Suddenly, a powerful aura broke into Mu Yang's spiritual perception.
Moments later, a layer of emerald-green radiance spread from the northern horizon.
The howling wind and sweeping blizzard sky instantly transformed into a crystalline, translucent green, as though the heavens themselves had turned into an enormous emerald gem.
Seeing this, the Titan Snow Demon King—battered miserably by the Iceflame Dragon—could not conceal its joy.
Reinforcements had arrived!
Though the newcomer was not the most powerful ruler of the Extreme North, their cultivation had surpassed three hundred thousand years, far stronger than its own.
What's more, if this ruler still wasn't enough to defeat that vile human scum, then the strongest sovereign of the Extreme North would surely intervene.
But the one who smiled was not just the Titan Snow Demon King—Mu Yang did as well.
Emerald-green light, and such an arrival—who else could it be but the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor?
"Bing'er~"
Without hesitation, Mu Yang turned to Shui Bing'er, his body igniting with a phantom ice-blue flame.
"Understood!"
Shui Bing'er released her Ice Phoenix Spirit. As six black and two red spirit rings flared into existence, radiant ice-blue light shone from her whole body.
The next moment, they activated their Martial Spirit Fusion Skill. Thirteen rings in total—six black, seven red—merged together. In a blaze of dazzling ice-blue brilliance, their figures vanished, replaced by the apparition of an Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow: long hair streaming, clad in ice-blue phoenix-etched armor.
In later generations, the Ice Emperor's cultivation neared four hundred thousand years. But Mu Yang knew that not all of that was gained through cultivation alone. From his perception, the Ice Emperor's current cultivation was a little over three hundred thousand years—still far from four hundred thousand.
Against the Ice Emperor alone, Mu Yang himself was more than enough. He didn't actually need to use the Martial Spirit Fusion Skill.
But the Snow Emperor was another matter altogether. If she were to strike from the shadows, though Mu Yang had many life-saving trump cards and quick reflexes that would prevent him from being instantly killed, Shui Bing'er—whose strength was far lower—might not be so lucky.
For safety's sake, it was best to enter the Fusion Skill state. With the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow's power, they could avoid that hidden danger entirely.
"Humans, how dare you!"
Just then, an enraged, childish voice rang out from all directions.
As the voice spread, a terrifying sonic wave erupted. The snow blanketing the tundra suddenly surged upward three meters high, like waves crashing from nowhere. Even the blizzard falling from the sky froze still for an instant.
But Mu Yang cared nothing for the Ice Emperor's fury. It was common enough for human ice-type Spirit Masters to come hunt in the Extreme North. That the Ice Emperor harbored hostility was only natural. He had no intention of trading words or trying to change her view of humanity. His eyes instead locked onto the emerald-green figure streaking swiftly across the snowfields from the north.
In strength, the Ice Jade Scorpion—the Ice Emperor—far surpassed the Titan Snow Demon King. Yet in size, she was far smaller, not even the size of one of the Titan Snow Demon King's hands.
Gazing at her, one saw only a scorpion about one and a half meters long—yet so beautiful it was breathtaking.
The Ice Emperor's body gleamed with two colors: one crystalline as diamond ice, the other a vivid emerald green.
Her forebody was layered in four overlapping segments, each half a foot long, the head set upon the foremost segment. Silver-white mouthparts shimmered with ghostly cold light.
Her front body and six slender, powerful legs were covered in strange protrusions—hexagonal, diamond-like facets, each glimmering brilliantly.
Her two massive pincers stretched over a meter long, also encrusted with those hexagonal crystal facets. Only the tips of the claws, like the mouthparts, gleamed with mirror-bright silver-white luster.
Her eyes were translucent yellow, like topaz crystals, themselves hexagonal and glowing as though filled with gemlike radiance.
Unlike ordinary scorpions with many-jointed tails, the Ice Emperor's tail had only five segments, each a pure, translucent emerald green, shining with the aura of life.
The first was broadest, each one narrowing as they went back. The final segment bore a crystalline, diamond-studded stinger, arched high, the icy crystal hook gleaming with killing light.
This was a ferocious beast as dazzling as a gemstone. At first glance, it seemed more like an exquisite work of art than a living creature.
"Humans, leave the Extreme North—or die!"
The Ice Emperor's cold words rang out as she gazed upon the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow in midair, her tone filled with deadly threat.
At first, before Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er had unleashed their Fusion Skill, the Ice Emperor had intended to personally slay the two audacious human Spirit Masters who dared to intrude upon the Extreme North's core and assault the Titan Snow Demon King.
She had little personal bond with the Titan Snow Demon King, but as fellow beasts, there was still alignment—and besides, that creature was the Snow Emperor's sycophant. It could still be of some use.
There was a saying: "Hit the dog, but look at the master." Her companion beast was nearly killed before her eyes—how could the Ice Emperor not be enraged?
Yet when the two humans fused their Martial Spirits, the Ice Emperor's heart grew heavy.
Judging from that aura, she wasn't certain she could win.
For caution's sake, she chose to threaten them away. If she could drive these two from the Extreme North, so much the better. No need to risk herself—after all, the Titan Snow Demon King hadn't actually died yet, had it?
Yes, considering they hadn't killed him, and considering that the power of this Martial Spirit Fusion Skill wasn't much weaker than her own (or so she told herself), she could afford to be magnanimous this once.
If they refused to leave?
It didn't matter. Though their Fusion aura was strong, the Ice Emperor was no pushover. Even if she couldn't win outright, she could stall them long enough.
Once the Snow Emperor arrived, the two humans would have no chance at all.
As for the Snow Emperor's power, the Ice Emperor had complete confidence. Unless the opponent was a demi-god—a Spirit Master just half a step away from divinity itself—in the Extreme North, the Snow Emperor was invincible.
In fact, if the two of them fought together, even a demi-god human would not have an easy time.
"Ice Emperor, join me! Let's kill them!"
Hearing that the Ice Emperor intended to let the two humans go, the Titan Snow Demon King—still smarting from the humiliation of being battered by the Iceflame Dragon—grew frantic and shouted.
Let them go? How could that be?!
If they escaped now, wouldn't all its earlier suffering be for nothing?
Besides—there may be a thousand days for a thief, but never a thousand days to guard against one. If these two refused to give up and returned to the Extreme North to target it again, what then?
The Titan Snow Demon King could hardly believe fate would favor it a second time. Next time, if Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er came for it again, could the Ice Emperor still arrive in time to save it?
For additional chapters
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Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
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