Feeling the cool imprint imprint imprint on his brow, Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly.
This scene was just like his first meeting with Snow Empress ten thousand years ago.
But their mindsets were different now.
Ten thousand years ago, their first meeting was a transaction. Now, it was because of affection.
So, even though he didn't want to trouble Snow Empress again, Huo Yuhao didn't avoid it.
However, if he truly encountered danger that he couldn't solve, he wouldn't use it. After all, Snow Empress's method of transmitting power was very similar to Emperor Tian's both used spatial power to transmit. Once used, the one bearing the attack would also become Snow Empress.
Huo Yuhao had no intention of doing that.
If Emperor Tian gave him his Reverse Scale, he might use it — he would have no psychological burden trapping him. But Snow Empress — no.
"Snow Empress, what's wrong?" After a moment, feeling the touch on his brow still there, Huo Yuhao looked up at Snow Empress in confusion.
Snow Empress didn't speak. As she quietly withdrew her finger, she pinched his cheek.
"You've become smaller — quite a bit cuter, actually. If only you could lose that prematurely old mindset, it would be even better. You didn't look like a child when you were little ten thousand years ago, and now you look even less like one."
But unlike before, even though Huo Yuhao hadn't recovered his peak strength now, with all his trump cards, he wasn't someone ordinary people could stand.
If the person Yuhao had sought back then hadn't been her, what would the Extreme North be like now?
Snow Empress thought for a moment, then cast these thoughts out of her mind.
There was no "if." Yuhao had chosen the Extreme North. He had chosen her!
When she had needed him most, at her most helpless, he had appeared in the Extreme North, giving her the hope of overcoming the Heavenly Tribulation and truly becoming a god and also giving the Extreme North a way to continue.
After ten thousand years, to seek godhood together...
Was it gratitude, or another kind of feeling? After ten thousand years, she had already thought it through clearly.
Snow Empress's jade hand was smooth and cool, like soft snow — pure and flawless. But compared to ten thousand years ago, because she had transformed and re-cultivated, it had gained a trace of warmth.
Huo Yuhao's face flushed with embarrassment under Snow Empress's soft hand.
This was also one of the reasons he hadn't wanted to see old acquaintances too early. With his strength lowered, if they wanted to fuss over him, he had no ability to resist...
With Snow Empress, who had such great kindness toward him, it was even harder to deal with.
He had the urge to step back, but seeing the nostalgic look in Snow Empress's eyes, Huo Yuhao's heart softened, and he didn't move away.
While kneading her "newly accepted" disciple, Snow Empress communicated with Ice Empress beside her via sound transmission.
"Has Yuhao encountered any trouble since re-cultivating?"
"Does a dragon deity gifting him her Reverse Scale count?" Ice Empress glanced at Huo Yuhao.
"...Who?" The smile at the corner of Snow Empress's mouth instantly solidified. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Are there still deities on the Douluo Continent?"
"The co-lord of spirit beasts the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena. You invited her here this time too. I thought you knew her identity." Ice Empress looked at Snow Empress with some surprise. "Didn't you mention this to me before? That the true ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest is not Emperor Tian."
"The Silver Dragon King? I didn't know she had emerged. I haven't appeared publicly for decades. I haven't been paying attention to the trends of the Star Dou Great Forest."
Snow Empress pressed her lips together. "I invited her only because of her relationship with Dark Phoenix. After all, I've never taken a disciple before. Although Yuhao passing the red level assessment is a reason, it still seems insufficient. Calling her along would allow me to use Dark Phoenix as a shield if necessary. With these two reasons, it's enough."
Before their meeting, she couldn't be sure about Yuhao's state either. So she had been a bit cautious, to avoid causing him trouble. Part of the reason she had patiently lingered here for several months was also due to this. She hadn't expected to hear this kind of news.
A dragon had a Reverse Scale — touch it and you die. Gu Yuena had given her Reverse Scale to Yuhao. The symbolism was not simple...
Upon hearing this, Ice Empress was speechless.
So in your view, Xue'er, both Gu Yuena and Dark Phoenix Douluo were just tools for you to see Yuhao?
"Why did she give her Reverse Scale to Yuhao? What happened exactly?" Seeing that Ice Empress didn't continue, Snow Empress asked proactively.
Although she was somewhat concerned about the relationship between Gu Yuena and Huo Yuhao, Snow Empress decided to figure out the situation first.
Yuhao basically didn't mess with women, because he knew he couldn't make promises to them. Ten thousand years ago, one could say he was a straight man when confessed to, he refused, giving no mercy. That had always put her at ease.
So she hadn't been worried. Her lifespan was very long. With the passage of time, wouldn't the only one left by his side be her?
She hadn't expected problems to arise... After ten thousand years, someone still wanted to compete with her?
The corner of Ice Empress's mouth curled. "You don't care much about me either."
"Binger~" Snow Empress was somewhat helpless. "We already cleared things up ten thousand years ago."
"Alright, alright — I'm just joking. I figured things out long ago over these ten thousand years." Ice Empress rolled her eyes. "Here's what happened..."
Ice Empress held nothing back. She told Snow Empress about the Sea God's divine consciousness, the God-Imprint Throne, the Plane Lord, the Abyss Saint Lord, and other matters.
After all, Yuhao had been planning to tell her anyway. She would just say it for him.
The more Snow Empress listened, the tighter her brow furrowed. Matters concerning Gu Yuena were temporarily pushed to the back of her mind.
Compared to the safety of Yuhao, Binger, and the others, the matter of Gu Yuena wasn't that important. This one was willing to share hardship with Yuhao — at least she was on the same side.
Yes — Yuhao giving her a Divine Artifact — she would settle that later.
Snow Empress said: "The Sea God's divine consciousness... would you like me to deal with it?"
Since the Sea God's divine consciousness posed a threat to the safety of Yuhao, Binger, and the others, she would just deal with it.
"According to Yuhao's assessment, that wisp of divine consciousness still retains its memories. And according to Elder Electrolux, when a fragment forcibly preserves most of its memories, it must enter a dormant state. This suggests that its divine power is being used to sustain those memories and cannot be expended freely—otherwise, there is a risk of losing them."
Ice Empress's tone was low. "Yuhao and Elder Electrolux's meaning is both to wait for the right moment either to find an appropriate time to weaken him in a small world not connected to the Plane Lord, or to wait until we have the strength to fight the Plane Lord before acting."
"I see." Snow Empress nodded. "If you're not confident, leave it to me. With Yuhao's arrangements... within the Extreme North, I am a deity!"
While Snow Empress and Ice Empress were communicating privately, a light cough sounded.
"Ahem."
Snow Empress snapped back to attention. Her attention turned to Huo Yuhao before her. Unbeknownst to her, her hand had already been gently stroking his cheek...
Snow Empress withdrew her hand with a natural expression.
This level of contact was nothing. Hadn't she done it ten thousand years ago? There had been even more intimate moments. Nothing to be embarrassing about.
Yuhao was just making a fuss over nothing.
Ice Empress glanced at Huo Yuhao from the side and continued transmitting:
"Xue'er, Yuhao sees you as an older sister, a teacher. He's never thought of you as a lover... In the end, neither of you have any experience. When you're together so naturally, it loses the feeling."
"So, Binger is very experienced? We're all about the same. Don't pretend to understand if you don't." Snow Empress smiled.
Ice Empress fell silent.
When she thought about it carefully, it was true.
Snow Empress, Yuhao, and the several in the Sea of Spirit — who among them had a successful love story?
After Elder Electrolux restored his memories, when he talked about the past, they were all failed. All of them put together couldn't compare to a normal married couple in understanding that kind of feeling.
No — wait!
Ice Empress suddenly thought of an outlier.
The Evil Emperor — he had children! He had a wife!
Indeed — this temporary group member was different. She should just kick the Evil Emperor out of the group chat!
He was completely out of place with their group!
On the other side, Snow Empress looked at the sky, then at Huo Yuhao. "It's time for lunch."
Huo Yuhao instantly understood her meaning. A smile appeared on his face. "What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
Snow Empress's tone was gentle. "Whatever you make... is fine."
***
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