Time rewinds to just one minute earlier.
Shu Yan's spirit force slipped effortlessly into the storage Soul Guidance Devices. The original soul seals and restrictions left on these devices had already been cleared by the Ice Empress. Now, these storage devices could be considered ownerless; otherwise, breaking through their restrictions would have required considerable effort.
A flash of white light revealed a dense array of items to Shu Yan's senses. Most were complete Soul Guidance Devices of various kinds, along with their corresponding blueprints. Though Shu Yan wasn't very familiar with Soul Guidance Devices, he could tell these were high-grade, finely crafted pieces clearly the work of master artisans.
Among the devices, the most striking was an unusual Soul Guidance Device glowing with a faint golden light.
Shu Yan's expression tightened as he stared at the floating golden device. He already had an inkling of what it was.
The golden device radiated a heavy and solid aura. Its design was not elaborate but rather simple and primitive. At the lower front corner, Shu Yan noticed three small golden characters inscribed: Feng Shen Tai (Sealing Divine Platform).
Exactly—it was the very ninth-grade Soul Guidance Device used in the original story to seal the Snow Empress. It was currently the most powerful sealing Soul Guidance Device in the Douluo world. Its extraordinary ability allowed it to completely isolate time and space. In other words, any object trapped inside it would remain unchanged no matter how many millennia passed outside. To some extent, being locked inside the Feng Shen Tai was a form of eternal life.
Shu Yan pushed aside other thoughts, took a deep breath, and proceeded to scan the other storage devices one by one. He discovered many other valuable items.
It was undeniable the Soul Masters who had ventured into the extreme northern lands were incredibly wealthy. They carried numerous high-grade Soul Guidance Devices, all exquisitely made. Even more impressive, almost every device came with its corresponding blueprint, including the ninth-grade Feng Shen Tai.
Besides the devices, there was a large cache of essential cultivation resources and gold spirit coins. Several jade boxes contained a few millennium-old soul bones. Though their age was modest, the bones were remarkably intact. Shu Yan decided to take them back to give to his little princess. Xu Jiujiu wouldn't absorb them, but as a princess of a nation, it was vital for her to cultivate her own loyal subordinates and these soul bones could give her a powerful boost.
Otherwise, even having many millennium-old soul bones would be useless for their generation, given their high status.
The Ice Empress and Snow Empress waited quietly, watching Shu Yan's expression closely. They could tell from his face that the contents of the storage devices were extraordinarily powerful—almost terrifying. Exchanging a glance, both women felt a flicker of relief.
After Shu Yan withdrew his spirit force from the devices, he carefully stored them away and turned to face the Ice and Snow Empresses, who were just as expectantly awaiting him.
"Can we determine the origins of these humans? Or their true objective?" the Snow Empress asked solemnly. She already had some suspicions but needed confirmation from Shu Yan.
Shu Yan sighed softly before replying:"These people were likely high-level Soul Masters who defected from the Sun and Moon Empire. The leader is a ninth-level Soul Master, while the others range between seventh and eighth levels. They carried many Soul Guidance Devices designed for reconnaissance or stealth. They also had several offensive devices. Most terrifyingly, among their devices was a ninth-grade Soul Guidance Device named Feng Shen Tai."
"This device lacks any offensive or defensive power, but its sealing ability is, without doubt, the pinnacle of all sealing Soul Guidance Devices on the continent. If a soul beast is trapped inside it, it is doomed to be slaughtered…"
"As for their goal… perhaps it was to capture a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast, or maybe something else. But now that they're all dead, their true purpose remains unknown."
The Snow Empress slammed her palm into a nearby ice wall, shaking the entire palace. It was clear these humans had ignited her fury and a deep one at that.
"Damn it! If what you say is true, their goal was probably to capture me while I was transformed by the Snow Lotus. Otherwise, I can't fathom why a mere insect below level ninety-five and a bunch of Soul Douluo scum dared ambush a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast in the heart of the Extreme North…"
Seeing the Snow Empress so enraged, the Ice Empress gently patted her back, trying to soothe her. "Calm down, Snow. Nothing's happened now. I've personally dealt with those filthy humans—there's no grave for them to be buried in. If you're still upset, I'll dig them up and kill them again…"
The Snow Empress's chest rose and fell heavily, her anger very real. Shu Yan sighed quietly, unsure how to respond.
After a long while, thanks to the Ice Empress's persistent comfort, the Snow Empress finally calmed down. The red glow in her eyes faded, and she spoke again:
"Are you certain they're all dead? Don't leave any survivors. Otherwise, the entire Extreme North won't know peace."
The Ice Empress nodded repeatedly, then said:"Don't worry, Snow. I've already ordered our people to notify Xiaobai and the other powerful races in the Extreme North. They will conduct thorough searches of the entire core area and the adjacent icy seas. Any abnormalities will be eliminated at all costs."
The Snow Empress considered this for a moment before nodding slightly.
She slowly lifted her gaze to Shu Yan, her voice tinged with exhaustion."This concerns all life in the Extreme North. No matter what, this matter cannot be neglected. Let's wait a little longer. Afterwards, the two of us will accompany you to the human world."
"Alright, I'm tired now. You should go cultivate, and Ice Empress will stay with me for a while…"
Shu Yan nodded knowingly and did not insist on staying. He left the space to the two empresses. At times like this, it was better not to get involved. One must know their limits. Although the Ice and Snow Empresses treated him differently than ordinary humans, he didn't believe their feelings ran deep. Emotions were expendable; if not nurtured, enthusiasm and patience would fade, and the relationship would dissolve like a scrap of paper in the wind lost and forgotten.