Three days later.
After a loud rumbling noise, the thick ice layer was smashed open from deep below, and a figure appeared in front of the long-waiting crowd.
Everyone looked stunned and bewildered, even Shen Hanyu couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.
"What happened?"
Shen Hanyu frowned and asked softly.
Shen Liuyu had a complicated expression. She stepped forward and handed her small mirror to Shen Hanyu, saying:
"Brother, take a look for yourself."
Shen Hanyu was momentarily stunned, then took the mirror and pointed it at his own face...
...
After a long while.
Shen Hanyu supported his forehead, somewhat incredulously threw the mirror back to Shen Liuyu.
Shui Ningbing, barely holding back her laughter, stepped forward and patted Shen Hanyu's shoulder, saying:
"Little Yu used to be handsome and dashing, but now… how come you look so… so… pretty, like a pretty boy kept by a rich woman…"
Two black lines appeared on Shen Hanyu's forehead. Looking at the almost undisguised amusement in everyone's eyes, he helplessly sighed.
Shen Liuyu stepped forward, hugged Shen Hanyu's arm, and teased with a smile:
"Brother… no, wait… Sister~ You're so beautiful, look at this pretty little face… tsk tsk."
Shen Hanyu viciously pinched her cheek, feeling utterly confused inside.
Absorbing a soul ring might slightly change one's appearance, but what was this situation? Absorbing a soul ring felt like changing his entire face. If it had changed to something normal, it would still be acceptable, but this situation… was really hard to describe…
Although he was indeed much more handsome than before, the feeling was completely different.
If he went out now and mixed with a group of girls, probably no one would think he stood out.
However, Shen Hanyu didn't really care too much. Appearance is just external. If he had become ugly, he would have taken back what he just said.
His current appearance seemed like the best features of both Snow Emperor and his previous self had been selected and blended to create this face. Honestly speaking, Shen Hanyu was actually quite satisfied with it.
Looking at everyone's playful expressions, Shen Hanyu smiled helplessly and let them be.
Ice Emperor hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and saying:
"Hey, um… Snow Emperor… is she okay?"
Shen Hanyu nodded and said:
"Let her tell you herself."
Ice Emperor clearly didn't understand what Shen Hanyu meant and nodded in a daze.
Then, a faint blue light slowly emanated from Shen Hanyu's body, finally condensing beside him, eventually transforming into Snow Emperor's figure.
Snow Emperor's sacrifice had completely preserved her soul. Plus, with this time's accompanying reward from the God Examination, she could appear in the outside world in this special form. Although her strength was somewhat affected, it wasn't a big problem.
According to Shen Hanyu's words, Snow Emperor's sacrifice was basically no different from not sacrificing at all. Who would have thought that her first accompanying reward from the God Examination would be in this aspect?
It must be mentioned that after the sacrifice, Snow Emperor's appearance had also undergone some slight changes, though not as drastic as his own.
Ice Emperor immediately threw herself into Snow Emperor's arms. Feeling the familiar aura, Ice Emperor said with a slightly choked voice:
"Xue'er, are you feeling okay?"
Snow Emperor nodded, somewhat surprised as she glanced at Shen Hanyu's face, then gently patted Ice Emperor's back to comfort her. After that, she looked at Shen Hanyu again and said softly:
"Some things I'll explain to you later when we go back. It's not convenient right now."
Shen Hanyu indicated he understood and didn't disturb the two of them anymore, walking toward Shui Ningbing and the others.
...
Shui Ningbing sized up Shen Hanyu and asked, somewhat confused:
"What level are you now?"
Shen Hanyu waved his hand and answered honestly:
"Level ninety-four."
Shui Ningbing became even more confused, looking incredulous:
"A nearly 700,000-year soul ring and soul bone only raised your soul power by four levels?"
Shen Hanyu also felt troubled and said somewhat helplessly:
"My soul power is too solid, the quality is too high, and there's also divinity within my soul power. Being able to increase four levels is already very fortunate. I have a feeling that every future level increase will become increasingly difficult, especially after entering the Super Douluo level; it will be extremely hard."
"Of course, if I'm willing to give up such a solid foundation and forcefully break through before my soul power reaches its peak, it's also possible. But doing that would have a huge negative impact on future cultivation."
The last sentence was said by Shen Hanyu with a somewhat joking tone.
Shui Ningbing rolled her eyes, sighed, and said:
"I don't understand the world of you young people. Anyway, if you have any needs, just say so. Although Auntie can't really help much."
Shen Hanyu nodded. The benefits Snow Emperor's soul ring brought him were enormous — it could even be said to have elevated all his attributes to another level.
Especially Snow Emperor's signature skills, the Snow Emperor's Three Ultimate Techniques, were completely preserved. This was the result of the tremendous effort Shen Hanyu and Snow Emperor had put in together. Of course, the rewards matched the price paid.
Shen Liuyu and the Shui Bing'er sisters came to congratulate him. Shen Liuyu, in particular, had already started fantasizing about the happy life of getting soul rings and soul bones casually in the future.
It must be said that ever since she found out how abnormal her big brother was, she had very early on developed the idea of just lying flat. As time passed, this idea didn't disappear — on the contrary, it became stronger and stronger.
Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er also genuinely congratulated Shen Hanyu. They were now all in the same boat; the more successful Shen Hanyu became, the greater the benefits they would receive.
Ice and Snow Emperors also finished their short conversation, but it was obvious that the Ice Emperor was in low spirits. The way she looked at Shen Hanyu was so resentful it seemed as if he owed her eight hundred thousand gold soul coins.
Shen Hanyu chose to directly ignore it. He nodded to everyone and said:
"Let's go back first. This is not a place to talk."
Everyone nodded in agreement. The commotion caused by Snow Emperor earlier had been quite big. If Ice Emperor and Shui Ningbing hadn't driven away the soul beasts that were attracted, there would have been quite some trouble.
...
Nighttime.
Under the starry sky, Shen Hanyu sat on the roof with his eyes down, deep in thought.
Snow Emperor's figure appeared beside him. Only then did Shen Hanyu come back to his senses. He asked somewhat puzzled:
"Go ahead, what happened?"
Snow Emperor shook her head and said:
"This is what the God inheritance told me. The reason I received such a reward is probably that in the future I will serve as both your guardian/protector and your examiner at the same time."
Shen Hanyu laughed. The position of guardian would have been somewhat useful a few years ago, but now? There were hardly any people in the whole world stronger than him. Appearing now felt somewhat redundant.
As for the examiner, Shen Hanyu was actually a bit curious.
"And that so-called examiner role?"
Snow Emperor looked into Shen Hanyu's eyes and said seriously:
"You must fight me in the Far North while I have partial divine power enhancement, and defeat me. This is your first additional test."
Shen Hanyu raised an eyebrow and asked:
"When?"
Snow Emperor thought for a moment and said:
"Roughly two years from now."
Shen Hanyu pinched the bridge of his nose, falling silent in thought.
In the Far North, Snow Emperor's strength was at least a Quasi-God level. Even Di Tian couldn't gain any advantage against her. Even if he completed all his soul rings within two years and reached Super Douluo level, he could fight her, but the win rate… at most sixty percent.
He originally thought that after breaking through to Titled Douluo, he could relax a bit, but now it seemed there was still plenty to do. At least for the next few years.
Shen Hanyu sighed, then asked:
"And how are you appearing in the outside world like this? I can feel that this body isn't some shoddy product made from mental power, it's real flesh and blood."
Snow Emperor also noticed that Shen Hanyu wasn't in high spirits. She said softly:
"This body is condensed from divine power. I can control it with my soul. It's no different from a real physical body. Of course, because of this, my strength has been weakened. At the same time, within this body, I am no longer considered a soul beast; I exist as a human."
Shen Hanyu relaxed a little and asked curiously:
"Then can you use this body to attempt to become a God?"
Snow Emperor shook her head and said:
"Not very realistic. Also, the upper limit of this body has already been locked. There's almost no possibility of what you said."
Shen Hanyu nodded, then lay back on the tiles, looking up at the starry river, somewhat lost in thought.
Snow Emperor also sat beside him, but her gaze always subtly fell on Shen Hanyu…
...
These past few days, Shui Ningbing has been preparing for the Elemental City Grand Competition that happens once every two and a half years.
Unlike the Soul Master competitions held on the mainland, the grand competition inside Elemental City is organized by several academies, and soul master academies from surrounding areas also come to participate. Many civilian geniuses can also join through selection. In the end, the outstanding ones will be taken by the four Elemental Academies for cultivation. Of course, in recent years, Shrek Academy has also started coming to steal people.
Although Shui Ningbing has broken through to Titled Douluo, she still keeps a low profile. Except for her trusted people in the academy, almost no one knows. Shui Bing'er and the other girls, being the most outstanding geniuses, naturally have to participate.
It's said that the number of participating academies this year is the highest in history, attracting countless eyes. Even the Heaven Dou Empire sent a prince + crown prince lineup to come watch.
Although the major sects don't participate on the surface, who knows how many spies they have sent?
As for the troublemaker Spirit Hall, wherever there's excitement, they won't be absent. Their sense for geniuses is much sharper than these sects and the imperial family, almost like they have installed radar.
Shen Hanyu, anyway, couldn't find anything about this segment in the original work in his mind. After thinking about it later, he figured it was probably because of the appearance of his variable that some changes occurred, so he let it go. Anyway, it had nothing to do with him.
However, what interested him was the so-called Crown Prince and the frequent appearances of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan disciples nearby recently. How did Shen Hanyu recognize them? Well… with such a big sect emblem on their chest, it was as if they were afraid others wouldn't know they were from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan…
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