Huo Yuhao looked at Snow Empress for a while, then after a moment of silence, he exhaled softly and spoke with a serious tone:
"I will give you an answer!"
He said this directly, causing Gu Yuena to look over in confusion, blinking her eyes.
What was Yuhao talking about?
Huo Yuhao didn't explain further, instead, he gave a gentle smile and softly said to Gu Yuena, "When you understand, we'll talk again."
Then, he exchanged a glance with Snow Empress, looked away, and said no more.
Words alone were useless; actions mattered.
If he had done something wrong, he would take responsibility.
But as Snow Empress had said, he couldn't let this hinder their progress.
The spirits in his spiritual sea watched this scene unfold, their jaws dropping in surprise. Among them, Ice Empress recalled her earlier conversation with Snow Empress and couldn't help but twitch her lips.
Had she worried for nothing?
Snow… was truly magnanimous.
…
The three of them had a peaceful lunch, and afterward, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena followed Snow Empress into the hotel.
It was only now that Dark Phoenix Douluo Leng Yulai had the chance to catch up with the group.
She noticed the smile on Snow Empress's lips and her eyes flickered.
Today, Snow Empress seemed… happy?
Was it because she had taken on a disciple?
Leng Yulai glanced at Huo Yuhao, her expression slightly odd.
This kid had nothing to do with Ultimate Ice, right? Although Snow Empress's strength was more than enough to teach him, why choose him?
Just because he passed the Red-Level Assessment?
Leng Yulai felt there was more to it than that.
"My stay here is somewhat related to Divine Craftsman Zhenhua," Snow Empress explained as she led the group out of the hotel, walking and speaking. "I need two pieces of Heaven Forged metal, but Divine Craftsman Zhenhua recently performed a Heaven Forging and is currently recuperating. He's unable to perform another Heaven Forging for now, so I've been staying here for a while."
Huo Yuhao nodded.
Heaven Forging involved enduring heavenly lightning tribulations. Unless one was like Tang Wulin, who could handle it with his soul power, performing a Heaven Forging would require a period of recovery.
Because of the lightning tribulations, the lifespan of a Divine Craftsman was short. After teaching Tang Wulin Heaven Forging, Zhenhua had retired.
A Title Douluo's forging lifespan was probably less than twenty years, mainly because the repeated lightning strikes severely damaged their bodies, reducing their Heaven Forging success rate.
Which Title Douluo could endure heavenly lightning tribulations every day?
Huo Yuhao's expression turned slightly odd.
'In this era, aside from human battle armor, there's also soul beast battle armor. The demand for Heaven Forged metal has increased even further… Is Zhenhua still holding up?'
It's only been a few years, so he should still be managing, right?
As they walked down the street, the appearance of the two stunning beauties attracted a lot of attention. Some in the crowd even exclaimed, "It's Pagoda Master Snow Empress! She's really in Heaven Dou City, just like the rumors said!"
Snow Empress's smile faded, and spatial energy began to rise from her body. But before she could act, a spiritual domain spread out from Huo Yuhao, and the four of them vanished from the crowd's sight.
"They disappeared!"
"No, who was it that shouted? Drag them out and beat them up! It's rare to see a big figure from the Spirit Pagoda, and I wanted to get her autograph!"
"Isn't Pagoda Master Xiong Jun in the Spirit Pagoda over there?"
"Is that the same? One is a beauty with immense strength, and the other… cough."
Realizing that continuing this line of conversation wasn't appropriate, the speaker coughed lightly and fell silent.
Within the spiritual domain, the four of them passed through the crowd unnoticed. Huo Yuhao and Snow Empress shared a spiritual link, and Huo Yuhao's expression turned odd. "No wonder you set up spatial energy in the pavilion. It seems you're often troubled by this."
Snow Empress nodded and sighed. "I'm quite well-known among the common folk."
Even Di Tian had made it into the newspapers, and some textbooks included information about him. How could her fame be any less?
There were many representatives from the Star Dou Forest, but for the Extreme North, she was the main figure. Coupled with her long-standing presence in Mingdu City over the past ten thousand years, there were bound to be some lingering effects.
If Princess Sea had been willing to step into the world, Snow Empress might not have had to work so hard.
Unfortunately, the sea soul beasts' domain was the ocean, and their race had always been reluctant to truly set foot on land. This was evident from the fact that the rankings of the Ten Great Fierce Beasts only included land-based beasts.
As Snow Empress and Huo Yuhao communicated spiritually, Leng Yulai frowned, her gaze fixed intently on Huo Yuhao, her heart filled with shock.
She had sensed Huo Yuhao's spiritual power.
Spirit Abyss level?
How was that possible?
At his age, even Yun Ming couldn't achieve that!
Her heart stirred as she glanced at Gu Yuena.
This girl had good taste, at least in terms of strength, he was worthy of her.
Gu Yuena was still pondering Huo Yuhao's earlier words and didn't notice Leng Yulai's gaze.
What did Yuhao mean by his answer?
She glanced at Snow Empress, then her gaze settled on Huo Yuhao, who was nearby. She seemed to grasp something, pursing her lips slightly.
The Heaven Dou Blacksmiths' Association building was one of the most prominent landmarks in Heaven Dou City.
As the four of them arrived in front of the association building, Huo Yuhao finally withdrew his domain.
On the top floor, a middle-aged man who had sensed a powerful presence walked to the window and saw this scene. His gaze immediately focused on Huo Yuhao.
Level 36… about to break through to Level 37, and at such a young age, he already had a domain, and it was a spiritual-type body soul?
Most importantly, Spirit Abyss level spiritual power!
The middle-aged man's eyes lit up as he looked at Huo Yuhao, even becoming slightly excited, barely containing his thoughts.
But when he saw Snow Empress, his expression froze.
Why… of all people, someone from the Spirit Pagoda?
As the middle-aged man's emotions churned, Huo Yuhao and the others stepped into the Blacksmiths' Association. Leng Yulai approached a staff member and asked, "How is His Excellency Zhenhua's condition?"
"His Excellency has fully recovered. Please follow me."
Clearly, Leng Yulai and Snow Empress had been here before. The staff member recognized them and quickly arranged for someone to lead them to Zhenhua's office.
Zhenhua's office wasn't lavishly decorated; it was simple and clean.
A handsome middle-aged man with black hair and black eyes sat behind the desk. Seeing Snow Empress and Leng Yulai arrive, he stood up and nodded, gesturing to the sofa nearby. "Pagoda Master Snow Empress, Lady Dark Phoenix, and you two youngsters, please have a seat."
"Your Excellency Zhenhua, sorry to disturb you," Snow Empress said politely, then she and the other three sat down on the sofa. "Regarding the Heaven Forging of the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal, have you made any progress?"
Zhenhua: "…"
Honestly, I feel like you're putting me in a difficult position, Pagoda Master Snow Empress.
Ice Extreme Divine Crystal is such a rare metal that it's impossible to find on the market. There's no opportunity to practice with it. Even if you gave me the metal to study, it wouldn't help.
Zhenhua smiled bitterly. "Pagoda Master Snow Empress, I'm not trying to shirk responsibility, but I truly can't accomplish this task right now. My success rate for Heaven Forging is only twelve percent, and the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal is an extremely precious material. Without the ice spirit, it's better used for Soul Forging. If it has the ice spirit, it can be used directly."
"Entrusting it to me for Heaven Forging practice would be a waste."