"Even if you're a million-year soul beast with incredible power, once you become a soul ring, you can only be fused with one person. But you brought two people to see me. That means you must think their talents are close, right? Otherwise, why would you let someone else witness this?"
Ice Empress looked calmly at Skydream Iceworm as she spoke.
Though her deduction wasn't exactly accurate, she did get one thing right—Jiang Qingtong's talent truly surpassed even Huo Yuhao's.
Skydream replied, "It's true, the little girl's talent is astonishing, even to me. But she's not the host I prepared for you. She already has a second martial soul—she can't accept another."
"So, you're saying you want me to become this boy's martial soul and soul ring?" Ice Empress turned her gaze toward Huo Yuhao.
Skydream nodded. "Exactly! If you become Yuhao's second martial soul and soul ring, our chances of success will increase to at least fifty percent! Ice Empress, think it over."
After he spoke, Ice Empress fell silent.
Skydream added in a lower, firmer tone, "If you refuse, then for the sake of my own immortality, I'll still have to make you into a soul ring. The only difference is, you'll lose your consciousness. You know I can make that happen—with my spiritual power, you'd never survive intact."
On one side was immortality. On the other, annihilation.
It was a naked threat.
As Skydream finished speaking, Jiang Qingtong chimed in from the sidelines, "Skydream, if you keep threatening girls like this, you'll stay single forever."
Skydream: "…"
Why was this little brat inserting herself into such a serious moment?
Even Ice Empress spared Jiang Qingtong a glance. For a human girl to interrupt a conversation between two peak soul beasts—her guts were impressive.
After a brief pause, Ice Empress nodded. "Given the situation, I don't have any better options. Fine—I'll do it. I'll become this boy's second martial soul."
Following Skydream's instructions, Ice Empress released her spiritual core, then began integrating into Huo Yuhao's body. Her spiritual image manifested within his spiritual sea.
At this point, Huo Yuhao could only force a bitter smile. Now there were enough people in his spiritual sea to play mahjong.
Once inside, Ice Empress immediately felt Huo Yuhao's physical condition. She frowned. "Skydream, this kid's body is ridiculously weak."
Skydream sighed. "Hey, it's not like I had a lot of options. Still, under my guidance, Yuhao's talent is already among the top-tier for humanity."
"Are you sure I can become his second martial soul? There won't be a problem?" Ice Empress asked cautiously.
"Don't worry. With me helping you, our success rate is at least ninety percent," Skydream reassured her.
"Then let's discuss the specifics of the fusion." Ice Empress didn't hesitate. She might've been forced into the decision, but once she made it, she didn't look back.
Huo Yuhao admired her decisiveness.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qingtong had built herself a makeshift snow platform and was lounging there, watching Huo Yuhao's constantly shifting expressions. She couldn't help but marvel—his spiritual sea was practically a whole ecosystem.
Before long, the fusion process began. Huo Yuhao's face twisted in pain almost immediately, a green light gradually enveloping his body as it connected with the Ice Jade Scorpion's physical form.
Skydream's voice whispered in Jiang Qingtong's ear, "Little girl, I'm leaving the outside to you. With Ice Empress's physical form here, unless Snow Empress herself shows up, even the Titan Snow Demon King won't come close. Just stand guard."
And with that, Skydream went silent, focusing fully on helping with the fusion.
Time passed. Bored, Jiang Qingtong ended up making snowballs and throwing them at herself.
Huo Yuhao's screams echoed for a while but eventually fell silent.
He was gritting his teeth and enduring.
An hour passed.
The initial fusion phase was complete. Ice Empress's soul bone had replaced Huo Yuhao's torso bone. Now came the final step—fusing with his martial soul.
Once successful, Huo Yuhao would officially gain the Extreme Ice attribute martial soul: Ice Jade Scorpion.
Jiang Qingtong too, of course.
That was her goal from the beginning. Why wait for Shrek Academy to find her an extreme ice martial soul, when there was a perfectly good one right in front of her, ready to be copied?
Soon, Ice Empress's physical body began to burn with a jade-green flame. It gradually liquefied into radiant energy and flowed into Huo Yuhao's body, filling the spot where his second martial soul would reside.
The wind and snow howled, no longer held back by Ice Empress's aura. It surged toward them like a tidal wave.
Jiang Qingtong calmly took out the Seven-Leaf Mirror Lotus, which expanded into a barrier above and around her, blocking the incoming storm.
Soul skills had multiple applications. Naturally, so did soul tools.
Who said a shield was only good for blocking attacks?
If anything gave Jiang Qingtong and Jiang Shengyu an edge, beyond their absurd talents, it was their modern mindset—so different from this world's.
Snow kept piling up, eventually forming a snow hut around the mirrored barrier.
Inside, the fusion finally came to an end. Huo Yuhao slowly regained consciousness.
When he opened his eyes, a brilliant green light burst forth, and a soul ring of staggering brilliance rose from beneath his feet.
The ring was a deep, crimson red, intimidating and noble, shimmering with glints of gold. Four golden lines flickered faintly on its surface.
Crimson and gold intertwined, forming a soul ring of terrifying majesty.
In that instant, an ancient, primeval pressure surged from his body.
Though Huo Yuhao's physical appearance hadn't changed much, a massive tattoo now spread across his back—a glowing scorpion with outstretched pincers and a dazzling jade-green stinger.
"The fusion… worked?" Huo Yuhao whispered.
Jiang Qingtong nodded. "Mm. You did it."
Even she furrowed her brow under the weight of the 400,000-year soul ring's aura. Still, thanks to the ninth-tier soul tools she wore, she managed to remain steady—unlike the Shrek students, who might've cried from sheer pressure.
Huo Yuhao stared at the ring, awe-struck.
Even though the million-year ring from Skydream had greater power, this crimson-red soul ring still filled his heart with wonder.
In the culture of the Douluo Continent, the red ring was the symbol of ultimate achievement—its presence undeniable, unforgettable.
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