Lin Xiao did not particularly doubt the Snow Empress's words. With her cultivation level, saying such things was perfectly normal.
However, when entering this simple courtyard, he still slightly slowed his steps.
The courtyard was very simple; it could not even be called a proper courtyard. There was only a single simple room, surrounded by a circle of low ice walls.
The room blended with the snow that formed the hills, crystal clear and translucent, somewhat resembling those secret realms that suddenly appeared in uninhabited places.
It did not look like a human structure at all; it was as if a block of solid ice had been hollowed out. The entire house was a single whole, clearly just as the Snow Empress had said—something she had casually created.
Pushing the door open and entering, Lin Xiao paused slightly. Unlike what he had seen from the outside, although the Snow Empress was a soul beast, she had still added some decorations to her own dwelling.
He did not know where she had learned these decorative styles from, but there were ice tables and ice chairs fully furnished, adorned with snowflake-shaped patterns. To one side stood a wide ice bed; merely approaching it allowed one to feel a wave of chilling intent rushing toward the face.
Although he had not seen it with his own eyes, just by sensing the aura upon it, Lin Xiao could guess that this ice bed was no ordinary item. Its quality was likely superior even to the ten-thousand-year chilled jade bed in the Clear Sky Castle.
The heaven-and-earth elemental energy in the room seemed to have become much denser, and a faint layer of ice mist permeated the entire space, adding a touch of haziness.
Seeing this familiar place, the Snow Empress fell silent for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh. "The thing you are looking for is here."
Hearing this, Lin Xiao's eyes flickered slightly.
As expected. Seeing the Far North in its current state, the Snow Empress naturally could not simply leave like this. Allowing him to bring her back to her dwelling was not merely because she felt nostalgic and wanted one last look; there was another reason.
In truth, before deciding to tell the Snow Empress his speculations about the Holy Emperor, Lin Xiao had already thought everything through and was prepared to lend her his aid.
The Snow Empress was originally an Ice Heavenly Snow Woman, and her seventy-thousand-year cultivation had granted her wisdom no less than that of humans.
Although she had not let go of her vigilance and hatred toward humans in the slightest, she also knew that, at this moment, the only one who could help her was him.
And what she needed to offer in return, Lin Xiao had already mentioned it when they had just entered the Far North.
However, looking around, Lin Xiao did not discover anything particularly special. Even that ice bed was only greatly beneficial to ice-attribute soul masters; to him, it held no significant use.
"Can you see the ice mist in this room?"
Lin Xiao nodded slightly.
"This is not mist; it is a kind of snow insect. They were born from my bone blood and, influenced by my aura, transformed into this appearance."
"Though they appear weak, they can still be considered my companion entities, lingering here for who knows how many years."
"To your ice-attribute soul masters, they can make a soul master's attributes approach the extreme limit. They are a heavenly treasure that can only be encountered by chance, not sought."
The Snow Empress paused briefly before continuing, "On your body, they cannot influence your martial soul attributes, but their effect on the physical body can similarly meet your needs, at the very least, far more effective than that snow lotus."
Snow insects?
Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes and extended his spiritual force into the mist. Indeed, this mist was not ordinary water vapor or ice shards; it was composed of countless densely packed minute entities.
Though called insects, upon careful sensing, they carried no aura of life, yet they seemed to possess biological activity, drifting slowly as if they had consciousness.
Lin Xiao lowered his head slightly and glanced at the Soul-Capturing Pendant hanging at his waist.
If these things truly were born from the Snow Empress's bone blood, then these entities that were like living beings yet not living beings could, in a certain sense, be considered part of the Snow Empress's body.
Some materials from soul beasts were indeed greatly nourishing, capable of nourishing and strengthening the body. However, with Lin Xiao's current cultivation and physical strength, materials from soul beasts of even ten thousand years would have little effect on him.
But if these materials came from the seventy-thousand-year Snow Empress, that was an entirely different matter.
Though the Snow Empress did not seem to specialize in physical strength, under the influence of her seventy-thousand-year cultivation, her body surpassed that of the vast majority of soul beasts.
"You want me to help you resolve the matters in the Far North?" Lin Xiao understood in his heart. The Snow Empress had already offered her payment.
"How about it? Can these things be exchanged for your help in removing those methods left behind in the Far North?"
Lin Xiao gently raised his hand and extended it into the thin mist. A cool sensation immediately spread across the back of his hand, as if countless tiny mosquitoes were biting it.
"I had indeed thought you would help me find what I needed, but I truly did not expect that what you brought out would actually originate from yourself."
"That snow lotus back then was also something I obtained by chance. Do you think the Far North truly has that many rare heavenly treasures? Moreover, even if it did, do you think they could remain intact for long in the mouths of so many soul beasts?"
"Additionally…" the Snow Empress added, "I know you are seeking ways to strengthen your physical body, but there is more than one method to do so."
"I believe among you humans, there is also the concept of developing one's own strength. The potential within your physical body is far greater than it appears. To strengthen the body, aside from amplification through external objects, you can also grow through constant tempering."
"You have already experienced the gang winds of the Far North, so you naturally understand what I mean. Even with my cultivation, walking daily through the Far North gang winds, though not intentionally, my physical strength has still increased because of it."
"I believe this method would similarly work for you. After this matter is concluded, I will take you to a suitable place based on your physical strength."
"Tempering…"
Lin Xiao softly repeated the Snow Empress's words. In his mental sea, Electrolux, though unaware of the specific exchange between the Snow Empress and Lin Xiao, could roughly guess something upon hearing his murmur.
"If you wish to use the gang winds here to temper your body, it is indeed a good plan. With the Gold of Living Creatures within you, the efficiency would likely be several times greater than that of other soul masters."
Listening to Electrolux's words, Lin Xiao's gaze once again fell upon the Soul-Capturing Pendant. "Your proposal is quite good, but it should not be solely for my benefit, right?"
"Even if tempering the body with gang winds is indeed effective, it cannot be accomplished in a day or two. During this time, I will inevitably remain in the Far North—which would also make it convenient for you to have me act, correct?"
The Snow Empress did not respond, which was tantamount to tacit admission.
The Snow Empress was still the same. Although Lin Xiao had agreed to bring her to see her territory once more, and now they were making a transaction, their relationship appeared to have eased considerably.
But in truth, she had never let go of her hatred and vigilance toward humans.
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