In the extreme north, time seemed to have lost all meaning. Only the howling wind and snow could be heard, and, from deep within the ice, the occasional subtle sound.
The icy blue soul power swirling around Shui Bing'er had, after an initial wild flux, gradually grown calm and deep. The pitch-black soul ring had now fully fused with her, her aura steadily climbing.
Chen Yi let out a slight sigh of relief but didn't for a moment let down his guard, standing watch with the Grand Elder over this eerily quiet ice plain.
Suddenly, the Grand Elder's half-closed eyes snapped open, a sharp gaze flashing out. His green robes fluttered without wind as he stepped forward, blocking Chen Yi and Shui Bing'er's path. Their attention was locked on what looked like an ordinary blizzard in front of them.
Chen Yi's heart clenched. Instantly, his soul power surged to its peak, purple-gold lightning crackling briefly into existence around his body.
Ahead, the wind and snow seemed to part under an invisible hand. A hundred feet away, a tall, slender figure quietly materialized. She wore white robes, her hair a waterfall of snowy white, her face breathtaking, as if she bore within her the chill and isolation of a million years of polar ice. She simply stood there, no soul power or aura radiating from her, yet her very presence stilled the world around her, making the storms themselves respectfully quiet.
The Snow Empress.
Chen Yi's heart sank. As expected, absorbing the Ice Soul had finally drawn out the true master of the Extreme North. Only those soul beasts with the most extreme ice attributes could survive the core region and—unsurprisingly—had a deep bond with her, the snow spirits forming the very future of this vast land.
The Empress's gaze first fixed upon Shui Bing'er, an icy blue glare flashing within. Then, her eyes moved to focus upon the Grand Elder, the one standing in their way.
Right away, she locked onto the Grand Elder. Although his soul power fluctuations were unremarkable compared with the countless mighty ones she had witnessed in her long life, the supremely controlled atmosphere around him made her sense a threat like none before. In particular, the invisible spiritual pressure he exuded was so dense it gave her body, sculpted by the essence of Heaven and Earth, the illusion of being frozen to the bone.
This man's strength… could not possibly be beneath her own!
Snow Empress made a snap assessment.
On his side, the Grand Elder felt apprehensive. The aura exuded by this white-robed woman was utterly different from that of any soul master—a being more like a direct embodiment of the world's laws. Her bond with this world was alarmingly deep, and the unseen pressure reminded him of the terrifying glance he felt once before, deep within Star Dou Forest. To think such a terrifying existence lurked in the Extreme North!
"Humans." The Snow Empress spoke. Her voice was as clear as crystal, otherworldly, yet tinged with the ancient chill of the ice fields. With each word, the surrounding cold grew sharper. "You have trespassed into the Extreme North's primal territory, killed my kind… What punishment do you deserve?"
As soon as she spoke, the howling blizzard before them twisted into countless blades of ice, forming a vortex of razor wind and snow, the world itself changing hue. This was the wrath of the region's true master.
Faced with such overwhelming force, the Grand Elder merely snorted, arms clasped behind his back, standing as straight as a pine tree. He did not release his spirit ring nor radiate a vast aura, but the invisible spiritual presence that emanated from him stood like a stabilizing anchor, holding out against the oppressive power of the ice.
"Crime?" the Grand Elder answered arrogantly. "In this world, who can judge my crimes?"
Buzz—!
An invisible, terrifying mental power spread out, slowing, then tangling, the savage onslaught of ice blades as if the storm had suddenly met its natural predator.
"Divine-level spirit!" Snow Empress's icy pupils instantly contracted. This force had already surpassed mortal limits—just the faintest echoes of true godhood.
This brought to mind the first Hall Master of Spirit Hall, who, ten thousand years ago, stormed the continent and ultimately ascended to godhood.
"Are you from Spirit Hall?" Snow Empress's voice grew even colder, her wariness deepening. From what she knew, only those blessed by angelic power could touch the threshold of divine strength.
"Body Sect," the Grand Elder quietly replied as his divine senses, fine and taut as a spiderweb, blanketed dozens of miles around. The pressure from this soul beast was immense, particularly since he was on her home ground. He couldn't afford the slimmest distraction.
"Body Sect? Never heard of it." The cold in Snow Empress's voice thickened, "Those who kill my people must pay the price!"
Finishing, she raised her hand. Instantly, all falling snowflakes screamed as if driven by an invisible force, the blizzard turning into a destructive current that howled straight for the three. Simultaneously, her chilling ultimate domain of ice tried to freeze the entire area.
The Grand Elder's eyes gleamed, his vast divine sense surging into an invisible mental barrier that clashed squarely with the Snow Empress's domain.
No deafening explosion sounded—only a dull, suffocating thump as energy was erased. The space between them was warped by light, ice crystals and psychic waves raging against each other, erasing one another, forming a temporary vacuum. The northern ice plains, frozen for thousands of years, suddenly shattered, leaving an abyssal crater below.
Chen Yi frowned, heart pounding with worry. Starting a fight with Snow Empress here would be unwise. On this field, she could draw upon near-endless natural power. At full strength, she might even rival the Beast God of Star Dou Forest, Di Tian. Though the Grand Elder was strong, this was enemy territory; he'd also have to split his focus to protect Shui Bing'er as she absorbed the ring, as well as Chen Yi himself. In a prolonged fight, defeat was inevitable.
They had to escape as soon as possible.
Chen Yi glanced at Shui Bing'er, who had stabilized her aura, then at the Grand Elder facing off with Snow Empress. His eyes flashed, and, with a subtle wink at the Grand Elder, sent the signal.
Grand Elder understood at once. The hidden power inside him erupted like a volcano, green robes billowing as his might soared skyward.
Snow Empress's eyes were icy as her palm radiated blinding light, chilling the air so much it seemed even the atmosphere had crystalized.
At that crucial moment—
A soft streak of blue light fell from the chaotic sky, bypassing both Snow Empress's snowy domain and the Grand Elder's spiritual lock, landing squarely in the center ground between them.
The light faded, and a new figure appeared—a young woman who looked about sixteen, yet with fathomless eyes. She wore a distinct blue-and-white sailor-like outfit, her short, neat hair an aquatic blue.
She radiated pure, immense water elemental aura—entirely unlike that of a soul master, more transcendent, more divine.
Both the Grand Elder and Snow Empress halted their attacks, shock and unease in their eyes.
Who was this? No one had sensed her arrival! In the Extreme North, no energy movement could escape Snow Empress's senses, yet this blue light had descended directly, skipping all intermediates.
The instant Chen Yi saw the woman's attire, a name flashed in his mind like lightning—the Goddess of Water! Throughout the entire Douluo Dalu series, only the Water God manifested with such attire and power.
With that thought, Chen Yi immediately hid his aura, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to the blue-haired woman. "This junior, Chen Yi, greets Senior Water God."
Water God? Snow Empress's delicate form trembled imperceptibly; for the first time, her icy blue eyes were filled with utter shock. A god? A true god descended? Could it be… the so-called 'Body Sect' was directly tied to the God Realm?
The Water God nodded gently to Chen Yi, then turned her gaze to Shui Bing'er, completely ignoring Snow Empress still in a defensive stance.
She raised her slender finger, from which a pure, icy blue light gracefully bloomed—not just dazzling, but emitting a sense of nostalgia that made even Snow Empress's soul shudder.
Tapping lightly, the light seemed to come alive, elegantly drifting and merging into Shui Bing'er's brow.
Instantly, any residual turbulence from Shui Bing'er's soul ring vanished, replaced by a pure, ancient aura of ice. Upon her brow, a delicate, intricate snowflake of a hexagonal crystal slowly emerged, radiating a subtle, holy blue glow.
"That's… the mark of divine inheritance!" Chen Yi felt both awe and joy. Indeed—the Water God had personally descended and bestowed a chance upon Shui Bing'er! Judging by the shape and aura of the mark, it wasn't a Water God trial, but more likely… the legendary one long extinct.
Thinking this, Chen Yi quickly glanced at Snow Empress.
At that moment, Snow Empress's entire body trembled, her once-cold eyes filling with near-fanatical devotion. She stared at the crystalline, sacred snowflake upon Shui Bing'er's brow, lips slightly parted as she muttered, "Ice God… The aura of the Ice God…"
After all was done, the Water God acted as if nothing of import had happened. She glanced back at Chen Yi, her eyes as deep as the ocean, lips lifting in a faint, encouraging smile. The next instant, her figure shimmered, transformed into countless glimmering blue sparks, and vanished into the roaring wind and snow as if she had never been there.
All that remained were the three left behind—each with their own thoughts—and Shui Bing'er, now marked on her brow with a divine crystalline snowflake.