Chapter 39: Whispers Beneath the Ice… A Decision That Changes Fate.
In the next moment,
a sharp shiver ran through my mind, and a dazzling emerald light erupted from the Ice Empress's body, blindingly bright.
Her golden eyes instantly transformed into translucent emeralds, crystal clear.
Suddenly, twin beams of emerald light shot forth from her eyes, piercing through the body of the Jade Ice Emperor. A massive emerald aura spread from him, overwhelming and radiant.
In mere moments, the green-emerald glow intensified, radiating a captivating brilliance reminiscent of pure jade.
Before I could even comprehend what was happening, the Jade Ice Emperor's tail struck, and his silver gleaming stinger pierced my spinal column!
"Gyaaahhh!!"
Pain shot through my face, my jaw nearly locking in agony.
It felt as if a sharp spike had penetrated the center of my spine, then radiated through each nerve fiber, one by one!
Even though I was prepared… the pain struck me with unbelievable force!
Another emerald light flared, and the Soul of Secret Arts Bone melted instantly, as if dissolving into a sea of fire.
Once purified by the Ice Empress, it transformed into a thread of pure emerald light, flowing directly into my body.
In that instant, the pain subsided briefly, as if a dagger had been pulled from within me… my face relaxed slightly.
Yet my body was changing—my skin turned as white as snow, while my spine began to shimmer with emerald threads!
The light spread from the bottom upward, like a long thread being woven inside me, starting at the spine and gradually enveloping my ribs and entire chest.
Then the pain returned—suddenly and violently!
A fiercer, crushing pain that nearly stole my breath!
The brief relief had vanished, replaced by an intensity far greater…
Was this… the bone replacement process?
In that terrifying moment, it felt as if my bones were being pulled out of my body piece by piece, only to be violently shoved back into place!
Pain!
My whole body was in agony… but this—this pain was beyond anything imaginable!
Unbearable spasms wracked through me, my bones felt as if they were being torn apart by force, and my entire body screamed in endless torment!
As those emerald-green "threads" multiplied inside me, the bones of my upper body turned into shining jade, glowing with a vivid, living brilliance.
At the same time, waves of scorching heat and freezing cold alternated through me, as if I were being burned and frozen at once!
This… was it the million-year-old spirit bone?
Amid that unbearable torment, I felt the emerald radiance intensify, growing brighter and stronger—until it seemed as if my whole body had become a beacon of light.
My muscles tensed and hardened, growing stronger; my bones reinforced again and again.
In the end… this was the power of the Ice Empress!
Even a fraction of her strength was a tremendous boon for a Spirit Master at my level—only the thirtieth rank.
So what would happen when her entire spirit bone fused with me?
At that moment, I felt my spirit expand… my power rising without end!
Thirty-one… thirty-two…
Then the voice of Bing Di echoed in my mind, firm as stone:
"Ji Lin, only one stage remains!"
"I'll now merge the spirit bone completely with your skeleton and seal my power within you—allowing you to absorb it fully when you're ready!"
"You must endure! Do not let your will collapse!"
My heart trembled at her words, but I took a deep breath, steeling myself to endure to the very end.
"Alright! Let's do this!"
…
And after completing the fusion with Bing Di, the same process repeated with Xue Di and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass
After that, they all became my Spirit Souls.
I obtained the right leg Spirit Bone—the Star Anise Mysterious Ice Grass—and also fused with the left arm Spirit Bone—the Ice Jade Scorpion, which I acquired thanks to Mo An.
This bone was taken from an Ice Jade Scorpion that had lived for seventy thousand years. And since it was a Spirit Bone unique to the Ice Jade Scorpion lineage, it could only be used by someone possessing the ultimate power of ice.
It was the very same one from the original storyline—the one later given to Huo Yuhao by the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire as a reward for winning the Continental Tournament. Huo Yuhao absorbed it shortly after returning to Shrek Academy, during which the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress's strength increased tremendously.
Furthermore… the Ice Empress Xue Di granted me the left leg Spirit Bone.
Thus, all of my Spirit Bones were now a million years old, except for the left arm—the Ice Jade Scorpion Bone—which was seventy thousand years old.
Even so, it was still incredibly powerful, possessing a truly remarkable and unique skill.
Now, I had literally become a walking reservoir of energy.
My body contained four million years' worth of sealed energy within it.
I honestly didn't know whether my body could handle any more…
But either way, this was fine with me—it would undoubtedly prove extremely useful.
Once I finished, I entered the Demonic Space-Time Tome to begin cultivating the Celestial Body Refining Scripture.
This tome… was no ordinary manual.
It was a cultivation art known as one of the Seven Supreme Celestial Scriptures.
Su Yang had obtained this technique from the Heavenly Emperor himself—after seducing his daughter. In his previous life, he had been unable to cultivate it due to the limitations of his old cultivation path, but in this life, he finally succeeded.
This technique was one of the Seven Celestial Scriptures, granting its practitioner the ability to purify Qi and refine the physical body—and even allowing one to refine Celestial Qi itself… something that only Celestial Beings were ever meant to cultivate.
It truly surpassed even Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill.
After that, I trained in the Vanishing Sword Dance Technique.
Although I inherited Su Yang's experience, I hadn't yet adapted it perfectly to my own body.
Even so, the Sword Intent I gained from him required no practice for now.
In any case, with everything I inherited from Su Yang, I'm confident that I could defeat a Spirit Saint of the eightieth rank!
The difference between this world and the Dual Cultivation Realm is a vast, unbridgeable chasm.
So for now… I can only be measured beneath the title of Douluo.
A full week passed since I entered the Demonic Space-Time Tome.
I trained in everything I possibly could.
A week inside… equaled only seven seconds outside!
It was as if time itself had stopped.
During that week of intense cultivation, I managed to awaken the Spirit of my original body.
I didn't even need to search for a Spirit Ring—Di Tian offered himself willingly!
I gained immensely from him, especially the Origin Essence he planted within my body.
Thanks to Di Tian, I now carried his bloodline within me.
Honestly, I never expected him to bestow it upon me… and yet, he did!
He even shed his Torso Bone, though I still cannot fully fuse with another torso bone yet.
But that will change in the future.
Therefore, I decided not to sacrifice his version from the current timeline.
Instead, I'll make him my subordinate—and refine him further!
As for Bi Ji, she too sacrificed herself for Xiao Xiao.
Because of that, her Spirit evolved from the Nine Phoenix Dancing Flute to the Emerald Phoenix Flute.
She even gained a Torso Bone, and behind her sprouted emerald phoenix wings!
The same went for Wu Feng—she too obtained a Torso Bone.