The biting, bone-chilling wind lifted snowflakes as hard as cold iron, whirling them up and casting them down like countless blades upon this white world.
"Whish—whish—"
Layers of powdery snow were swept up by the frigid wind, producing a crisp, delicate sound as they rubbed together.
Looking around, the entire world was blanketed completely in snow and ice.
Because of the extremely low temperature, even the dim light at the edge of the sky seemed distorted. Brilliant seven-colored auroras twisted and shifted at the horizon, sketching irregular patterns across the heavens.
This was the core region of the Extreme North—an absolute forbidden zone for humans.
And in the very center of this frozen world stood a girl of human appearance.
She looked about seventeen or eighteen years old. Her long white hair fell straight down her back to her feet, and her flawless features seemed to gather all the ethereal beauty of this frozen land. Her sky-blue eyes were clear and pure, as though they could see through all things in the world. Her slender, translucent figure was as exquisite as a work of fine jade. She wore a plain white dress, devoid of adornment, yet it made her appear all the more breathtaking and divine.
The snowflakes that had been dancing rapidly through the air slowed abruptly the instant they neared her body, as if time itself had frozen around her.
But if one looked closely, they would find that those snowflakes were still moving—only so slowly that it was almost imperceptible.
The scene was eerie and surreal.
Yet what contrasted most starkly with the girl was the creature before her—a scorpion.
It was about one and a half meters long, its entire body a glimmering emerald green.
Hexagonal, scale-like crystalline plates covered its upper shell, each one shining like a diamond, reflecting endless light. These crystalline protrusions also ran along its six long, powerful legs, refracting countless rays of brilliance.
Its two front pincers were each a full meter long, also covered in those diamond-like hexagonal plates. Only the tips of the pincers and its faintly glowing mouthparts were silver-white.
Its amber-yellow eyes shimmered with a gemlike brilliance. Its five-segmented tail arched high, the emerald surface likewise encrusted with hexagonal crystalline particles, its stinger reflecting a sharp, mirror-white gleam.
Then, the emerald scorpion spoke—its voice crisp and distinctly feminine.
"Snow Empress, have you really decided? To rebuild yourself into human form?"
The white-haired girl's eyes softened slightly as she gazed at the scorpion. Her voice, however, was cold and serene.
"Bing'er, I have no other choice. I've been stuck at this seven-hundred-thousand-year bottleneck—I can't break through it no matter what."
"The ten-thousand-year snow lotus we found holds an extremely pure and abundant essence of heaven and earth. I only need to draw out half of it to complete the sealing of my origin and rebuild myself into a human form. The remaining half I'll leave to you—consider it a path of retreat. I remember that within a hundred years, you too will face your next bottleneck, won't you?"
The emerald scorpion gave a bitter smile.
"Snow Empress, honestly, I've been hesitating too. I know my own limits better than anyone. My talent and potential have already been pushed to the extreme. The chances of surviving that tribulation are almost nonexistent. But if I rebuild into human form, I'll become extremely fragile—and I'll have to mingle with those filthy humans, even absorb their aura to strengthen myself. Just thinking about it disgusts me."
The white-haired girl sighed softly. "Do you think I want to deal with those despicable humans either?"
Her gaze then turned firm.
"The path for soul beasts to become gods has been completely cut off. This is the only sliver of life left to us. We Ice Sky Snow Maidens were born from the spiritual essence of heaven and earth—our nature is special. Even if I rebuild myself into human form, ordinary humans won't be able to see through my true identity. Bing'er, I've already made up my mind. I called you here only to help protect me while I undergo the process. If all goes well, within thirty years I can return to my current level of strength. By then, I'll help you through your tribulation—you'll have at least a ninety percent chance of success."
The emerald scorpion's amber eyes shimmered with light, as if wanting to say more, but the white-haired girl gently raised a hand to stop her.
"Let's begin, Bing'er."
——
In the southern seas between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire.
Seven neighboring islands were scattered across the vast, endless waters.
This was the Yuenan Archipelago, a peaceful land untouched by the wars of the Douluo Continent, far removed from the mainland's turmoil.
On the northernmost and most prosperous island—Yueshu Island—it was the middle of the night. Under the vast starlit sky, a castle built into the cliffs of the island's western coast stood faintly illuminated by moonlight.
A handsome young man stood in a pavilion at the edge of a seaside cliff, his hands clasped behind his back. His features carried a touch of feminine elegance, and his long black hair, neatly combed, flowed loosely down his back.
The salty sea breeze whipped against him, waves crashing rhythmically against the rocky shore. His black hair streamed behind him with the wind.
This young man was the master of Yueshu Island—Viscount Yaoyang of Yuenan.
Sensing something, Yaoyang slowly turned around.
An old man, about fifty years of age, had appeared silently behind him. Though his frame wasn't particularly large, the three deep claw scars over his right eye lent him a natural air of ferocity.
"Uncle Wang, you've come out of seclusion early—does that mean you've succeeded?" Yaoyang asked with clear excitement.
The identity of this old man needed no further explanation—he was Wang Xiao, the one who had once led the remnants of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion to rescue Xu Zihuang.
Ever since Wang Xiao had broken through to the Titled Douluo realm a year ago and returned to Yueshu Island, he had been in seclusion, attempting to create a ninth-tier soul tool.
Now, his emergence months ahead of schedule spoke volumes.
"It went fairly smoothly," Wang Xiao said with a nod. There was no elation in his voice—only a deep sense of relief.
By formally advancing to a ninth-tier Soul Engineer, he could finally be of greater help to his young master in the future.
A flash of light glimmered on the storage soul tool around his wrist, and in his right hand appeared a white tray. On the tray was a wooden stand, inlaid with at least a hundred beautiful gems of varying colors.
Yaoyang's eyes widened in astonishment, but Wang Xiao smiled faintly and explained,
"This is a ninth-tier soul tool—The God-Sealing Platform."
Among ninth-tier soul tools, the God-Sealing Platform wasn't particularly rare or powerful, but it was indeed a genuine ninth-tier creation.
On the Yuenan Archipelago, many who had migrated from the three great empires of the Douluo Continent still preserved much of their traditional culture. Being far from the Sun Moon Empire's homeland, this place never embraced the empire's obsession with soul tools. Instead, it retained the traditional balance—soul masters remained the mainstream, though they had long since learned to wield soul tools as weapons.
Xu Zihuang's father, when he commanded the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, held to the same philosophy: powerful soul masters using soul tools. That was why the legion's members all possessed strong martial souls—each had been selected through strict screening.
Having grown up on Yueshu Island, Yaoyang wasn't very familiar with ninth-tier soul tools, but he didn't press for details.
"Oh, right, Uncle Wang," Yaoyang said suddenly. "The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is currently being held in Star Luo City. With Zihuang's talent, it's possible he's participating as part of Shrek Academy's reserve team. If that's the case, our agents stationed in Star Luo City should soon bring back news about him."
They hadn't dared to plant spies directly within Shrek Academy, as that might expose Xu Zihuang's identity, but they had arranged many informants within the capitals of the four great empires to keep track of continental affairs.
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