Snow Empress floated in the air, producing the ten-thousand-year Ice Crystal Lotus Tianlin had given her, and her own hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus.
For a fierce beast above two hundred thousand years, reincarnating as a human was nearly impossible, but exceptions existed. Snow Empress had found a loophole—she found a hundred-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus in the Extreme North that had not yet developed intelligence.
She would entrust her body and soul to the Snow Lotus, using its hundred-thousand-year cultivation to transform and be reborn. But this was very risky—a mere hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus could hardly bear Snow Empress's seventy thousand years of power.
But she had no other choice. She had no faith she could survive the coming seven-hundred-thousand-year tribulation. Rather than die, she could only gamble.
Now, she was much more at ease. Although the Ice Crystal Lotus's cultivation was far less than the Snow Lotus, its quality was higher, so overall, it could effectively share the load of the Snow Empress's power.
With the help of Tianlin's Holy Spirit Domain, the transformation's success rate was over ninety percent.
"Fifth Soul Skill, Illusory Water Thunderstorm!"
At this moment, Tianlin used his Demon Sword's fifth soul skill to forcibly push the nearly six-hundred-ninety-thousand-year-old Snow Empress to seven-hundred-thousand years. Only with such a round number could a soul beast choose to transform.
Tianlin had prepared meticulously for this plan.
Snow Empress smiled at Tianlin, clearly appreciating his thoroughness.
Endless cold air began to spread from Snow Empress's body, then was gradually retracted. She was sealing her own cold power as she transformed, increasing the chance of Ning Rongrong's success in absorbing her later.
As Snow Empress fused her body and soul into the Ice Crystal Lotus and Snow Lotus, her once-plump body gradually shrank.
Finally, she became a round, placenta-like icy mass: a soul beast embryo.
If left alone, Snow Empress would eventually reincarnate as a human.
Ice Empress hurried forward to catch the embryo, checking Snow Empress's body and soul, both of which were healthy—she breathed a sigh of relief.
Soul beast transformation was always dangerous, but this time, everything went smoothly.
Ice Empress brought the embryo to Ning Rongrong. "Little girl, I'll now teach you the method to absorb the embryo. Remember, the process will be extremely painful. I'll use cold energy to dampen your pain, but you must keep your soul power circulating at all times. If you fail, not only will you die, but Snow Empress will be lost forever too. She trusts you enough to stake her future on you—don't let her down."
"Don't worry, Ice Empress. With my Holy Spirit Domain and Brother Skydream's million-year spiritual power, I believe Rongrong can endure," Tianlin said. He felt sorry for the pain Ning Rongrong would suffer, but to become stronger, sometimes pain was necessary.
"Don't worry, for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and for Sword Brother, no matter how painful, I'll endure," Ning Rongrong declared firmly, mentally prepared.
Without further ado, Ning Rongrong sat down cross-legged and began to absorb Snow Empress's soul beast embryo as Ice Empress had instructed.
Skydream Ice Silkworm and Tianlin acted simultaneously, the million-year spiritual power protecting the souls of both Snow Empress and Ning Rongrong, while the Holy Spirit Domain maximized Ning Rongrong's physical and soul recovery.
"Ah!!" Even so, Ning Rongrong let out a piercing scream. Most of Snow Empress's cold had been restrained, but the power of ultimate ice was still terrifying.
What remained of the cold seemed to become countless razor-sharp ice needles, slicing through every inch of Ning Rongrong's skin. Her face turned blue as if she were in an icy hell.
At this moment, Ice Empress pierced Ning Rongrong's back with her scorpion tail, channeling cold energy directly to Ning Rongrong's pain nerves, temporarily numbing her. This was only a small comfort, but Ice Empress could sense that Ning Rongrong's small human body was extraordinarily tough, with few impurities and a spiritual sea that, though turbulent, showed no sign of collapse.
Ice Empress felt a twinge of envy—human talent and potential was indeed something no noble bloodline of soul beast could match.
"Rongrong, hold on! This is your moment of rebirth—Sword Brother is doing his best too!" Tianlin encouraged her while pushing his Holy Spirit Domain to the limit.
This exhausted both his soul power and spirit.
After a full six hours, Tianlin was at his limit, yet Ning Rongrong still gritted her teeth and persisted. Directly absorbing a soul beast embryo as a spirit was far harder than absorbing a soul ring—truly arduous.
After this, Ning Rongrong would not only grow in strength but her character would be tempered as well.
"Xiao Tian, ease the Holy Spirit Domain! If you don't, you'll collapse before Ning Rongrong does," Skydream Ice Silkworm urged.
"No, if I withdraw, Rongrong's body might tear apart. I promised to protect her, Brother Skydream. I, Jun Tianlin, have never broken my word," Tianlin insisted.
"Such good children, Skydream, you really made the right choice," Ice Empress nodded, admiring Tianlin. These two had strong wills—it was time for her to make her own decision.
Continue ruling the Extreme North for her last days, or seize this chance to become a companion divine beast to two gods.
In the end, Ice Empress sighed. "Forget it. With Snow Empress gone, I never really had a choice."
At this moment, the Holy Spirit Domain suddenly changed. Golden light swirled around the domain, and though it was icy, green grass sprouted from the ground.
"This is the Holy Spirit Domain that Xiao Tian awakened when he absorbed my million-year soul ring!" Skydream Ice Silkworm exclaimed. Tianlin had only ever activated this domain with the help of a descendant of Nuwa, but now he had fully mastered it by himself.
"Holy Spirit Domain, Second Realm: Endless Rebirth!" Tianlin shouted, and boundless life force surged into Ning Rongrong.
At this moment, all cold on Ning Rongrong's body was withdrawn, and behind her, a giant snow maiden's shadow slowly appeared.
"She succeeded!" Ice Empress said excitedly. "Let's keep going."
Ice Empress immediately opened her sacrifice barrier, deciding to become Ning Rongrong's wisdom soul ring like Skydrean.
Since Snow Empress's new martial soul was not yet stable, and Ice Empress's attribute matched hers, her power would help Ning Rongrong stabilize her new martial soul.
At this moment, Ning Rongrong's will was at its strongest. If she could endure the seven-hundred-thousand-year martial soul absorption, a three-hundred-ninety-thousand-year sacrificial soul ring was nothing.
Unfortunately, Tianlin had no strength left to enhance Ice Empress's soul ring further; otherwise, a four-hundred-thousand-year ring would be even stronger.
When Snow Empress's martial soul fusion was complete, Tianlin's strength was spent, and he collapsed in the snow.