Chapter 21: As Expected of the Ice Empress, Such Beauty!
"Behave! Move again and I'll munch on you like a popsicle!"
Bear Lord threatened in a low, muffled voice. He turned his massive head toward Lin Yu on his back, his tone instantly shifting to one of respectful fawning:
"Master, the chill is heaviest in that crystal valley ahead. That must be the old lair of this 'Ice Empress.' This wretched place is so cold it's making old Bear's claws go numb."
Lin Yu stood with his hands behind his back on Bear Lord's shoulders. His golden eyes pierced through the swirling snow, gazing at the magnificent ice crystal palace ahead, naturally formed from billions of years of profound ice. The palace was crystal clear, refracting hues of deep blue and silvery white, exuding an extreme chill and majesty that repelled anyone from thousands of miles away.
Huo Yuhao, seated further back, was shielded by Lin Yu's invisible power, but his spiritual sea was in a total upheaval thanks to the Daydream Ice Worm's frantic mental "spamming."
"She's coming, she's coming, she's coming! Yuhao! It's the Ice Empress! That's her aura! My god, it's cold, domineering, and carries a fatal temptation that makes my legs weak—though I don't have legs right now... Ack, wait! It's fatal danger! Little Ancestor Huo, hide well! The Ice Empress has a temper far more explosive than that big dummy! One flick of her scorpion tail can freeze your soul into dregs!"
The golden light ball of the Daydream Ice Worm huddled in a corner, shivering. The fear the Ice Empress had once instilled in it was etched into its very core.
Gu Yuena's clone, standing silently beside Lin Yu, remained unmoved by the wind. Her purple eyes, deep as an abyss, observed everything. Her powerful divine sense had already covered the area; the potent, icy soul power fluctuations deep within the palace could not be hidden from her.
Just as Bear Lord, carrying the still-shouting Ah Tai ("Your Majesty, save me! Kill these bastards!"), was about to step into the absolute forbidden zone surrounding the palace—
"Buzz—!"
The space of the entire ice crystal valley suddenly solidified!
The howling blizzard seemed to hit a pause button. Every snowflake and ice crystal suspended in the air, refracting a cold and lethal light. A terrifying chill, several times more powerful and pure than Ah Tai's, descended like an awakening Ice God!
The temperature plummeted again! Even the air seemed to freeze into solid blue crystals. Thick white frost instantly covered Bear Lord's dark-gold fur. His massive body sank heavily, and the ten-thousand-year-old profound ice beneath his feet groaned under the burden.
On his shoulder, Ah Tai went silent instantly. His giant body stiffened, his eyes filled with reverence and the frantic joy of being rescued.
The massive doors of the ice crystal palace opened silently. A figure stepped out onto the frozen stairs, descending slowly. She was tall, with proportions so perfect they seemed unearthly. Her long, jade-green hair was like a waterfall of the purest emerald, reaching her ankles and shimmering with a heart-stirring luster under the light. Her skin was whiter than snow, her features exquisite yet cold as if carved from eternal ice, devoid of any worldly emotion. Most striking were her eyes—like two top-tier emeralds, emotionless and filled with the pride of one who looked down upon all living things.
She wore a battle skirt naturally condensed from Ultimate Ice, outlining breath-taking curves while radiating a majesty that could freeze anything.
This was one of the Three Heavens Kings of the Far North, with a cultivation level approaching 400,000 years, the ruler of Ultimate Ice—the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress, Ice Empress!
Her gaze, sharp as invisible ice picks, swept across the group. It lingered briefly on Bear Lord, Lin Yu, Gu Yuena's clone, and Huo Yuhao, carrying a sense of scrutiny and cold killing intent. When she saw the battered and withered Ah Tai being slung over Bear Lord's shoulder like a trophy, a soul-freezing rage erupted in her emerald eyes!
"ROAR—!!!"
A sharp shriek that nearly tore through space exploded from the Ice Empress! It wasn't a dull roar like Ah Tai's, but a sound filled with extreme cold and piercing power!
"Bear Lord?! You beast from Star Dou! Who gave you the gall to trespass into the core of my Far North and wound the soul beasts of my land?!"
The Ice Empress's voice was saturated with boundless fury. She locked her gaze onto Bear Lord, her terrifying pressure falling like a collapsing mountain!
Bear Lord felt as if the entire Far North was targeting him. Every bone and meridian felt a bone-chilling cold and pressure, forcing a muffled groan from his throat. Although his cultivation years were higher than the Ice Empress's, they weren't by much—and this was her home turf. He was naturally struggling.
But remembering the Master on his back, he forced his spine straight, sinking his Dark Golden Terrorclaws deep into the ice to stabilize himself. He bellowed:
"Ice Empress! Stop putting on airs before old Bear! If you're smart, you'll submit to my Master immediately! Otherwise..."
He wanted to throw out a harsh threat, but as the Ice Empress's cold gaze swept over him, the rest of his words got stuck in his throat, and he instinctively shrank his neck.
"Master?"
The Ice Empress's vision finally focused entirely on the black-haired, golden-eyed youth on Bear Lord's back. Her pupils constricted slightly. She knew Bear Lord's strength well; for that arrogant fellow to be so respectful—even fearful—while calling someone "Master," this person was not simple!
However, what made her heart ring with even louder alarm bells was the peerless woman beside Lin Yu. That woman simply stood there, seemingly merged with the snow, her aura ethereal and hard to grasp, yet giving the Ice Empress an unspeakable sense of oppression originating from the very level of life itself! That feeling... actually made her feel fear.
"Hmph!"
The Ice Empress forcibly suppressed the shock in her heart, redirecting her rage toward Lin Yu. Cold light flared in her emerald eyes:
"So it was you who wounded my Ah Tai? And you wish to subdue this Queen? Human, you are playing with fire! No—you are seeking death!"
Her scorpion tail suddenly whipped up, the stinger locking onto Lin Yu. A point of deep green light condensed rapidly, the surrounding temperature dropping toward the edge of absolute zero. The space itself seemed ready to freeze and crack!
"Lady Ice Empress! Kill them! Save me! They even wanted to capture you..." Ah Tai screamed, having found his pillar of support.
Lin Yu acted as if he didn't hear Ah Tai's howling or care about the Ice Empress's lethal stinger. Instead, he studied her flawless, frost-cold face with great interest, then flashed a smile that, in the Ice Empress's eyes, was extremely infuriating.
"Tsk, tsk. Truly well-deserved fame."
Lin Yu nodded, his tone as relaxed as if he were critiquing a piece of art: "That temper is indeed explosive."
Ignoring the Ice Empress's face turning pale with rage and eyes nearly spitting ice-flames, he slowly pointed to the "ice pillar" Ah Tai on Bear Lord's shoulder. His smile became even more playful:
"As for him? This Seat was merely helping you educate your subordinate, letting him understand that those who recognize the circumstances are the truly wise. This boy is quite loyal to you—stubborn unto death. This Seat was quite moved."
How should the Ice Empress respond to this bold appraisal, and will Lin Yu's "diplomacy" work on the coldest ruler of the North?