After genuinely forming an alliance with the Snow Empress, life in the ice palace became much easier for him. He no longer felt as reserved as he did in the beginning.
Even though the Snow Empress was initially extremely cold towards him, the natural connection and pull of their bloodlines meant that her attitude was generally acceptable, even though she disliked humans.
Her attitude has changed significantly again since then, but there is one thing the Snow Empress hasn't changed to this day. She still doesn't allow Shu Yan to step out of this ice palace. He doesn't know the exact reason, and it leaves him feeling a bit helpless.
Luckily, most of his focus is on his cultivation. If he were someone with a more lively or active mind, they might truly go mad staying in this palace.
More than half a year has passed since he was brought to the Core Circle of the Extreme North Land. Shu Yan looked at the unchanging scenery in the distance, but he couldn't help but think of that golden-haired figure.
Just as he himself had said, Xu Jiujiu had been by his side for nearly seven full years, which is almost half of his current life. The impression she left on his heart is the most profound. Now that the Snow Empress has taken him away for half a year, perhaps she...
Thinking of this, a clear hint of guilt appeared in Shu Yan's eyes. The aurora in the distant sky was incredibly beautiful, but the longing and worry in his heart were too heavy. They were weaving into a large net that pressed down on his heart, and he had long lost the interest in appreciating the scenery.
The Princess Manor
Meanwhile, in Star Luo City, thousands of miles away. The luxurious and exquisite Princess Manor was no longer as warm and gentle as it had been. Instead, an invisible low pressure shrouded the place.
Xu Jiujiu sat alone on the Star Platform that had been specially built for her. This Star Platform was made of a special ore that could gather the power of the stars to a certain extent. As an Imperial Princess and a direct descendant of the Star Crown Sect, Xu Jiujiu naturally inherited the pure Star Crown Martial Soul.
The power of the Star Crown Martial Soul is beyond doubt. As an auxiliary-type Martial Soul, the Star Crown Martial Soul possesses strong auxiliary capabilities while also having powerful combat and control abilities.
If the auxiliary ability of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—the number one auxiliary-type Martial Soul in the world—is inclined towards being an all-rounder, then the auxiliary ability of the Star Crown Martial Soul is completely focused on combat. This is completely different from the comprehensive nature of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile.
In some ways, the Star Crown Martial Soul was created entirely for battle. This is why the number of Soul Masters with the Star Crown Martial Soul is so small, yet the inheritance of the Star Crown Sect still lasts for a long time.
The Star Crown Martial Soul can even occupy a place among all top-tier Martial Souls. From this, it's clear that the power of the Star Crown Martial Soul far exceeds ordinary Martial Souls; even some top-tier Martial Souls cannot compare with it.
However, along with possessing a powerful Martial Soul, Star Crown Soul Masters pay the price of even more difficult cultivation and suffering than ordinary Soul Masters. Star Crown Soul Masters can only cultivate at night and must absorb the power of the stars to enhance their cultivation.
Even the Soul Skills they obtain through Spirit Rings require the use of the Star Power they have stored after absorbing the power of the stars. This is undoubtedly a huge drawback for the Star Crown Martial Soul. But over the years, the Star Crown Sect has explored some solutions through long-term research.
This Star Platform is one of the most successful items they've created. As mentioned earlier, the ore needed to build the Star Platform is extremely special. Its characteristic of being able to gather the power of the stars to assist Soul Masters in cultivation made it a treasure coveted by all Soul Masters who possess the Star Crown Martial Soul.
However, since the Xu family took control of the Star Luo Empire, they have spent the power of the entire nation, and to this day, only two Star Platforms have been built. And one of them is in Xu Jiujiu's Princess Manor.
Dense Star Power swirled around Xu Jiujiu, with dots of starlight twinkling. This Star Power slowly began to integrate into her skin, and Xu Jiujiu's Spirit Power aura also slowly began to rise.
After a long time, accompanied by a burst of spirit power scattering outwards, Xingyun Douluo Manyi, who was sitting cross-legged on the top of a building guarding Xu Jiujiu, suddenly opened her eyes.
She looked at Xu Jiujiu's significantly thinner back, and a hint of heartache flashed in her eyes. This was the girl she had watched grow up, no different from her own granddaughter to her. Now that the girl had suffered such a great change, Xingyun Douluo felt both heartbroken and helpless.
On the other side, Xu Jiujiu also slowly opened her eyes. Tonight's night sky was very clear, dotted with clouds and twinkling stars—a scene of beauty and tranquility. But Xu Jiujiu only felt a strong sense of desolation and loneliness from this beautiful scene.
In the past, at this time, as long as she opened her eyes, she could see that familiar figure within her line of sight. But now, only she was left.
From being a naive little follower in her youth to later becoming a lover with a secret crush when she first felt love, Xu Jiujiu had long considered Shu Yan the most important part of her life. But now...
Thinking of Shu Yan's last gentle words that day, and his eyes filled with comfort and encouragement, Xu Jiujiu's eyes were bloodshot. She had already shed many tears, but perhaps she herself realized that tears couldn't solve any problems.
What she needed was powerful strength—strength that could allow her to change the current situation. She didn't dare to think about those bad outcomes, because any one of them was unacceptable to her.
Xu Jiujiu recalled Shu Yan's voice, appearance, and smile, and then quickly entered a state of cultivation again. But the tear that slipped from the corner of her eye proved that her state at this time was not good.
The distant Xingyun Douluo sighed softly. While feeling heartache for Xu Jiujiu, she also silently prayed for Shu Yan. In just half a year, the Princess seemed to have completely changed.
In the initial period, the Princess seemed to have lost her soul and didn't respond to anyone. Later, Medical Immortal Douluo personally came forward to comfort her, and the Princess's situation improved slightly.
But as Medical Immortal Douluo had said, she could only heal physical pain, not the pain of the soul. The cause of all this was Shu Yan, and the result could only be Shu Yan. Otherwise, even she would be powerless.
A Cold Collision
After another night of meditation, Shu Yan slowly opened his eyes on an ice bed. Thoughts flowed through his eyes. He then stood up and walked straight toward the main hall. Perhaps, some things needed to be discussed properly with the Snow Empress again.
But before he could walk into the main hall, he ran straight into a small figure. A dull sound rang out. The small figure collided directly with Shu Yan, and both of them took two steps back. When Shu Yan saw the person in front of him clearly, his pupils contracted uncontrollably again.
In front of him was a little girl wearing a jade-green dress. She looked to be only about 1.6 meters tall, with a delicate and charming appearance. However, compared to the Snow Empress, she lacked a hint of arrogance but had an extra touch of cold beauty. Her skin was as white as ice and snow, even having a somewhat translucent texture.
Her dark-green long hair was tied into twin ponytails, and a cold aura emanated from her body, which was slightly inconsistent with her attire and height. But it was undeniable that this girl was definitely a qualified pretty little potato.
But Shu Yan knew very well that besides him, a human, there were no other humans in the Core Circle of the Extreme North Land. The identity of this delicate little potato in front of him immediately became clear. She was the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, the Ice Empress, ranked second among the Far North Three Great Heavenly Kings!