The seventh soul ring, a million years old, lit up, accompanied by bursts of golden light. The silver-white God-Suppressing Spear transformed into gold, instantly elevated to the peak of level nine.
Wang Chen's eyes were sharp. As the spear tip of the God-Suppressing Spear thrust forward fiercely, the power of space erupted instantly.
"Spatial Confinement!"
Silver-white spatial energy surged out like a tide, instantly enveloping the Ice Emperor. The emerald-green ice pillar released by the Ice Emperor hadn't even gotten close to Wang Chen before it was firmly locked in place by the spatial energy, suspended in mid-air.
It was the same familiar formula, the same familiar taste. No matter who Wang Chen faced in battle, his opening move was always Spatial Confinement.
There was no helping it—spatial skills were just too useful, completely on a different level compared to other skills. Among peers, spatial skills were simply superior to those of other attributes.
For anyone hit by Spatial Confinement and unable to break free quickly, the battle was essentially over.
This didn't mean the enemy was weak; rather, spatial skills were just too powerful.
Under the effect of the million-year seventh soul ring, the God-Suppressing Spear's might had been elevated to the level of a Limit Douluo. Unless one was a Limit Douluo, once restrained, it was nearly impossible to quickly break free from the confined space.
The Ice Emperor's Three hundred and ninety thousand cultivation was impressive, but compared to a Limit Douluo, it was still far inferior. In the short term, it couldn't break free from Spatial Confinement.
The Ice Emperor felt as though the surrounding space had solidified, its body bound by spatial energy, unable to move.
It struggled desperately, but no matter how it channeled its soul power, it couldn't escape the binds of Spatial Confinement. Its body felt as though it were locked by invisible chains, causing extreme discomfort.
For a moment, a look of disbelief flashed in its gem-like eyes. It looked at Wang Chen, filled with both shock and fear.
It was shocked by Wang Chen's strength and fearful because it was now completely immobilized, at the mercy of others, like a fish on a chopping board.
The Ice Emperor inwardly cursed its miscalculation. It had assumed this human was merely a puppet controlled by Tianmeng, with soul power far inferior to its own. It never expected his strength to be so terrifying, leaving it with no ability to resist.
If this human wanted to kill it now, it would be done for.
Standing in front of the Ice Emperor, Wang Chen looked at the immobilized creature and grew even more satisfied with the God-Suppressing Spear. Without using Spatial Confinement, defeating the Ice Emperor would never have been this easy.
Wang Chen stopped enhancing the God-Suppressing Spear, his expression calm as he said lightly, "Ice Emperor, you can't move. If I wanted to kill you, it wouldn't be difficult. I haven't acted yet, which should be enough to prove my sincerity. Let's have a proper talk."
The Ice Emperor, which had been shouting for a fight moments ago, now quieted down. Clearly, physical persuasion was exceptionally effective.
The Ice Emperor looked at Wang Chen warily. "What do you want to talk about?"
Wang Chen noticed the Ice Emperor's cautious gaze and immediately summoned Tianmeng Iceworm, who had been tucked away in his spiritual sea, to explain things to the Ice Emperor.
After all, he was human, and the Ice Emperor was a soul beast—there was no trust between them. If he suggested that the Ice Emperor become his soul ring, it would surely go berserk on the spot, even if it meant mutual destruction.
Tianmeng Iceworm emerged from Wang Chen's spiritual sea. Seeing the immobilized Ice Emperor, it couldn't help but feel elated.
It hadn't expected Wang Chen to be this powerful. Without even using its remains, he had subdued the Ice Emperor. This was just too impressive.
When Wang Chen had previously defeated Xuanzi, Tianmeng Iceworm had been fast asleep in Wang Chen's spiritual sea, so it was unaware of Wang Chen's true strength. Now, witnessing it firsthand, it was thrilled beyond measure.
As Wang Chen's soul ring, Tianmeng Iceworm shared in his glory and suffered in his losses. Naturally, it hoped Wang Chen would grow stronger, so they could ascend to the God Realm together sooner.
Seeing Tianmeng Iceworm appear, the Ice Emperor angrily said, "Tianmeng, good, very good! I underestimated you. I didn't expect you to find such a powerful human to deal with me!"
Tianmeng Iceworm, with a relaxed expression, said, "Ice, don't be mad. I came here for your own good.
Your cultivation is nearing four hundred thousand years, isn't it? You should know very well that with your abilities, you can't possibly survive the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation. You'll die for sure."
The Ice Emperor snorted coldly, "So what?"
Tianmeng Iceworm chuckled, "Ice, I came back to the Far North to help you."
The Ice Emperor, full of disbelief, said, "Help me? If you really wanted to help me, you'd let me devour you obediently. If I ate you, I could naturally survive the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation."
As a seasoned admirer, Tianmeng Iceworm wasn't fazed by the Ice Emperor's constant talk of devouring it. Instead, it chuckled, "Ice, even if I wanted to let you devour me now, I couldn't. Can't you see I'm just a spiritual body now?
My physical body is already dead. If it weren't for a stroke of luck, I would've completely perished under the heavenly tribulation."
The Ice Emperor hadn't expected that Tianmeng Iceworm was already dead, with only its spirit remaining. It had assumed Tianmeng was still alive and merely cooperating with humans.
The Ice Emperor immediately asked, "Tianmeng, what happened after you left the Far North?"
Tianmeng Iceworm recounted how, after leaving the Far North, it went to the Star Dou Forest, where it was captured and turned into a soul beast battery for the core area's soul beasts. In the end, its soul power was drained, leaving only its spiritual origin.
The Ice Emperor fumed, "Tianmeng, you absorbed the Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Essence of my Far North and ended up contributing it all to the soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest. You really deserve to die!
No, you useless thing, even if you had to die, you should've died in the Far North! Back then, if Snow Emperor and I had absorbed that Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Essence, we would've broken through to a million years long ago."
The Ice Emperor grew angrier the more it thought about it. If it weren't bound by Spatial Confinement, it might have rushed up to beat Tianmeng Iceworm senseless.
Tianmeng Iceworm scratched its head awkwardly, coughing, "I didn't want that either, but life is unpredictable."
The Ice Emperor looked at Tianmeng speechlessly, saying, "In your current state, how can you help me survive the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation?"
Seeing Tianmeng Iceworm wasting time with nonsense, Wang Chen shot it a glance.
Catching Wang Chen's look, Tianmeng Iceworm immediately cut the chatter and said seriously, "Ice, I don't have a way to help with the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation, but I do have a way to let both of us ascend to the God Realm and achieve immortality."
The Ice Emperor looked at Tianmeng Iceworm as if it were an idiot, sneering, "You? Ascend to the God Realm?"
Tianmeng Iceworm proudly said, "Of course, I can't ascend to the God Realm, but Wang Chen can."
With that, Tianmeng Iceworm introduced Wang Chen to the Ice Emperor.
Then, Tianmeng Iceworm explained, "After I escaped the Star Dou Forest, I became Wang Chen's soul ring.
My plan is like that of the Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Sky Python ten thousand years ago. As long as Wang Chen reaches level one hundred and becomes a god, we can be revived by him and ascend to the God Realm together, achieving eternal life."
Hearing Tianmeng Iceworm's words, the Ice Emperor felt like its brain had short-circuited. It was betting on a human becoming a god and bringing it to the God Realm.
It had been ten thousand years since anyone became a god. Countless peerless human geniuses had fallen at the level ninety-nine bottleneck, never touching the threshold of godhood. How dare Tianmeng Iceworm take such a gamble?
The Ice Emperor's voice rose, "Becoming a human's soul ring and betting on his future godhood? Tianmeng, I think you're insane!"
Tianmeng Iceworm shouted, "Ice, I'm not crazy. You've seen how powerful Wang Chen is—he defeated you so easily.
Wang Chen's talent is even more terrifying than his strength. Let me tell you, he's only fifteen years old.
His soul power is only in the seventies, yet at such a young age and with such low soul power, he defeated you. His talent is unprecedented. Even Tang San from ten thousand years ago can't compare to Wang Chen in terms of talent.
Moreover, after I became his soul ring, I granted him a second martial soul with ice attributes. The first soul ring absorbed by this second martial soul determines its form.
That's why Wang Chen and I came to find you—we hope you'll become his second martial soul.
Wang Chen is already this powerful without a second martial soul. If you become his second martial soul, his talent and growth rate will become even more terrifying.
In a few years, he'll surely break through level ninety-nine and aim for level one hundred.
Ice, I ask you, is such a person worth following? Is he worth betting on?"
Hearing Tianmeng Iceworm's introduction, the Ice Emperor was utterly stunned.
It hadn't expected Wang Chen to be so young, with soul power only in the seventies. Though it wasn't human, it knew enough about humans.
Reaching level seventy before age twenty was already a rare, exceptional genius. A fifteen-year-old Soul Sage was unheard of, and his combat strength was this formidable. It was one of the ten ferocious beasts, yet a Soul Sage had defeated it—this was simply unimaginable.
For a moment, the Ice Emperor's heart wavered intensely. Wang Chen's talent made it believe he might actually reach level one hundred and ascend to the God Realm.
The Ice Emperor cautiously said, "Tianmeng, how can I trust that what you're saying is true? What if you two are deceiving me?"
At this point, Wang Chen, who had been watching from the sidelines, saw the opportunity was ripe and decided to add fuel to the fire.
Wang Chen took a step back to advance, saying, "Ice Emperor, Tianmeng is your precedent. It's up to you whether you're willing. If you're not, I won't kill you. I'll choose another ice-attribute soul beast."
In truth, the Ice Emperor was the most suitable for Wang Chen's second martial soul. Its extreme attribute could enhance the quality of Wang Chen's soul power while compensating for the weak physical enhancement of his weapon martial soul.
Thus, Wang Chen didn't mind being patient with the Ice Emperor. After all, with its Three hundred and ninety thousand cultivation, even if he killed it, he couldn't absorb its soul ring.
Tianmeng Iceworm said, "Ice, opportunities like this don't come twice. Think carefully. In less than a century, your next tribulation will come, and you'll have no chance of surviving.
If you choose to become Wang Chen's intelligent soul ring like me, once he reaches level one hundred and becomes a god, we'll achieve eternal life. Even if Wang Chen fails, by following him, we can at least live a few hundred years. Isn't that better than dying in a century under the tribulation?"
The Ice Emperor's gem-like eyes flickered with indecision. It thought to itself, "In less than a century, I'll face the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation with no chance of survival.
Rather than that, why not take a gamble? Like Tianmeng, I'll become Wang Chen's intelligent soul ring. At worst, I'll live a few hundred years longer. Either way, I won't lose."
After a moment, the Ice Emperor's gaze grew resolute. If that's the case, I'll take the bet!
Looking at Wang Chen, the Ice Emperor said, "Release my binds. I agree to become your intelligent soul ring."
Seeing the Ice Emperor agree, Wang Chen immediately released the Spatial Confinement, freeing it. He wasn't worried about the Ice Emperor going back on its word.
If the Ice Emperor dared to play tricks, Wang Chen would suppress it again. Strength gave him that confidence.
The Ice Emperor stretched its body, looked at Wang Chen, and proudly raised its head, saying, "I hope you can truly become a god."
Wang Chen smiled confidently, "Becoming a god is just a matter of time. You won't regret today's choice."
Tianmeng Iceworm said, "Great, Ice! From now on, we're all in the same boat."
"Get lost!" The Ice Emperor coldly glanced at Tianmeng Iceworm, its face full of disdain.
Next, Wang Chen used his tangible spiritual power to condense a soul contract.
This was a contract magic he had obtained from Electrolux. As long as the signer's spiritual power didn't vastly surpass Wang Chen's, they couldn't violate the contract's terms, while Wang Chen wasn't bound by it.
Wang Chen said to the Ice Emperor, "Place your soul mark on the signature spot, and we'll be allies."
Hearing Wang Chen's words, Tianmeng Iceworm recalled the time it had been asked to surrender its spiritual origin. It thought to itself, "He's so cautious, not giving any room for error. Now, even if Ice has any ulterior motives, it'll have to behave."
The Ice Emperor looked at the contract, which outlined terms such as not harming each other's lives.
Seeing no issues with the contract, the Ice Emperor hesitated briefly before leaving its soul mark on it.
As the Ice Emperor signed, the contract transformed into a pentagram mark, entering the Ice Emperor's forehead and merging with its soul.
Looking at Wang Chen, the Ice Emperor felt unable to harm him. In that moment, it gained a deeper understanding of Wang Chen's methods, and its gaze toward him carried a hint of awe.
Wang Chen sat cross-legged and said to the Ice Emperor, "Ice Emperor, let's begin the fusion."
The Ice Emperor nodded and said, "Wang Chen, I can decide the shape of the soul bone. Do you have any plans?"
After a second of thought, Wang Chen said, "Right arm bone."
Wang Chen didn't plan to let the Ice Emperor become a torso bone, as its cultivation was still somewhat low. He intended to reserve the important torso bone position for later. He chose the right arm bone because the Ice Jade Scorpion's strength was concentrated in its arms, making an arm soul bone the best for enhancing strength.
The Ice Emperor nodded, and a mass of emerald-green soul origin separated from its body, merging into Wang Chen's spiritual sea.
Its gem-like scorpion body melted, and a red soul ring with three golden patterns, along with a flawless right arm soul bone, appeared.
With the Ice Emperor's willing fusion, Wang Chen absorbed the soul ring and soul bone effortlessly, without the slightest resistance.
All the energy was absorbed by Wang Chen, converting into his own cultivation. After all, Wang Chen was not comparable to Huo Yuhao from the original story.
As the soul ring and soul bone fused, Wang Chen's soul power surged rapidly.
Level seventy-four, level seventy-five… level seventy-seven… and finally, it charged toward the bottleneck of level eighty, Soul Douluo!!
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