The far north is frozen solid for eternity.
The gale was like a knife, whipping up heavy snowflakes that ravaged the endless frozen ground.
The world was a single color, so white it was unsettling.
In this forbidden zone of life, even the most cold-resistant spirit beasts choose to lie dormant beneath the ice, daring not to show their faces.
A baby in swaddling clothes lay all alone in the thick snow.
Inside was an infant named Xue Yunxiao.
Not long ago, he was the most beloved little prince of Emperor Xueye, residing in the most magnificent and warm palace of the Heaven Dou Empire.
And now, he has been carelessly abandoned here.
The little body was losing its last bit of heat rapidly.
His skin was frozen purple, and his breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible.
The chill of impending death is seeping into my heart from every part of my body.
A youthful yet cold face flashed through Xue Yunxiao's mind.
She was a blonde girl of about eleven years old, holy and noble, like an angel.
A thousand feet of snow.
In order to eliminate potential rivals for imperial power, she decided to kill.
But when she saw the innocent baby in her swaddling clothes, who just smiled foolishly at her, her murderous intent wavered.
"never mind."
She finally waved her hand and said calmly to her subordinates.
"Send him away, and never let him know about his background."
A prince who poses no threat is not worth her personal attention.
But she ultimately overestimated human loyalty and underestimated the allure of power.
Her subordinates, eager to "share the burdens of their master," made an even more "thorough" decision.
This innocent baby was abandoned in this perilous northern land, left to fend for itself.
After all, Lady Qianrenxue only said she would send him away, but didn't say where she would send him.
By doing this, we are not disobeying orders.
"roar--!!!"
A deep roar made the wind and snow pause.
A huge shadow fell.
A giant ape, over five meters tall and covered in thick white fur, strode in with heavy steps.
Its scarlet eyes were fixed on the small, faintly warm "food" in the snow.
A hundred-year-old soul beast, the Titan Snow Demon!
For a defenseless infant, this is an utterly insurmountable despair.
Xue Yunxiao felt a chill run through her as she felt the bloody wind.
"I'm already being fed to monsters right after I transmigrated here?"
"This start is just too hellish."
Just as the Titan Snow Demon stretched out its enormous, fan-like hand to grab him.
A cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang in his mind.
[Ding! Host detected in an extremely dangerous environment. God-level card-drawing system activated ahead of schedule!]
[New player benefits have been distributed, including a free initial 10-summon!]
[Summon now?]
"yes!"
Xue Yunxiao used all her strength.
[Summoning begins...]
[Congratulations, host! You have obtained the five-star limited character—Water Goddess Funinna!]
In an instant, a pure blue light tore through the gloomy sky.
The blizzard seemed to have been paused by an invisible hand.
Countless glistening water droplets appeared out of thin air, dancing, spinning, and gathering merrily in the air, undeterred by the cold.
Finally, under the astonished gaze of the Titan Snow Demon King, it coalesced into an elegant figure.
It was a young girl.
She wore an exquisite blue hat, and her long, silver-white hair was tinged with lake blue at the ends, like a flowing waterfall.
Wearing a gorgeously tailored dress in blue and white, which perfectly accentuated her curves, she looked elegant yet playful.
She opened her eyes; they were heterochromatic, one as serene as the deep sea, the other as lively as a clear spring.
Her stunningly beautiful face wore a perfectly timed, confident smile, as if she were performing in a stage play.
"uh-huh!"
"It seems someone needs a grand and magnificent redemption!"
Funina flicked her hand, put one hand on her hip, and looked at the dazed Titan Snow Demon King.
"Then let the world applaud my arrival!"
She lifted her skirt slightly and gave an impeccable stage bow.
"A massive celebration!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the water behind her rippled.
Three "sand salon members" composed of pure water elements made an elegant entrance. They circled around Funina once, then transformed into three streaks of azure light, rushing straight toward Titan Snow Demon at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
"roar?"
The Titan Snow Demon didn't even have time to let out a complete roar.
A stream of light passed right through me.
Its massive body froze abruptly, and then, from the inside out, it was instantly disintegrated by an unparalleled force of water element, turning into countless ice crystals that dissipated with the wind.
A hundred-year-old soul beast was thus annihilated.
Funin clapped her hands in satisfaction, seemingly very pleased with her impeccable performance.
Then, her gaze fell on the small swaddled baby on the ground.
"oops?"
She widened her eyes slightly and walked over quickly.
"How could there be... a little life here?"
With one hand on her chest, Funinna slowly bent down, her magnificent skirt spreading out on the snow.
The dramatic expression that had been on her face was gone.
She stretched out her slender fingers and carefully touched Xue Yunxiao's cold little face.
"Oh dear, I'm almost frozen stiff."
She gently picked up Xue Yunxiao, still in her swaddling clothes, and held her close to her chest.
That embrace was incredibly warm.
A moist and gentle water elemental energy emanated from her, forming a tiny bubble with a pale blue halo that enveloped Xue Yunxiao.
[May the water god protect you].
Outside the bubbles, the wind and snow continued.
Inside the bubble, it was warm as spring.
The pure water elemental power gently nourished Xue Yunxiao's frozen body, dispelling the chill that had seeped into her bones.
Xue Yunxiao's body quickly warmed up, her cyanotic complexion gradually returned to a rosy hue, and her weak heartbeat became stronger.
He greedily inhaled the warm air and gave Funina a relieved smile.
I breathed a long sigh of relief.
I'm so glad I survived.
But just then, he noticed that Funina's figure seemed to have become slightly transparent.
"Huh?"
Xue Yunxiao blinked in surprise.
Funina noticed his gaze, looked down at the little one in her arms, and smiled helplessly.
"It seems my energy isn't quite enough."
She explained softly.
"I am not a physical entity, but merely a projection you have summoned."
"With your current strength, it is not enough for me to exist in this world for long."
Xue Yunxiao listened quietly.
"Only when you awaken your martial soul at the age of six, and in the future, when you obtain your first soul ring..."
"Only then will you be able to provide me with enough energy so that I can stay by your side in my whole form for a long time."
(End of chapter)