Seeing the strange look on Shu Yan's face, the Snow Empress offered a gentle smile, not really taking his state to heart. He was only a thirteen-year-old boy, and no matter how mature he was mentally, he was still just a slightly smarter child in her eyes.
The small, subtle interactions they'd shared had led to some unexpected shifts in her feelings for him. Before, she had only viewed him as a clan member and a potential companion on their shared path to godhood, largely due to their bloodline connection. Now, however, their relationship had grown beyond that.
When a young boy reaches the age where he starts to feel romantic interest, could she, as his self-proclaimed 'sister,' really blame him for his feelings...?
Ahem, let's get back to the main topic...
Ever since Shu Yan spoke his mind that day, the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress had genuinely thought about what he'd said.
Shu Yan is a human; that fact is almost impossible to change. During their six months together in the Extreme North Land, the Snow Empress had clearly observed the changes in Shu Yan.
Humans are social beings, and Shu Yan has important connections in the human world. Although the Extreme North Land is the absolute best place for his cultivation, anyone with a good grasp of the situation knows that keeping Shu Yan there permanently would likely have a negative outcome for him.
After discussing this, the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress finally reached a decision.
If Shu Yan can't stay in the Extreme North Land for a long time, then why shouldn't they simply follow him to the human world and see it for themselves?
This was the result of their long and careful consideration. They had a general idea of the human world's current power structure and the state of its top-tier powerhouses from Shu Yan, but as they'd already said, Soul Beasts and humans are two completely different species.
Their decision to enter the human world carried the same level of danger as a human entering the Soul Beast world; the risks were huge. Despite this, they both chose to go with Shu Yan.
First and foremost, they had confidence in their own strength. The Snow Empress is currently at her peak and can still be considered a Limit Douluo even without the boosting effects of the Extreme North Land's unique power. While the Ice Empress might not be counted as a Limit Douluo, she is easily equivalent to a human Level 98 Super Douluo.
Both of them possess ultimate-level attributes and have been partners for hundreds of thousands of years. Their teamwork in battle is flawless; they can anticipate each other's intentions with a single glance.
It's not an exaggeration to say that their combined strength could cut through most of the top-tier forces on the Continent. Even those great super-forces would have to seriously weigh the consequences and potential impact before daring to cross them.
The second reason was very simple: they wanted to see how thriving and interesting the human world truly was. Having been in the Extreme North Land for such an incredibly long time, their curiosity about the outside world had never disappeared; they just hadn't found the right opportunity to act on it.
After their discussion, the two sisters quickly finalized all their plans.
The Ice Empress would first return to her own clan to arrange a few things, which would take a few days. The Snow Empress then immediately explained her and the Ice Empress's plan to Shu Yan.
Shu Yan was shocked into silence for a long time when he first heard the news, but once he recovered, he accepted the turn of events naturally.
Even though he didn't know exactly what the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress were thinking, this outcome was definitely beneficial for him.
While being protected by them in the Extreme North Land meant a carefree life, he still preferred to return to the human world. Human nature is like this, and at the very least, Shu Yan didn't think of himself as an unsociable person.
When the Ice Empress finally returned, seven days had passed. She looked slightly exhausted, clearly having dealt with some tough matters. The Snow Empress noticed her state right away and asked:
"Bing Er, did something big happen? You don't look quite right."
The Ice Empress let out a soft sigh and leaned weakly into the Snow Empress's embrace. As she inhaled the Snow Empress's familiar scent, her expression slowly regained a bit of energy. Only then did she begin to tell the full story.
"It wasn't anything major, I suppose. I originally went back to the clan just to arrange a few minor things, but shortly after I got there, I picked up a human aura near the Ice Sea while a few of my clan members and I were on patrol."
"Once I got closer, I found that those people were quite strong; the weakest was a Spirit Douluo , and their leader's cultivation was near a human Super Douluo.
And, believe it or not, they had managed to sneak into the Core Circle right under our noses! Looking at the camp they left behind and the traces of their lives, they had probably been stationed in that area for a very long time, yet not a single Soul Beast had noticed anything strange..."
The Ice Empress paused her tale here before continuing, "I sensed they had some very serious intentions, so I led my clansmen to surround them under the cover of night. Those few humans fought back fiercely when they realized they were trapped, and in the end, they even used a devastating weapon. I was briefly caught off guard, and several of my clansmen were severely injured or died as a result..."
A flicker of guilt crossed the Ice Empress's eyes. At first, she'd been a little careless because the cultivation of those few humans seemed insignificant to her.
This momentary slip allowed one of them, before dying, to somehow trigger a series of massive explosions. By the time she fully collected herself, it was already too late.
The clan members who had been with her were either dead or badly hurt. In a fit of rage, her Eternal Frozen Domain spread for a hundred li, and she finally tortured and killed the remaining individuals.
The Ice Empress's account caused the Snow Empress to sink into deep thought.
Because of Shu Yan's arrival, she realized she hadn't paid enough attention to the situation within the Core Circle for a long time.
It's important to remember that the Extreme North Land's Core Circle is huge; it's even bigger than some of the larger Soul Hunting Forests found outside.
However, just like the Great Ferocious Land in the Star Dou Great Forest, the Extreme North Land's Core Circle has always been a forbidden area for humans.
Simply avoiding detection from the powerful Soul Beasts that are everywhere is one major challenge, but just surviving the extremely low temperatures here is another incredibly difficult task.
And now, humans had dared to set up a long-term base in the Core Circle, and they seemed to have serious goals. The Snow Empress thought of something specific, and her face suddenly grew dark.
If Shu Yan hadn't shown up, she would have been close to finishing the process of sealing her own essence with the hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus extract, thereby transforming herself into a human.
At that exact time, she would have been at her most vulnerable. Forget humans whose strength was close to a Super Douluo ; even an ordinary human Spirit Saint could likely have easily killed her.
The more the Snow Empress thought about it, the more a chill ran down her spine. She clenched the edge of the ice couch so tightly that it immediately shattered into a pile of ice shards.
Listening to their conversation, vague memories started to surface in Shu Yan's mind. If he recalled correctly, the Snow Empress in the original story unfortunately ran into a human who had ventured deep into the Extreme North Land's Core Circle right in the middle of her transformation.
It was then that this person sealed her using a Level 9 Soul Tool, the God Sealing Platform, and subsequently took her away from the Extreme North Land.
Thinking about it now, the changes and deviations caused by his presence have already begun to take effect. The future is now shrouded in a thick fog, making the final outcome impossible to see...
Just as Shu Yan was lost in thought, the Ice Empress suddenly moved to his side. Seeing that he still hadn't reacted, she expertly reached out and pinched the soft skin on his waist. Shu Yan winced slightly, instantly snapping back to attention.
"What is it?" Shu Yan asked softly, gently batting away the Ice Empress's still-pinching hand.
The Ice Empress let out a light snort, then with a quick flick of her wrist, several differently shaped storage Soul Tools suddenly appeared in her hand.
Judging by the lingering scent of blood on these Soul Tools, they were likely the possessions left behind by the Soul Masters whom the Ice Empress had tortured and killed.
"These are the storage Soul Tools left by those scoundrels after they died. The stuff inside is all mixed up, and I can't figure it out, so I'll just give them to you. Maybe they'll be useful later on."
Shu Yan offered a small smile, took the storage Soul Tools from the Ice Empress's hand, and checked them with his spiritual power. The very next moment, Shu Yan's pupils sharply contracted, as if he had just seen something absolutely terrifying...