Icebound Forest.
A withered tree, towering at about three meters, stood encased in layers of frost, its branches adorned with shimmering icicles, exuding an eerie yet mesmerizing beauty.
Beneath the tree, a figure knelt on one knee, a slender branch piercing through its chest. At the tip of the branch, an ice flower, frozen in place, glowed with an unnatural crimson hue—entrancing yet deadly.
The Soul Emperor woman gazed at the scene before her, shock rendering her speechless. With lingering trepidation, she scanned the surroundings, then swiftly turned away, leading her triplet sisters away without hesitation.
"Whoo..."
The icy wind howled through the forest, leaving only this unique ice sculpture behind—melding seamlessly with the Icebound Forest.
Half a day later.
A massive figure trudged through the wind and snow. Towering at seven meters, its thick, snow-white fur billowed with each step—it was a seventy-thousand-year-old Extreme Ice Snow Bear King. However, on its back rested a human figure.
The figure leaned against the bear's warm fur, lounging in comfort, enjoying the soothing softness.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King halted, standing atop a vast plain.
Thud.
The figure leaped off the bear's back, gazing across the endless snowy expanse before him, his eyes gleaming.
"Finally, I've arrived at the Ice Snow Plains of the Extreme North."
This figure was none other than Chen Xiaoming. After subduing the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King in the Frozen Forest, he had used the beast's strength to quickly traverse the landscape, arriving at the heart of the Extreme North.
The vast Ice Snow Plains stretched endlessly, the land blanketed in thick snow. Bitter winds howled, their icy sting biting at his very breath.
"Roar! Roar!"
Behind him, the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King growled. Chen Xiaoming turned back with a slight smile, then patted the beast's fur.
"Lucky for you, you ran into me. Let's go."
A mere seventy-thousand-year-old soul beast held no interest for him. His true target lay somewhere within this vast icefield.
Without further thought, he pulled his fur cloak tighter around himself and strode into the icy expanse.
The wind and snow soon swallowed his figure.
Chen Xiaoming trudged through the endless storm. Unlike the Star Dou Forest, which had distinct inner and outer zones, the Extreme North Icefield held no such boundaries. Powerful soul beasts roamed freely, making it impossible to predict what one might encounter next.
Moreover, the extreme cold and harsh environment deterred most Soul Masters from venturing here to hunt.
But the most terrifying aspect of the Extreme North was the presence of its three supreme rulers—the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North.
The Snow Empress, the Ice Empress, and the Titan Snow Demon King.
Both the Snow Empress and Ice Empress were among the Top Ten Ferocious Beasts, each with a cultivation surpassing two hundred thousand years.
Their strength far exceeded that of the Titan Giant Ape from the Star Dou Forest—after all, that Titan Giant Ape was only at the ten-thousand-year level.
And this time, Chen Xiaoming had come to witness the grandeur of the one who ruled over the entire Extreme North—the Empress herself.
The Snow Empress, with her seven-hundred-thousand-year cultivation—would she be strong enough to make him use even half of his power?
The thought of her formidable strength, her unparalleled elegance, and—cough—the purity of her Ultimate Ice energy sent a flicker of excitement through his heart.
His eyes gleamed as he pressed onward toward the center of the icefield. Though there were no defined zones, heading toward the heart of the plains was his best bet—after all, with a place this vast, where else would he even begin searching?
As for why he didn't just unleash his cultivation outright… well, let's just say he wasn't looking to get himself killed just yet. Or rather, he wasn't quite experienced enough to level up properly. Otherwise, he would definitely be putting on a show.
Bang!
Huh?
Something seemed to have fallen. Chen Xiaoming glanced down.
"Whose dignity is this?"
The Extreme North Icefield was far larger than Chen Xiaoming had anticipated. He had spent three full days trudging through the frigid wasteland and had only just reached the outskirts of its core region.
Along the way, he had encountered plenty of soul beasts, but he had easily dealt with them. His target was the Snow Empress—not these lesser creatures.
The deeper he ventured, the harsher the blizzard became, and the temperature plummeted further.
Chen Xiaoming frowned, lost in thought.
"With such a vast, desolate expanse, how am I even supposed to find her? Do I really have to rely on sheer luck?"
Just as he was pondering his predicament, a colossal figure emerged from the snowstorm in the distance.
Even through the blinding wind and snow, it was clear—the entity stood nearly a hundred meters tall, its massive form looming like an ancient mountain.
Each of its feet was as thick as a pillar holding up the heavens, supporting its titanic body.
Even before the creature had fully approached, an overwhelming pressure surged toward Chen Xiaoming, carrying with it a powerful mental force.
Chen Xiaoming smirked.
"Well, well. Talk about perfect timing. I was just looking for a soul beast to ask for directions, and here comes one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North—the Titan Snow Demon King himself."
According to legend, the Titan Snow Demon King was the descendant of an ancient Ice God and a Titan Giant, born at over ten meters in height. As it matured, its size would surpass fifty meters.
And as one of the rulers of the Extreme North, its final height neared a hundred meters, rivaling even the oceanic soul beasts in sheer scale.
"Hmm… if I remember correctly, this guy has a thing for the Snow Empress. He should know where she is."
Chen Xiaoming had done his fair share of studying soul beast gossip—and now, it was finally paying off.
Wait… speaking of loving the Snow Empress, doesn't that also mean… the Ice Empress…
Cough!
Now's not the time to be thinking about that! What nonsense! I don't know anything about "yuri supremacy" or whatever!
At the same time, the Titan Snow Demon King was making its usual patrol across the icefield.
Despite being one of the Three Heavenly Kings, the title sounded grand, but in reality, he ranked at the very bottom. His cultivation level barely scraped past two hundred thousand years.
At his level, every hundred-thousand-year mark brought a new tribulation. And if he failed to grow stronger before the next one arrived, he wasn't confident he would survive it.
Thus, he spent his time wandering the icefield, searching for rare treasures.
With his overwhelming strength and towering physique, he reigned supreme in this frozen wasteland—so long as the other two remained absent.
He was, after all, the brightest star of this icefield!
But just as he leisurely roamed, a tiny human figure suddenly appeared within his spiritual detection range.
That human showed no fear. Instead, he was striding straight toward him, blocking his path.
Then, in a casual tone, the human spoke—
"Hey, big guy, tell me where the Snow Empress is, and I'll spare your life."
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