After Zhu Ziyang cleaned up the ruins of the ice house, he discovered two items at the location where the ice house had originally stood.
One was a spring, from which endless water gurgled. The other was half of a 100,000-Year Snow Lotus!
Zhu Ziyang's gaze immediately fell upon the half of the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus. This half of the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus seemed to have been intentionally preserved, as it was encased in ice, preventing the loss of its medicinal properties. It wasn't hard to guess that this was the handiwork of the Spirit Beast that had already transformed into an embryo, and its purpose was also easy to surmise: to restore its strength after successfully taking human form.
He smiled, then reached out to touch the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus. The moment he touched the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus, his body involuntarily trembled, and then a memory surfaced in his mind.
A peerlessly beautiful woman emerged from this memory. She wore a white gown, her silver-white hair cascaded to her ankles, her sky-blue eyes were ethereal and clear, her slender, delicate body was flawless, her transcendent aura was noble and aloof, and her cherry lips parted, emitting a cool, clear voice.
"...Bingbing, when you see this memory, it means I have successfully taken human form and entered the human World.
I didn't have the courage to face the 700,000-year tribulation, because I knew I couldn't overcome it. The core of the land could never truly accept me. If I wanted to advance further, I could only choose to take human form.
Although humans are weak and despicable, they are the only choice for us Spirit Beasts to reach that next step!
I've gone ahead. Your 400,000-year tribulation isn't far off. If you don't have the courage to face it, then eat this half of the Emperor-grade Snow Lotus I left for you. If you can successfully take human form, please come find me!
Snow Empress, message!"
This memory made Zhu Ziyang involuntarily gape, as the amount of information within it was truly astonishing.
Ice Snow Maiden, Snow Empress!
This Spirit Beast embryo was actually the Ice Snow Maiden, Snow Empress, ranked third among the Ten Great Fierce Beasts and the chief of the Three Kings of the Extreme North! She had actually chosen to take human form and cultivate anew. This was truly incredible.
"Teacher, I know the identity of this embryo!" Zhu Ziyang looked at Electrolux beside him, opened his mouth, and said.
"Is that so? Tell me quickly." Electrolux was also very interested, because the matter of taking human form and cultivating anew did not exist in his World.
"Her identity is the Ice Snow Maiden." Zhu Ziyang said, with surprise and delight on his face, "It is said that she is a terrifying Spirit Beast with a cultivation of 700,000 years, known as the Snow Empress, the most powerful ice element cultivator on the Douluo Continent to date!"
"700,000 years!" Electrolux wasn't concerned with the Snow Empress's abilities; he was astonished by her cultivation. He couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "It's truly unbelievable that such a powerful cultivation would choose to cultivate anew. It seems the rules of the Douluo Continent are very unfriendly to the Spirit Beast race!"
"That's right, Teacher, you're correct." Zhu Ziyang said, "The reason why this Snow Empress chose to cultivate anew is because her 700,000-year tribulation was about to descend, and she wasn't confident she could overcome it, so she chose to cultivate anew."
"I understand!" Electrolux said with a smile, "To strive for an even greater future, she resolutely gave up 700,000 years of arduous cultivation. She truly possesses great resolve! What a pity, what a pity, great resolve cannot compare to great fortune. It simply benefited us, master and disciple, hahaha!"
"Exactly!" Zhu Ziyang agreed deeply, saying, "Also, that half of the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus was left by the Snow Empress for the Ice Empress. The Ice Empress is the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, ranked seventh among the Ten Great Fierce Beasts. This means that the Ice Empress is very likely to arrive here at any time. We need to finish our business quickly."
"Good, then let's not delay any longer." Electrolux immediately made the decision, saying, "Coincidentally, there's a spring here. Let's begin signing the Soul Spirit contract here. Release the other three Kings of Undead Creatures and have them help us guard!"
"Alright!" Zhu Ziyang immediately released the remaining three Kings of Undead Creatures, letting them, along with the Hell Knight and the Lich King, guard this small island.
Immediately, Zhu Ziyang and Electrolux began to calm their minds. Zhu Ziyang sat by the spring of endless water, his Heavenly Frost Sacred White Dragon Spirit possessing him, a crimson spirit ring floating behind him, the aura of Ultimate Ice and the True Dragon intertwining. Electrolux stood beside him, controlling the Snow Empress embryo in his hand, his expression serious, a faint divine aura emanating from his eyes.
A ceremony, significant enough to divide the history of the Douluo Continent into two periods, began.
A gray-white scepter appeared in Electrolux's hand. His aura suddenly changed; an indescribable nobility and majesty made him seem like a deity. Zhu Ziyang could feel that this was the power Electrolux possessed in his prime! A low chant began, and profound words flowed from Electrolux's mouth. At first, his voice was very low, but gradually, his voice began to echo in Zhu Ziyang's spiritual sea.
Zhu Ziyang could still hear his voice clearly at first, but gradually, the voice made him drowsy, until a loud shout rang out: "Ziyang, offer your essence blood!"
He immediately invigorated himself, then unhesitatingly bit his tongue, condensing a drop of essence blood that hovered in the air. In his gaze, the Snow Empress embryo in Electrolux's hand slowly rose, and the infant within the embryo gradually became visible.
"Despicable human, you won't succeed!" A cold female voice echoed from the embryo, full of anger and despair. This voice was very familiar to Zhu Ziyang; it was the Snow Empress!
"Hehe, don't rush!" Electrolux seemed to have anticipated the Snow Empress's awakening. He spoke unhurriedly, with a chuckle, "You are currently powerless to stop this. Just peacefully become an aid to my disciple! Who knows, perhaps when my disciple reaches the divine realm in the future, you too might ascend!"
"Bah! Shameless human, I'd rather die than let you succeed!" The Snow Empress's reason was already consumed by rage; she completely disregarded Electrolux's words. The embryo trembled violently, a terrifying aura brewing within it. A snow-white jade bead flew out of the embryo—that was the Snow Empress's life's cultivation crystallized, her Snow Core!
"Hahaha, if I, Electrolux, were to let a mere soul cause such a stir, where would I put my old face!" Electrolux pointed his scepter, and the trembling Snow Empress embryo was immediately stilled, unable to even utter a sound. That crystal-clear Snow Core, like jade, was also controlled by Electrolux and floated before Zhu Ziyang.
Electrolux was very satisfied. He then instructed Zhu Ziyang, saying, "Ziyang, now! Merge your essence blood into the Snow Empress embryo, then swallow that inner core!"
Zhu Ziyang immediately acted, letting his essence blood, which had already been refined and inscribed with the Soul Spirit contract, fall upon the Snow Empress embryo. The moment his essence blood touched the Snow Empress embryo, an incredibly violent energy was immediately unleashed. The surrounding endless water instantly boiled, transforming into boundless vital energy, which surged into Zhu Ziyang and the Snow Empress embryo all at once.
Zhu Ziyang was submerged in the dense vital energy of heaven and earth. Before being submerged, he swallowed the Snow Empress's Snow Core in one gulp. The vast spirit power and life force immediately filled his internal organs, his myriad meridians and orifices. He immediately concentrated his mind, fully refining this enormous energy.
The Snow Empress embryo, having lost its Snow Core and been stained by the essence blood, also quieted down, submerged in the vital energy of heaven and earth. The embryo gradually formed a spherical shape, resembling an enlarged Snow Core, and internally, a tiny infant slowly manifested, absorbing the vital energy between heaven and earth.
Seeing this scene, Electrolux's tired face showed a relaxed smile. He knew his idea had succeeded; the vital energy of heaven and earth had begun to construct this brand-new rule system!
"Hehe, hehe, I, Electrolux, am indeed unique in this World! Hahaha!" Electrolux laughed heartily with great pride, then withdrew his power, transforming into a gray stream of air and returning to Zhu Ziyang's spiritual sea. He was too tired and needed to rest. The current Soul Spirit System no longer required his maintenance.
Now, they only needed to wait for Zhu Ziyang to absorb the Snow Empress's spirit ring and Snow Core, and for the Snow Empress's Soul Spirit to gestate from her spirit ring. Then, the Soul Spirit System would have truly descended upon this World!
Time, the most essential element for establishing a system, flowed slowly. On the island, the five great undead creatures guarded day and night, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
In the center of the island, only Zhu Ziyang sat cross-legged, his expression calm. With every breath, he absorbed the vital energy of heaven and earth. Behind him, a spirit ring slowly formed, and within the spirit ring, an infant seemed to be stirring!