Snow Emperor was a lifeform born from the purest ice elemental essence in the Extreme North's core. After countless years of gestation, she gained sentience and wisdom, evolving into a true intelligent being.
Even Di Tian couldn't suppress her.
But the aura Qian Ran had just released left her with no will to resist.
Qian Ran exuded a natural aura of sovereignty, the supreme ruler of spirit beasts. Realizing this, Snow Emperor regretted not confessing her feelings to him sooner. Hearing Ice Emperor's complaints only added to her embarrassment.
But was it really her fault? She had only known Qian Ran for a short time. Even building affection required time.
Back when Ice Emperor had gotten close to Qian Ran, it had taken a long period of interaction for them to reach that point. Even with Ice Emperor's matchmaking efforts, Snow Emperor needed time to sort out her emotions.
Meanwhile, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass could only watch in envy. If only he weren't male! If he were female, he'd also want to get closer to their master.
As Fiery Delicate Apricot and Alluring Fragrance Immortal Orchid leaned into Qian Ran's embrace, two distinct herbal fragrances wafted into his nostrils. Unlike the natural scent of ordinary women, their aromas were invigorating, uplifting his spirits with just a whiff. After all, they were immortal herbs.
Yuyou's fragrance, in particular, was so alluring that Qian Ran found himself unconsciously leaning closer to her.
The two tall, sensual beauties nestled against Qian Ran, sending his thoughts soaring.
This is the charm of invincibility!
Still, their closeness was purely affectionate, with no ulterior motives. Having lived their entire lives in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, they were untainted by human complexities. Their gesture was simply an expression of intimacy.
Their soft, smooth waists felt otherworldly to the touch.
Plant spirit beasts truly were a breed apart from others.
Yuyou's gentleness and A'Jiao's passion brightened Qian Ran's mood significantly.
Most importantly, they were incredibly obedient.
Qian Ran thought to himself: if he asked them to undress right now, they'd probably comply without hesitation. Being their subordinate wasn't as thrilling as potentially becoming their mate—a prospect that they likely hoped for.
In the spirit beast world, it wasn't uncommon for excellent female spirit beasts to make such choices.
Even being favored just once could significantly elevate their status among spirit beasts.
If they became the mate of the sovereign of spirit beasts, wouldn't they rise to the rank of "queen"? What woman could resist such a prospect?
It's exhilarating!
Qian Ran, however, was pondering another issue. His system allowed him to gain spirit rings and spirit bones from spirit beasts by being intimate with them. If he were to "consume" Yuyou and A'Jiao, wouldn't he gain their rings and bones as well?
He had plenty of options now, and the idea of absorbing their spirit rings crossed his mind.
The benefits were obvious.
Thanks to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, these plant spirit beasts could potentially become million-year spirit beasts in just 90,000 more years—a growth rate unparalleled even by Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor.
With Qian Ran's guidance, this outcome was almost guaranteed.
The Alluring Fragrance Immortal Orchid was a universal antidote, capable of neutralizing any poison. While it couldn't detoxify directly, its ability to counteract toxins was unparalleled. For Qian Ran, however, its utility seemed limited.
By contrast, the Fiery Delicate Apricot was a top-tier fire-element plant, making her spirit ring and spirit bone more valuable. With the system recently granting him Ultimate Fire, gaining A'Jiao's spirit ring and bone would enhance his fire attributes further.
Yet, Qian Ran found himself oddly unenthusiastic about having four Ultimate Fire skills. While most spirit masters would have been ecstatic to gain such high-level abilities, Qian Ran felt indifferent.
"System, can I selectively absorb them later?" Qian Ran asked, a little exasperated.
"Host can indeed selectively absorb the spirit rings and spirit bones provided as system rewards. Unabsorbed rewards will remain stored in the system space and can be replaced at any time," the system replied.
Hearing this, Qian Ran's lips twitched.
Spirit bones can be swapped out?
This sounded suspiciously like equipping and upgrading gear in a video game. Essentially, Qian Ran could haphazardly absorb spirit rings and bones now, only to swap them for better ones later.
What a deal!
With this reassurance, Qian Ran had no more reservations.
"Alright," Qian Ran said, gently releasing Yuyou and A'Jiao.
"Since you've decided to follow me, you can now learn the Transformation Art." He handed them the technique.
"I've moved the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well into my Xumi Ring. You can continue living and cultivating there. If you want to come out, just call me," Qian Ran said, holding up the ring.
This Xumi Ring was a treasure. In fact, Qian Ran found it more useful than the Angelic Sacred Sword or even the Golden Dragon Spear—at least for now.
Despite having moved the massive Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well inside, the Xumi Ring still felt spacious. It was practically a portable microcosm.
While not perfect, the Xumi Ring's capabilities were impressive. If Qian Ran ascended to godhood and mastered spatial manipulation, he could expand the ring's internal space further, eventually creating a true small world.
For now, its capacity was more than sufficient.
"Lord Qian Ran, is this your divine weapon? It can store something as vast as the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?" Yuyou and A'Jiao stared in awe, their expressions filled with admiration and envy.
Even Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor were visibly moved. They had long noticed Qian Ran wearing the ring but had no idea it was so extraordinary.
"This ring is called the Xumi Divine Ring. It can store several Ice and Fire Yin Yang Wells, and the environment inside is indistinguishable from the outside world," Qian Ran explained.
"Lord Qian Ran, may we go inside and take a look?" Yuyou asked eagerly.
"Of course. Come over, but don't resist the ring's power," Qian Ran instructed.
With a flicker of green light, the Xumi Ring released a series of unique energy waves. Yuyou and A'Jiao closed their eyes, and when they reopened them, they found themselves inside the ring.
Seeing this, Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor quickly followed suit.
Inside the Xumi Ring, the vast internal space left everyone speechless. Even with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well occupying a significant portion, there was still plenty of room left.
(Chapter Ends)