Capítulo 50: Chapter 50: The Extreme North
On the plains, snowflakes swirled with the howling wind, and as far as the eye could see, the world was a seamless blend of white, as if one were immersed in a realm where only the color white existed.
A stray snowflake slipped into An Lengye's hood, landing on her neck. The piercing cold made her shiver instinctively.
An Lengye pursed her lips and glanced at the elderly man beside her, as if she wanted to say something. However, before she could speak, she noticed a thin figure standing far away in the snowstorm.
"Is that... a person?"
Unlike them, the figure was not bundled up tightly. They wore only a simple white coat. If it weren't for the person's short black hair, An Lengye would have believed they had melded entirely into the pure white world around them, indistinguishable from the snow.
An absurd feeling welled up within her. But when she tried to get a clearer look, the figure had already vanished into the snowstorm.
"Was that really a human?"
The next second, the elderly man beside her seemed to have sensed something terrifying. His face changed dramatically.
"Run!!"
Without giving An Lengye any time to react, the old man grabbed her by the collar and sprinted back in the direction they had come from, as if staying a second longer would cost them their lives.
"Grandpa?"
What's happening?
The wind roared in her ears, and a confused An Lengye suddenly felt a terrifying aura from behind her. Instinctively, she turned to look. The already cloudy sky had grown darker, and a brilliant golden pillar of light shot into the sky from the direction where the young figure had disappeared.
"What... is that?"
Since her grandfather was dragging her along at full speed, An Lengye focused her attention on the unfolding scene, imprinting the overwhelming and awe-inspiring sight into her memory—a scene she would remember for the rest of her life.
"Ice Emperor, I've come. Dare to show yourself?"
A booming voice, like thunder, echoed through the heavens and earth, accompanied by a soul-shaking aura that spread rapidly across the endless snowy plains.
Not long after, an equally terrifying aura erupted from the opposite direction of the golden light. It was like a drop of green dye spreading across the sky, turning the gray-white clouds a dreamy, vivid green.
"Skydream? Is that you?"
A crisp female voice rang out, and An Lengye clearly felt her grandfather speed up once again as he raced to escape.
...
It was unknown how much time had passed before they finally reached the edge of the Extreme North.
The elderly man, gasping for breath after escaping death, set An Lengye down.
"Grandpa, are you alright?"
An Lengye patted her grandfather's back while looking back at the sky where the golden light and green clouds had completely disappeared, a deep sense of dread rising in her heart.
"I'm fine."
After catching his breath, the old man waved his hand, his face still filled with lingering fear.
"Thankfully, those two soul beasts weren't targeting us. Otherwise, we wouldn't have made it out alive today."
An Lengye's eyes widened. "Those were two soul beasts!? But I clearly saw—"
"Soul beasts with such terrifying power must be at least one hundred thousand years old. We probably stumbled upon them while they were fighting over territory, and that's the only reason we survived. As for the young man you saw, I noticed him too. He must be one of the soul beasts in human form after living for a hundred thousand years."
Listening to her grandfather's explanation, An Lengye thought back to the slender figure walking in the snowstorm and nodded slightly.
"Grandpa, what about my spirit ring?"
"We'll have to figure something else out." The old man, still shaken, sighed. "Let's head back first."
"Okay."
Meanwhile, deep in the core of the Extreme North, inside a cave...
A scorpion about one and a half meters long, with a tail that glowed an emerald green, stared at the human youth in front of her, conflicted. After her spiritual essence was branded, her voice echoed directly in Huo Yuhao's mind.
"What should I do?"
"I knew you'd agree, Bingbing."
"It's only because you threatened me!"
The Ice Empress shot a glare at the miniature Skydream Iceworm in Huo Yuhao's hand, her tone filled with frustration.
"Don't think I agreed because of you! Annoy me again, and I'll self-destruct!"
The Skydream Iceworm shrank back but couldn't hide its excitement.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything else. Yuhao, we can begin."
"Wait, I have one more thing."
Huo Yuhao, who had remained mostly silent, turned to the Ice Empress with a serious expression.
"Ice Empress, can you contact the Snow Empress?"
He wasn't sure why, but although the negotiation process with the Ice Empress had been similar to his past life, this time she had agreed much more quickly, barely hesitating before showing her spiritual core, which indicated her full sincerity.
This sparked an idea in him. In his previous life, the Snow Empress had turned into a human after reaching a hundred thousand years, but was captured by humans while still an embryo. She was later sold at auction. All of this had happened after the Ice Empress became his spirit soul.
If the Ice Empress was willing to help summon the Snow Empress now, the tragic events of his past life could be avoided entirely.
As soon as he said this, the Skydream Iceworm was visibly startled, raising his head. His golden eyes showed clear signs of fear.
"Yuhao, you can't be serious! The Snow Empress isn't someone we can mess with."
"Relax, Brother Skydream. I just need to talk to her."
The Skydream Iceworm wanted to argue further, but when he recalled the inexplicable bond he felt with Huo Yuhao, he swallowed his words.
The Ice Empress was also clearly taken aback. She hadn't expected the human before her to be bold enough to ask her to contact the Snow Empress.
"I can do it, but what exactly are you planning?"
As she looked at the boy who didn't seem to pose any threat, the Ice Empress was filled with conflicting emotions.
Truth be told, she felt like she was going mad. How could she trust a human and agree to become a spirit soul?
Yet, deep down, she didn't feel as resistant to the idea as she thought she would. And the reason...
It was the strange sense of familiarity she felt with the boy, a closeness that even the Snow Empress had never made her feel.
Besides, her time was running out. If she didn't find a way to survive, she would die soon. It was then that the Skydream Iceworm appeared before her as a living example of the spirit soul bond, offering her a way to keep living.
All these factors had led her to agree without much hesitation.
But just because she agreed didn't mean the Snow Empress would too!
"If you're hoping the Snow Empress will also become your spirit soul, I can tell you it's nearly impossible."
"The Snow Empress is even more prideful than I am. She would rather die under the tribulation than become a human's spirit ring. No matter how miraculous your spirit soul bond is, she won't agree. You might even end up in danger."
(End of Chapter)
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