'What was that?!' Huo Yuhao lightly gasped, the strange vision that suddenly appeared in his mind quickly dissipated.
But the images still remained in his memories, more specifically, the cold visage of the snow woman was deeply ingrained.
Even if he were to get amnesia, her face would forever remain.
"What was that?"
"Yuhao, what's wrong?"
Skydream and Ice Empress respectively asked. They had clearly sensed a strange surge of spiritual power in the Eye of Eternity and some movements from the Ice God Legacy.
As for Ancestor and Electrolux, unless something serious comes up or training Huo Yuhao, these two lazy elders wouldn't be bothered by anything else.
'I....I think I just saw who's in the embryo,' Huo Yuhao said.
He then briefly described the sudden vision he received and conjured the image of the snow woman in his spiritual sea for Skydream and Ice Empress to see.
""This is...!""
Both of them were in complete shock, they recognized that woman, how could they not? She's the Snow Empress!
"Yuhao, we have to get her! We need to save her!" The Ice Empress said worriedly, feeling completely restless.
Not many know this, but both she and Snow Empress have a special relationship. So seeing her like this made her feel heavy in her heart.
'...Ice Empress, even if I wanted to....' Huo Yuhao's face scrunched.
Forget about the numerous security measures placed around the embryo or the Godsealing Alter, he most likely has to go through experts that are at least Titled Douluos. There was even a chance that there would be a Transcendent Douluo keeping close watch on the embryo!
Ice Empress momentarily went silent, her body trembling.
On the side, Skydream looked completely composed and was contemplating.
"I didn't expect her to get captured like this, and from what that little princess said, Snow Empress was captured when she was undergoing rebirth to becoming human. But that's impossible!" Skydream said, looking puzzled.
"Huh? Why is it impossible? If they had just stumbled on her undergoing rebirth into becoming a human, when she's at her weakest state, then—"
Ice Empress shook her head, "No, Yuhao. What Skydream is talking about....it's the impossibility of her undergoing rebirth into a human."
Skydream nodded and further stated, "What humans and some of the young soul beasts don't know is that, when a soul beast reaches the age of 100,000 years old, they face two choices."
"One, continue living as a soul beast and undergo heavenly tribulation every 100,000 years, or two, change into a human and cultivate anew in order to reach rank 100 and gain eternal life."
Ice Empress added, "They are given another chance when they reach 200,000 years old, but after that there will no longer be that option. Snow Empress is around 700,000 years old, so she cannot be reborn as a human."
Skydream shrugged and said, "She might've had a fortunate encounter or something, nonetheless, there's nothing we could do for at this point."
"But..."
Skydream's expression hardened, "Ice Empress, although I don't want to be harsh with you, but we have to face reality. Even if we're both back at our prime, the chances of us successfully saving her right now are almost nonexistent."
Ice Empress wanted to lash out at him, say that he didn't want to save Snow Empress because it would get in his way of "wooeing her"—but she couldn't.
Not when he was staring at her with such serious and sincere eyes.
Ice Empress clenched both her hands and hung her head low, feeling completely helpless. "Snow Empress..."
Huo Yuhao felt a deep pang of empathy for Ice Empress as he watched her struggle with the reality of the situation. He could feel her emotions, a mixture of sorrow, frustration, and helplessness, echoing within his spiritual sea.
The Snow Empress was not just any powerful soul beast to Ice Empress; she was someone special, and the thought of not being able to save her was almost unbearable.
Both Skydream and Ice Empress have been a great help to his cultivation path, and in a way, they were like his family. If he couldn't pay them back in some way, he would feel a heavy weight of guilt.
'I can't just sit by and do nothing,' Huo Yuhao thought, his resolve hardening. 'Even if it's impossible right now, we'll find a way.'
He had a plan, it was a long shot, but if he was here...
Huo Yuhao subtly released his Spiritual Detection, trying to find a certain someone that might be able to help them.
"What do you want, brat?" A scruffy elderly voice sounded behind him.
'I-I didn't even sense him yet!'
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened, finding the foodie Elder Xuan standing behind him.
However, to his astonishment, there was a sort of spatial distortion that surrounded his body—making him appear hazy and blurry, making him completely undetected to the others.
As expected of a rank 98 Transcendent Douluo, being so close to the peak of all soul masters, his powers were on an entirely different level.
Elder Xuan still looked the same as ever, with a gourd on his hips and a chicken drumstick in his hand.
"Just communicate with me using your soul skill. This might look impressive and easy, but trust me, I have to use all of my concentration just to talk to you undetected." Elder Xuan said.
Huo Yuhao nodded in understanding and, using his Spiritual Sharing, he said, "Elder Xuan, I want to buy the Godsealing Alter. Name your price, you know my potential, I swear on my martial souls that if you can help me, I—'
Elder Xuan shook his head, "No, I'm sorry."
Huo Yuhao's heart sank at the quick rejection, but he forced himself to stay composed.
'Why not?' Huo Yuhao asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.
Elder Xuan sighed, taking a bite of his chicken leg. "It's a long story, but to sum it all up—it involves all the empires creating a scheme against the Sun Moon Empire."
'A scheme?'
"Yes, that's correct. After all, with such a precious treasure such as this, why would the Star Luo Empire just bring it out on auction like it's just any ordinary item?" Elder Xuan continued, his tone serious. "They knew it would attract all the top powers from the other empires, especially the Sun Moon Empire since the other two empires are most likely on this ploy together."
"Selling this item is a trap to assess and weaken the Sun Moon Empire, I don't know the specifics, but I am led to believe that they are going to use this Godsealing Alter to raid the Illustrious Virtue hall!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened, isn't this basically a declaration of war?!
He knew the tension between the Sun Moon Empire and the mainland(the other empires) were terribly tensed, probably just one spark away from the situation descending into an all-out war.
But he didn't think it was getting this intense!
'Wait, this could be an opportunity for my sect.' Huo Yuhao's eyes shone, as a scheme brewed briefly. 'As of now, it currently doesn't have a clear goal for its members and doesn't hold any influence in the world economy to become a huge organization.'
'But, if a war were to begin...We would thrive!'
Huo Yuhao didn't like war or senseless violence, unless it has something to do with training, it was a very sad and unfortunate event that should never occur.
But he, as well as others like minded as him, has no control over the empires' leaders and especially—human nature.
Sun Moon Empire wants to rule over the entire continent and unite it into a single banner, while the other nations wants the Sun Moon Empire's resources and land. Greed is a very powerful sin in a human psyche.
Although it was unfortunate, but there could be no success if there were no sacrifices.
"Yuhao, focus!" Ice Empress yelled in his mind, quickly snapping him out of his contemplation.
Huo Yuhao coughed and said to Elder Xuan, 'Elder Xuan, is there really no way to get that hundred thousand year old soul beast embryo?'
Elder Xuan frowned, chewing the whole chicken leg and said seriously, "Yuhao, do not be greedy."
He misunderstood him.
He thought that Huo Yuhao wanted to get the embryo and the benefits it would give him.
Though, he couldn't really blame the kid. If it weren't for certain inner demons, he would've went for the Godsealing Alter as well.
Huo Yuhao shook his head and explained, 'Elder Xuan, I can feel a strange resonance between my second martial soul and that embryo. It has a strange connection that makes me feel as though my martial soul is calling out to it, begging me to get it.'
He hung his head low, his expression hard. 'It's so desperately calling for it that my martial soul is slowly breaking apart...'
"What?" Not just Elder Xuan, but Skydream and Ice Empress were astonished by his statement.
Huo Yuhao inwardly reprimanded them and said, 'I'm of course bluffing! Ice Empress, hurry up and make it look legit! We can't let him suspect us.'
Rule number one on how to become a Shinobi—know and use deception.
Ice Empress nodded and her body began to glow a brilliant ice-jade.
A large Ice Jade Scorpion tattoo appeared on Huo Yuhao's back as Ice Empress poured her energy into creating a facade of instability in Huo Yuhao's martial soul. The soul power within his body fluctuated wildly, making it seem like his martial soul was truly on the brink of breaking apart.
Elder Xuan's expression shifted from suspicion to concern as he felt the chaotic energy surrounding Huo Yuhao.
He pressed his right palm against his back and his face turned ugly. "This is....no ordinary issue."
Huo Yuhao kept his head low, masking the relief he felt at the success of their bluff. He maintained the pretense, his voice trembling slightly as he continued, 'Elder Xuan, please. Is there really nothing that you could do to get this Godsealing Alter for me?'
Elder Xuan looked troubled. He knew that Huo Yuhao had immense potential and had already been through so much in his journey despite being so young.
The thought of the young genius losing his martial soul, just when he was starting his journey, left a bitter taste in Elder Xuan's mouth.
He knew that Huo Yuhao was not someone who would ask for something unless it was truly necessary, just like in the previous auction when he asked for Ning Tian's help and not Wang Yan.
It was smart, as Huo Yuhao made a transaction with Ning Tian instead of binding him with gratitude that Shrek Academy would've done that would make him stay loyal to the academy. That showed his cunning nature, and Elder Xuan knew he had to take his request seriously.
After a long pause, Elder Xuan then said, "There might be a way..."
'Elder Xuan, please tell me!'
With a reluctant expression, Elder Xuan continued, "Yuhao, what do you think of doing an exchange program with the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy?"
.....
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