"That's true."Huo Yuhao nodded, unable to deny it.
"Of course, I admit I have my own selfish motives. Unlike humans, soul beasts seem to have long lifespans, but every hundred thousand years, they must undergo a heavenly tribulation. If they survive, their cultivation increases greatly; if they fail, they are reduced to nothingness."
"This is also why hundred-thousand-year soul beasts are so rare. The later the tribulation, the more terrifying it becomes, and after the third one, it multiplies exponentially."Tianmeng Iceworm spoke while still showing a lingering fear on its face.
"You're willing to let your beloved die so easily? Seems like you have a way to keep her conscious?"Huo Yuhao glanced at Tianmeng, speaking with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
Teased by a little brat, Tianmeng's pride was a bit shaken. But it still grit its teeth and nodded, "You're right. Although the Ice Emperor's spiritual power is far weaker than mine, she is, after all, a nearly four-hundred-thousand-year-old super soul beast. As long as the method is correct, there should be no problem keeping her consciousness intact."
Huo Yuhao stroked his chin, feeling that Tianmeng's words were somewhat reliable. "Alright, I don't have any problems with it. Now, let's see how you convince her. Don't waste time if she doesn't agree; that would be all for nothing."
Tianmeng chuckled, "Don't worry, she has no choice."
After speaking, it flew forward and its body disappeared into the golden cocoon. The golden cocoon seemed to isolate everything. Huo Yuhao's spiritual power attempted to probe, but it felt like a cow sinking into the sea—vanishing without a trace. From this point on, Huo Yuhao couldn't eavesdrop on the conversation between the two beasts.
Inside the cocoon, Tianmeng found itself in a foggy space, a small area seemingly created within the cocoon. Although the outer diameter was only about three meters, the inside contained hundreds of cubic meters of space.
"Bing'er, stop struggling. It's useless. Let's sit down and talk properly."Tianmeng's voice still carried a hint of tenderness. In front of it, a five-meter-long giant insect lay there. Actually, it wasn't an insect, but a shell, appearing crystal-clear, like a shell after an insect has shed its skin.
Through the shell, a green scorpion could be faintly seen inside—it was none other than the trapped Ice Emperor.
Upon hearing Tianmeng's voice, Ice Emperor stopped struggling. She had tried numerous methods earlier, but all had been in vain, which surprised her greatly. In her memory, Tianmeng had simply lived a long time but had no real combat abilities. In front of her, it could only serve as food.
She couldn't understand how, after just ten thousand years, Tianmeng could have grown so strong. Furthermore, it had already become a human soul ring, and logically, it should have lost its consciousness long ago. Little did she know, Tianmeng had used almost all of its strength to deal with her, and the cost had been heavy.
"Hmph, what's there to say? Outclassed, I admit defeat." From within the shell, Ice Emperor's cold voice came.
"Bing'er, you don't really think I brought you here for revenge, do you?"
"Ha, hahaha… You're plotting so hard because you want me to become a human soul ring, right? Tianmeng, keep dreaming. I would rather turn to dust than give you the satisfaction. I know you must have a way, but without my cooperation, you'll never succeed."
Ice Emperor, after living for over four hundred thousand years, had already figured out the situation within a short time.
"What you said is correct. So let me ask you, how confident are you about surviving this heavenly tribulation? Forget that you've already become the fish on the chopping block. Even if you devoured my essence and survived this tribulation, what about next time? What about after that? Do you still have confidence?"
Ice Emperor fell silent, and Tianmeng continued talking to itself: "At our level, there's nothing to hide. If you weren't seeking to advance further, you wouldn't have risked coming to me. Similarly, a million years of hard cultivation was still defeated by fate. I won't accept it."
"What? A million years? You've broken through?"Ice Emperor was shocked, more disbelieving than anything else. According to legend, a soul beast's cultivation breaking through to a million years would allow them to become a divine beast, ascend to the divine realm, and attain immortality.
Tianmeng ignored Ice Emperor's shock. It could guess the reason behind it. "It's not what you think. Back then, I was worried you would find me, so I drifted southward across the sea…"Tianmeng Iceworm spoke tearfully, recounting the tragic experiences it had gone through. The pain it described was so sorrowful that anyone who heard it would feel heartbroken.
"Just when I was about to run out of energy, I finally broke through the barrier and became a million-year soul beast. With my newfound abilities, I managed to escape, but my life was already on the brink of ending." At this point, Tianmeng stopped and looked at Ice Emperor. "Bing'er, do you remember those three humans from a thousand years ago?"
Ice Emperor's pupils contracted upon hearing this. "Of course, I remember. But we hid far away back then and didn't dare show ourselves. I'm not clear on the details, but one of them is rumored to have ascended to the divine realm?"
"Don't tell me you're relying on that human to reach that point? Humans live for only a century, and in these tens of thousands of years, how many have truly made it?"
"Yes, becoming a god is extremely difficult, but I have no other choice. Also, you're underestimating that little fellow. Although he hides well, it's impossible for him to cover everything in front of me. I can tell you, once he breaks through to the human rank of Title Douluo, he might already have the power to rival the gods. With my help, I have a 30% chance of helping him become a god. If you're willing to assist me, the success rate could increase by another 20%. At that point, even if we're not true gods, we'll still enjoy infinite life by relying on him."
Outside, Huo Yuhao rested and recovered his state. It was an eight-thousand-mile journey from Shrek to the extreme northern ice plains. The hardships he faced during these days had worn him down. At this moment, he had no idea that Tianmeng Iceworm held such a high regard for him.
Ice Emperor was even more shocked. A 30% success rate seemed small, but it all depended on what it was for. The fact that Tianmeng Iceworm was making such a bold claim left her shaken. For years, her emotions had been calm and unshaken, but today's events had repeatedly stunned her.
"Fine, I agree. I'll help you, but I'm not your slave. Do you understand? Also, I want to maintain my own independent thoughts and consciousness. If that's not possible, then forget it. It'll just be a matter of the fish dying and the net being broken."
Ice Emperor agreed but also made demands, which Tianmeng thought were reasonable. Without benefits, who would cooperate?
Of course, the most important factor was that Ice Emperor had no way to resist now. She didn't doubt that if she refused, these two would kill her. Even if they couldn't get her soul ring, they would at least get her soul bone. A hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast would always drop a soul bone upon death.
"My life has been monotonous, drifting aimlessly for tens of thousands of years. Since I first saw you, your figure has never left my mind. I love you, and I don't want us to be separated by life and death. So, I've come."Tianmeng Iceworm stared at Ice Emperor, speaking with a standard, cliché love confession.
[Some readers suggested that we should merge with the Snow Emperor as well. Here's a little spoiler: we won't absorb the Snow Emperor's soul ring. The purpose of finding Tianmeng Iceworm is to act as cover. The Ice Emperor won't absorb it, and later on, we'll have an advantage. Unfortunately, without an advantage, we simply can't compete with the divine realm. Even if we absorb Ditiān and other ferocious beasts, it's not enough. Xianyu won't really have Huo Yuhao hide in the divine realm, it would be too frustrating. At the right moment, both the Ice Emperor and Tianmeng will be revived, and they will both become Huo Yuhao's loyal followers.]
(End of Chapter)