The icy mound collapsed, unleashing the immense power of ice that had been hidden within.
This surge of ice-attribute energy was incomparably pure and vast, as though it had been deliberately sealed inside the icy hill. Now, disturbed by the activation of a peculiar crystal, it erupted.
The explosion of energy set off a massive blizzard at the heart of the Extreme North.
Visibility, which had previously extended to the distant horizon, now shrank to just a meter in all directions.
More terrifying still, beastly howls echoed faintly in the storm.
These howls were filled with greed and violence—clearly, soul beasts had been lured by the eruption of ice energy.
To soul beasts attuned to ice, it was like blood in the water for sharks—a call they couldn't resist. Many were bottlenecked by age and saw this as a potential breakthrough opportunity.
Among them were even hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
These ancient beasts had to survive tribulations to reach their age. Not all had the confidence to pass them. A pure and powerful source of ice energy could significantly increase their odds of survival.
To them, this surge of power was a lifeline.
Even the three great kings of the Extreme North had been disturbed by the explosion.
After all, Snow Empress and Ice Empress themselves had no certainty of surviving their next tribulations.
Xuan Zi burst from the collapsed ice hill, clutching Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei, using his immense soul power to create a protective barrier and hover mid-air, shielding them from the blizzard. His gaze was sharp, his expression grim.
"The eruption of ice energy has triggered these beasts into a frenzy? Looks like we'll have to retreat from the core zone for now."
The rampage of soul beasts, coupled with the harsh weather…
Even a Super Douluo couldn't simply bulldoze their way through.
They had to withdraw.
Xuan Zi quickly assessed the situation and realized it was time to leave.
"If I'd just probed the ice mound beforehand…" he muttered with a sigh.
Had he been more cautious, this might not have happened. Perhaps the dormant energy could have even benefitted Huo Yuhao.
Yuhao blinked. Somehow, it felt quite fitting that such a slip-up would happen to Xuan Zi—unexpected, but also completely on brand.
It was a surprise to everyone. Who could have imagined that this modest ice mound concealed such a massive and pure source of power?
As Xuan Zi prepared to retreat with Yuhao and Bei Bei, he turned to Yuhao and promised, "Little Huo, the situation's changed, but once it settles down, I'll personally bring you back here to the core zone to look for treasures."
"Mhm, I'll follow Elder Xuan's arrangements," Yuhao nodded obediently.
What else could he do? His only option now was to play the part of a well-behaved, understanding junior.
Xuan Zi nodded in satisfaction, convinced that Yuhao was completely under his thumb.
Then, using his soul power to blast aside the snowstorm, Xuan Zi led the retreat toward the outer region of the Extreme North's core zone.
Inside the protective barrier, Bei Bei looked tense. The storm had swallowed up the view in all directions, but the low growls of soul beasts echoed from everywhere, pressing in like death itself.
Bei Bei also felt guilty toward Huo Yuhao.
This trip was supposed to awaken Yuhao's martial soul. But instead, they triggered a massive upheaval. Now they were forced to retreat, and who knew when they'd be able to return?
Each day's delay was a lost opportunity for Yuhao's awakening—and his cultivation.
Bei Bei couldn't even imagine how to make up for it if Yuhao never got the chance to return.
But in stark contrast, Yuhao showed no trace of fear. Instead, his eyes darted around, keenly observing the surroundings.
A blizzard? Rampaging beasts? Even if the whole Extreme North collapsed or the three great kings showed up, Yuhao wasn't scared.
With Tianmeng's molted husk wrapped around him, he could just lie down in the snow. Even if the kings danced on his back, they wouldn't detect him, much less hurt him.
That's what happened in the original story—Titan Snow Demon King had literally stepped on him without noticing a thing.
"This feels less like a lucky encounter, and more like a trap," Yuhao said telepathically to Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
"No need to guess—it was a trap," Tianmeng replied. "That dead soul beast left behind this mess on purpose. What kind of soul beast dies and still won't rest in peace? A proper death wouldn't leave behind a sealed crystal containing its soul and spiritual essence."
Tianmeng didn't know dragons well, but he knew a lot about death.
He'd done something similar, after all—his own soul and essence were sealed inside Yuhao's spiritual sea right now.
"But I didn't sense any malicious energy before, only a convergence of luck," Yuhao mused. "So maybe the trap wasn't intentional. We must've accidentally disturbed the beast's arrangements, triggering this crisis."
It was a pity to lose that much ice-attribute energy.
Still, Yuhao hadn't fully awakened his Ultimate Ice martial soul yet, so it wouldn't have helped much anyway.
Time to move on.
Yuhao turned his attention back to his surroundings.
Even with limited visibility, he could still see the flow of fortune energy using his aura perception skill.
"The rougher the seas, the pricier the fish," Yuhao thought to himself. "With so much chaos in this storm, there might be an opportunity hidden within."
Tianmeng suddenly interrupted, "Hey, Yuhao—are we really just leaving with Xuan Zi?"
"Leave the Extreme North? If we can get out safely, I'll call it a win. Tianmeng-ge, stay ready to shield me anytime," Yuhao said with a grin. He was already prepared.
Bei Bei's death mark still hadn't appeared yet.
And sure enough, just as they were about to cross the boundary out of the core zone, a massive ice-blue dragon claw slashed through the storm, reaching straight for them.
Xuan Zi's eyes blazed. He roared, "You beast! Courting death!"
Nine soul rings burst to life around him, fully displaying the might of a Super Douluo.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!
The rings spun around him as the Taotie Divine Bull martial soul emerged behind him. He completed martial soul fusion in an instant, his body swelling with power.
Blazing yellow light exploded from him.
With both hands occupied (still holding Yuhao and Bei Bei), he simply lifted his leg and kicked upward—straight into the oncoming dragon claw.
Boom!
A dull thud echoed through the snowstorm.
And it was the dragon claw that got sent flying.
No soul skills—just raw physical strength empowered by martial soul fusion. That alone was enough to utterly crush the attacking beast.
The snowstorm tore apart at the point of impact, revealing the soul beast behind it.
A long, winged, ice-blue dragon-type beast, about fifteen or sixteen meters long with four limbs. But one of its forelimbs had already been shattered, leaking icy-blue blood.
It flailed its wings, trying to regain balance.
Tianmeng recognized it immediately.
"That's a Polar Iceclaw Dragon, a pseudo-dragon soul beast. Its strongest trait is its four claws, sharp enough to split mountains. Judging by its size, this one's probably around 60,000 years old."
"A dragon-type soul beast attacks first?" Yuhao narrowed his eyes.
Coincidence? Or something more?
Before Xuan Zi could finish off the beast, another twist came.
A huge white-furred hand suddenly stretched out of the storm and grabbed the Iceclaw Dragon.
That fifteen-meter-long beast looked like a toy in the giant hand. It struggled and screamed, slashing with its claws—but it couldn't even scratch the hand.
Xuan Zi and Bei Bei both turned pale.
The sheer size alone was terrifying.
Yuhao's expression also tensed.
A deep voice echoed from the storm:
"Humans? A Titled Douluo dares intrude into my Extreme North? Hand over the treasure that drew the little dragon, or you'll meet the same fate!"
The hand clenched.
Like squashing a mosquito, the Iceclaw Dragon exploded—blood spraying from between the giant fingers. Its cries stopped instantly.
Then the hand, still holding the corpse, withdrew into the storm.
And the blizzard began to die down—revealing a colossal figure over a hundred meters tall.
It stood like a Titan, eyes glowing with icy malice, piercing the snow.
As the snow thinned, the figure became clearer.
It looked surprisingly humanoid, with long arms and thick white fur covering its body—even its face resembled a human's, albeit with heavy forehead wrinkles. Its skin was gray-blue, and two massive tusks jutted from its mouth.
Its full height was at least 120 meters.
It tossed the dragon corpse into its mouth and started chewing.
Yuhao squinted, and Tianmeng shouted in shock:
"Titan Snow Demon King?!"
It was one of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North—the third king himself!
"We're screwed—we're absolutely screwed! One of the Three Kings is here!!!" Tianmeng panicked.
Yuhao, though, had a question.
"The Titan Snow Demon King barely passed the 200,000-year mark. So tell me—how does it have the guts to block a Level-98 Super Douluo like Xuan Zi and shamelessly demand he surrender a treasure?"
Tianmeng fell silent, deep in thought.
Yeah… how indeed?
Just because it's hairy?
The strength comparison between soul beasts and soul masters involves many factors.
Soul power level, soul bone configuration, usage of soul tools, the bloodline of the soul beast... and more.
Even the time period matters.
For example, ten thousand years ago during the Douluo 1 era:
Without external help (including soul bones), a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was typically equivalent to a Titled Douluo under level 95. But in actual combat, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast would often overpower an ordinary Titled Douluo—sometimes even crush them.
Only a Super Douluo at level 95 had absolute confidence in defeating a hundred-thousand-year beast one-on-one.
And that's not even counting the top-tier bloodline beasts—like the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear or the Evil Demon Tiger—which could defeat other ten-thousand-year beasts while still in their thousand-year stage. Complete monsters.
But in the Douluo 2 era—this current timeline—the situation has changed.
During the Soul Master Tournament, Wang Yan explained this in detail to Huo Yuhao and the others:
—A freshly promoted level-90 Titled Douluo who encounters a hundred-thousand-year soul beast has only one option: run. Unless his martial soul and soul rings are especially powerful, he simply doesn't have the power to fight such a beast. But once he reaches level 92 or 93, as long as it's not a Beast King-tier opponent, he can put up a decent fight. And when he hits level 95—Super Douluo—then it's the hundred-thousand-year beast that has to run. Even a two-hundred-thousand-year beast that's pushed its limit may not dare take on a level-95 Titled Douluo.
And this is all without accounting for the soul master's use of soul tools or soul bones—just their own combat power.
Why such a huge shift?
Because the times have changed—and so has the way soul masters cultivate.
The emergence of soul cores made it easier to break through to Titled Douluo, and massively increased their combat strength.
In contrast, soul beasts have changed little over the millennia.
Is it because soul beasts can't form soul cores?
Not at all!
Soul beasts can form soul cores—in fact, they were doing it long before soul masters ever did. But because soul beasts live solitary lives and don't share information, the knowledge of soul cores and how to condense them spread only among a small circle.
Many beasts that reach the hundred-thousand-year level don't even know what a soul core is—let alone know how to form one.
And yet people talk about some so-called "Soul Beast Sovereign"? Where is this so-called beast leader?
So yes, on the Douluo Continent, it's not just the humans who lack common sense—the soul beasts are just as bad.
Judging Douluo 2-era soul masters by Douluo 1-era standards is basically just being a troll.
Which brings us to the key question: Between Xuanzi and the Titan Snow Demon King, who's stronger?
Now, Xuanzi may be an old bastard who screws over his own people and isn't quite right in the head, but in terms of strength, he's definitely one of the top few standing at the pinnacle of the Douluo Continent.
If you ignore soul tools, and the three Ultimate Douluo don't show up, then in the current "patch," Xuanzi is the number-one soul master!
Maybe in the next version, Du Bushi (Poison Not-Dead) will outclass him.
Even if a Rank 9 soul engineer from the Sun-Moon Empire were to show up fully decked out in Rank 9 soul tools, a "naked" Xuanzi could still... escape safely.
With his level-98 cultivation, the gluttonous bloodline of the Taotie Divine Ox martial soul, and six soul bones all over his body—that's where Xuanzi's confidence lies.
In the original work, even Chi Wang, ranked eighth among the Ten Great Savage Beasts, with over 300,000 years of cultivation, was no match for him. Chi Wang got smacked twice and didn't even dare to fight back—just slunk away.
Meanwhile, the Titan Snow Demon King had just barely broken through to 200,000 years—not even in the same league as Chi Wang.
True, the Titan Snow Demon King had Titan and Ice God bloodlines, which gave it some edge to fight above its rank—but not by much.
According to the original story, it was closely matched with the Ice Bear King Xiaobai. And Xiaobai's bloodline, while top-tier, was just about 200,000 years—not near 300,000.
So that's the Titan Snow Demon King's ceiling.
Its only real edge now is the home field advantage of the Extreme North.
But even if the Extreme North boosts its fighting capacity by a tier, that still only puts it at roughly the same level as Chi Wang.
Bottom line: Right now, the Titan Snow Demon King is roughly equal in strength to Chi Wang.
So all we need to see is whether Xuanzi feels like giving it a smack.
That's why Huo Yuhao figured the Titan Snow Demon King must be asking for a beating if it's picking a fight with Xuanzi now.
The Titan Snow Demon King is a rising star in the soul beast world—just reaching 200,000 years, with potential to break into the top ten savage beasts. But it just had to run into Xuanzi, the level-98 lunatic and apex soul master.
This situation? It's classic "arrogant young hero meets an old master who doesn't fight fair"—he's about to get wrecked!
Besides, why would Xuanzi even need to fight to the death?
He just needs to push the Titan Snow Demon King back a little—that's enough to escape with Huo Yuhao and Beibei.
...
And then—Xuanzi charges straight at the Titan Snow Demon King with Huo Yuhao and Beibei in tow.
Huo Yuhao is dumbfounded.
"Huh? What's happening? Why's Xuanzi charging in? Shouldn't we be running away right now?"
He looks toward Xuanzi—only to see he's activated his "red-eye" effect.
"You beast! How dare you show yourself in front of me and boast so shamelessly? Do you not know what death means?!" Xuanzi is enraged.
This damned creature actually dared to eye the crystal treasure that might help Beibei awaken an ultimate element soul—did it really think Xuanzi had a mild temperament?
Only Shrek robs others. When did others start robbing Shrek?
And to think it's just a soul beast!
Xuanzi, already in a bad mood lately, completely snapped.
The Titan Snow Demon King, shocked that a mere human dared attack first, let out a roar and reached a massive claw toward Xuanzi.
"Die, insect!"
Beibei, seeing that huge claw coming, panicked. His heart tightened as he shouted, "Elder Xuan!"—hoping to snap him out of it.
But Xuanzi didn't care.
"Martial Soul True Body!"
With a furious roar, Xuanzi activated his Martial Soul True Body.
His human figure vanished—replaced by a monstrous creature with a goat's body, eyes under the arms, tiger fangs, human claws, and massive bull horns. Over 30 meters tall.
Brilliant yellow light erupted—Xuanzi's nine soul rings hovering between those five-meter-long horns.
A yellow soul-force barrier enveloped Huo Yuhao and Beibei, cradled gently in the ox's claw.
Compared to the Titan Snow Demon King's 120-meter bulk, the Taotie Divine Ox looked small—but it charged anyway, utterly unafraid.
It swung a massive claw—
Boom!
The Titan Snow Demon King's huge body was knocked backward!
Shock filled the beast's eyes. > "How is this human this strong?"
Xuanzi soared into the sky, his voice icy:
"A soul beast that can talk must be a savage beast... then you must be one of the Three Kings of the Extreme North—the Titan Snow Demon King. Titan Snow Demon King, try me if you dare! Even while holding two juniors, I—Xuanzi—can still slaughter you!"
Huo Yuhao: Why does that line sound so familiar?
Beibei, on the other hand, was full of admiration. No more fear—only pure awe. > "Elder Xuan of Shrek is truly incredible!"
Floating midair, Xuanzi roared again:
"Meteor Shower!"
A golden light burst from the Taotie Divine Ox's back, forming countless giant yellow orbs that rained down like falling stars—limitless and overwhelming, as if tearing the sky itself.
Each yellow meteor slammed into the Titan Snow Demon King's massive frame, burying it completely. Only its agonized roars could be heard.
This attack might not have broken its defense, but from those screams—it definitely hurt.
Then Huo Yuhao heard Xuanzi's voice:
"Xiao Huo, can you kill the Titan Snow Demon King? Use its materials—would that help you fully awaken your martial soul?"
"Huh?" Huo Yuhao turned, confused—only to see greedy desire burning in the eyes of the Taotie Divine Ox.
Clearly, Xuanzi had a bold idea.
Get a soul bone from a savage beast, help Huo Yuhao awaken his Ultimate Ice martial soul—when they return to Shrek Academy, Mu En would definitely praise him for maturing.
The Star Dou Forest's savage beasts were off-limits—because of Di Tian and its proximity to the academy. But the Extreme North? Why not give it a try?
Even if a beast tide broke out there, it wouldn't affect Shrek Academy. They could act boldly.
And just as Huo Yuhao was about to answer—
He suddenly felt the "World Auspicious Cloud" above his fate start to stir.
World: Step aside, everyone. I'm about to make my move.
"Human, you're courting death!"
A furious roar shattered the power of Xuanzi's soul skill. The Titan Snow Demon King suddenly rose from the ground, radiating a terrifying aura. The sheer pressure of its presence caused the ice beneath its feet to crack inch by inch.
Having been knocked down by Xuanzi's attack and even forced face-first into the ground, the Titan Snow Demon King was burning with humiliation and rage.
Titan Snow Demon King (internally): That old bastard doesn't fight fair!
It never expected that a casual probing slap would be met with Xuanzi going all out—activating his Martial Soul True Form and immediately dishing out a massive face slap.
How could any beast endure such humiliation?
If word got out, how would it hold its head high in the Extreme North? Wouldn't that Ice Bear King laugh itself to death?
The shame of a king must be repaid in blood!
And so, the Titan Snow Demon King unleashed its ultimate move.
As it held Hao Yuehao and Bei Bei in the palm of its massive hand, the expression on its face—previously aloof and nonchalant—grew solemn.
Xuanzi had previously clashed with the Red King of the Star Dou Forest, a 300,000-year-old beast. The Red King was no match for him, so naturally, Xuanzi didn't take the Titan Snow Demon King seriously—after all, it didn't even rank among the top ten ferocious beasts. He was already entertaining thoughts of killing it and taking its bones.
Xuanzi had always shown disdain for the weak and fearlessness toward the strong.
Yet now, the aura erupting from the Titan Snow Demon King had already surpassed that of the Red King. And it was still growing stronger!
Both Huo Yuhao and the Ice Sky Worm sensed the change.
"Wh-What's going on? Why is its aura this strong?" the Ice Sky Worm stammered. "That doesn't make sense—it shouldn't be this powerful!"
"Exactly why theory must be tested in practice."
Huo Yuhao responded mentally, "Tianmeng-ge, it seems the Titan Snow Demon King is going berserk. Its Titan bloodline and Ice God bloodline are even stronger than we thought. And the support it's receiving from the Extreme North is far greater than we expected!"
He exhaled, trying to steady his nerves—because that roar had scared the crap out of him.
Why shout so damn loud?!
With his aura-sight active, Huo Yuhao clearly saw the dramatic change in the Titan Snow Demon King's fortune.
Beast fate was quite similar to that of human soul masters. There was a faint phantom within the aura, typically a projection of the being itself. Beasts with extraordinary potential had glimmering points of light in their projection. Beasts with special status or standing bore auspicious clouds above their aura and a territorial map below.
The projection within the Titan Snow Demon King's aura was naturally its own. The surrounding aura was denser than anything Huo Yuhao had ever seen—ten thousand times stronger than Bei Bei's!
Top, middle, bottom—all solid and vivid.
Above the aura floated a golden cloud: the Extreme North's auspicious qi, indicating divine favor from the land itself. From within that cloud, golden fortune rained down, strengthening the Titan Snow Demon King's own aura and allowing it to unleash its full power.
Below was the territorial map of the Extreme North. Several areas were brightly lit, representing regions entirely under its control—its dominance extended throughout the core and peripheral zones of the Extreme North.
Legend has it that the Titan Snow Demon race descended from the union of an ancient Ice God and a Titan Giant. As a tribe, they were indisputably the most powerful species in the Extreme North.
Such legends weren't baseless. The Titan Snow Demons truly carried within them a power that surpassed even the Titan bloodline.
As the most exceptional of its kind and the current leader of its race, the Titan Snow Demon King naturally had the ability to awaken that dormant power.
Upon awakening it, its strength would receive an all-around boost.
Even if doing so meant a period of weakness afterward, the Titan Snow Demon King was determined to kill Xuanzi and wash away the shame!
With a thunderous burst, its body swelled again—from 120 meters tall to 150 meters.
Its body was soon encased in a thick armor of solid ice, radiating terrifying defensive strength. The cold it emitted had reached the level of "Absolute Ice."
"ROAR! Ice God Transformation!"
Now transformed, the Titan Snow Demon King locked eyes on the Gluttonous Divine Ox Martial Soul True Form.
Xuanzi snorted coldly, unfazed. The Gluttonous Divine Ox surged upward, flying into the sky to launch another aerial assault.
"Ninth Soul Skill—"
Xuanzi's hundred-thousand-year soul ring began to glow, and behind him, an even more brilliant yellow light radiated.
"You think I fear you, human?!"
The Titan Snow Demon King gathered soul power in its mouth, a glowing ice-blue light forming and radiating freezing waves. It took aim at the Gluttonous Divine Ox.
Let's not forget—the Titan Snow Demon King possessed both the Ice God and Titan bloodlines, the latter being of the same origin as the legendary Titan Giant Ape.
"Titan Demon Roar Cannon!"
"ROOOOAAARRRRR—!!"
At the same time, Xuanzi unleashed his ninth soul skill.
Bei Bei instinctively shut his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Even the residual shockwaves from the battle made his heart pound.
Huo Yuhao calmly covered his ears.
It was an epic clash—but after seeing Pu Du Cihang's memories, he was no stranger to large-scale battles.
BOOM—!!
The two powerful attacks collided like a mountain splitting apart. The force of impact blew both combatants back, and the resulting sound wave reached distant mountain ranges, causing avalanche after avalanche.
The Titan Snow Demon King, being on the ground, ultimately got the worst of it.
Although it could endure the shockwaves, the ice beneath it—which had already cracked from its earlier rage—could not. The ice broke beneath its feet, throwing it off balance and causing its attack to veer off course.
That deflection caused both attacks to scrape past each other rather than collide head-on.
Xuanzi's ninth soul skill struck the Titan Snow Demon King's left flank, knocking it down again. The remaining energy tore a deep rift into the icy ground.
Meanwhile, the Titan Snow Demon King's redirected beam hit the Gluttonous Divine Ox's arm, bending it askew before continuing on through the storm.
The blizzard, previously raging from the explosion of ice energy in the snowfield, was blown apart by that single beam—
Revealing clear skies once more.
The Titan Snow Demon King clambered out of the broken ice. Although its left shoulder had been struck, the icy armor remained intact, leaving it physically unharmed. However, the impact of Xuanzi's ninth soul skill still seeped through the armor, numbing its entire left side.
But instead of retreating, the pain only fueled its bloodlust.
Xuanzi's Gluttonous Divine Ox True Form also remained intact, with only its struck arm numbed.
Yet Xuanzi's eyes turned red.
Because the arm that got hit—was the one holding Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei.
And now…
The two of them were gone.
Protected by his soul power shield just moments ago—now, there was no trace of them.
It was as if they'd been obliterated by the Titan Snow Demon King's beam.
Two promising youths with ultimate elemental affinities—
Snap—gone.
"No! No! NO—!!"
Staring at his now empty hand, Xuanzi was in disbelief.
Then, his fury exploded.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"
A roar of utter anguish tore from his throat.
"BEAST—I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
A two-meter-long millennium Ice Tiger was leisurely strolling across the icy plains—until, in the next second, it collapsed to the ground, stunned and motionless. No matter how hard it tried to figure it out, it couldn't have imagined someone falling from the sky.
The chitin formed from the Heavenly Dream's molted shell softened, and Huo Yuhao dragged the unconscious Bei Bei out of it.
Looking at the still-breathing Ice Tiger, Huo Yuhao criticized,
"Be more careful in your next life. Don't go wandering around aimlessly—you just got unlucky today."
The Ice Tiger, its spine shattered, let out a weak roar.
The Skydream Iceworm translated kindly:
"Bro Hao, it's cursing you!"
Not wanting to see the beast suffer any longer, Huo Yuhao ended its life with a single punch.
"I'm a kind person. I can't bear to see others suffer. I'm just too softhearted."
A millennium soul ring drifted up from the Ice Tiger's body.
Unfortunately, no soul bone.
"Bro Hao, better check on that Bei Bei guy—he's about to freeze solid."
Huo Yuhao turned to see Bei Bei, who was nearly frozen stiff from exposure to the frigid wind.
This was the terror of the core region of the Extreme North.
Startled, Huo Yuhao tightened the molted shell around himself.
Only then did he begin examining Bei Bei's condition. Fortunately, he was merely unconscious—still no chance to loot him.
Being blasted away by the Titan Snow Demon King's verbal assault was not something Huo Yuhao had anticipated. Thankfully, Elder Xuan's soul shield had protected them temporarily.
Unfortunately, Bei Bei's luck ran out, and he was knocked out cold.
Thanks to the molted shell, Huo Yuhao remained conscious.
But soul shields have limits—once they exited the blast radius, the shield dissipated quickly.
With no other options, Huo Yuhao had the Skydream Iceworm wrap both him and Bei Bei in the shell and harden it. Thanks to the shell's special properties, they avoided being splattered on impact.
Huo Yuhao squatted beside Bei Bei and checked his vitals. Confirming that Bei Bei wouldn't wake up anytime soon, he casually took his storage soul tool.
It was a ring-style storage device, adorned with a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon engraving—clearly high-grade.
Huo Yuhao had been eyeing a storage soul tool for a long time, but even the lowest-tier ones were far out of reach for him at the moment.
Luckily, he could just use Bei Bei's.
After all, Bei Bei was his big bro. A big bro's stuff belongs to his little bro. A little bro's stuff still belongs to the little bro.
Injecting soul power into the ring, Huo Yuhao was shocked to find it held a full twenty cubic meters of space, neatly organized with medicines, clothing, gold soul coins, and other items.
Out of respect for the tool, Huo Yuhao had the Skydream Iceworm manipulate the shell to wrap Bei Bei up like a cocoon and strapped him onto his back. The rest of the shell clung to Huo Yuhao, shielding him from the cold.
The shell was breathable—no need to worry about suffocating Bei Bei.
"For now, a living Bei Bei is more useful than a dead one—at least he can keep giving me luck."
Just from looting Bei Bei's ring, Huo Yuhao had already siphoned off a good bit of luck from him. Seeing his own luck value rising, he felt a lot more at ease.
The world's auspicious clouds were stirring—signaling a major event was coming. More luck now might mean more gains later.
As for whether he would continue to protect Bei Bei or keep him alive?
That depended on how things developed.
"Hmm, starting to feel like Gaara." Huo Yuhao used Spiritual Detection to inspect his current aesthetic.
After handling Bei Bei, Huo Yuhao turned to the Ice Tiger and stored its corpse.
The Ice Tiger's blood and energy could help Huo Yuhao in cultivation and possibly aid the white tiger cub in his spiritual sea. Unfortunately, the Ice Tiger wasn't from the white tiger lineage—otherwise, it could've helped the cub grow faster.
Still, Huo Yuhao noted with interest that the Ice Tiger was male. Its frosty… appendage… might have some unique uses.
"Bro Hao, what's the plan now?" the Skydream Iceworm asked.
"Of course, we get away from the battlefield and go fish for the Ice Empress," Huo Yuhao said with a grin.
The battleground between Elder Xuan and the Titan Snow Demon King wasn't far away—Huo Yuhao could still hear the clash. The core region was once again swept up in wind and snow because of them.
But he wasn't planning to return. With a rare moment of freedom, it was time to go find the Ice Empress.
A sacrifice from the Ice Empress would cause a massive disturbance, so Huo Yuhao had to distance himself from the battlefield to avoid drawing attention from Elder Xuan or the Titan Snow Demon King.
With the Skydream Iceworm assisting in Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao chose a direction and began trudging through the blizzard.
But then, something unexpected happened.
He hadn't gone far when he noticed the snowstorm thinning up ahead.
The Skydream Iceworm gasped and quickly warned Huo Yuhao,
"She's here?! Bro Hao, this is bad—hide!"
Too late.
The snow ceased abruptly. A brilliant beam of sunlight shone down from above, bathing Huo Yuhao in golden warmth.
He looked up, squinting into the light, and saw a stunning figure standing high in the sky, silhouetted by the sun and gazing down at him.
A humanoid form—long, flowing white hair trailing down to her feet. Sky-blue eyes, ethereal and transparent, as if they could pierce through all creation. Her slender, flawless body wrapped in a plain white dress—unadorned, yet exuding noble beauty. Cold as plum blossoms blooming in winter—elegant, untouchable, and aloof.
But her expression was frigid, her gaze icy—like a goddess of winter. A single glance could freeze your soul. A step closer meant certain death.
"It's the Snow Empress! It's the Snow Empress!!!" the Skydream Iceworm shrieked in Huo Yuhao's mind.
The woman was none other than the ruler of the Extreme North's Three Great Heavenly Kings—Snow Empress, the Ice-Sky Snow Maiden!
Though the Skydream Iceworm activated Spiritual Detection and warned Huo Yuhao immediately upon sensing her, the Snow Empress was simply too fast in the blizzard.
In the blink of an eye, she stood before him.
The molted shell could mask Huo Yuhao's aura—but the Snow Empress wasn't blind.
A human lugging a cocoon through the core region, walking unaffected by the snow? Of course she was curious.
Snow obscures human eyes—but it becomes the Snow Empress's eyes.
Huo Yuhao looked at her, eyes gleaming, shouting in his heart:
"Bro Tianmeng, capture her! Now!"
Whether it was the Snow Empress or the Ice Empress—it didn't matter. Just capture her!
Besides, the humanoid Snow Empress was way more appealing than the scorpion Ice Empress, right?
The Skydream Iceworm realized it too.
"Right! Who cares how powerful she is—she's in our capture range now! Just do it!"
But before he could act, a voice rang out from behind the Snow Empress.
"Snow Empress, why are you moving so fast? Wait for me!"
Then, a giant scorpion entered their view.
One and a half meters long, its body shimmered in icy blue and emerald green. Its massive pincers were a meter long, covered in hexagonal, gem-like protrusions. The tips and mandibles gleamed like mirrored silver. Its eyes were hexagonal and yellow.
It was the second-ranked of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North—Ice Jade Scorpion Empress, the Ice Empress!
Both beast lords appeared at once.
Huo Yuhao and the Skydream Iceworm fell silent.
The Ice Empress also saw Huo Yuhao and asked coldly,
"Huh? A human?"
Huo Yuhao asked mentally,
"Bro Tianmeng, can you catch both of them at once?"
"Uh… if they don't resist, I can. But right now, if I try to capture one, the other will escape my range. And soon, one of them will definitely attack us."
"And what do you think the odds are they won't resist?"
"..."
Silence. More silence.
But the Ice Empress had no such hesitation. She glared at the silent Huo Yuhao and declared,
"Human, you dare trespass into the Extreme North? Then be buried here!"
Who cares why he's here—humans deserve death!
As she spoke, she readied her attack, soul power flaring and frost spreading.
"Bro Tianmeng, use your once-in-a-lifetime teleport and escape!" Huo Yuhao made a snap decision.
"But…" the Skydream Iceworm hesitated. "Bro Hao, let me try reasoning with Bingbing! But don't worry—I've got the escape ready. We can leave anytime."
The situation was dire, but Huo Yuhao didn't reject the idea.
"Bro Tianmeng, I'll gamble with you!"
What if it worked?
He could confirm through the Beast Seal that the Skydream Iceworm wasn't lying.
They could escape anytime.
So, just as the Ice Empress was about to attack, the Skydream Iceworm flew out of Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, revealing himself.
"Hold it! I have something to say to both of you!"
Sure enough, the Ice Empress paused, stunned.
"You… You're the Skydream Iceworm?!"
That piece of fat that slipped through her jaws—she had never forgotten it.
The Skydream Iceworm, however, was deeply moved.
"Bingbing, you still remember me! I'm so touched! Waaaah, you've always held me in your heart!"
Huo Yuhao: "..."
The Snow Empress's eyes flickered faintly as she stared silently at the Skydream Iceworm.
She sensed something unusual about his current state.
She was intrigued.
Just as the Skydream Iceworm stepped forward, the curious Snow Empress stopped the Ice Empress, giving the Skydream Iceworm a chance to speak.
"Icey, Snow Empress, you two are both probably close to facing your next heavenly tribulation, right...?"
The Skydream Iceworm's persuasion followed the familiar patterns seen in the original story, though this time it included the Snow Empress as well.
He first pointed out that the Ice Empress would be unlikely to survive her next tribulation, and then revealed that the Snow Empress had failed to condense her soul core, losing any hope of breaking through the 700,000-year mark.
Even the Ice Empress wasn't aware of the Snow Empress's failure. The Skydream Iceworm had gleaned this knowledge from the original novel found in Huo Yuhao's memories.
The Snow Empress did not deny it—she merely nodded silently, acknowledging the truth of the Skydream Iceworm's words.
The Ice Empress, now aware of the Snow Empress's situation, turned toward her with worry—and simultaneously, a deeper killing intent arose in her heart toward the Skydream Iceworm.
No matter how he had come by such secret knowledge, she couldn't allow him to leak it. And if his origin power could truly heal the Snow Empress and help her survive her next tribulation, then unless he had a very good reason, she was going to make sure he didn't leave here alive.
The Skydream Iceworm could tell that his words had conveyed the gravity of the situation to both of them, and he was quite satisfied. He then laid out his bold plan—the God-making Project.
"I have a path…"
As the Skydream Iceworm described the details of his god-making plan, the expressions on the faces of both the Snow and Ice Empresses began to change. Their gaze toward him shifted as well. Clearly, they were both stunned by his audacity—and even more shocked by the current state of his bond with Huo Yuhao.
A sentient soul ring—was that really possible?
The Skydream Iceworm didn't mention anything about the original novel or the Divine Realm, and certainly didn't share Huo Yuhao's memories with them.
After all, such things sounded like nonsense.
Far too fantastical.
Even if what they saw seemed convincing, without conclusive evidence, they would never believe it.
Did people really think soul beasts were naive just because they had little contact with human society?
A soul beast that could survive in such a brutal environment and rise above others was certainly more cunning and careful than most humans.
Of course, that excluded rare oddballs like the Skydream Iceworm.
Soon, he finished explaining his full plan and once again invited the two of them to join.
"Icey, Snow Empress, join us. Brother Hao is far more remarkable than you think. He's the chosen one of this era—the Son of Destiny! It's only a matter of time before he becomes a god—he may even reach heights we never imagined!"
His words were deeply earnest.
He had said everything he could. For the sake of the Ice Empress, he had laid his heart bare.
At this moment, the Skydream Iceworm was like a desperate man clinging to hope.
The Ice Empress fell silent, clearly torn—tempted, but still hesitant.
In the end, she turned to the Snow Empress. She knew that, compared to herself, the Snow Empress was far more insightful.
The Skydream Iceworm also anxiously watched the Snow Empress.
Her decision would directly influence the Ice Empress's choice.
At last, the Snow Empress smiled.
Her smile melted even the frozen winds of the Extreme North.
So beautiful and pure that all the colors of the world seemed to dim in comparison.
She began to speak—her voice like mountain streams and falling snow, flowing gently into the hearts of all present.
Even Huo Yuhao had to admit: with a face and voice like that, no wonder the Ice Empress had been "turned."
Who wouldn't be mesmerized?
Even a rock might bloom under that smile.
The Snow Empress said, "I actually have a plan of my own. Would you like to hear it?"
"Huh?" The Skydream Iceworm blinked, then nodded blankly. "I'd love to."
"I recently discovered a hundred-thousand-year snow lotus. With its help, I may be able to reincarnate as a human. And if Icey becomes my sentient soul ring, perhaps I could reach rank 100 and ascend to godhood."
"Impossible!" the Skydream Iceworm immediately objected, his voice tinged with panic. "The Divine Realm will never allow a soul beast to become a god!"
"How do you know that?"
"I—I was once a million-year soul beast! Naturally, I've sensed some of the world's deeper truths. If soul beasts could become gods, I would've done so long ago!" he explained, flustered.
Claiming it as a sensory intuition was more persuasive than blatantly revealing secrets of the Divine Realm.
Still, they had no proof.
"Besides, you two don't have the means to make Icey your sentient soul ring," he added, trying to dispel her unrealistic fantasy.
But the Snow Empress was unfazed. Her gaze turned toward Huo Yuhao, calm and deep. "But you have the knowledge and power to make it possible, don't you?"
The Skydream Iceworm froze, not understanding what she meant.
But Huo Yuhao suddenly had a bad feeling.
"You're right," the Snow Empress continued. "The stronger you are, the more you can sense the world's hidden currents. Even though I'm no divine beast like the fortune-sensitive Three-Eyed Golden Lion, I, too, can feel the flow of fate."
She looked at Huo Yuhao. "You say this boy is the Son of Destiny. While I don't feel much fortune on him, I can sense he's... unique."
"So you agree?" The Skydream Iceworm thought she was won over.
"What I mean is—if I devour you two, gain your origin power, and obtain the method to create a sentient soul ring, wouldn't I then have a chance to become this era's Son of Destiny? Even if I can't become a god, I could still carve a new path for Icey and myself."
Her tone remained serene—but to the Skydream Iceworm, her words were chilling.
He never imagined she would propose devouring Huo Yuhao!
In panic, he turned to the Ice Empress—only to see that her eyes had already turned feral.
Clearly, between following Huo Yuhao and the Skydream Iceworm or staying with the Snow Empress, she chose the latter without hesitation.
The Skydream Iceworm's plan was good. They found it viable. But that's exactly why they decided to take it into their own hands.
Why should they follow him?
Because the Snow Empress was proud and confident—one of the Three Kings of the Extreme North.
Why believe in some so-called "Son of Destiny" no one's even heard of?
"No, no... it's not supposed to be like this…" the Skydream Iceworm murmured, on the verge of collapse.
Wasn't it supposed to go smoothly like in the original story?
Without Icey, how was he supposed to go on?
He tried to keep persuading them, but was met with the Ice Empress's icy gaze and the howling blizzard rising around them.
A storm had trapped both him and Huo Yuhao, leaving them like fish in a barrel.
"Why...?" he whispered, a deep sense of betrayal taking root in his heart.
"Brother Tianmeng, that's because in the original story, you restrained the Ice Empress first. That's why she calmly listened and considered your offer," Huo Yuhao said helplessly in their shared mental space.
In the original, the Ice Empress agreed to sacrifice herself because she had made a promise while bound. Once freed, her pride wouldn't allow her to go back on her word.
But now, neither Snow nor Ice Empress had been restrained. They were facing this decision together.
"Heh…" Huo Yuhao chuckled bitterly, then sighed. "This is what soul beasts are... devouring one another to grow stronger—that's the way of their world. No matter how human they appear, they can't change their true nature."
He didn't curse—just stated a fact.
This is also the reality that Huo Yuhao saw clearly after his fantasy was shattered_being weak is the original sin.
The original story could only serve as reference.
Now that Huo Yuhao had changed, everything else was bound to follow suit.
Let alone the fact that neither the Snow nor Ice Empress had ever been "his" to begin with.
Still, his words struck a nerve with them.
"You dare mock us, human?!" the Ice Empress roared and prepared to strike.
But Huo Yuhao had already activated the Skydream Iceworm's teleportation ability.
"Snow Empress, Ice Empress—we will meet again!"
With a calm smile, Huo Yuhao spoke, and the next moment, he and the Skydream Iceworm vanished in a flash of overwhelming power.
By the time Snow and Ice Empress reacted and tried to stop them, it was already too late—they struck empty air.
The Snow Empress stared at the place where they had vanished, frowning in thought.
The Ice Empress, furious at being tricked, bellowed to her kin:
"Search the entire Extreme North—find that human!"