Deep within the snow-covered mountain range—
"Why? Why is it like this? It wasn't supposed to be like this!!!"
The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm couldn't accept reality. He kept questioning himself and the world, spiraling into madness.
He seemed to have gone insane.
Huo Yuhao found the Ice Silkworm a bit annoying. He entered his spiritual sea and slapped him twice across the face.
"Brother Tianmeng, stop obsessing over that damn Ice Empress. Haven't you realized she's never treated you as an equal? It's over! It's impossible between you two!"
"I..."
The Ice Silkworm gradually stopped his frenzy.
It wasn't that he had come to terms with it, but because Huo Yuhao channeled two beams of Buddha light directly into his forehead, forcibly calming him down.
Then, Huo Yuhao activated the Demon Buddha technique, emitting a deep, resonant Buddhist chant that struck directly at the Ice Silkworm's soul.
"Brother Tianmeng, remember the memories of Avalokitesvara's compassion. You've fallen into obsession. If this continues, you'll fall into madness!"
This time, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm finally calmed down completely and drifted into a deep sleep.
Reality had been too much for him. He chose sleep as an escape.
Looking at the now-slumbering Ice Silkworm within his spiritual sea, Huo Yuhao shook his head.
Did the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm truly love the Ice Empress?
Perhaps he did. Perhaps he didn't.
After all, the Ice Jade Scorpion clan was the natural enemy of the Ice Silkworms. Logically, he shouldn't love her. But the experiences he'd been through left him no choice but to love her—otherwise, he might've broken long ago.
If he truly loved the Ice Empress, he wouldn't have left the Extreme North after crawling out of the ice crevice. He would've stayed, waiting for his chance to pursue her.
But how did he survive the torment of being imprisoned by the soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest and drained of his soul power as nourishment?
Being forcibly drained of soul power is an excruciating experience. Even those who willingly deplete their soul power suffer greatly afterward. Being forcibly drained is far worse.
And the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was not known for having strong willpower.
So what helped him endure without losing his mind?
He had to project his spirit elsewhere.
And not just on ordinary things.
That emotional projection became a source of strength that sustained him.
The emotion he chose wasn't hatred for the beasts—because he believed he couldn't defeat them and didn't want to die. Even in the original story, after becoming stronger, the Ice Silkworm never once said he wanted revenge on the Star Dou Forest.
That was clearly abnormal.
If he truly had no hatred, even the Buddha would have to yield his lotus seat to the Ice Silkworm.
So it must be that he chose a different emotion to sustain him and deliberately abandoned all others.
This emotion must have originated from a searingly painful experience.
Most likely when he was thirteen and being hunted by the Ice Empress, fleeing in panic and falling into the ice crevice.
That life-and-death encounter changed the course of the Ice Silkworm's fate and branded itself into his soul.
The heartbeat in danger could be misinterpreted as the heartbeat of love.
That corrupted emotion became a twisted form of love.
Thus, the Ice Empress became the Ice Silkworm's untouchable white moonlight.
All of this was just Huo Yuhao's speculation.
But it wasn't unfounded.
Something similar had happened in history.
The previous person who experienced something like this—was Bibi Dong.
She too had faced darkness and pain. She too projected her emotions into love. She too had a forbidden white moonlight in her heart.
The difference?
The Ice Silkworm suffered longer and was forced into his choice. Bibi Dong, on the other hand, made the wrong decision out of her own misguided will.
Their fates diverged:
The Ice Silkworm, who followed the protagonist, found love and gained from it.
Bibi Dong, who opposed the protagonist, loved and lost.
Quite fascinating.
But regardless of how the Ice Silkworm felt about the Ice Empress going forward, Huo Yuhao knew that after today, he and the Ice-Snow Empresses would stand on opposing sides.
Still, that didn't mean he was letting them go.
Two soul beasts nearing the end of their lives—why would he spare them?
Next time he made a move, it wouldn't be as gentle as this persuasion.
"The ice and snow won't warm Huo Lang's bed; spring deep within the Bronze Sparrow Tower locks the two empresses away~ Heh." Huo Yuhao chuckled.
Taking one last look at the sleeping Ice Silkworm, Huo Yuhao left the spiritual sea.
After he left, a soft sigh echoed from its depths.
...
Huo Yuhao controlled the Ice Silkworm's teleportation, so the direction was his choice. Instead of teleporting outside the Extreme North, he chose to go deeper.
Now he stood among the snowy mountains he had seen from a distance upon entering the core region.
Why here?
Because Huo Yuhao was looking for an opportunity.
While the Ice Silkworm tried persuading the Empresses, Huo Yuhao had examined their fortune.
Their fortune was even denser than that of the Titan Snow Demon King.
But unlike him, the fortune cloud above them contained foreign colors.
Above the Ice Empress's fortune was a dense black cloud—signaling impending disaster. Whether she survived depended on her own efforts.
The Snow Empress's cloud was worse—it emitted a bloody, ominous glow, indicating bloodshed and mortal danger. There was a real risk of death.
Without a doubt, their disasters were tied to lightning tribulations.
However, while the Ice Empress had a chance to survive with some fortune or treasure, the Snow Empress had no hope at all. Once she faced the tribulation, she would die without question.
This matched their current situation.
But it didn't mean they were doomed.
If the tribulation meant certain death—just don't go through it.
As powerful beings carrying immense fortune, they still had a sliver of hope.
That hope lay within the regional maps beneath their fortune.
Their fortune manifested as maps of the Extreme North, representing their influence.
The glowing areas marked their domains, each different.
When combined with the Titan Snow Demon King's domain, the Three Heavenly Kings controlled most of the core zone and some of the outskirts.
The remaining areas belonged to other 100,000-year soul beasts or areas the kings deemed worthless.
Because of the anomalies in their fortune clouds, the empresses' fortune began flowing downward into the maps—as if searching for something.
That was their sliver of hope!
The Ice Empress's map showed no change—her opportunity had yet to appear.
But the Snow Empress's map lit up—an imprint in the shape of a lotus appeared in a mountain range within the core zone.
That was undoubtedly her chance at survival.
And based on the lotus shape, it was the 100,000-year-old Snow Lotus she had discovered!
Perhaps because she wasn't ready to reincarnate and cultivate again, she had yet to pick it.
According to the original timeline, the Snow Empress's reincarnation would take about a year.
So, Huo Yuhao chose to teleport directly to the mountain where the Snow Lotus grew!
Yes—he was going to steal the Snow Empress's opportunity!
Interestingly, the mountain where the Snow Lotus grew had been avoided by the territories of all Three Kings.
But Huo Yuhao didn't have the means to investigate why yet.
In any case, getting the Snow Lotus came first.
...
"The original said the Snow Lotus is difficult to gain sentience, but it contains pure elemental essence. That 100,000-year Snow Lotus has no spirit—it's just a top-tier natural treasure."
"If I use the Snow Lotus as a medium, I can cleanse my bones and marrow, greatly enhancing my innate aptitude. Its energy could benefit me until I reach Rank 70, accelerating my cultivation significantly!"
"As for my second martial soul… I'll talk to Brother Tianmeng about it after he wakes up."
Huo Yuhao looked up and activated his qi-gazing technique.
Atop the icy mountain he stood on, fortune had gathered into the shape of a lotus flower.
The 100,000-year Snow Lotus was at the summit!
As Huo Yuhao neared the mountain peak, he noticed that the summit was shrouded in a fierce blizzard.
He could sense that within the snow and wind was an aura of extreme cold.
Clearly, this was no natural weather.
Even in the core region of the Extreme North, the blizzards there couldn't possibly reach such a terrifying chill.
And the only one capable of setting up such a barrier here… without a doubt, it could only be the Snow Empress.
The Ice Lotus was being protected within this storm!
If anyone else had come here—even an ordinary Titled Douluo—they wouldn't have made it past the first few steps. Anyone below Titled Douluo level would be instantly frozen into a statue just by touching the snowstorm.
Yet this kind of storm couldn't stop Huo Yuhao.
"Your Majesty's Ultimate Ice is certainly formidable," Huo Yuhao smiled faintly, "but what if I wear the remains of the Skydream Iceworm? How will you deal with that?"
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
Had this been the true Ultimate Ice unleashed directly by the Snow Empress herself, Huo Yuhao would surely have perished without hope.
But since this was only a protective setup based on the attributes of Ultimate Ice, simply putting on the remains of the Skydream Iceworm made it easy for him to resist it.
Even though the Skydream Iceworm might not be the most awe-inspiring of the million-year soul beasts, it still held some weight.
As he entered the storm, visibility immediately dropped to just half a meter around him. But Huo Yuhao was able to navigate using his spiritual detection.
Thanks to the protection of the Skydream Iceworm's remains, he didn't feel any cold at all.
While ascending, Huo Yuhao carefully scanned the surroundings with his spiritual probe to make sure there were no soul beasts guarding the area.
Perhaps the only one the Snow Empress truly trusted was the Ice Empress.
In the original story, before her transformation, the Snow Empress had tried to find the Ice Empress but failed. As a result, she didn't have any soul beasts standing guard during her transformation.
Had she asked another soul beast—like the Ice Bear King, Xiaobai—to help protect her, it would've been much harder for a Titled Douluo to intrude into the Extreme North and capture her.
Of course, asking another soul beast to guard her came with the risk that they might not resist temptation and try to devour her instead.
Come to think of it—was the Snow Empress getting caught during her transformation really just a simple accident, as the original story claimed?
But what did any of that have to do with the current Huo Yuhao?
At this point, he and the two Empresses of Ice and Snow could only be enemies!
As Huo Yuhao continued walking, he finally reached the summit. The moment he stepped into the center, the blizzard stopped abruptly, as if he had entered another world.
At the very peak, in the center of the storm, was a vacuum—a windless and calm area—clearly meant to protect the hundred-thousand-year-old Snow Lotus from harm.
When Huo Yuhao looked toward the highest point, he couldn't help but reveal a look of awe.
He finally understood why people described certain women as "ice-cold beauties" or "high mountain snow lotuses."
Golden sunlight fell upon the icy blue petals of the Snow Lotus, casting a divine radiance. Combined with the Snow Lotus's innate cold and noble aura, it embodied the very meaning of "admire from afar, not defile with touch."
The scene was so beautiful that Huo Yuhao's heart skipped a beat, and he even felt a flutter of affection.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" he quickly shook his head.
Even when he saw the Snow Empress's appearance before, he didn't feel this way.
Maybe it was because he could only look at the Snow Empress from afar, but this Snow Lotus… was about to become his.
Although the Snow Lotus had grown for a hundred thousand years, it hadn't developed intelligence. Plant-type soul beasts were already notoriously difficult to awaken consciousness—and the more powerful they were, the more difficult it became.
Unless, of course, they received some form of external help.
Like the plant-type soul beasts near the Icefire Yin Yang Well—those could awaken intelligence quite easily.
After admiring the Snow Lotus, Huo Yuhao looked to the side—
He spotted a soul beast lying there.
Yet he wasn't startled at all.
Even though the soul beast looked incredibly lifelike, Huo Yuhao couldn't sense any trace of life from it.
The Snow Empress wouldn't go out of her way to place a fake beast model here to scare people. There could only be one answer—
It was the corpse of a soul beast!
Coiled up in rest was a beast that looked like a massive wild ram, more than three meters long. Its posture seemed like it was merely sleeping, yet it had completely lost all vitality.
Moments ago, the beauty of the Snow Lotus had drawn all of Huo Yuhao's attention, masking the presence of death nearby.
As he examined the beast, he noticed that its horns bore nine black rings, and a tenth ring was nearly complete.
According to Douluo Continent's soul beast classification, certain physical markers often represented a soul beast's age.
It was safe to guess that this ram-like beast had cultivated for over 90,000 years, nearing the 100,000-year mark.
Its cause of death was a fatal strike through the forehead, killing it instantly. Its body had also been frozen internally by Ultimate Ice, preserving its peaceful sleeping pose—no signs of pain, a serene death.
There was no need to think too hard—Huo Yuhao already knew who killed it.
"This beast might've originally been the guardian of the Snow Lotus. It probably hoped to use the Lotus to break through its hundred-thousand-year limit. Who would've thought the Snow Empress would sneak attack it and steal its treasure?"
So much for "an accidental discovery." This was just survival of the fittest—plain and simple robbery.
Good thing the Snow Empress didn't eat meat, or even the beast's corpse wouldn't have been left behind. She likely didn't allow it to escape either, fearing exposure and risk.
A soul beast nearing 100,000 years of age had considerable intelligence—and certainly knew how to seek revenge.
Huo Yuhao inspected the corpse more carefully, and his expression shifted before revealing surprise.
"There's still soul power fluctuation in its body. Does that mean… it produced a soul bone?!"
Any soul beast strong enough to guard a hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus surely wasn't weak—and coupled with nearing the hundred-thousand-year milestone, it made sense that it might produce a soul bone upon death.
Maybe the Snow Empress didn't take the bone out of sentiment, giving the beast a final shred of dignity—or maybe she had other plans.
Of course, to someone like the Snow Empress, a soul bone was nothing more than a collectible item.
But regardless of what she thought, Huo Yuhao felt like saying to her, "Thanks a lot!"
His observations complete, he got straight to work.
He raised his hand and stored the beast's entire corpse in a soul tool.
Then he moved next to the Snow Lotus, ready to harvest it.
The Snow Empress likely hadn't used the Snow Lotus yet because she wasn't ready to restart her cultivation. But she never would've expected that another sneaky rat would come after her.
"Heh… don't mind if I do," Huo Yuhao grinned.
As he got closer, he could see the fine veins on each leaf—like blood vessels beneath a fair maiden's skin; smell the gentle fragrance from the flower's core, enough to stir one's soul; and see the dewdrops on the petals, like tears glistening in a maiden's eyes—utterly stunning.
"Wait, dew? Where'd dew come from?"
In this freezing environment, on an ice-attribute plant-type soul beast, dew shouldn't even exist—it should've frozen.
Unless the Snow Empress had done something ridiculous like spraying it with water?
Huo Yuhao carefully examined a droplet with his spiritual sense and discovered that it was filled with vibrant life energy. His delight only deepened.
"This dew… is a treasure too?!"
"Truly, fortune favors the lucky. Is this the treatment a Child of Destiny gets?"
As if those words triggered something, a memory fragment from the compassionate monk, Pudu Cihang, surfaced in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Having lived in the wilds, Pudu Cihang had extensive knowledge of herbs—including some details about snow lotuses.
The Ice Mountain Snow Lotus only grew on peaks above 5,000 meters. It was a holy item for healing—capable of reviving the dead, regenerating flesh, enhancing cultivation, and transforming the body. The dew on its petals, known as "Snow Lotus Dew," could expel evil, cure ailments, prolong life, and restore wounds.
Though it might be a different world, herbs of the same kind often had similar effects.
In the original story, there was a character with a Snow Lotus martial soul—the princess of the Heavenly Soul Empire, Veena of the Body Sect. Her Snow Lotus martial soul was purely for healing.
Having found yet another treasure, Huo Yuhao quickly retrieved a jade bottle from his storage soul tool and carefully collected the dew—down to the last drop.
Thanks to Beibei, who had prepared numerous herb-collecting tools and storage containers, Huo Yuhao had everything he needed.
Though Beibei's storage soul tool couldn't hold living things, he had prepared a special box designed to keep herbs fresh and active.
After collecting the dew and confirming nothing was left behind, Huo Yuhao took out the special soul tool box, uprooted the entire Snow Lotus, and stored it inside.
The Snow Empress hadn't set any traps on the Lotus itself, so everything went smoothly. Maybe she was just overconfident in her outer defenses.
As for leaving behind roots or seeds?
Don't be ridiculous.
He wasn't going to leave even a scrap behind.
"Snow Empress, you're only worthy of sniffing my dust! I'm out~"
With his spoils secured, Huo Yuhao turned and fled, quickly vanishing into the storm.
When Huo Yuhao talked tough, he looked cool. But when he ran away, it was a whole other story—completely disheveled.
Afraid that the Snow Empress might return early, Huo Yuhao fled across two mountain ranges, nearly killing himself from exhaustion. He finally leapt into an icy crevasse to feel safe.
Even then, he used his molted skin to tightly conceal his presence.
"Delays invite trouble—better deal with my gains first."
Using Bei Bei as a cushion, Huo Yuhao began to take stock.
First: a corpse of a bighorn soul beast, frozen solid by the power of Ultimate Ice. Inside it was a nearly hundred-thousand-year-old soul bone.
"Once I awaken my Ultimate Ice martial soul, I can absorb the ice energy from the soul beast's body to aid my cultivation. The flesh and blood can help temper my physical body and life force. As for the soul bone—whether I absorb it or not depends on its quality. A soul bone that's just short of a hundred thousand years old might not be worthy of someone like me, the Chosen of Fate. Pity it's only a corpse—no remnant soul. If there were one, I could've used it to train as well."
The mindset of a pragmatic rogue cultivator: waste nothing.
Next: a vial of Snow Lotus Dew.
"Not much—just over a dozen drops. Still, it's an excellent medicine for healing and longevity. I'll store it away for now. Once my alchemy skills improve, I can combine it with other materials to make potent healing or life-extending pills. That's how to maximize its value."
Lastly—and most importantly: the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus!
Although it had no consciousness and wouldn't attack on its own, that didn't mean it was easy to handle.
Its ice-based attributes were nearly at the level of Ultimate Ice. Huo Yuhao had to use his molted skin to protect his hands just to harvest it.
He had also wrapped the storage soul device containing it with his molted skin.
Now that he took it out again, he found the storage container nearly shattered from the cold.
After all, the container wasn't of particularly high quality—good for ordinary herbs, but completely overwhelmed by a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus.
The container: "Can't hold it! Can't hold it at all!"
Huo Yuhao gently tapped the box. At its limit, it finally cracked open with a snap, revealing the Snow Lotus inside.
Seeing it again, Huo Yuhao was still dazzled.
"No vessel can store it anymore… Seems I'll have to use it soon."
He began to ponder how best to utilize the Snow Lotus.
In terms of efficacy and value, the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was on par with the divine herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
He could just swallow it whole.
But that would be like feeding caviar to a cow.
No self-respecting cultivator just eats herbs raw. These things are meant for alchemy.
"But even refining it into a pill would only be a mid-tier use of something this special. And besides, I don't have the skills yet to refine something this rare. Honestly, maybe eating it directly is the best choice right now."
"So that leaves only one best option…"
"Snow Lotus, become one with me!"
Was Huo Yuhao finally going to take the plunge?
Well, by "become one with me," he didn't mean that kind of fusion—it was a form of spiritual cultivation.
It's known as Spirit Herb Symbiosis.
The process only requires the cultivator and the chosen herb.
The cultivator uses a method to absorb the herb into their body. The spirit herb then lives within the cultivator, gradually improving their innate qualities and continuously providing power. Once the cultivator grows stronger, their energy in turn nourishes the herb.
There are two primary approaches to this:
Mutual Growth – If the herb is valuable, the cultivator maintains the symbiotic bond long-term. Over time, they gain the traits of the herb, which enhances their talent and potential. Eventually, the herb may even become their life-bound artifact.
This method accelerates early-stage growth but can hinder progress later since the cultivator must share their power with the herb.
Replacing the herb before it becomes a life-bound artifact is dangerous and harms the cultivator's foundation.
It's not recommended unless the herb is truly rare, because there's no going back.
Extraction-Only – If the herb isn't too valuable, the cultivator extracts its energy without restraint. Once the herb dies, they move on to another.
While slower than pill consumption, this method fully absorbs the herb's properties without side effects.
It's a common route for poor cultivators.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao chose the first option… I mean method.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was already top-tier in the Douluo Continent. Its attributes also perfectly matched his. Before reaching Level 95, he wouldn't suffer any drawbacks.
And after Level 95?
Well… At that level, why would I worry about anything? If I want something, I'll take it.
With his decision made, Huo Yuhao prepared to act.
First, he tapped Bei Bei's forehead, adding a few more days to his deep sleep.
"Young folks really do sleep well."
Then, Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged before the Snow Lotus and began to align his energy with it.
The Snow Lotus, lacking a will of its own, didn't resist.
It was like a silicone doll—he could position it however he wanted.
The symbiosis process wasn't complex—like putting an elephant in a fridge:
Communicate with the Snow Lotus.
Open up his body.
Stuff the Snow Lotus inside.
Close his body again.
Huo Yuhao gradually infused his aura and energy into the Snow Lotus, staining it with his own signature. This would help prevent rejection once it entered his body.
Finally, the Snow Lotus was fully imprinted with his energy.
Time for the next step.
Huo Yuhao drew out the White Tiger Dagger, reversed his grip, and pointed it at his heart.
Yes—"open up" meant literally opening his chest.
He hesitated, nervous about what he was about to do. But then he thought about how a certain god-king might one day treat him like a dog—and his eyes hardened again.
"Just opening my heart—nothing to it!"
He bit down on a towel.
Activated his spiritual detection to map his internal structure.
Then, gritting his teeth, he plunged the dagger into his chest. Blood sprayed out instantly.
The pain made his whole body shake, and he bit down hard on the towel to stop himself from screaming.
Still, he didn't stop.
Maybe because of the influence of Pudu Cihang's memories, Huo Yuhao had developed a bit of ruthlessness—or perhaps even a dark edge.
The peace-time version of little Huo Yuhao would never be able to cut open his own heart.
With the help of spiritual detection, he carefully stabbed into his heart without piercing it completely.
Then he pulled out the dagger, didn't hesitate at all, grabbed the Snow Lotus—and stuffed it into the wound.
"Snow Lotus, I opened my heart to you. Don't let me down!"
He willed his power to guide the herb inward.
The Snow Lotus responded to his aura, emitting a glow and shrinking to fit inside his heart.
Being no ordinary herb, it didn't need him to force it—it entered willingly.
Step three: complete!
Huo Yuhao let out a deep breath.
Now to close the wound.
He reached for the Snow Lotus Dew to heal himself…
But surprisingly, the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus—already growing on his heart—released healing energy of its own and closed the wound.
The damage to his heart and chest healed at a pace visible to the naked eye.
And that wasn't all—its energy spread throughout his entire body, refining and repairing everything, restoring his depleted vitality.
"She's… this proactive?" Huo Yuhao was shocked.
No time to waste—he closed his eyes and began cultivating.
The hundred-thousand-year snow lotus — an ice-attribute spiritual herb with healing properties, brimming with soul power.
These were the characteristics of the snow lotus.
The moment of its greatest power came when it first bonded with its host — during the initial symbiosis. At that stage, the snow lotus adapted to the cultivator's body and released its full strength, merging seamlessly with them and transforming their body into an environment suited for the lotus's power.
It was also when the cultivator could most directly feel the herb's effects.
The more powerful the herb, the more pronounced the effect.
Ordinary herbs required a cultivator to actively guide and draw out their effects. But not so with the snow lotus — it actively integrated itself into Huo Yuhao's body, letting its energy roam through him freely, releasing immense soul power and causing his soul master rank to skyrocket.
Level 16, 17... all the way to level 20!
The surge only stopped when he hit a bottleneck. The excess soul power remained stored in his body, waiting to be unleashed once he acquired a new soul ring.
However, the level-up was actually the least significant of the snow lotus's effects.
Its true value lay in healing Huo Yuhao's internal damage, correcting his deficiencies, and improving his natural talent!
Inside his body, his meridians widened and became more resilient. What had been a narrow mountain path became a smooth eight-lane highway. Even blocked meridians were cleared out by the snow lotus's tremendous soul power.
Old internal injuries — remnants of a harsh childhood — were healed one by one.
Externally, impurities in Huo Yuhao's body were expelled and frozen by the snow lotus's icy power.
Before long, Huo Yuhao had become an ice sculpture.
Above him, in the sea of fate, the shadow of a snow lotus quietly bloomed above the phantom of his Spirit Eyes martial soul, scattering gentle glimmers of light down upon it.
Those ten white potential light points—gifted by the Skydream Iceworm—began to shimmer. One of them quietly faded away. A change was occurring in the Spirit Eyes' soul shadow.
This transformation in his fate signaled that the snow lotus had been fully absorbed.
At the same time…
In the distance, Xue Di — who was watching the fierce battle between Xuanzi and the Titan Snow Demon King — suddenly clutched her chest in pain. A powerful sense of loss gripped her heart, as though something important had just vanished.
"What's going on? Bing'er is still by my side... Wait, could it be that thing?!"
Her icy expression shifted dramatically, and a ruthless killing intent erupted in her eyes. Without a word of explanation, she turned and rushed off — straight toward the location where the hundred-thousand-year snow lotus had been growing!
Bing Di was stunned, then quickly followed.
"Xue'er, where are you going? Wait for me!"
The two Great Kings departed, but the duel between Xuanzi and the Titan Snow Demon King raged on, undisturbed.
At this point, the Titan Snow Demon King had clearly fallen into a disadvantage. Thoughts of retreat had begun to stir in its heart.
Because Xuanzi fought like he didn't care about his own life!
——
That night…
A bitter cold wind swept across the Extreme North.
Fueled by the fury of the region's greatest ruler, the frigid wind was even colder than usual.
Even mighty hundred-thousand-year soul beasts curled up inside their dens, too fearful to stir and risk the wrath of a furious Xue Di.
Yet, some places remained untouched by the storm.
Like the ice cave beneath a deep crevice.
While snow raged above, the ice cave below remained calm and still.
There, a young man lay wrapped in his shed cocoon, sleeping peacefully.
Nearby, another youth was encased in ice — an icy lump frozen solid.
Suddenly, the frozen boy's eyes snapped open. Two beams of icy light shot out from beneath the ice.
Boom!
With a roar, the icy shell shattered under the surge of energy from within, revealing the young man inside.
His cotton clothes had been destroyed in the process, revealing a lean, powerful physique. His skin was pale and radiant, like jade infused with ice. Silky ice-blue hair flowed with his breath.
But most striking were his eyes.
His pupils had turned an icy blue, marked with snowflake patterns, radiating a biting cold.
Huuu—
As the youth exhaled a deep breath, the aura around him faded back into his body.
This was the reborn Huo Yuhao!
"It worked!"
Huo Yuhao looked at his hands in wonder. The calluses from his years of labor had vanished, replaced by smooth, almost feminine skin.
Then he noticed something else — he wasn't wearing a single thread of clothing. Yet he didn't feel the slightest cold.
His body had changed.
He quickly pulled out a set of clothes from his storage-type soul tool and got dressed. Then, using a lighting soul tool and a mirror, he examined himself.
Staring into the mirror, Huo Yuhao stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"If Huo Yun'er came back to life now, she probably wouldn't even recognize me."
His hair had turned ice-blue, and his eyes matched — now adorned with faint snowflake patterns. Even his facial features had subtly shifted. While still recognizable as the original Huo Yuhao, he now looked colder, more elegant — a beauty that could only be described as "devastatingly handsome."
But these external changes were only part of the transformation.
What mattered more was the change within.
His soul power had reached level 20. Once he obtained a second soul ring, he could break through even further.
His Spirit Eyes martial soul had changed too — not a full second awakening, but now infused with ice and snow attributes. With careful cultivation, he might even develop unique techniques — self-created soul skills.
His physique had grown stronger, now better suited for cultivating ice-type techniques. This also explained his change in hair color. While he hadn't gained a special spiritual body, he now possessed immunity to cold.
And the snow lotus's effects would continue over time. One day, his body might evolve again.
Most importantly, Huo Yuhao's talent had undergone a complete metamorphosis.
All his internal injuries were healed. His natural talent had risen to the level of innate full soul power!
If his Ultimate Ice martial soul fully awakened and his body improved further, his talent could even surpass innate full soul power.
The future looked bright — cause for celebration.
Too bad he was in the Extreme North with nothing but dry rations to eat. Otherwise, Huo Yuhao would've thrown a party on the spot.
As for Bei Bei… well, a Soul Elder in the thirties could afford to skip a couple of meals.
——
The next morning.
Huo Yuhao climbed out of the ice crevice with Bei Bei on his back.
The wind and snow still howled outside.
But with the cocoon's remains shielding him, he wasn't afraid of the elements.
"It's time to choose my second martial soul," Huo Yuhao murmured as he activated his qi-seeing technique, scanning the flows of fate within the surrounding mountains, hunting for his target.
He already had a new choice in mind for his second martial soul.
That was — a centipede-type soul beast!
Because he had a complete guide on how to cultivate a centipede soul beast!