be coming..."
Just as Ye Feng was immersed in unrestrainedly perceiving the Ice Rule, Bi Ji's voice reached his ears, tinged with gravity.
"I can sense it..."
Ye Feng slightly raised his eyes, looking toward a spot ahead.
At the misty horizon, a faint emerald glow suddenly appeared.
The glow grew brighter, accompanied by an overwhelming aura of icy coldness!
"Humans... and Bi Ji?! Why are you here?!"
The voice was crisp and cold, yet filled with profound shock.
As the words faded, the Ice Empress's figure materialized with the emerald light, landing ten meters in front of Ye Feng and Bi Ji.
"Ice Empress, long time no see. After a hundred thousand years, you're still as beautiful as ever~"
Bi Ji waved gently at Ice Empress with a soft smile.
As fellow Great Beasts, she and Ice Empress had naturally met before—though that was a hundred thousand years ago.
Back then, Di Tian had been struck by a whim and brought all the Great Beasts of Star Dou Great Forest to the Land of Extreme North for a brief exchange.
It was more of an introduction than anything.
Afterward, everyone went their separate ways to cultivate, never meeting again.
"Bi Ji, what's going on here? Why have you brought a Soul Master with Ultimate Ice attributes to my territory? What's your relationship with him?"
Seeing Bi Ji, Ice Empress's expression softened slightly, though she still maintained a barely perceptible hostility toward Ye Feng.
After all, Soul Beasts and humans were natural enemies.
Humans might spare Soul Beasts for the sake of sustainability.
But when Soul Beasts encountered humans, they usually attacked on sight.
The only reason Ice Empress had restrained herself from attacking Ye Feng for barging into her territory was entirely out of respect for Bi Ji.
"Ice Empress, this is the Young Master of Soul Beasts from our Star Dou Great Forest. He was personally acknowledged by that one—he is not our enemy."
Bi Ji took a step forward, shielding Ye Feng as she calmly explained.
"Hahaha, Bi Ji, are you saying... you've acknowledged a human as your Young Master?" Ice Empress couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Why? Is there a problem with that?"
Bi Ji raised an eyebrow, slightly displeased.
"I think the Great Beasts of Star Dou Great Forest have lost their minds, actually recognizing a human as their Young Master. Bi Ji, are you trying to kill me with laughter? Hahaha... Sorry, I didn't mean to, I just couldn't help it—hahaha..."
Ice Empress nearly laughed herself breathless.
This was truly the funniest joke she'd heard in years.
"You think this is funny?"
Bi Ji arched an eyebrow.
"Isn't it?" Ice Empress shot back.
"And what about now?"
Bi Ji smiled faintly before releasing her true form.
"Boom—"
A terrifying aura erupted as an Emerald Swan Empress over five meters tall appeared beside Ye Feng.
The massive swan stood tall, its feathers carved from the finest emerald, each one shimmering with a warm, mesmerizing green glow.
Her slender neck curved gracefully, exuding nobility with every movement.
Atop her head, a tuft of feathers rose like a regal crown.
A green halo surrounded her, radiating dense life energy outward.
Of course, appearance wasn't the most important thing for Soul Beasts—what truly mattered was Bi Ji's bloodline aura, which far surpassed Ice Empress's!
"H-how... How is this possible?! How could your bloodline have grown so powerful?!"
Ice Empress's laughter died instantly as she witnessed this scene, her gem-like yellow eyes widening in shock.
She actually sensed a pressure from Bi Ji comparable to Snow Empress's terrifying might!
And it wasn't due to Bi Ji's cultivation—it stemmed entirely from her bloodline!
In other words, Bi Ji's bloodline had surpassed even Snow Empress's!
She remembered that when they'd met a hundred thousand years ago, Bi Ji's bloodline had only been slightly stronger than hers, far inferior to Snow Empress's.
Yet now, it had surpassed Snow Empress's!
A Soul Beast's bloodline was nearly impossible to enhance, let alone to such an extent.
But Bi Ji's display not only made her green with envy, it nearly shattered her worldview.
Too outrageous!
"Laugh now, Ice Empress. Why aren't you laughing?"
Bi Ji leaned slightly forward, looking at Ice Empress with an inexplicable teasing tone.
Smiles don't disappear—they just transfer.
"H-how... impossible... this can't be..."
Ice Empress kept muttering to herself, clearly questioning her entire existence.
"Heh, do you think there's no reason we acknowledge him as our
Young Master?"
Knowing the doubts in Ice Empress' heart, Bi Ji took the initiative to explain: "The reason my Bloodline evolved is because I chose to follow the Young Master. My Bloodline advanced from an Emerald Swan to the Emerald Swan Empress."