Chapter 143: Their Vacation (2)

"The cruel and cunning humans actually protect their own kind... How disgusting."A colossal ice bear, towering like a mountain, muttered to itself. The deep rumble from its chest echoed outward, shaking loose flakes of snow.

Clearly, under the teachings of the Snow Empress, the Ice Bear King of the Far North had inherited its adoptive mother's hatred for humans. In its understanding, humans were nothing more than pests that roamed the icy plains in groups, ruthlessly slaughtering young soul beasts without the slightest hint of compassion.

Two corpses were pinned against the ice wall before it, impaled by a single ice spike.

The man had his back to the bear, shielding the woman in his arms in a protective embrace. The woman's arms, too, were positioned to block the fatal blow from reaching his back.

Even with their hearts shattered, their breaths stilled, their bodies turned pale and lifeless, and their flesh grown cold—

Their struggle had been meaningless.

To a ferocious beast with 290,000 years of cultivation, a human with only eight soul rings and another who had just absorbed their ninth were pitifully weak. The energy barrier of their soul tools had been as fragile as paper before this fearsome ruler of the Far North. The ice shards controlled by the Ice Bear King had effortlessly pierced through their soul power, flesh, and bone.

Their blood and flesh fused together—more intimately than they had ever been in life.

Blood trickled down the ice wall, freezing almost instantly into crimson ice, just like the woman's dark red hair. It dripped and stretched downward, winding its way to the ground, where pale white bone fragments lay, losing the last remnants of warmth in the frigid air. No matter how prominent they had been in the human world, now, they were nothing more than a mixture of broken ice and bloodied flesh.

The Ice Bear King lifted a massive paw.

Initially, it had intended to completely erase the last traces of these two humans, but upon seeing their intertwined corpses, it inexplicably lowered its paw again.

It didn't quite understand why it hesitated. Perhaps it was simply a matter of not wanting to waste food. These two humans, after all, had been somewhat powerful. Eating them would provide sustenance for a long time.

Especially the red-haired one—she had an ice attribute. She was probably delicious.

Over its long lifespan, the Ice Bear King had devoured many humans who ventured into the Far North. Yet, for some reason, it found itself unwilling to eat these two.

Forget it. It would leave them here. Some passing soul beast would eventually clean up the remains.

Shaking its massive head, the great white bear turned, its fluffy hindquarters swaying as it lumbered away.

It was unclear how much time had passed after the bear's departure.

From the corpse of the man pinned against the ice wall, two strange illusions slowly emerged.

One was a bright, full moon. The other, a golden-red sun.

They rose gently from his body. But upon closer inspection, the moon's radiance seemed to outshine the sun slightly, and faint traces of nine rings hovered beside it, flickering in and out of existence.

Yet these illusions were weak, as though they were mere reflections in the water—on the verge of shattering. Their dim glow was feeble, paling in comparison to the light reflected by the snow.

Then, the illusory sun and moon began to rotate around the man. Golden-red and moon-white light intertwined, swirling faster and faster, forming a vortex of red and white. The sunlight and moonlight tangled together, like two fish in an eternal dance—yin and yang, life and death—growing more complete, more balanced.

At the moment the vortex reached perfect equilibrium, the illusions of the sun and moon flickered and extinguished.

Two mirrors floated silently in midair—one reflecting the sun, the other holding the moon. Slowly, they moved closer until they became one.

A strange hum resonated outward.

In an instant, the red-and-white vortex froze—then suddenly spun in reverse. An immensely dangerous yet profoundly mysterious energy surged forth.

It was a power that could reverse yin and yang—defy life and death!

And then, just as abruptly as it had appeared, the energy vanished without a trace.

Only a single mirror remained—half red, half white—drifting down.

Then, the corpse's eyes snapped open.

Frozen eyelashes tore apart as he blinked. His body held no warmth, yet he no longer felt pain. His dim, unfocused pupils stared blankly at the woman's face, just inches from his own.

She was beautiful, yet at some point, wrinkles had crept into the corners of her eyes. But now, she was pale, rigid—

No. No, this wasn't right.

She wasn't supposed to be like this.

She was a foolish woman who couldn't even dress herself properly, who would wear her clothes backward unless she was in front of her research table. Only there was she truly brilliant. She belonged in her ivory tower, surrounded by metal, pouring all her genius into her craft.

He had used every soul tool she had ever designed. The ones she made were far superior to those used by his colleagues. Even the regiment commander had envied him for it.

He hadn't even had the chance to ask her—

Why had she come to the Far North? Had the royal family sent her to capture him, the so-called "traitor"? Had some high-ranking official manipulated her?

She should have stayed in Mingdu, engraving those incomprehensible core formations. The dark, twisted political struggles of the empire had nothing to do with her.

She shouldn't have been dragged into the shadows beneath the empire's shining façade.

She shouldn't have died here, in this icy wasteland!

Xi Hongchen's eyes snapped open.

She was in her laboratory, engraving the secondary core of a ninth-tier soul tool. Once she broke through to nine rings, it would become part of her first-ever ninth-tier creation. She had already drawn the schematics—

Her father had entered with a dark expression.

And then what?

What had he said?

The vice-commander of the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legion, Kong You, had defected—colluded with the Star Luo Empire—smuggled high-level soul tools—

Sentenced to death—

Escaped?

Impossible.

Kong You would never betray the empire.

He was a member of the Kong family. He carried the royal blood of the Sun-Moon Empire.

The Kong family had once been part of the imperial clan, only cast out centuries ago due to their weakened martial souls. Her father had always said: the Kong family and the imperial family thrived together, suffered together. Their loyalty was absolute.

Her father's words made sense.

They were the same age, studied together at the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, grew up together, and shared everything—how could she not understand him?

She didn't believe the news she had heard. She had to find Kong You and ask him in person. She knew he couldn't have betrayed the Sun-Moon Empire. There had to be some misunderstanding that needed to be cleared up.

Given her understanding of him, in the current situation, that man would definitely choose to leave from the northern border of the empire… But as a purely theoretical soul engineer, she couldn't leave Mingdu easily.

Her father found her an opportunity—sending her to Dragon City on the border with Xiao and Meng, giving her a chance to go to the Extreme North. If she couldn't find him within the given time, she had to return to Mingdu.

"You must promise to come back." Before she set out, Jing Hongchen pressed her shoulders, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite understand. She was puzzled but still swore.

Meng and Xiao were thrilled to leave Mingdu, looking forward to winning glory at the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Tournament. The Hongchen family and the Moonshadow Merchant Association had close ties, ensuring their safety in Longcheng.

They knew nothing.

But Xi Hongchen's heart remained unsettled.

Kong You's movements weren't hard to predict. To her, a soul master's trail was as clear as footprints in the snow. Eventually, she caught up to him in the Extreme North.

Yes, Kong You had wanted to avoid her. He didn't want to talk to her.

And then…

Then they encountered a savage beast.

…

Xi Hongchen's eyes flew open.

She felt cold. The blood frozen against her eyelashes tore apart as she blinked, bringing a sharp pain. But that pain was minor compared to the rest—both her forearms had been crushed by ice spikes, her chest had been pierced through, and the shattered bones—her own and Kong You's—had turned her insides into a mangled mess.

But she didn't understand how she was still conscious.

Something cold and heavy was pressing down on her. She pushed it away—no, him—

"KONG YOU!!!"

Panic-stricken, she struggled to sit up, momentarily too overwhelmed to question how she was still using her hands.

The man's face looked terrible… He had never been particularly handsome, and years of rugged military life had left him unkempt, his face scarred and weathered.

But that didn't matter.

Xi Hongchen knew this face better than her own.

Only now, that face was broken, ashen, lifeless. His dried blood, the dull gray film over his eyes—

The hands that had engraved countless soul tool core inscriptions, that had assembled countless intricate components, trembled uncontrollably.

"No… please, no…" Her voice was fractured, pleading desperately.

She had been shielded from the cruelest darkness for most of her life, but she was not ignorant.

He was gone.

Realizing this, Xi Hongchen was at a loss, kneeling on the icy ground.

"…Cough."

Suddenly, the man coughed. His cracked, bluish lips parted, releasing a voice so hoarse it barely sounded human.

"I still… have a little time left."

There was no white mist from his breath.

Yet the woman, as if stung by something, frantically fumbled through her soul tool storage.

Her clothes were torn.

Her bracelet was missing.

Her necklace had been shattered by the previous attack—its contents likely destroyed as well.

Her earrings—her earrings were intact! There was still a third-level healing soul tool inside!

"No need."

Kong You raised a trembling hand, pressing down on her arm. His touch was colder than ice, rigid like stone. He smiled, indifferent.

"I don't have much time left… Why did you come?"

Xi Hongchen froze.

"I… Last time, you complained that soul-tool handcuffs weren't good enough. That high-level soul masters from the Three Kingdoms could still self-destruct even when captured… I fixed that."

Her words came faster and faster, losing the structured clarity she usually had. She was forcing herself to stay calm.

"I did it. I created a soul tool that can completely seal off a soul master's abilities—even a Titled Douluo can be restrained. If I keep researching, I can make one that suppresses soul masters in an entire area. Then the war will end…

The war will end, and you can return to Mingdu, right?"

She was begging.

She was praying.

"But the war won't end."

Kong You's voice was soft.

"They need the Three Kingdoms to put up a fight. A lot of people are profiting from this war… But the Three Kingdoms are too weak."

The battlefield was a place to gain military achievements.

If the war ended and the world was at peace, there would be no more stable victories, no more chances to earn merits. How would they secure titles and honors? How would they maintain their family's prosperity? How would they keep exploiting the crumbling empire?

If the war ended, their true faces would be exposed—using war as an excuse to squeeze the common people and lower-ranked soul engineers while shifting the hatred onto the enemy nations.

"Who's the traitor?" Xi Hongchen asked urgently.

She wasn't naive—just sheltered from the filth. But she understood him. He didn't need to finish his words; she already grasped the truth.

"Why you?"

"I was supposed to die when I awakened my martial soul at six."

His voice was weak, though he no longer needed to breathe. The air passing through his ruined lungs produced a sickly, broken sound.

"The Kong family's Moon martial soul… is not a degraded version of the Sun martial soul. The Sun and Moon martial souls aren't truly 'sun' and 'moon'… They're mirrors."

"Mirrors?"

"Yes. Two sides, reflecting the sun and moon separately. They carry the forces of yin and yang, life and death, change and permanence.

When combined, they reveal the true nature of yin-yang reincarnation—capable of reversing life and death."

"Reversing life and death… Then you—" Xi Hongchen's voice trembled.

"There's only one ticket back."

Kong You smiled at her, like he did when they were kids and he won a match.

"No… No. Take it back." Xi Hongchen murmured.

"The one who can carry both the sun and the moon," he continued, "is the true heir of the Sun-Moon Empire. The last person to inherit both martial souls was that princess… The legend says her power would only recognize a descendant who possessed both the Sun and Moon martial souls."

"The royal family would never tolerate me… The Kong family serves the royal family. And I carelessly exposed my second martial soul. They'll do anything to kill me."

"My soul bones—take them." His tone was calm, issuing his final instructions.

"You won't survive the Extreme North without them. I should never have led you here… I thought Jing Hongchen would stop you… Take my two leg bones and one arm bone. They don't suit you perfectly, but they're high-quality.

Absorbing them might help you reach Titled Douluo. It's the only way you'll make it out alive."

"Then bring back my remains. Hand me over to the Emperor."

"Never!" Xi Hongchen shrieked.

"You mustn't say that! Please… please…"

She bent over, sobbing, pleading.

"Come back…"

"You got too close to me, Xi."

Kong You, lingering between life and death, gave her a bitter smile.

"I always feared dragging you into this filth… But you jumped in yourself.

Tell me… aren't you foolish?"

Their gazes met.

Her shattered blue eyes held endless agony—and something dark, something terrifying.

I think I just let a monster out of its ivory tower, Kong You thought.

A monster that had been soothed into docility.

But now, it had come out on its own.

Perhaps it would burn the snowfields and the empire to the ground.

That wouldn't be so bad.

He sank into death.

…

A starving Ice Jade Scorpion caught the scent of blood.

(End of Chapter)