The moment Mu Ye saw the Snow Empress, his mind went completely blank.
Universe. Brain. Logic.
All frozen.
The Body Sect Master's thoughts simply… crashed.
Why was the Snow Empress here?
Had she become Huo Yuhao's Spirit Soul?
That was impossible.
The concept flashed through his mind, only to be dismissed immediately. Although her current form resembled an energy body, it was clearly different from a Spirit Soul. It felt more like a manifestation condensed purely from spiritual power.
Had her spiritual strength already reached the Divine Origin realm?
Was this what people called divine consciousness?
Mu Ye swallowed unconsciously, his emotions unsettled as he looked at her.
But none of that mattered.
What truly mattered was—
What would she think, seeing how he had put Huo Yuhao through this?
Would the legendary Snow Empress Three Absolutes be used on him?
Seeing the faint smile on her lips, Mu Ye suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if cold water had been poured over him.
"Your Excellency Mu Ye," Snow Empress said gently, "I was the one who asked Yuhao to retrieve this item. Would you mind giving me some time to examine it?"
"Of course."
Mu Ye was startled, then felt as if he had just been granted a pardon. He quickly turned and left the area. Only after moving far away did he let out a long breath, subconsciously wiping his forehead.
The Snow Empress was truly protective of Yuhao. She had even left behind a wisp of divine consciousness to watch over him.
Reassuring… but also terrifying.
Still, after thinking it through, Mu Ye couldn't help but smile.
At least now, he didn't need to worry about Yuhao's safety.
Watching Mu Ye leave, Snow Empress turned her attention to the blue crystal Huo Yuhao had placed on the ground. Her brows furrowed slightly.
She said nothing and simply waited quietly for him to recover.
Huo Yuhao consumed the resources Mu Ye had prepared, including the Amethyst Dragon Pearl, and began circulating the Innate Secret Method.
The accumulation of the past few days erupted all at once.
His aura rose steadily.
Level 38.
He paid little attention to the breakthrough. Once his condition stabilized, he released his domain, and the figures of Elder Electrolux and the others manifested outside.
All eyes turned to the blue crystal.
After a moment, Electrolux spoke.
"It is both an opportunity… and a curse."
Snow Empress and Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Skydream and Ice Empress exchanged glances, feeling completely lost.
Electrolux took the initiative to explain.
"This can be considered a fragment of a divine seat… or more precisely, a fragment of a divine core. It remains dormant only because there is no divine power to activate it. To truly understand it, one would need either someone who comprehends oceanic laws or someone who has reached the Divine Origin realm."
This was not a fragment of divine power.
It was a fragment of a divine seat itself.
Much like the Golden Dragon King's core, this crystal contained a portion of the Sea God's essence.
Skydream's eyes lit up.
"So if Yuhao collects all of these… could he become the Sea God?"
The thought alone made him excited.
"Possible in theory," Electrolux said calmly, "but unnecessary in practice."
"Reconstructing a shattered divine seat you don't fully understand may be even harder than creating a new one from scratch."
The ocean's authority had already returned to the plane. As long as one gained the ocean's recognition and the faith of sea spirit beasts, rebuilding such a position was not impossible.
But for Yuhao, it wasn't worth abandoning his current path.
Skydream sighed in disappointment. "Then why call it a curse?"
Huo Yuhao answered calmly.
"These fragments belong to Tang San… and he's still alive."
"The one who understands the Sea God's power best is still him. If he has left any means behind, these fragments could act as anchors, linking him back to the Douluo Plane. The more complete they are, the stronger that connection becomes."
Even if it was just speculation, it wasn't something to ignore.
After all, divine power fragments falling here was one thing.
But fragments of a divine seat?
That felt deliberate.
Caution was necessary.
"Anchors?" Skydream instinctively stepped back, pointing at the crystal. "You mean this thing could connect to Tang San?"
Snow Empress nodded slightly.
"If a being possesses an anchor, it is entirely possible to establish a connection across planes. And this is a fragment of a divine core. Nothing could serve as a better link."
She, too, suspected it might be Tang San's arrangement.
Even without a divine seat, no one would simply let such power go to waste.
Skydream's expression immediately turned serious.
"Then shouldn't we leave this place right away?"
They had been so focused on the benefits that they nearly forgot—
The owner of this power was still alive.
Electrolux sighed slightly.
"You're overthinking it."
"Connection works both ways. It requires sufficient power on both ends. A shattered divine seat without divine power has very limited effect. Only when enough fragments are gathered would it truly matter."
Moreover, Tang San had likely paid a heavy price already. He might not have the strength to act for quite some time.
Hearing this, Skydream and Ice Empress finally relaxed.
"So for Yuhao, this is basically useless?" Skydream asked.
"Not quite."
Electrolux smiled faintly.
"Divine seats in your world function like a form of inheritance. Even as fragments, they still contain a great deal of knowledge."
As he spoke, a strand of his divine consciousness touched the crystal.
Light flickered.
A scene unfolded before them.
An endless ocean.
A figure stood upon the sea, holding a trident.
Then—
It moved.
The trident seemed to vanish, yet its presence filled everything. A strange, indescribable sensation spread outward, as if space and time themselves were being woven into the motion.
Mist-like light drifted through the air, each fragment carrying its own story, its own fragment of time.
An ethereal fluctuation washed over them.
Huo Yuhao felt as if he had lived through a thousand years in an instant.
There was no pain.
No clear sensation.
Only the quiet flow of time, like a gentle current, carrying everything forward.
***
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