In the icy palace of the far north.
After the introductions were complete, Snow Empress finally understood the identities of the "people" before her.
As for Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King, there was no need to say much. She knew very little about her, almost nothing at all.
The Silver Dragon King, she had only heard of such a being in "legends."
Paimon was Zhongli's martial soul, completely devoid of any "voice."
As for Zhongli, the god, Snow Empress already had her suspicions.
He was most likely the "god" who had recently appeared near the Star Dou Forest, even drawing the descent of another god.
The power of a god could be felt even here in the far north.
"Might I ask why the two of you have come to the far north?"
Snow Empress was puzzled by the arrival of Zhongli and Gu Yuena, as they didn't seem like "enemies."
In the face of absolute power, even with her nearly 700,000 years of cultivation, she was still insignificant.
The gap between a beast and a god was like the difference between a firefly and the moon.
Zhongli "guessed" what she was planning and even explained why her scheme was doomed to fail.
Why would he go so far upon their first meeting?
Clearly, he had his own agenda.
Gu Yuena glanced at Zhongli, then at Snow Empress. Perhaps it would be more effective if she, as the ruler of all spirit beasts, explained the situation.
Even if Snow Empress didn't worship her, words spoken by her would carry more weight.
"Snow Maiden, Zhongli and I have come here to discuss the matter of spirit souls…"
Gu Yuena explained the concept of spirit souls to Snow Empress. If Snow Empress was unwilling to cooperate, she wouldn't force her.
After all, Zhongli was a god. He wasn't an ordinary human who needed to grow stronger; he had no need for any "god-making" plans.
By aligning with Zhongli, she could ascend to the divine realm and be resurrected as a "god" in no time!
Even if it was just the lowest rank of deity, it was still a god!
Da Ming and Er Ming were examples of this.
In short, if Snow Empress agreed to participate in the "Spirit Soul Plan," she would essentially be handed a ticket to godhood.
After hearing Gu Yuena's words, Snow Empress fell into deep thought.
Why had she been planning to transform and start over?
Wasn't it to seize the legendary chance for a "human" to become a god?
For her, whose spirit core was damaged, the path of a spirit beast was essentially closed. Thus, she had no choice but to seek an alternative route.
Now, by becoming a spirit soul for Zhongli, the "Martial God," she would practically be granted eternal life!
If it were a human telling her this, she would have been skeptical.
But these words came from the Silver Dragon King and another deity.
If they merely wanted her spirit ring or spirit bone, it wouldn't have been so complicated for a god!
They could have killed her and refined her in an instant.
"Snow Maiden, this endeavor carries some risk, as it would be a first in the history of spirit masters. If you are unwilling, we will not force you."
Zhongli crossed his arms, his expression serious.
The choice of a god was to leave the decision to the mortal beings.
"Martial God, how confident are you in the spirit soul method?"
Snow Empress was tempted!
She didn't doubt the words of Zhongli and Gu Yuena. Whether she chose to start over or not, she was essentially doomed.
Even if she killed that ninth-rank spirit master in advance, there was no guarantee that another wouldn't appear.
If this spirit soul method truly worked, perhaps it was her only way out.
"Not much…"
With these words, the hearts of Gu Yuena and Snow Empress sank.
"Only a 98% chance of success."
Zhongli said this with a straight face, as if a 98% success rate was low.
Gu Yuena, Snow Maiden: "..."
Well, well, a 98% chance!
In his eyes, was a 100% success rate the only satisfactory outcome?
Snow Empress twitched at the corner of her eye. Though she found it somewhat absurd, her anxious heart finally settled.
A 98% chance, what difference was there from 100%?
This Martial God was truly humble.
After some more thought, Snow Empress finally spoke. "I am willing to try the spirit soul method!"
In the presence of these two, she dared not refer to herself as the Snow Empress.
After all, this woman was the Silver Dragon King, one of the Dragon God's incarnations.
And this man seemed to be some kind of innate Demon God. She didn't understand what a Demon God was, but it was certainly awe-inspiring and undoubtedly powerful.
"That is good."
Zhongli spoke calmly and casually waved his hand, releasing Paimon from the "dark room."
"Zhongli, Paimon was wrong! Paimon won't expose your identity again, please don't lock me in the dark room!"
Paimon emerged, eyes shut, clutching her head, looking utterly miserable.
"Huh?"
As if sensing the chill around her, Paimon opened her eyes and looked around.
"Zhongli, Paimon knows you're the best!"
"Paimon won't speak carelessly anymore, I swear in the Traveler's name!"
Zhongli: "..."
I'm sure the Traveler has no idea you're swearing in her name.
"Snow Maiden, later I will forge a contract between you and Paimon. Your form could either be that of a spirit soul or a martial soul…"
Zhongli ignored Paimon and addressed Snow Empress.
"Martial soul?"
The two women were puzzled.
"Yes. Do you remember the Heavenly Dream Iceworm?"
At the mention of the Heavenly Dream Iceworm, Gu Yuena immediately understood, while Snow Empress took a moment to recall.
The Heavenly Dream Iceworm, wasn't that the incredibly lucky iceworm?
Honestly, if she had the kind of fortune the Heavenly Dream Iceworm had, not only would she have no trouble with the 700,000-year tribulation, but even the 900,000-year tribulation would be nothing.
As for the million-year tribulation, Snow Empress wasn't so confident.
"The Heavenly Dream Iceworm accidentally merged with me, resulting in a spirit ring, which is the one Paimon currently possesses."
Zhongli didn't elaborate on how the "accident" happened, and the two women didn't press for details.
This explanation wasn't wrong, it was indeed an accidental merger!
Then, along with the recently transmigrated Electrolux... they "died" in a rather bizarre way.
The Heavenly Dream Iceworm was reckless, and Electrolux was an accident.
"But it didn't leave behind a spirit bone. Instead, it left an intangible ice-attribute martial soul. By merging with the first spirit ring, one could obtain the corresponding martial soul."
There was nothing wrong with Zhongli's explanation. If he had chosen to merge with the spirit ring, it would have indeed worked as he described.
But due to the contract between him and Paimon, Paimon also carried an intangible ice-attribute martial soul!
Yes, as Zhongli's "martial soul," Paimon also possessed a martial soul, though it currently lacked a physical form.
Snow Empress and Gu Yuena were stunned, unsure of what to say.
After a long pause, Snow Empress finally spoke. "Whether I become a martial soul or a spirit soul, I am willing to try!"
Such an opportunity wasn't available to every spirit beast.
From Zhongli's straightforward words, it was clear he wasn't some evil god. Following him might lead to an extraordinary future.
Among the four "people" present, only Paimon looked utterly confused, unaware of what had just happened.