Hearing Snow Empress's decisive refusal, Ning Rongrong lowered her head in disappointment. As expected, she failed to impress these two monarchs of the Extreme North.
"Snow Empress, you only see Rongrong as an auxiliary soul master, but in truth, she has a better and safer chance to become a god than I do. You can test her body and spirit first," Tianlin said confidently.
Seeing his attitude, Snow Empress skeptically floated over to Ning Rongrong. "Little girl, raise your hand and let me see."
"Yes, senior!" Ning Rongrong obediently extended her right hand.
Snow Empress gently grasped it, sending a cold energy through her body. Not only did Ning Rongrong not feel cold, she actually found it cool and comfortable.
"Hm? This girl's innate spirit power is even higher than the human maximum, and her physical and spiritual strength are nothing like an auxiliary soul master," Snow Empress exclaimed in surprise.
"Snow Empress, I've prepared two supreme immortal medicines for Rongrong: the Immortal Spirit Pill, refined with the Beautiful Silk Tulip, and the Crystal Immortal Spirit Pill, made with Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng. These have elevated Rongrong's talent to the level of an absolute genius. What she lacks now is a battle-type martial soul. Once she gains one, she'll instantly have the qualifications for a first-rank god," Tianlin explained.
Snow Empress nodded, "I see. But why do you say her chances of becoming a god are higher than yours? Her talent still doesn't surpass yours."
"That's because, while a first-rank god is what I've prepared as the best future for Rongrong, she also has a fallback. Her martial soul is the strongest auxiliary—Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Don't forget, the God Realm has not only first-rank gods but also many second-rank auxiliary gods, like the Nine-Colored Goddess. It's much easier to pass the second-rank auxiliary god's trial, and I guarantee Rongrong's success rate is a hundred percent. But my Asura God trial is full of dangers and has a chance of failure."
"Rongrong is guaranteed second-rank, with a chance at first-rank. But for me, it's do or die. Which do you think is safer?"
Snow Empress and Ice Empress exchanged glances, agreeing with Tianlin. Yes, second-rank god trials are a hundred times easier than god-king trials. While being a companion to a second-rank god is not as powerful as to a god-king, one still gains eternal life, never needing to worry about the hundred-thousand-year tribulation again.
"Then, you say this girl lacks a battle-type martial soul. How do you plan to obtain one? Neither of us has such a method," Ice Empress questioned.
"I have a way, together with Brother Skydream: the soul beast embryo. If one of you transforms into an embryo and lets Rongrong absorb it, with the help of Brother Skydream's million-year spiritual power and my strongest Holy Spirit Domain, the chances of success are very high, and I guarantee your souls will remain unharmed."
Tianlin took out an ice lotus from his storage soul tool. "This is a ten-thousand-year Ice Crystal Lotus, from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, perfectly compatible with your attributes. During the transformation, use this lotus to protect your souls, and use the hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus from Snow Empress as the guide. There will be no danger in the transformation and absorption."
"As for cultivation, I have a soul skill that can increase your cultivation by ten thousand years, reaching the needed seventy thousand or forty thousand years."
"You truly are well-prepared—even knowing I have a hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus. So you and Skydream called both me and Ice Empress here to reassure us. If only one of us came, we would never agree to turn into a soul beast embryo before you. Without protection, an embryo is like a newborn baby—utterly powerless," Snow Empress said with a bitter smile, realizing Tianlin had blocked off all her escape routes.
Because, indeed, she was tempted. Rather than living in fear, it was better to take this gamble.
Seeing Snow Empress's expression, Ice Empress anxiously asked, "Snow Empress, are you really going to agree?"
Snow Empress nodded, "Yes. I was already planning to reincarnate as a human. Now there's a more reliable way. I don't want to give up. I'm willing to become this girl's martial soul. Ice Empress, your future is yours to decide. If you wish, you can help this girl with me. If not, I suggest you become a wisdom soul ring for that boy like Skydream did. He seems to be on the verge of advancing. Otherwise, I worry that if you persist, the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation will surely kill you."
Ice Empress thought for a moment, then said firmly, "Snow Empress, I'll go with you. I don't want to live with that annoying worm."
Hearing this, Skydream Ice Silkworm looked heartbroken. Tianlin wanted to comfort him, but Skydream quickly recovered.
Who was Skydream Ice Silkworm? The number one lovesick fool of the soul beast world, who had been chased by Bingbing for thousands of years without giving up. How could he be depressed because of one sentence from Ice Empress? Besides, as long as Ice Empress agreed to help Ning Rongrong, they would have countless million-year days together in the God Realm. Why worry about a few decades apart in the human world?
"Alright, Brother Skydream, I underestimated you—you truly are the number one simp in the soul beast world!" Tianlin silently teased.
The two Empresses came before Ning Rongrong. Snow Empress asked, "Little girl, your talent has my approval, but do you have the confidence to walk the path of a god?"
Ning Rongrong answered immediately, "I do! Please, seniors, give me a chance. I have the confidence and determination. I want to be a support for Sword Brother."
"But, there's one thing I don't want to hide from you. Sword Brother said my achievement is guaranteed to be a second-rank god with a chance at first-rank, but that's not true. If Sword Brother fails his god trial, even if I succeed, I won't survive alone. So my chances are exactly the same as his, or even a bit lower. I hope you can understand."
"Rongrong…" Tianlin was a little helpless. He'd worked hard to persuade the Empresses, and Ning Rongrong was about to undo it.
But Snow Empress was not angry—instead, she admired her even more. "Good! With those words, I truly see your determination. Succeed or die—only such resolve is worthy of being the god I will serve in the future!"
"Little girl, I will suppress my cultivation as much as possible to become an embryo, but even so, the process will be unimaginably painful. Skydream and this boy's powers can only assist you. The greatest factor is yourself!"