Chapter 127: Negotiation

It was the height of summer, and the vast permafrost of the Northern Region was rarely free of its usual blanket of snow. Though the temperature remained low, with only a thin layer of surface soil thawing, resilient mosses and lichens seized the fleeting warmth to grow wildly, providing much-needed sustenance for the starving soul beasts of the tundra.

A herd of Ice Velvet Deer grazed on the moss while curiously eyeing the unexpected visitors—three bipedal creatures.

In the extreme north, bipedal creatures usually meant food... or danger.

This frozen wasteland was uninhabited by humans, and even soul masters rarely ventured here to hunt for soul rings. For the younger deer in the herd, this was their first time ever seeing a human.

They stretched their necks in curiosity, even wanting to approach for a closer look.

The leader of the herd snorted, reprimanding the young deer and urging them to focus on eating instead of gawking.

This lead deer, boasting a cultivation of seventy thousand years, had antlers resembling tree branches and grayish-brown fur, with only a patch of icy blue velvet beneath its short tail.

Over its long life, it had led its herd through countless escapes from starving predators and greedy soul masters. Yet, despite its wisdom and experience, the Ice Velvet Deer were not powerful soul beasts, and the dangers that could hunt them remained numerous. Even after seventy thousand years, its herd had never grown significantly.

Although it ordered the young deer to ignore the intruders, its own eyes held a trace of curiosity.

Something about those three bipeds seemed different from the ones it had encountered before, but with its limited intelligence, the lead deer couldn't figure out what exactly was strange.

In the distance, a barely perceptible yet immensely noble aura lingered, triggering a primal instinct within the lead deer—a compulsion to bow down and worship the owner of that presence.

However, the younger and weaker deer in the herd seemed oblivious to this aura.

The lead deer had never encountered such a phenomenon before and found itself at a loss.

The three bipeds seemed to be conversing, and suddenly, the one clad in purple lifted their gaze, looking directly at the herd.

A crushing sense of fear overwhelmed the lead deer.

It felt as if it had returned to its childhood when it was small and weak, lacking the robust body and sharp antlers it had now. Back then, the looming shadows of predators filled its world with the stench of blood, making it feel as though it would never escape.

Its four legs trembled violently, its short tail fluffed up into a ball of icy blue fur, shivering in the cold wind. The other Ice Velvet Deer, though unaware of the true danger, recognized this signal of distress and let out uneasy cries, their tails puffing up into more trembling balls of fur.

Then, the entire herd bolted in panic.

"I'll eat you all up!"

The Hell Demon Dragon King, pleased with herself for terrifying a group of weak soul beasts, grinned smugly before turning to the two figures beside her—Di Tian and Bi Ji.

"But seriously, every single soul beast in this extreme north is so stupid! They don't even know to run when they see us. The ones back home in Star Dou are way smarter."

Three of Star Dou Forest's most powerful beasts had arrived in the Northern Region. However, they remained cautious, staying just outside the core area of the Extreme North, careful not to alert the ever-watchful Snow Empress.

"That's how ten-thousand-year soul beasts normally are," Bi Ji said with a gentle smile, shaking her head. "The ones in Star Dou have been influenced by those that coexist with humans, making them far more intelligent. You've simply gotten used to it."

"After all, our Star Dou has an Auspicious Beast, and the Extreme North doesn't," Zi Ji added with a chuckle.

Di Tian, his face cold and serious, nonetheless nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, what was the Emperor Auspicious Beast up to?

At this moment, Wang Rui, in his true form, was enthusiastically digging through the tundra's lichen.

For a Three-Eyed Golden Lion of his size, the thick lichens and mosses covering the northern plains felt akin to a luxurious coral velvet rug beneath his paws.

Just stepping on them was incredibly satisfying—comparable to how humans enjoyed playing in the snow, except without the cold. Wang Rui didn't believe any beast could resist the urge to bury themselves in it.

What? The three fearsome soul beasts standing nearby wouldn't do such a thing? That was just them trying to maintain their seniority. That had nothing to do with him!

Wang Rui wagged his tail, piling up the moss and lichen into a small mound before gleefully diving in, rolling around as a thunderous purring sound rumbled from his chest.

The three great soul beasts watched him with indulgent smiles—after all, at only fifteen thousand years old, he was still just a child among them.

Zi Ji's eyes even held a hint of envy. She wanted to shift into her true form and roll around in the moss too… And why not?

In an instant, the tall, elegant woman in purple vanished, replaced by a massive deep-purple dragon that let out a resounding roar before flapping her wings and charging straight at the Auspicious Beast.

Di Tian: …

"Ah well, Zi Ji is strong, but she's still young. It's perfectly natural for her to enjoy playing around," Bi Ji said with a soft laugh.

Watching Wang Rui get tackled and sent flying, only to pounce back and start biting Zi Ji's tail, she sighed with motherly affection. "I remember when Wang Rui was little, he tried biting Zi Ji's tail and broke a tooth. Now he's strong enough to actually make her feel pain… Time really flies."

In the distance, the two enormous soul beasts continued their playful wrestling, using only their physical strength, sending dust flying into the air.

Di Tian, watching this unfold, then glancing at Bi Ji's doting expression, let out a long, weary sigh—much like a middle-aged man exhausted by his family's antics.

Suddenly, he looked up as if sensing something.

At the same time, Wang Rui, still playing with Zi Ji, abruptly halted and dashed toward them. His golden fur was dusted with moss fragments, but with a flicker of golden light, those fragments were instantly incinerated.

"They're coming! We need to hide!" Wang Rui shouted.

"Who's coming? And why are we running?" Zi Ji asked, completely baffled.

They ran to a spot far enough away to avoid detection yet still within Wang Rui's spiritual sensing range.

"What exactly are we here for?" Zi Ji asked in confusion. "I thought we were here to capture the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion. I was looking forward to fighting her."

"Negotiations are being handled by the Iceworm," Wang Rui explained. "The Iceworm is weak, which means the Scorpion will actually listen to him. We absolutely cannot just rush in and say, 'Hey, do you want to become a martial soul for a future god?' Think about it—if someone strong tried to capture you and said, 'Hey, wanna become my soul ring?'…"

"I wouldn't agree," Zi Ji admitted, frowning. "I'd probably just self-destruct immediately."

After an entire day of desperate fleeing, Huo Yuqing collapsed onto the ground, her whole body trembling. Her vision swam with multicolored spots as she gasped for breath, each inhale burning her lungs as if knives were slicing through them.

She had no strength left to move.

"You did well, Xiao Qing," Tianmeng Iceworm soothed. "We've escaped the core region of the Extreme North and are finally out of the Ice Jade Scorpions' pursuit. We're safe… for now."

Despite his own exhaustion, excitement still burned in Tianmeng's voice.

Through his spiritual detection, Huo Yuqing could sense an all-too-familiar presence further ahead—one she had only encountered once but could never forget.

Even Tianmeng Iceworm was exhausted. Since earlier, he had been continuously using the source spiritual power sealed within Huo Yuqing's body for spiritual detection. However, without a physical body, doing so placed a heavy burden on him.

Yet, this exhaustion could not suppress Tianmeng Iceworm's excitement.

Through his spiritual detection, Huo Yuqing could vaguely sense a presence in the distance—an incredibly familiar presence.

She had only encountered the owner of this aura once, but she would never forget them for the rest of her life.

Additionally, there were three other auras, even stronger and more enigmatic.

"Those are the most powerful savage beasts in the Star Dou Forest," Tianmeng Iceworm explained in the girl's spiritual sea. "They were summoned by the Auspicious Beast to protect you… Don't underestimate your own importance. However, those beings are far too powerful. If they recklessly enter the core region of the Extreme North, the ruler there will inevitably notice them. That's why we have to bring Bingbing out ourselves."

Huo Yuqing weakly nodded.

"Besides, I've told you before, the most crucial condition for fusing with the Ice Emperor as your martial soul is that she must willingly accept it," Tianmeng Iceworm said solemnly. "Even if she agrees, the pressure you'll endure will still be immense. The Ice Emperor is different from me. Though my cultivation was high, my race made my power very gentle. Plus, as a spiritual-type soul beast, I could seal my power quite well. But the Ice Emperor… she is a pure, aggressive-type soul beast, having cultivated for 399,900 years. Her power is incredibly violent. Even if I lead the sealing process, the pain you'll experience will be beyond imagination."

"The Emerald Swan Bi Ji will guard you and ensure your survival, but you must understand—if you can't endure and she has to intervene, then we will have failed. Your Spirit Eyes martial soul won't be affected, but the second ice martial soul I granted you will never awaken again."

Tianmeng Iceworm paused before continuing, "And the Ice Emperor… she will undoubtedly suffer severe injuries, which may even cause her tribulation to arrive prematurely."

"Xiaoqing, the Ice Emperor is the existence I love most in this life. If you succeed, she will gain the possibility of eternal life. I… I can only rely on you for this. You must succeed."

"Mm." Huo Yuqing nodded. At this moment, any promise felt weak, but when she finally spoke, her voice was frail yet firm. "Tianmeng-ge, you said that if I fail, I will lose my ice martial soul. Without it, the fusion skill between Wang Rui and me will disappear as well, right…? So, I won't fail."

"Good." Tianmeng Iceworm nodded.

A flash of golden light descended, forming a golden humanoid figure. A tiny golden glow emerged from the center of Tianmeng Iceworm's forehead, gradually enlarging in the air, revealing a brilliantly shining scorpion before Huo Yuqing.

"Hm? You two are still alive?" Ice Emperor said coldly. "I must admit, the Extreme North's best escape artist lives up to his reputation."

"Thank you for the compliment, Bingbing," Tianmeng Iceworm responded with a cheeky grin. "You've finally acknowledged me!"

"Stop saying such disgusting things!" Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion looked at him with disgust as she twisted her body, struggling to free herself. "How did you do this? I've never seen you use this trick before."

"Stop struggling, it's useless, Bingbing," Tianmeng Iceworm said with deep affection. "After all, you're inside my body now. Feels tight, doesn't it?"

Ice Emperor: …?

Something about this felt… off.

His words, combined with that affectionate expression, seemed strange.

It must have been Tianmeng Iceworm's disgusting face that led her thoughts astray! Ice Emperor angrily pushed aside the bizarre thoughts, forcing herself to remain calm. "What are you planning? I can tell that you're closely connected to this human… Did you transfer part of your spiritual power to them?"

"More or less. You're so smart—truly worthy of being Bingbing." Tianmeng Iceworm beamed. "Let me introduce her. This is Xiaoqing, the host I've chosen to invest in. My lifespan was about to run out, but now, I exist as her soul ring. You know what a human soul ring is, right? And I… am the first ever soul ring in the continent's history to fully retain my consciousness."

"…" Ice Emperor stared at him. "Escaping your tribulation like this? I suppose it is a method… After all, a human who cultivates to the peak can live for several hundred years." For a moment, she seemed intrigued, but she quickly hid it, instead speaking coldly, "But living like a parasite on a human, without freedom—that's exactly the kind of idea I'd expect from you."

"Aiya, Bingbing, you underestimate me." Tianmeng Iceworm shook his head. "My ambition doesn't stop there… My goal is to nurture a god! In this world, only a god's life is truly eternal!"

"When you chased me back then, I fled all the way south to the Star Dou Forest. There, I met the Emperor Auspicious Beast. It was the Auspicious Beast's words that enlightened me." The golden figure fixed his gaze on Ice Emperor. "Soul beasts may have the potential to become gods, but we can never truly achieve divinity on our own."

"What do you mean?" Ice Emperor became intrigued.

"Soul beasts can choose to reincarnate as humans, giving them a chance to become gods. But very few dare to gamble on that path," she said.

"No." Tianmeng Iceworm shook his head. "Even after reincarnation, soul beasts can still generate soul rings and soul bones, meaning they are still just soul beasts in human form. How could they become gods? But in this world, there are indeed four soul beasts who have gained eternal life…"

"They are the Soft Bone Rabbit, wife of that Sea God Tang San; Tang San's mother, the Blue Silver Emperor; and two other hundred-thousand-year soul beasts who once sacrificed themselves for the Sea God. Later, Tang San resurrected them, and they continue to walk the Douluo Continent… Bingbing, do you understand now?"

(End of chapter)