Chapter 129: Love Triangle

From a distance, Wang Rui silently lifted his front paw and covered his face upon hearing the commotion over there.

"I can't help but start feeling sorry for the Iceworm..." he muttered.

"This Ice Empress doesn't seem very smart either," Ziji raised an eyebrow. "She's trying to trick the Iceworm into taking her to the Ice Sky Snow Lady, then planning to escape at the right moment... but this excuse is just too clumsy. How could the Iceworm possibly believe her?"

"Didn't you notice? She genuinely thinks this plan will work," Wang Rui said in an eerie tone.

Ziji froze.

After a long moment, she awkwardly responded, "Sorry, I think I still overestimated her."

The Ice Empress' idea wasn't entirely bad, but she neither considered the Iceworm's thoughts nor the possible reactions of the Snow Empress. She also failed to think about the deeper implications behind the 'God-Making Plan.'

Her sincerity was commendable, but... tch.

They say age brings wisdom, yet for soul beasts like the Ice Empress, who have lived in the extreme northern lands of bitter cold, intelligence didn't seem to grow much. After all, in the past 400,000 years, there had hardly been any situations that required her to think too hard.

The relationships within the Extreme North were as simple as a blank sheet of paper. The Ice Empress' own strength was enough to crush any soul beast living there, so why would she need to deal with complex strategies? Naturally, she was used to saying whatever came to mind without considering how to truly achieve her goals.

Wang Rui anxiously watched the Iceworm while his thoughts drifted back to the Great Star Dou Forest.

Back then, the Great Star Dou's fierce beasts were much like the Ice Empress—living in relatively simple environments. Though they had human-like intelligence, their eyes still shone with innocent foolishness.

It was only after Wang Rui, the "heart" among them, appeared that the beasts of the Great Star Dou reluctantly grew a bit more cunning.

Wang Rui swished his tail and sighed with concern.

"It's precisely because she's not that smart that she can be part of the God-Making Plan," Di Tian explained calmly to Ziji as he gazed toward the Iceworm. "If the Ice Jade Scorpion Queen were too intelligent, she'd become uncontrollable. If she developed thoughts she shouldn't have, she might endanger our plan."

…

After hearing the Ice Empress' request, the Iceworm was visibly stunned for a moment before hesitantly responding, "Ice, do you understand? I can provide an empty martial soul, but it can only hold one soul. That means there's only one spot for a sentient soul ring... If you give that opportunity to the Snow Empress, you will never be able to achieve immortality through this method."

"Xue'er deserves immortality more than I do," the Ice Empress said firmly.

The golden silhouette of the Iceworm opened and closed its mouth, unable to say a word.

"If Xue'er becomes a sentient soul ring, this human's chances of achieving godhood will greatly increase," the Ice Empress said flatly. "After all, Xue'er is the closest soul beast to a god. She was born in human form, with greater potential than any other soul beast."

The Iceworm seemed to want to argue but ultimately held back. Instead, it asked, "And what about you? You're also facing a tribulation soon."

"If Xue'er joins this plan, then I'm willing to sacrifice myself for this child, becoming her soul ring to increase her chances of godhood," the Ice Empress said lightly, as if she had no regard for her own life. "With Xue'er here, I trust she will find a way to revive me."

Her eyes reflected absolute trust in the Snow Empress, a trust stronger than the thousand-year-old ice.

She had no intention of sacrificing herself for Huo Yuqing. She simply pinned all her hopes of revival on the Snow Empress.

Huo Yuqing couldn't help but glance at the golden humanoid projection of the Iceworm.

That face, so similar to her own, showed a faint trace of loneliness. The Iceworm's lips barely twitched downward—so slightly that most wouldn't notice, but Huo Yuqing could feel his overwhelming sadness.

She looked at the Iceworm, then at the Ice Empress, and seemed to understand something.

"Then how do we find the Snow Empress?" After a long silence, the Iceworm seemed stung by the conversation. Even his usual playful attitude faltered, and his tone took on a sarcastic edge. "Your descendants are crawling all over the Extreme North's core region. Going back there is a death trap. Not to mention, if I really dare to appear before the Snow Empress, she'll crush me into an iceworm smoothie—extra ice, half sugar!"

"Xue'er wouldn't do that!" The Ice Empress snapped unhappily. "Don't talk about her like she's some unreasonable villain! Besides, I'll personally convince her to join the plan—"

"Aha! Say no more, Ice Empress. If you really want to escape, you don't need such a lousy excuse!" The Iceworm suddenly shot up, bristling like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You can't break free from my cocoon, so you're trying to trick me into meeting the Snow Empress, hoping she'll squeeze me dry and let you go free! Maybe you'll even get a cut of the deal!"

It was hard to imagine that this chubby bug would ever use such a sharp, mocking tone toward the scorpion he adored… Maybe it was because the Ice Empress' words had truly hurt him.

Or maybe, he would rather believe she was trying to trick him than accept the reality that she cared so much for someone else.

"I never thought that!" The Ice Empress felt wronged and grew furious, her sharp mandibles clicking together. "I, the Ice Empress, act with honor! If I really didn't want this, I'd just self-destruct and drag you all to hell with me. Why would I need to play tricks?"

"If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath! With the Ice God as my witness, I, the Ice Jade Scorpion Queen, swear upon the power of ice itself that I sincerely wish to join the Iceworm's God-Making Plan and will do my utmost to convince the Snow Empress to join as well. If I deceive you, then all the ice within me shall—"

To Huo Yuqing, this oath sounded ordinary, but in the Extreme North, this was the most solemn vow a soul beast could make.

The Iceworm cut her off before she could finish. His expression darkened even further. "So… the rumors spreading across the Extreme North were true? You really did confess your love to the Snow Empress back then?"

"I've spent hundreds of thousands of years at Xue'er's side," the Ice Empress huffed coldly. "If I didn't like her, would I like you instead?"

The Iceworm bowed his head in silence, looking utterly heartbroken.

Huo Yuqing looked between the Ice Empress and the Iceworm.

Given: The Iceworm loves the Ice Empress. He went to great lengths to give her the chance at immortality. But the Ice Empress loves the Snow Empress and is willing to give up her own immortality for her.

This… this…

Huo Yuqing: Galaxy-brain cat meme activated.

"Enough, Ice Empress. You shouldn't pressure him," a gentle voice interrupted.

A dazzling golden soul beast had silently appeared beside them.

His energy radiated an undeniable sense of nobility and authority, carrying an ancient, profound aura. Like a brilliant sun that would never rise over the Extreme North, his presence was impossible to ignore. Yet, even under the Iceworm's mental detection, it was as if he didn't exist at all.

He elegantly stepped toward Huo Yuqing, his feline grace and light-footed movement belying his massive size. Despite his bulk, not a single footstep made a sound.

"Long time no see, little one," Wang Rui greeted her in an overly formal tone, as if they hadn't just met two days ago.

Then, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion lowered his head and nudged Huo Yuqing's hair with his nose before sitting down beside her. His tail wrapped neatly around his paws, the tip resting lightly against her ankle.

Huo Yuqing couldn't resist running her hand through his warm fur.

"Oh no, Auspicious Beast, I'm really sorry," Tianmeng Ice Silkworm said listlessly. He seemed to have returned to his usual lazy demeanor, yet it also felt like something was missing. "You entrusted me with this task, but in the end, I still failed…"

"Tch, there was nothing you could do about it. Who told you to fall for her?" Wang Rui mocked in a slightly sharp tone, flicking the tip of his tail. The tuft of fur at the end brushed against Huo Yuqing's calf, making the girl feel an unbearable itch, and giving her the urge to grab this big lion and rub him from head to toe.

Compared to the original story, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm seemed excessively polite in his attempt to persuade the Ice Emperor this time. In the original, without Wang Rui backing him up, Tianmeng at least knew to threaten the Ice Emperor a little and make her recognize the reality of the situation. But now… Wang Rui shook his head.

Sigh, he didn't expect much from this lovestruck fat bug in the first place. Since Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had played the "good cop," it was up to him to play the "bad cop."

"You… Auspicious Beast?!" Only now did the Ice Emperor seem to fully register what was happening. She stared in shock at the soul beast before her. The Auspicious Beast exuded a uniquely noble aura, dignified yet warm, like a blazing sun that would never appear in the Extreme North's sky, making it impossible to look away.

Then, the Ice Emperor abruptly snapped out of her excitement at seeing the Auspicious Beast. She suddenly realized that the Emperor Auspicious Beast from the Star Dou Forest would never appear alone at the edge of the Extreme North. The Auspicious Beast was bound to have a guardian with him.

Her expression instantly darkened. The Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's gaze grew cold as she asked, "Auspicious Beast, who accompanied you to the Extreme North?"

"My adoptive father, who's currently troubled over how to maintain his scales," Wang Rui replied politely—while delivering a shocking statement.

Who had the qualifications to be the adoptive father of the Auspicious Beast?

The Ice Emperor immediately bristled like a hedgehog, raising all her spikes defensively. She stared at Wang Rui with her yellow eyes filled with wariness, her tone sharp and biting. "Hmph, looks like the Star Dou Forest really thinks highly of me! Should I say thanks?"

"You're mistaken, mistaken. There's no special targeting involved," Wang Rui said, his fluffy feline face displaying a rather exaggerated look of distress. "This is just standard protocol for the Emperor Auspicious Beast when leaving home. My dear adoptive father is a middle-aged dragon who worries too much. He's afraid I'll get kidnapped by bad guys and turned into a soul ring or soul bone or something. It really has nothing to do with you."

The Ice Emperor let out a cold snort, clearly unconvinced, though she seemed to have missed the sarcasm in his words.

"Ah, it seems like my words aren't very persuasive. Tianmeng, you can release the Ice Emperor now."

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm nodded, and the layer of pure white light that had been restraining the Ice Emperor abruptly withdrew from the radiant scorpion's body.

The Ice Emperor immediately retreated several steps, lifting her tail high, the stinger glowing with a chilling white light, aimed directly at Wang Rui.

"Whoa, no need to be so tense," Wang Rui drawled lazily, as if he were entirely at ease.

However, pressed against him, Huo Yuqing could clearly feel the way the muscles beneath the big cat's shimmering fur tensed in that instant, containing an explosive power.

Of course, Wang Rui was on high alert. Rationally, he knew the Ice Emperor wouldn't attack, but realistically, he was still facing an immensely powerful soul beast with clear hostility toward him. How could he possibly let his guard down?

"You've seen my sincerity," Wang Rui said, nodding slightly. "Yet you haven't left immediately, which means you are still interested in our plan. But you need to understand two things, Ice Emperor."

"Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was chosen to persuade you to join the God-Making Plan because he understands you well enough to know you'd be tempted by it." The golden eyes of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion carried a touch of aloof indifference. "But do you truly understand the Ice Sky Snow Woman?"

"Of course, I—" The Ice Emperor started to say urgently.

"You don't understand her," Wang Rui interrupted with a grin. "Or rather, you've been blinded by the sudden hope you saw. Think about it—what is Snow Woman's attitude toward humans? Any human stepping into the Extreme North's core territory is to be killed on sight. With her arrogance, do you really think she would willingly become a human's soul ring in her right mind?"

The Ice Sky Snow Woman was born with a human-like form, meaning her intelligence far exceeded that of most soul beasts. Combined with her deep-rooted rejection of humanity, she was the one Wang Rui was most wary of among the fearsome beasts.

If the Ice Sky Snow Woman retained consciousness while entering Huo Yuqing's spiritual sea, her first move would be… taking control.

Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's expertise and a young Huo Yuqing were no match for her.

If Huo Yuqing truly wanted to use the Snow Woman as a soul ring or soul spirit, then the Snow Woman had to be without self-awareness. Only then could Wang Rui feel reassured.

But the kind of unexpected event that happened with the Clear Sky Clan couldn't be replicated, and Wang Rui had no intention of scheming for the Snow Woman's soul ring—this was his most basic respect for the ruler of the Extreme North.

The Ice Emperor fell silent.

Wang Rui glanced at her and spoke softly, "The second point—you need to join the God-Making Plan. We don't need you."

"You are strong, Ice Emperor. You are the second most powerful ice-type soul beast in this world. But you are not our only option."

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Wang Rui: I am an evil cat, and I'm about to troll this scorpion at KFC.

Huo Yuqing: Cat good. Must pet.

Regarding the Snow Woman Martial Soul—honestly, it's impossible. So many people guessed it last chapter, but please don't get mad at me just yet. I've been hinting for a while that it wouldn't be a Snow Woman Martial Soul.

To reassure everyone a little—Snow Empress will reincarnate, go through some hardships, and properly integrate into a new life. She's not going to explode.

Also, the Auspicious Beast really has no special fondness for Snow Empress. He's not going to be swayed just because she's a beauty… Actually, there's a subtle sense of hostility there.

The Extreme North is a gathering place for soul beasts, but it completely ignores the Auspicious Beast and refuses cooperation. Wang Rui is very petty about that. (That tone, lol.)