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Just as Kong Mingan's path forward became clearer, the Snow Empress finished absorbing the ten thousand year profound ice marrow. The entire process did not take much time. In just two hours, she completed the absorption.
When she opened her eyes again, the aura around the Snow Empress had undergone an earth-shattering change. Her spirit power was already incredibly solid and heavy, but at this moment, it was almost materialized. She exuded waves of oppressive pressure that continued to solidify as time passed.
The Snow Empress slowly exhaled a breath of cold air. At this moment, she felt as if a layer of shackles had been shed from her body. A long-lost sense of lightness surged into her heart, making her feel relaxed.
The recovery of her Origin was not instantaneous, but the ten thousand year profound ice marrow was perfect for a pure ice element creature like her. After only the initial absorption, her Origin had already recovered by more than half. A significant amount of energy still remained in her body.
As time passed, her Origin would undoubtedly fully recover and push her to an even higher level. By then, facing the seven-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation, she would have no chance of failure. Even the eight-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation would not be a problem for her.
She wondered if the matter was truly resolved just like that. The problem she had worried about for so long was fixed so easily. The Snow Empress was silent, looking at the calm young man with complex emotions.
She was unsure of what to say for a moment. Kong Mingan did not notice her complex gaze because his attention was focused on the remaining ten thousand year profound ice marrow in front of him.
In the original story, the Snow Empress absorbed thirteen pieces at once and sealed seven. This time, she only absorbed eight pieces to recover from the Origin damage caused by the Heavenly Tribulation and her failed attempt to condense a spirit core.
Kong Mingan thought that perhaps her recovery was easier because she had not self-destructed this time. He looked thoughtfully at the thirty-seven remaining pieces of marrow. After a short pause, he decided to ask her a question.
"If you want to heal the Ice Empress's Origin injuries so she can pass her four-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation, how many pieces would we need?"
The Snow Empress was stunned for a moment. She looked at Kong Mingan with her strange ice-blue eyes as if she was thinking of something specific. After a moment, she estimated the amount in her heart and gave him a number.
"Bing'er's injuries are not very severe. To heal her and let her pass her next Heavenly Tribulation, it would probably require three to five pieces of this marrow."
"Is that so," Kong Mingan murmured softly. His hands did not stop moving. He simply waved his hand and separated thirty of the thirty-seven pieces. He placed them in front of the Snow Empress and said, "Take these ten thousand year profound ice marrow."
The Snow Empress fell completely silent. She looked at the thirty pieces of marrow in front of her, and her mind felt a bit muddled. She did not respond to him for a long time. Suddenly, she raised her head and looked directly at Kong Mingan with her blue eyes.
"You wouldn't have wanted me to help you abduct the Ice Empress from the very beginning, would you?"
Kong Mingan was surprised. He wondered if he had actually planned that too. He quickly tried to explain his actual thoughts to her.
"These thirty pieces of marrow include the portion for treating the Ice Empress. That is what we agreed upon in our contract to help her pass her four-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation. The rest of the pieces are for you to absorb so you can accumulate energy. I want you to be ready for when I help you condense your spirit core later."
Kong Mingan explained everything earnestly. His goal had not changed at all. He wanted to continuously strengthen the Snow Empress so she could deal with any threats for him, except for Gods. He even hoped to help her become a Divinity one day so she could resolve all his worries.
As for the Ice Empress, she was a three-hundred-ninety-thousand-year Spirit Beast. It was not true to say he had no thoughts about her, but he mostly viewed her as a research sample. He could tell from the Snow Empress's tone that she saw his interest in the Ice Empress very differently than he did. He realized the Snow Empress was acting very unusual.
"That is my thought process. Do you understand what I mean?"
The Snow Empress continued to gaze at him with a slight ripple in her eyes. After another moment of silence, she asked, "Really?"
Kong Mingan felt a sudden headache coming on. "It is true."
The Snow Empress remained silent with suspicion still in her eyes. Usually, she would not doubt a single word he said. However, regarding this specific topic, she had her own thoughts. After a moment, she seemed to make up her mind and sighed softly.
Her eyes returned to their normal calmness. She gently raised her hand and collected all thirty pieces of the ten thousand year profound ice marrow. Then, she stood beside Kong Mingan just like she usually did.
Kong Mingan glanced at her, unable to figure out what she was thinking. Since she looked calm, he decided not to ask any more questions. He raised his hand and put away the remaining seven pieces of marrow to use for his future research. Now, all the items from the ice cave had been sorted out. With a wave of his hand, a spatial portal opened. The two of them stepped through it and returned to the Undead Demiplane.
As soon as they stepped out of the portal, they saw a huge hall nearby. Inside the hall, there were many spatial portals. Each one led to a different city on the Douluo Continent. People wearing Mingmeng Chamber of Commerce uniforms were walking in and out of the portals. They were busy but very orderly. This was how the Chamber of Commerce moved information and resources so quickly. Soon, the two of them arrived at the portal that led to Snowfield City.
The Snow Empress stopped walking for a second. She turned her head to look at Kong Mingan as if she wanted to say something. In the end, she just turned around and stepped into the portal. Her figure disappeared instantly. Kong Mingan stood there looking at the spot where she had vanished. His gaze changed slightly.
During their time together, he had become used to having her by his side. Now that she was gone, he felt a bit empty. He realized he felt insecure. Ever since the assassination attempt by Da Ming and Er Ming, he did not feel safe without a powerful combatant nearby.
He shook his head to clear these emotions and turned around. He prepared to return to Capital City. He felt it was safer to stay at home. He also wanted to talk to Elder Yi about his new ideas. He needed Elder Yi to help him calculate if his plans would actually work.
After walking a few steps, he saw Ju Zi emerging from a spatial portal ahead of him. She was wearing a fitted uniform and her eyes brightened when she saw him. She walked quickly toward him and spoke immediately.
"President, the Spirit Beast you wanted has been captured!"