"Was I... dreaming?"
The Ice Empress rubbed her slightly groggy head.
She seemed to notice something and wiped her face, only to realize she had been crying without knowing when or why.
"What's going on? I even cried..."
At this moment, the memories from her dream kept intensifying in her mind...
As if they were being deeply engraved into her consciousness, becoming her own memories...
Not just the memories, but even the emotions from the dream were affecting her constantly, making her inexplicably uneasy.
"Ye Feng... Ye Feng..."
The Ice Empress recalled the "Ye Feng" from her memories and found that he bore an uncanny resemblance to the real Ye Feng.
"No way..."
A look of shock crossed her face as if she had thought of something.
Over the years, she had read many human stories and knew that among humans, many believed in concepts like "reincarnation" and "past lives."
Some even seemed to have genuinely awakened memories, causing quite a stir, which had been recorded in history.
As a Great Beast who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, she naturally didn't believe in such fantasies concocted by short-lived creatures with mere decades of lifespan.
But now, the fragments of memories in her mind, which felt as real as if they had truly happened, made her question everything...
She had heard the Snow Empress say that while human imagination was vast, they wouldn't fabricate things out of thin air for no reason.
Many seemingly absurd and fantastical stories and creatures might have actually existed in history.
Could it be that this so-called "past life" truly existed...
"No, no, that's impossible. Someone as extraordinarily talented as me couldn't possibly have been an ordinary person in a past life. This must be fake..."
The Ice Empress muttered under her breath.
She glanced at the sky and noticed it was already morning.
Decades had passed in the dream, yet only a single night had gone by in the real world.
"Hmm, I'm a bit hungry... I've heard human cuisine is delicious. I wonder if that guy Ye Feng knows how to cook..."
She patted her stomach, feeling an inexplicable craving.
No, to be precise, it was more like a longing...
The memories from the dream were far too vivid.
Especially the human delicacies—the flavors were so real, as if she had personally tasted them, leaving a lasting impression.
Though the world in the dream seemed to lack Heaven and Earth Essence and was devoid of cultivation, most things were still similar to this world.
The Ice Empress got up and walked into the courtyard.
The morning mist lingered in the air, carrying a slight chill.
In the courtyard stood a blooming peach blossom tree.
Beneath the tree, the Ice Empress stood as the faint fragrance of flowers floated in the damp air.
The petals on the branches drooped slightly under the weight of dew, and one slowly drifted down, brushing against her sleeve.
She reached out and caught one, her fingertips damp with cool moisture.
For some reason, the peach blossom tree felt strangely familiar to her.
As memories surfaced in her mind, she was surprised to find that the growth pattern of this tree's trunk bore a striking resemblance—about seventy to eighty percent—to the one she and "Ye Feng" had planted together in her memories!
"How can this be such a coincidence... Why didn't I notice anything yesterday..."
"It's all that bastard Ye Feng's fault for draining so much of my essence. How infuriating..."
The Ice Empress clutched her still slightly dizzy head, mumbling to herself.
The massive loss of Source Power had left her somewhat disoriented.
"Click~"
Just then, the wooden door of a nearby room opened, and Ye Feng stepped out.
"Ice Empress , you're up early~"
Ye Feng walked over with a smile and greeted her.
Hearing that familiar voice, the figure from her memories became increasingly clear.
She slowly turned around, her gaze pausing abruptly when it landed on Ye Feng.
The figure from her dream gradually overlapped with the Ye Feng standing before her...
"Ye Feng... brother..."
The words slipped out unconsciously as overwhelming longing surged from the depths of her heart, instantly reddening her eyes.
"Ice Empress , what's wrong? Are you okay?"
Feigning ignorance, Ye Feng reached out to touch her forehead with concern.
"N-no... I'm fine..."
She quickly turned her head away, using her cultivation to forcefully suppress the tears and longing in her heart.
"I'm hungry... is there any food..." Not knowing how to continue the conversation, she changed the subject.
"None here, but I can buy some for you. What would you like?"
Ye Feng spread his hands helplessly.
"Hmm, I want xiaolongbao... tanghulu... sugar cakes..."
Counting on her fingers, she listed all her favorite foods from the dream.
After all, these delicacies only existed in her memories—she'd never actually tasted them in reality.
"Wait wait wait, it's too early in the morning for all that. Only the baozi shops are open now," Ye Feng quickly interjected.
"Fine, then xiaolongbao it is. And doufuhua—I want the sweet kind~"
The Ice Empress giggled.
"Alright alright, wait here a moment."
With a wave of his hand, Ye Feng instantly vanished.
"Ah! He disappeared... A space displacement soul skill? How is that possible!"
Witnessing Ye Feng vanish into thin air left her utterly shocked.
Such terrifying spatial manipulation—how could a human possibly achieve this?
Even if his Martial Soul was space-related, shouldn't he need to summon his Martial Soul and Soul Rings first? How could he just disappear?
Most Great Beasts couldn't accomplish space displacement at this level.
Only beings like Di Tian with nearly 800,000 years of cultivation, having nearly mastered spatial rules completely, could perform such feats...
Hadn't Ye Feng already comprehended the Ice Rule? How could he understand spatial rules too???
The Ice Empress realized she might have severely underestimated Ye Feng's Talent...
"Whoosh—"
Before she could collect her thoughts, Ye Feng reappeared in the courtyard.
Now holding two oil-paper bags.
"Here, this one's yours."
He shoved one bag into the Ice Empress 's arms while opening the other, taking a big bite of a soup dumpling.
Rich aromas filled the air as savory broth burst forth.
Ye Feng had to admit—fresh, steaming soup dumplings were truly delicious.
"Om nom~"
Catching the enticing smell, the Ice Empress eagerly pulled out a dumpling and began eating with relish.
Her delicate face radiated pure bliss.
"So? Human world cuisine isn't bad, right? Definitely better than your Land of Extreme North."
Ye Feng asked between bites, eyes crinkling with amusement.
After all, "eating" was a fundamental instinct of all living creatures.
The culinary delights of the human world could be considered one of its greatest features. If one could capture the Ice Empress 's appetite, it would make him more willing to undergo shape-shifting into human form and stay in the human world.
"Hmm... not bad..."
The Ice Empress puffed out his cheeks, his mouth stuffed full, with traces of oil still lingering at the corners of his lips.
Somehow, he looked oddly adorable.