The Skydream Iceworm nodded forcefully. "Right, humans. Even though there are some noble soul beasts like you, who are innately born with a powerful physique, you have to admit that we're much worse than humans in terms of talent. Although a human's body can't even be described as insignificant in the face of your Ice Jade Scorpion clan, they can still compete with your ten thousand year, or even hundred thousand-year-old clansmen after cultivating for several decades. Why is that? It's because they have a different amount of potential than us. Humans have frail bodies and short lifespans. However, their potential has allowed them to obtain the blessings of the heavens; they're incomparable. This is the advantage the humans have, and yet is also something we lack."
"Most importantly, we can't even hope to strive for the peaks that humanity can reach. Do you still remember that incident that happened ten thousand years ago?"
The Ice Empress replied, "The Heavens and the Earth changed color; a God was suddenly born."
The Skydream Iceworm said, "Right. At that time, I sensed the appearance of at least five Gods. Moreover, two of the Great Star Dou Forest's Great Beast Kings fell. They were both powerful existences who resided within the core regions of the Great Star Dou Forest, and even though they were somewhat inferior in terms of cultivation to those sleeping fellas who absorbed my energy, the races that they belonged to were extremely domineering. One of them had the same Titan bloodline that the Titan Ice Devil King has, while the other had the bloodline of dragons. Despite this, they both still fell. However, they didn't fall because they were killed by their enemies, but because they were used to complete the most powerful human who existed ten thousand years ago—the person who later became the most powerful God."
At that point, the Skydream Iceworm stopped for a moment. Afterwards, he continued in an even deeper voice, "Ice Empress, we both know the truth. Only Gods have an unlimited lifespan!"
The Ice Empress fell silent. Striking while the iron was hot, the Skydream Iceworm continued, "Whenever we soul beasts reach a hundred thousand years of cultivation, we can choose to re-cultivate as a human. However, there are an extremely small number of us who actually dare to re-cultivate. This is because we simply have no way of guaranteeing that we can cultivate and break through to the Titled Douluo stage in a short hundred years of time. Even if we did manage to break through, it would be very hard for our lifespans to exceed five hundred years. To us, becoming a God is a mere fantasy. The Douluo continent has been around for over a hundred million years, and we soul beasts were around before humans even existed. However, how many of us were actually able to use the method of re-cultivation to achieve an unlimited lifespan as a God?"
"This is also the main reason why soul beasts like you who have noble bloodlines are unwilling to re-cultivate into a human, am I right?"
"I'm not willing to try that vague and unreliable method, nor am I willing to die a premature death during the process of re-cultivation. I've chosen another method as the next best option. That is, to create a God. By creating a deity, even though I won't be a God, I'll still be able to follow this God, and will possess an unlimited lifespan by becoming part of this God. As such, I've chosen to become a soul ring. Not just any soul ring either, but an intelligent soul ring. I want to use my power to help him become a God, step by step."
"You're right. I'm just a piece of trash in your eyes, but I still have my million years of cultivation. Once I became an intelligent soul ring, I was able to give him a total of four soul skills, double that of you hundred thousand year soul beasts. Even though I wasn't able to give him a soul bone, I was able to give him a martial soul, making him into a person with innate twin martial souls. This young man is only twelve, but he's been gradually revealing his talent with my help. He has a much calmer attitude than his peers, along with the willpower to cultivate assiduously. If he has my help, why can't he become an existence like that person ten thousand years ago. Why can't he become a God?"
At this point, the Ice Empress was finally moved. She solemnly asked, "How confident are you?"
The Skydream Iceworm replied, "By myself, 30%. After all, I'm not good at attacking. As such, I can't give him the ability to protect himself. However…"
When he reached this point, he suddenly paused.
"'However' what?" The Ice Empress asked, doubtful.
The Skydream Iceworm said, "I know what you're thinking right now. You're thinking of finding another human and trying to create a God like me. And you're right to think like that. There are many areas in which you're stronger than me. If you tried to create a God, you'd definitely be more successful than me. However, you've forgotten one thing: Your spiritual power isn't anywhere near as strong as mine. More importantly, do you even have time to do the research that I've already done? You don't even have a hundred years left, but I've already spent several tens of thousands of years thinking about this feat. Furthermore, it took me several experiments before I was finally able to succeed. You don't have time to even do a single experiment. Even if I were to let you go, the path I'm going down isn't suitable for you."
"Then what are you bullshitting about with me for!?" The Ice Empress immediately flew into a rage. The trace of hope that had just appeared in her heart had instantly and mercilessly been obliterated by the Skydream Iceworm. It would've been strange if she hadn't been infuriated.
"I'm naturally not bullshitting you. My beloved, how could I be willing to let you die? Since I've told you about this method, I naturally have a way to help you! It's true that it isn't realistic for you to create a God by yourself, as you wouldn't be able to find a human able to withstand fusing with you, much less guarantee that you'll be able to maintain your consciousness and your complete spiritual origin. However, I have experience in this! I've already done it! Moreover, your chances of success will be multiplied by ten, at the very least, with the protection of my powerful spiritual origin. Right now, if I do it by myself, I only have a 30% chance of creating a God. However, if you were to work with me, our chances would increase to 50%, minimum! Isn't a, minimum, 50% chance to live forever worth us fighting for?"
The Ice Empress was left slightly blank. She finally understood the Skydream Iceworm's motive for explaining so much to her. A pair of crystal-yellow eyes fell upon Huo Yuhao's body, a somewhat astonished look in them.
Huo Yuhao had silently listened to the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Empress' conversation. His body felt extremely cold due to the weather, but he felt extremely passionate inwardly. He couldn't help but admit that the Skydream Iceworm's words were very inciting. This was especially so to the Ice Empress, who was nearing her life's limit. The dawn of this hope was simply too attractive to her. It was no wonder that he'd brought the Ice Empress here; he knew that he'd be safe with his knowledge. He was simply poking the Ice Empress' weak spot!
Would the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion really become his second martial soul, and his second martial soul's first soul ring? This… she was the second-ranked Empress of the Extreme North's Three Emperors!
Even though Huo Yuhao didn't expect to simply soar into the heavens with a single step because of this, he would still no longer be a simple control-type soul master who had no combat strength once the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion became his martial soul. On the contrary, he would become a powerful dual-attributed control and assault-type soul master. It didn't matter what soul skill the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion gave him, as it would definitely be a tyrannically offensive skill! After all, her strength had allowed her to become one of the Three Emperors of the Extreme North. Furthermore, since she was a hundred thousand year soul beast, she was also guaranteed to give him a soul bone.
How could Huo Yuhao not feel excited about this?
The Skydream Iceworm struck while the iron was hot, "How about it? You have to clearly think this through. You also can't miss this opportunity, as this chance definitely won't come again. I'm also no longer the original me. However, if you don't agree to my suggestion, I'll have no choice but to turn you into a regular soul ring, both for the sake of my own immortality, and to make my master stronger. Only, if that happens, you'll lose your intelligence. You should know that I have several different ways to kill you know that I've trapped you. At most, I'll just have to waste some time to do so. On one hand, you have a chance at immortality. On the other hand, you have definite destruction. You'd best think carefully about which path you want to take."
His words undoubtedly carried a threat within them. However, the world of soul beasts was different than that of humans. More often than not, directly threatening the other party would bring about better results in a negotiation between soul beasts. The Skydream Iceworm had lived for a million years, and even though the first nine hundred thousand years of his life were as blank as sheet of paper due to his slumber, the amount of fighting and scheming he'd undergone due to the powerful soul beasts within the Great Star Dou Forest wasn't small. He'd undergone god-knows how many tribulations while attempting to escape with his life intact, all of which had strengthened his craftiness and intellect.
"Do I have any other choice?" The Ice Empress replied in an indifferent tone. Despite her tone however, her dense killing intent and chilliness had already decreased by a large amount. She was clearly trying to reach a compromise. Although she'd have to give up her freedom in for this chance at achieving immortality, living was still much better than dying—especially to a soul beast like her, who'd already lived for nearly four hundred thousand years.
The Skydream Iceworm let out a large sigh of relief. "It's no wonder that you're the Snowy I love the most. In the future, you'll definitely be delighted by the choice you've made today."
The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion angrily replied, "Skydream, if a piece of trash like you dares to take advantage of this old woman, I'll see to it that you two follow each other to the grave, even if it means risking my life to do so. I don't believe that I won't be able to destroy this cage of yours if I self-destruct. If that happens, you two will have no choice but to accompany me to my death. I'm fine with creating a God with you, but I have a request: Don't speak so much bullshit."
"Err… you don't have to be this merciless. I really came here just for you…."
The Ice Empress looked at him coldly, but remained silent.
"Alright fine, I agree. Release your spiritual origin for me. You can't just hope that I'll release you like this. That temper of yours doesn't reassure anyone."
Even though the Skydream Iceworm had been shooting his mouth off, he was still an extremely careful person. The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's strength ranked her second in the entire Extreme North—how could releasing her be an option? The risks were too high if he did that. At the same time, the Skydream Iceworm wasn't worried about the her self-destructing like she'd mentioned earlier. A soul beast would almost always choose the path of survival, so long as there was even a trace of a chance that they would.
A trace of hesitation appeared in the Ice Empress' eyes. The second she released her spiritual origin, with the disparity in spiritual power between her and the Skydream Iceworm, there would be no way for her to back out. If the Skydream Iceworm was lying to her, she'd have no hope of turning the tables.
When he saw the doubt in her eyes, the Skydream Iceworm solemnly said, "Almighty Ice God, I, the Skydream Iceworm, vow on the name of Ice that I shall be stripped of all my Ice if I lie to the Ice Empress and don't help her become an intelligent soul ring once she releases her spiritual origin."
This vow didn't seem to hold much meaning to Huo Yuhao, but the Ice Empress didn't have the same view; in the Extreme North, this was the most important vow a soul beast could make.
"Fine, I believe you." As someone who had become one of the Extreme North's Three Emperors, the Ice Empress was capable of killing without sparing a second thought. After hesitating for a brief moment, she decided. After all, the current Skydream Iceworm had already lost his body. Besides, it was just like he'd said: It wasn't an impossibility for her to be reborn from the ashes. Furthermore, she'd always known that the Skydream Iceworm liked her. After considering several factors, she finally confirmed her decision.
Her crystalline yellow pupils gradually turned jade-green, while her long, jade-green tail suddenly rose into the air. This was something that she was only able to do after the Skydream Iceworm had loosened her bindings.
A soft, jade-green halo began to undulate from the root of her tail, then moved backwards and gathered at the tip of her tail. In a flash of jade-green light, small, jade-green balls of light began to separate from one another as they slowly rising into the air. At the same time, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's eyes immediately lost their luster and dimmed.
This was her spiritual origin.
Even though the process of releasing one's spiritual origin seemed simple, not just any soul beast could do it. Only when a soul beast broke through their limits and reaching the hundred thousand year rank could they do such a thing. Of course, it naturally didn't pose any problems to unrivalled experts such as the Skydream Iceworm and the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion.
After letting out a large sigh of relief, the Skydream Iceworm's own golden ball of light immediately glided forward and glued itself to his shedded skin. The golden light increased in size the instant the jade-green ball of light made contact with it as it swallowed the jade-green ball of light like a whale swallowing its food. After swallowing the jade-green ball of light, it returned to Huo Yuhao's body and re-entered it via his forehead. Afterwards, the Skydream Iceworm's shedded skin rapidly retreated back into Huo Yuhao's semi-frozen body.
After losing her spiritual origin, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's main body fell to the ground. With her spiritual origin no longer controlling it, her body immediately began to release an extremely terrifying amount of murderous might, while a jade-green luster simultaneously appeared in the sky. It could be imagined how terrifying the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion was from this.
"I'm freezing to death." Huo Yuhao involuntarily shivered.
"Skydream, you really made a poor choice. He's just as trashy as you. Do you actually want him to receive my power with such a weak body? Do you really think that such a thing is possible?" The Ice Empress' disdainful voice rang out after she appeared in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Huo Yuhao suddenly had a strange thought in his mind. With the Skydream Iceworm, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, the gray elder, and himself… there were now enough people to set up a mahjong table in his spiritual sea. It would be really lively in his spiritual sea!
The Skydream Iceworm chortled. "Ice Empress, there's no need to be so impatient. If you'd died, it would've naturally been impossible for him to absorb your martial soul. With his current body, even a thousand year soul ring could cause his body to explode, not to mention someone like you who's nearly reached four hundred thousand years of cultivation. However, the situation is completely different since you and I are helping him out! Will we really let him fail just like that?"