"Take a guess?"
Su Yu stared at her expressionlessly as he took two steps forward.
The Ice Empress immediately retreated, her large amber-like eyes watching him warily.
"Don't do anything reckless."
"I'm warning you, I'll get angry."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Su Yu remained indifferent and took two more steps forward.
The Ice Empress continued to back away.
For every step Su Yu took forward, the Ice Empress took one back.
Though the Ice Empress had the strength to crush Su Yu with ease, the invisible contest between them was unfolding in a completely different direction.
Snow Empress shook her head helplessly. Su Yu had the Ice Empress wrapped around his finger.
What use is strength? Sometimes, the outcome of a confrontation doesn't depend solely on power.
The Ice Empress wouldn't dare, and wouldn't want to, harm Su Yu. In this situation, no matter how strong she was, her power was useless.
"Alright, Su Yu, stop bullying Ice. She's still young."
Snow Empress intervened to mediate.
Su Yu: "..."
Ice Empress: "..."
Snow Empress, do you even hear yourself? The Ice Empress is still young?
A 390,000-year-old super beast, and you call her young?
Well, compared to you, the ancient vixen, she is indeed still young.
Internally grumbling, Su Yu decided to stop teasing the Ice Empress.
She was just a little scorpion—fun to tease sometimes—but right now, his main focus was on Snow Empress.
Walking up to her, Su Yu extended his hand and touched the white mist swirling around her.
The cold air twirled around his fingertips, bringing with it a strange, cool sensation.
"If there is no other way, we'll do what I suggested."
"Don't feel guilty—this was my choice," Snow Empress's white mist coiled around Su Yu's arm, her cool, dignified voice ringing in his ear.
Su Yu gently touched the mist, as if stroking Snow Empress herself.
He felt a deep connection to Snow Empress—more than just admiration for her beauty.
She had treated him well over the years, teaching him many of the secrets of ice. She was like a mentor, though Su Yu was reluctant to admit it.
"Wait a little longer. I'll ask again."
Su Yu said softly.
With that, Su Yu called out, "Hai Bodong, are you there?"
As soon as he spoke, Hai Bodong's figure materialized, as if he had been there all along.
"Young Master!"
Hai Bodong greeted him respectfully.
Su Yu nodded, and at the same time, a gray-gold figure appeared behind him.
It was a faint shadow, exuding a light aura with a subtle trace of a soul's presence.
Hai Bodong's gaze immediately fell upon the figure, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"A remnant soul?"
The shadow also looked at Hai Bodong, murmuring, "Such a powerful presence. Truly domineering ice."
As these two exchanged looks, Snow Empress and Ice Empress were even more stunned.
They knew Hai Bodong was a figure of immense strength, but the shadow that had appeared beside Su Yu seemed to transcend the limits of this world.
That power seemed to surpass even the level of an Ultimate Douluo.
"Su Yu, who is this?"
Su Yu smiled faintly and said, "This is Hai Bodong, known as the Ice Emperor. You should be familiar with him."
"As for the other figure, this is a powerful being from another world—Necromancer Divine Mage, Plague of the Dead, Electrolux. You can call him Elder Yi."
"Although Elder Yi is now just a remnant soul, in his prime, he was a supreme powerhouse capable of becoming a god."
"In terms of strength, he's in a different league entirely."
Hearing Su Yu's words, both Snow Empress and Ice Empress were filled with respect.
What a powerful figure.
"Snow Empress's situation is unique, and I couldn't think of a solution."
"But Elder Yi and Hai Bodong are incredibly knowledgeable, so perhaps they have an idea."
Su Yu smiled as he spoke.
Snow Empress felt a wave of gratitude. Su Yu had gone to such lengths for her, even bringing in these extraordinary figures. He had truly put in a lot of effort.
Such a good person, and she had tested him earlier. She felt a deep sense of guilt.
"Elder Yi, what do you think?"
Su Yu asked Electrolux first.
In the original story, Electrolux had introduced the concept of a spirit soul, making him an expert in this area.
"Given Snow Woman's current situation, it seems her transformation is incomplete."
"If I were in my prime, I might have been able to help."
"But now, with just this remnant soul, I'm powerless."
"However, I recall a type of spirit beast contract that could forge a bond with a spirit beast."
"Your fortune is strong. If you establish a contract with Snow Woman and make her your guardian spirit beast, perhaps she could borrow your fortune to survive the tribulation."
Electrolux pondered for a moment before speaking.
Su Yu's fortune was absurdly strong. With his cultivation, Electrolux could see an endless stream of fortune gathering toward Su Yu from all over the continent.
The stronger Su Yu became, the faster this fortune amassed.
Even Electrolux was shocked by this, having never seen someone so favored by the heavens.
That's why he made this suggestion, believing it might work.
"A contract? A master-servant contract?"
Su Yu frowned.
"That's not ideal."
He glanced at Snow Empress and said, "There will never be a master-servant relationship between us."
"There's also an equal contract, where both parties are equals, protecting and helping each other, growing together."
"That's it! Let's do that!"
Ice Empress quickly interjected before Su Yu could respond.
"Will borrowing Su Yu's fortune during the tribulation harm him?"
Snow Empress asked.
She felt close to Su Yu, and he to her. Otherwise, how could the mighty Snow Empress have formed such a strong bond with a human?
"There will be some effect, but Su Yu's fortune is vast. The impact should be minimal."
Electrolux responded.
"Should be?"
Snow Empress's voice rose slightly, showing her concern.
"An equal contract sounds good, but what's the success rate?"
Su Yu wasn't too worried about a bit of fortune backlash; his main concern was whether the contract would help Snow Empress survive.
"There's certainly risk. It's hard to say whether she'll safely survive the tribulation."
Electrolux admitted.
He could only propose a possible solution; the outcome wasn't guaranteed.
Who knew how strong Snow Empress's tribulation would be?
Since her strength had prematurely triggered her transformation, the tribulation was likely fierce. Even with Su Yu's fortune, there were no guarantees.
"Such trouble? If only we had a Transformation Pill. Wouldn't one solve everything?"
"Too bad this world doesn't have one."
Hai Bodong couldn't help but comment after hearing the conversation.
Hai Bodong's words struck Su Yu like a thunderclap.
It was as if lightning had flashed through his mind, and his eyes lit up.
"Hai Bodong, what did you just say?"
"I said it would be great if we had a Transformation Pill. It's considered a divine pill that allows magical beasts to transform into human form."
"Unfortunately, no one in this world seems capable of refining a Transformation Pill," Hai Bodong sighed. Even with his strength, obtaining a Transformation Pill was extremely difficult. It was an incredibly rare item. He was merely making an offhand comment.
Hearing this, Su Yu slapped his forehead and ridiculed himself, "I'm so stupid."
"I forgot about it."
"Wait, do you have a Transformation Pill, young master?"
Hai Bodong asked, surprised. A Transformation Pill wasn't just an ordinary item, after all.
Su Yu smiled faintly and said, "I don't have a Transformation Pill."
"I don't know any alchemists, nor do I have the means to acquire such a treasure."
"But I do have a mature Transformation Grass."
"A mature Transformation Grass? That… might work," Hai Bodong said. "The Transformation Grass is the main ingredient for refining the Transformation Pill. While its effects aren't as potent as the pill, it should be enough to solve the current problem."
Hai Bodong glanced at Snow Empress and then continued, "Transformation Grass?"
"What's that? Can it really help Snow?"
Ice Empress asked, her voice filled with concern and anticipation. From Su Yu and Hai Bodong's conversation, it sounded like the Transformation Grass could solve the Snow Empress's problem.
"It can. If even the Transformation Grass doesn't work, then I can't think of any other solution," Su Yu said confidently.
The Transformation Grass was a seventh-grade herb from the Dou Qi Continent. In Su Yu's estimation, a seventh-grade herb was akin to a divine herb in the Douluo Continent. Its primary function was transformation, with no other significant effects. Otherwise, even substituting it with another energy-rich seventh-grade herb could cause the so-called Title Douluos of the Douluo Continent to explode from the sheer power.
Su Yu was fairly certain that even the Ultimate Douluos of this world were equivalent to no more than Dou Zongs from the Dou Qi Continent. Hai Bodong, despite not being a top-tier expert among the Dou Zongs, would likely have very few rivals in the Douluo Continent. Even among humanity's three Ultimate Douluos, Su Yu believed none could match Hai Bodong in a one-on-one fight.
Although they hadn't fought, Su Yu had sharp senses. The aura Hai Bodong exuded just by standing was clearly at a level above that of Long Xiaoyao.
"Hurry up and take it out so we can see," Ice Empress urged.
With a casual motion, Su Yu reached out, and a grass-green herb appeared in his hand. The herb was about a foot tall, lush green in color, and emitted a comforting aura. The strange fragrance of the herb made Ice Empress instinctively feel a deep longing from within.
It was as if a voice inside her was telling her she needed this herb.
Ice Empress forcibly suppressed her desire. This was Snow Emress's life-saving herb; how could she covet it?
"Snow, come quickly. You'll be saved now."
The desire in her heart made Ice Empress completely believe Su Yu's words. This herb could likely truly help Snow Empress.
Snow Empress floated over to Su Yu, the white mist that made up her form swirling around his arm. Looking at the Transformation Grass, Snow Empress was equally surprised.
"Is there such a miraculous herb in this world?"
Snow Empress gazed at the herb with a strange glint in her eyes. She was certain the herb would help her—it was an instinctive feeling.
"I obtained it for quite some time. Since it wasn't useful to me, I eventually forgot about it," Su Yu said.
"I originally planned to save it for… but given the urgency of the situation, I have no choice but to give it to you now."
Su Yu sighed as he recalled the past.
He had planned to save the herb for Di Mingli. To be honest, the two women he cared about most were Zhang Lexuan and Di Mingli. He knew that someday, Mingli would have to undergo her transformation; she wouldn't be able to resist it.
To prevent her from going down a reckless path like in the original story, Su Yu kept the Transformation Grass for her. Using it would allow her to freely switch between her beast and human forms. She could also retain her soul beast core while gaining the cultivation speed of a human.
When Su Yu first acquired the herb, she was the one who came to mind.
But plans changed, and now Snow Empress urgently needed it to save her life.
Su Yu had no choice but to change his plan.
He did indeed desire Snow Empress's body—very much so. As for Di Mingli, he would have to take things one step at a time. Since he had managed to acquire the Transformation Grass once, he believed it wasn't impossible to find another.
"If you had planned to save it for someone else, then I—"
Snow Empress began to speak, but before she could finish, Su Yu interrupted.
"Snow Empress, I know you're proud, but now's not the time for that."
"Do you want to throw your life away?"
Su Yu couldn't help but give a few firm pats on the white mist surrounding him as if scolding her.
"Alright, stop wasting time. Eat the Transformation Grass."
"Hai Bodong!"
Su Yu handed the herb to Hai Bodong.
Understanding immediately, Hai Bodong used his soul power to extract the essence of the herb, transforming it into a single drop of emerald-green liquid that resembled a gemstone. With a flick of his finger, the emerald liquid dispersed into countless tiny green droplets, which were completely absorbed by the white mist that composed Snow Empress's form.
Instantly, a surge of energy radiated from Snow Empress. Su Yu quickly stepped back, and Ice Empress and the others did the same.
One after another, waves of white mist began to rise, and within a ten-meter radius, the temperature plummeted to its lowest point, with Snow Empress at the center. The cold was so intense that it surpassed even the Ice Empress's abilities. Even though Su Yu possessed the Ultimate Ice martial soul, he didn't dare face such extreme cold directly.
"The transformation has begun," Hai Bodong said.
Su Yu nodded, his eyes fixed on Snow Empress.
This was the first time a soul beast in the Douluo Continent had used the Transformation Grass for transformation—no one could predict the final result.
Su Yu was curious. What advantages would Snow Empress gain from using the herb compared to a regular transformation? Would it work the same as in the Dou Qi Continent?
...
Time passed slowly, and before long, an hour had gone by.
In the area where Snow Empress was, countless layers of white mist had condensed into a white cocoon. The entire cocoon was formed of pure energy, radiating a bone-chilling coldness that could freeze even souls. Inside the cocoon, about two meters in diameter was Snow Empress.
Su Yu's focus sharpened. Snow Empress's transformation had reached its most critical phase.
At that moment, Ice Empress quietly moved to Su Yu's side. She gently tapped his leg with her scorpion tail.
Su Yu turned, confused.
"What's up?"
"Do you have any more of that Transformation Grass?"
Ice Empress, being a soul beast, had seen hundred-thousand-year soul beasts transform before. She understood that once the cocoon had formed, Snow Empress's transformation was almost guaranteed to succeed.
PS: By the way, in BTTH, Ziyan accidentally ate the Transformation Grass. As a result, she transformed into human form and can no longer change back into her beast form.