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After acquiring his Soul Ring, Yuwen Tuo pressed deeper into the Land of the Extreme North in order to catch up to Huo Yuhao.
However, Huo Yuhao's travel speed was truly lacking. Even though Yuwen Tuo had already spent two days searching for his third Soul Ring, by the time he ventured deep into the Extreme North, that fellow had still only covered slightly more than half the distance.
His physical constitution was indeed somewhat poor.
But Yuwen Tuo wasn't worried. He casually found a place and settled down to cultivate peacefully.
Another day passed. At noon, Yuwen Tuo, who was in the midst of cultivation, suddenly sensed a powerful spiritual force rising not far away.
He knew that the scene he had been waiting for was about to begin.
Utilizing his movement technique, he hurried over. By the time he arrived, it was precisely the moment the Ice Emperor had been trapped by the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm using its shed husk.
Subsequently, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm moved the Ice Emperor away, and Yuwen Tuo quickly followed in secret.
He knew Tianmeng intended to take the Ice Emperor to a quieter place, devoid of Soul Beasts, to facilitate the Ice Emperor's sacrifice there.
After the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm landed with the Ice Emperor, it immediately spread its spiritual power outwards in all directions.
Sensing the diffusion of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual power, Yuwen Tuo knew it was scanning the surroundings.
Yuwen Tuo instantly summoned the Xuanyuan Sword, "Sword Domain!"
Spiritual power is also a form of energy. In any case, any force approaching within one chi of Yuwen Tuo would be destroyed, including spiritual power.
If it were an extremely offensive spiritual power, it might have a chance to break through the Sword Domain. Unfortunately, from head to toe, Tianmeng was purely auxiliary in nature, and in its current state, the amount of spiritual power it could wield was limited.
Therefore, even if its scan passed over Yuwen Tuo's surroundings, as long as it didn't see him with its own eyes, it wouldn't discover him.
Yuwen Tuo didn't reveal himself rashly. He wanted to wait until Tianmeng had persuaded the Ice Emperor first. After all, both being Soul Beasts, Tianmeng understood the Ice Emperor's worries at this moment better than anyone else.
The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm brought the Ice Emperor to a silent place and began eloquently explaining its god-making plan, completely unaware that someone was already secretly gathering power nearby.
Soon, their conversation reached the most critical point. Tianmeng was heard saying, "Ice Emperor, you must understand one thing: only the life of a god is truly endless!"
"It's true that when we Soul Beasts reach a cultivation of one hundred thousand years, we get a chance to rebuild ourselves as humans. But how many have the courage to actually do it? A human's life is merely a short century. Even if a Soul Beast transforms into a human, it's only equivalent to a human with innate full soul power. Over the millennia on the Douluo Continent, while perhaps not countless, there have been dozens of humans with innate full soul power. Did they become gods? Furthermore, there's another difficulty for Soul Beasts becoming human: they must come into contact with humans to cultivate quickly. During this period, if they encounter experts at the Soul Douluo level or above, their Soul Beast identity is easily discovered. How can we possibly cultivate safely and smoothly? Becoming a god is just a fantasy for us Soul Beasts!"
"Bing Bing, I'm unwilling to attempt that ethereal method; the possibility of failure is too great. Therefore, I chose another way: to directly create a human deity. At that time, although I won't be a god myself, I can become a part of this human deity. So, I chose to become a Wisdom Soul Ring. I will use my power to help him become a god."
"That's right, in your eyes, perhaps I am just trash. But I have lived long enough. My million-year Soul Ring—looking across the world, whose Soul Ring can compare? I also have an ability that can grant this child Twin Martial Souls. As long as you are willing to help, Bing Bing, whose potential would dare claim to be higher than his?"
Hearing the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm reach this point, the Ice Emperor was finally moved. In any case, she was currently forcefully controlled by Tianmeng's Million-Year Spiritual Cage and its shed husk. Even if she refused, Tianmeng would forcibly turn her into a Soul Ring—one that would temporarily lose its intelligence, only to be revived by divine power once its god-making plan was complete.
Although the Ice Emperor didn't truly believe Tianmeng could kill her, it did indeed possess a million years of cultivation, something even she had to be wary of.
Though unwilling in her heart, the Ice Emperor chose to accept her fate in order to survive, asking in a deep voice: "Tianmeng, your plan sounds good, but there's a fatal problem. This guy's innate soul power is very low. How confident are you?"
"Currently, less than thirty percent, but..." Just as Tianmeng was about to continue persuading her, Yuwen Tuo knew this was enough.
No more needed to be said; otherwise, the Ice Emperor would be completely convinced by it.
"Sword Intent!"
Another skill from the Xuanyuan Sword's first Soul Ring: condensing Sword Intent to increase attack power. At its strongest, it could shatter the void.
Of course, it couldn't achieve that level yet. Limited by Yuwen Tuo's own weakness, it currently couldn't even slice through the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's shed husk.
However, his Xuanyuan Sword's Sword Qi wasn't purely a physical attack, but a dual physical and spiritual strike.
He couldn't cut the husk, but he could sever the soul power connection between Tianmeng and the husk.
This was a world of Martial Souls; soul power was the foundation of everything. No matter the spiritual-type soul skill, it required soul power as a basis to be used. And at this moment, although the spiritual power was Tianmeng's, it relied on Huo Yuhao's meager soul power to activate that spiritual power.
But how much soul power did Huo Yuhao possess? Just over level ten.
Yuwen Tuo couldn't sever Tianmeng's spiritual power directly yet, but couldn't he easily sever the link fueled by Huo Yuhao's soul power?
Without Tianmeng using the Spiritual Cage to restrain the Ice Emperor within the husk, the Ice Emperor, with her own strength, should be able to shatter that husk. After all, Tianmeng's physical body wasn't strong. Even if one strike wasn't enough, two would suffice.
"What?" Tianmeng was startled. This inexplicably appearing Sword Intent could actually sever the intangible connection between soul power and spirit.
The Ice Emperor was surprised at first, then without any hesitation, unleashed her full power. Striking twice consecutively with the Ice Emperor's Pincers, she successfully broke free from the husk.
She had only willingly listened to Tianmeng's nonsense because she was controlled; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so cooperative.
Although Tianmeng's plan was very tempting, ultimately, a success rate of less than thirty percent... wasn't that a bit low?
Freed, the Ice Emperor immediately took flight, heading towards the source of the Sword Intent that had saved her. Firstly, she worried about being restrained by Tianmeng's Spiritual Cage again, and secondly, she wanted to know who had saved her. Yuwen Tuo also turned, employing the Fire Movement Step, and sped towards the distance.
Tianmeng and Huo Yuhao remained where they were, staring blankly at each other.
Huo Yuhao asked vacantly, "Brother Tianmeng, what exactly happened just now?"
"You're asking me? Who should I ask? Damn it! Brother was this close to convincing Bing Bing, but unexpectedly someone popped out of nowhere to intercept! Such a peculiar Sword Intent... could it be the Snow Emperor?" Tianmeng guessed.
In this Land of the Extreme North, the only one stronger than the Ice Emperor was the Snow Emperor, and coincidentally, the Snow Emperor was a master of the sword path.
Only a Soul Beast as powerful as the Snow Emperor could evade its spiritual detection and hide nearby.
The Empress's Sword, Empress's Palm, Empress's Frigid Heaven were not titles earned in vain.
"Then Brother Tianmeng, what should we do now?" Huo Yuhao was somewhat at a loss; it seemed their entire plan had been disrupted.
"Let's search first. If we really can't find her, we'll have to resort to the backup plan..."
Tianmeng felt like crying but had no tears. The Ice Emperor had already fled; the wood was already made into a boat (what's done is done). What else could it do?
How could Huo Yuhao's travel speed possibly match Yuwen Tuo's Fire Movement Step, or the flying Ice Emperor?
One human and one beast traveled rapidly through the icy landscape.
Although Yuwen Tuo didn't fly using Starfire Traverses the Sky, his movement technique, Tread Snow Without Trace, was by no means slow.
Of course, he definitely couldn't compare to the Ice Emperor.
The Ice Emperor could catch up to and surpass him at any time, but she followed unhurriedly behind Yuwen Tuo, extremely curious about him.
Who exactly was this person, and why did he save her?
After traveling for half a day, the two finally stopped in an utterly silent ice valley.
"Young man, to possess such movement technique and stamina is truly rare. You are much stronger than that Huo Yuhao from before. Now, you should tell me who you really are, and what is your purpose in saving me?" the Ice Emperor asked, landing in front of Yuwen Tuo.