This completely overturned the Ice Emperor's previous understanding.
No, it should be said that it overturned the Ice Emperor's life of tens of thousands of years!
"Do you believe me now?" A hint of pride flashed in Gu Feng's eyes as he pressed on, seizing the opportunity.
The Ice Emperor instinctively nodded.
Gu Feng confidently extended his hand toward her: "Hand it over. I'm not afraid to tell you, what's inside is my teacher!"
"Let me tell you, my teacher has a terrible temper. If he gets angry, the entire Far North won't be enough for him to vent his fury."
As he spoke, Gu Feng exaggeratedly gestured, trying to intimidate the Ice Emperor.
The Ice Emperor raised an eyebrow, a sly glint flashing in her eyes as she chuckled playfully. She raised her hand and slapped Gu Feng's hand away with a "smack": "You say he's your teacher, so he's your teacher? Call out to him, let's see if he responds!"
"You!" Gu Feng hadn't expected her to turn the tables on him like this.
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go.
Gu Feng gritted his teeth: "Hurry up and return my ring!"
The Ice Emperor curled her lips into a provocative smile, waving the ring in her hand, deliberately teasing: "I won't return it. If you're brave enough, come and take it!"
Gu Feng couldn't hold back any longer. A look of determination flashed in his eyes as he seized the moment when the Ice Emperor was off guard. He lunged at her like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey.
Perhaps because she never expected Gu Feng to dare to act, the Ice Emperor didn't dodge in time and was directly knocked to the ground by him.
Looking at Gu Feng, who was now on top of her, the Ice Emperor was utterly shocked, completely unprepared for such a bold move from him.
Gu Feng was also momentarily stunned. His hands instinctively pressed against the Ice Emperor's waist, and the softness of her skin against his palms snapped him back to reality, making him aware of his current position.
Without thinking further, he snatched the ring tightly clutched in the Ice Emperor's hand.
But the next second, the Ice Emperor, having regained her senses, didn't hesitate to kick Gu Feng with a sharp cry: "How dare you!"
"Human, are you seeking death?"
The kick was powerful, sending Gu Feng flying and crashing heavily to the ground.
"Phew—" Gu Feng didn't even have time to feel the pain. He immediately looked down at his hand and, seeing the ring still there, let out a long sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he had managed to retrieve Old Yi.
Watching Gu Feng take back the ring, a flash of anger crossed the Ice Emperor's face. She let out a light hum, her expression clearly displeased.
She instinctively reached out, wanting to snatch the ring back, but her hand stopped halfway.
At that moment, it was as if the Ice Emperor had been doused with a bucket of cold water, belatedly realizing what had just happened.
Recalling Gu Feng's desperate and reckless behavior, the Ice Emperor's heart skipped a beat.
Was this kid so desperate because the person inside the ring really was his teacher?
At this thought, a trace of wariness appeared in the Ice Emperor's eyes.
"Human, as long as you honestly tell me who exactly is inside this ring, I'll let bygones be bygones and not hold your earlier offense against me. How about that?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the Ice Emperor couldn't help but recall the scene from earlier. A blush instantly spread across her face, a mix of embarrassment and anger.
She had maintained her purity for tens of thousands of years. Even when interacting with the Snow Emperor, with whom she had a deep friendship, she had never been in such close contact. Yet today, she had been taken advantage of by a human brat. How could she swallow this indignation?
But now, the secret hidden within the ring piqued her curiosity even more, forcing her to temporarily suppress her sense of shame as she awaited Gu Feng's response.
Gu Feng keenly noticed the fleeting trace of apprehension in the Ice Emperor's eyes, and inwardly rejoiced. It seemed the bluff he had pulled was working.
Suppressing his inner tension, Gu Feng slightly curved the corners of his mouth and deliberately drew out his tone, "You think I'll just tell you because you asked? It's not that easy."
"You!" The Ice Emperor's delicate face instantly flushed red, her silver teeth grinding audibly. "Despicable human, don't think for a moment that I truly dare not touch you!"
The chilling aura around her surged violently, as if it could erupt at any moment.
Seeing that the Ice Emperor seemed genuinely ready to act, Gu Feng couldn't help but feel a bit nervous and quickly spoke up, "Wait, wait, wait! I'll tell you, I'll tell you."
"Actually, it's nothing much. Inside the ring is just the fragmented soul of a God-level powerhouse. He's my teacher now, but due to certain reasons, he's fallen into a deep sleep."
"What? A God-level powerhouse!" The Ice Emperor's eyes widened in shock, her face filled with astonishment as she instinctively took a step back.
She never imagined that this seemingly ordinary human youth could be connected to a God-level powerhouse. It was even harder to believe that the soul of such a lofty, legendary figure could reside within this small ring and had become his teacher.
After the initial shock, the Ice Emperor quickly calmed down, a glint of sharpness flashing in her eyes as she keenly realized that this might be an opportunity.
The Snow Emperor would face her 700,000-year Heavenly Tribulation in ten thousand years—a terrifying calamity capable of annihilating everything.
According to the Snow Emperor, with her current strength, she stood no chance against this tribulation.
Every time she thought of this, the Ice Emperor's heart was filled with worry.
And now, this seemingly ordinary human youth held within his ring the soul fragment of a God-level powerhouse.
Even in a soul state, the power and wisdom possessed by a God-level powerhouse were beyond their imagination.
Perhaps this was the key to helping the Snow Emperor survive the Heavenly Tribulation.
With this thought, a barely perceptible chill flashed in the Ice Emperor's eyes, and she had already begun to scheme.
No matter the cost, she had to secure the assistance of this God-level powerhouse's soul to add an extra layer of protection for the Snow Emperor's tribulation.
As the Ice Emperor secretly plotted.
Gu Feng, with a hint of unease, cautiously asked, "Senior Ice Emperor, I've told you everything. Do you think you could let me go now?"
Hearing this, the Ice Emperor's face instantly bloomed with an extremely kind smile, warm as the spring sun. Yet, to Gu Feng, it inexplicably sent a chill down his spine.
The Ice Emperor slowly approached Gu Feng, her jade-like hand gently pinching his cheek, her voice sweet as if coated in honey, "If I remember correctly, your name is Gu Feng, right?"
"Be good, call me Sister Ice. I'll take you to a nice place now, okay?"
Gu Feng's internal alarms blared, a strong sense of unease washing over him. He swallowed hard, "Can I not go?"
As he spoke, he subtly took a small step back.
However, the Ice Emperor's lips curved into a dangerous smile, and she enunciated two words firmly and decisively, "You can't!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Feng's expression instantly fell, and he looked as if he wanted to cry but had no tears left. He muttered softly, "Then why did you even ask me?"
"Enough with the nonsense. I'm taking you somewhere now."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Ice Emperor's figure flickered, and in an instant, he transformed back into his true form—the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress.
On the massive scorpion's body, the gem-like stinger gently waved in the air. Though the movement appeared soft, it carried an irresistible force, effortlessly securing Gu Feng onto its back.
Then, the Ice Emperor flew off into the distance with Gu Feng.
(End of Chapter)