Chapter 133: Official Fusion
As soon as Huo Yuqing spoke, Bi Ji and Ice Emperor's gazes softened slightly as they looked at her.
"…Do you realize what kind of trouble you've just taken on?" Wang Rui sighed helplessly and asked.
"I'm not afraid of trouble, nor am I afraid of difficulties." Huo Yuqing stubbornly met his gaze.
"Good child." The Emerald Swan smiled brightly. The way she looked at Huo Yuqing carried less scrutiny and more warmth. This child's actions were truly beyond her expectations… She was indeed worthy of being chosen by the Auspicious Beast.
"Since you've made a promise, you must fulfill it," Wang Rui reminded her softly.
"I will, no matter how difficult the process may be," Huo Yuqing declared resolutely.
As for the advantages and disadvantages of agreeing to this, she hadn't thought much about them. She had made this promise purely out of her innate sympathy and indignation for those innocent beings who had suffered.
Even after enduring hardships at the Ducal Manor, her soul remained pure and warm, like a fire burning brightly within her heart.
Adults… or rather, most adults, would not so easily make promises for the sake of others. Too many interests and losses, countless fears and hesitations, weighed them down. Perhaps this was why people used the term childlike innocence to describe those with pure and kind hearts.
"Buzz—"
A strange humming sound rang out as the beautiful scorpion tail spirit bone emitted a dazzling light, as if responding to her words.
At the same time, the unusual soul power fluctuations surrounding the spirit bone weakened significantly.
"The lingering will within the spirit bone has acknowledged you. You won't encounter any obstacles when absorbing this external spirit bone," Wang Rui said softly.
Yet, Huo Yuqing showed no joy on her face. She merely bit her lip and solemnly said, "I won't let you down."
Bi Ji's gaze toward Huo Yuqing had become almost gentle.
"As a human, you are incomparably weak, but your temperament is at least passable," Ice Emperor remarked. "For now, I acknowledge you."
The Auspicious Beast shot her a chilly glare.
Ice Emperor remained oblivious and continued, "My power is immense. Even if I seal it, fusing with my strength will be extremely difficult for you. So during the fusion process, you must first absorb my spirit bone to enhance your body's resilience. Then, I will mold the blank ice martial soul provided by Tianmeng, and finally, I will infuse the soul ring's power into your body."
"I am very powerful, and the spirit bone I provide will be far stronger than an ordinary hundred-thousand-year spirit bone. Among the spirit bones that spirit masters can absorb, the most important are the head bone and torso bone. My abilities are not suitable for providing a head bone, so I will grant you a torso bone. However, a single breastbone cannot bear the full extent of my power, so I will replace your entire spine and ribcage." Ice Emperor's voice was cold and firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "This will be extremely, extremely painful. Be mentally prepared."
"I understand," Huo Yuqing nodded. "Brother Tianmeng already told me."
"Good." Ice Emperor didn't waste words. "As for this external spirit bone, I have two ideas. The first option is for you to fuse it along with my torso bone at the same time. I will control my spirit bone to merge with the external spirit bone and infuse it with my power."
"The tail is also one of the most crucial offensive tools for an Ice Jade Scorpion. However, I cannot produce an external spirit bone myself, and tail-related skills would be difficult to pass on to you. But with this external spirit bone as a vessel, the corresponding soul skills should be preserved. However, this method will cause you far more pain, and the results may be somewhat uncertain."
"What's the second option?" Huo Yuqing asked.
"The second is to absorb this external spirit bone after your fusion with me is complete and everything has stabilized. This would be much safer and reduce your burden significantly," Ice Emperor explained further. "However, this spirit bone contains a faint fire attribute, which will inevitably be suppressed by my ice attribute, making it difficult to fully utilize the soul skills it carries."
"I choose the first option," Huo Yuqing replied without hesitation.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded firmly.
"Very well, then let's begin."
Bi Ji and Tianmeng nodded simultaneously.
Huo Yuqing stepped forward toward Ice Emperor. The Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's body radiated a dense emerald-green glow, which surged toward the tip of her scorpion tail's stinger as if coming to life.
The emerald light deepened in color until it became a thick, dark green at the tail's stinger. Then, Ice Emperor suddenly raised her tail and gently tapped Huo Yuqing's breastbone.
At the same time, the external spirit bone, which resembled pink crystal, floated up under Ice Emperor's control and crashed into Huo Yuqing's body.
In that instant, Huo Yuqing's entire body turned green, but the color rapidly compressed, concentrating solely around her torso.
A dense golden glow enveloped her head—Tianmeng Iceworm was using his spiritual power to protect Huo Yuqing's sea of consciousness from the violent overflow of Ice Emperor's power.
Meanwhile, the third eye on the girl's forehead opened. Her cyan-gold pupils trembled slightly under the intense pain. The core of this Eye of Destiny—the fragment of Life Gold—began to slowly integrate into her body.
An extreme chill spread alongside excruciating pain. The young girl's delicate frame trembled uncontrollably, her body unnaturally rigid. She tried to move, to curl into herself, but her limbs refused to obey. Large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, instantly soaking her clothes.
Yet, she gritted her teeth and did not let out a single sound.
The soul beasts present could all hear the sound of her teeth grinding together, making their expressions turn sympathetic.
"If this continues, Xiao Qing's teeth will be ground to dust," Tianmeng Iceworm said worriedly.
Suddenly, Wang Rui shot to his feet, transforming into a golden streak of light and vanishing.
"Auspicious Beast?" Bi Ji was initially surprised, but then she heard a faint, suppressed whimper of pain.
"…This child," she sighed knowingly, "she doesn't want to show weakness in front of the Auspicious Beast, does she?"
Wang Rui hurriedly rushed back to Di Tian's side, looking rather disheveled.
Seeing Huo Yuqing in such agony made his heart ache as well.
The Eye of Destiny allowed him to see Huo Yuqing's fate—she would overcome this ordeal successfully. Logically, Wang Rui knew that as the Child of Destiny, she would surely endure and emerge stronger. That was how it was written in the original story: after enduring this suffering, she would gain immense power.
But… watching her writhe in pain as Ice Emperor's power ravaged her body still filled him with anguish.
He felt as if he was on the verge of breaking character, almost revealing his true form to comfort her.
But now was not the time. The identity of the Auspicious Beast was tied to too many things—Tang San and the mess in the God Realm, the internal conflicts within the Great Star Dou Forest, the undercurrents between spirit beasts and humans… These burdens were too heavy, things Huo Yuqing was not yet meant to bear.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stood just far enough away for Huo Yuqing to sense its presence, silently watching over her. Its tail anxiously swayed, thumping against the ground.
Di Tian glanced at him, his expression carrying a hint of Ah, young beasts…, before he commented lazily, "Looks like the Fox King's worries weren't entirely unfounded. He's terrified that you'll be deceived by some cunning woman."
"He's a hopeless romantic. That doesn't mean I am." Wang Rui didn't even glance at Di Tian, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuqing's condition.
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In a general sense, torso bones refer to the breastbone, vertebrae, and ribs. However, in Douluo Dalu, a torso spirit bone specifically refers to the breastbone.