Chapter 630: The Snow Emperor Questioned

"You! You're really the Ice God!" Ice Empress and Snow Empress stared blankly at the Heart of the Ice God, their beautiful eyes filled with shock.

"More or less," the Heart of the Ice God replied calmly.

"Ice God, Tianmeng was only thinking of me at the time. He didn't mean harm," Ice Empress knelt on one knee, once again speaking on Tianmeng's behalf.

"If soul beasts see no hope and choose to abandon their identity to seek another path, I have no objection. Immortality — whether for humans or soul beasts — is a right for anyone with the power to pursue it. But if you turn around and persecute the Extreme North, that is unforgivable." The Ice God's gaze turned cold as she looked at Snow Empress. "Snow Empress, you were the ruler of the Extreme North for a long time. You tell me, what should be done in this situation?"

"Please punish me, Ice God." Snow Empress also knelt on one knee beside Ice Empress.

"People of the Extreme North, for your own selfish purposes, you conspired with humans to scheme against the Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North." The Ice God glanced at Ice Empress and gave a cold snort. "'For your own good'? Heh! You'd drag her down for the sake of some illusory immortality? Ice Empress, let me ask you: if all soul beasts acted as he did, would you have also schemed against Snow Empress 'for her own good' if she hadn't fallen into human hands? If the high-ranking soul beasts all acted like this—dragging friends, kin, even partners into the abyss for some fantasy—then tell me, would the soul beasts still have a future? Becoming a god, immortality… Heh! Do you even realize how rare it is for a god to emerge on the Douluo Continent? Even in ten thousand or twenty thousand years, there might not be one. No matter how talented the person Tianmeng found, becoming a god is no easy feat."

"I..." Ice Empress was speechless, lowering her head. At last, she understood the Heart of the Ice God's meaning.

Every soul beast has their own pursuit. Wanting to leave the Extreme North is fine — the Ice God could accept that.

But once you've left, you cannot turn back and harm the Extreme North.

That is the Ice God's bottom line.

"No! Someone told me at the time that Yuhao would definitely become a god in the future — that's why I brought him to Ice Empress." Tianmeng lifted his head abruptly. After all, he was a million-year soul beast — how could he have sacrificed himself for a mere ten-ringed little soul master?

"As expected." The Ice God sneered. "Just as I suspected — this so-called 'God of Emotions' you followed, his whole life was prearranged. You were all just chess pieces. Otherwise, how would a human Titled Douluo conveniently show up with a pre-prepared soul tool capable of sealing a soul beast mid-transformation — just in time to capture the transforming Snow Empress? And manage to avoid all the powerful soul beasts along the way? If I'm not wrong, when you fled from the Star Dou Forest, someone helped you behind the scenes, didn't they?"

If no one had helped, how could a Titled Douluo from the Star Luo Empire have had a soul tool specifically designed to seal transforming soul beasts?

At that time, aside from the Sun Moon Empire, even the three great empires and Shrek Academy didn't have a single Level 9 soul engineer.

And Yuhao, a mere ten-ringed soul master, just happened to stumble into the Star Dou Forest, just happened to run into the Tang Sect Master, just happened to encounter Tianmeng fleeing from the hands of top-level soul beasts, and just happened to run into the spiritual remnant of Electrolux piercing through space...

Moreover, though Tianmeng had a million years of cultivation, his actual combat power was only equivalent to a ten-thousand-year soul beast. How could he escape under the surveillance of so many soul beasts?

And just happened to run into Huo Yuhao?

All of these coincidences… The odds were lower than buying 50,000 lottery tickets with the same number, winning the jackpot, and perfectly avoiding taxes at the same time.

A single coincidence might still be a coincidence. But if every coincidence lines up perfectly, it can only be a deliberate plan.

"That's right. Someone did help me. That's how I managed to escape from the Star Dou Forest at a critical moment and encounter Yuhao," Tianmeng finally admitted. Things had gone this far — there was no point hiding it anymore.

Even among so many god kings, none succeeded. What could a few third-level divine beasts like them possibly change?

"If I'm not mistaken, it was Da Ming and Er Ming, wasn't it?" the Ice God asked.

"Yes." Tianmeng nodded.

"Speaking of Da Ming and Er Ming, let me talk about you two — Snow Empress and Ice Empress. I understand that you sacrificed yourselves to Huo Yuhao out of gratitude, and to survive. You helped him before he became a god. But after he became a god, why didn't you choose to stay on the Douluo Continent? Don't forget — you were the Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North." The Ice God looked at them.

"After Yuhao became a god, we also gained the strength of third-level gods and became divine beasts. The God Realm doesn't allow divine beasts to remain on the Douluo Plane," Ice Empress answered stiffly.

"Da Ming and Er Ming were once hunted and forced to sacrifice themselves to Sea God Tang San. But after being resurrected, though they had the power of third-level gods, they willingly suppressed their cultivation and returned to the Douluo Plane. Yes, they did help Tang San in actions that harmed soul beasts. But when the Star Dou Forest was on the brink of extinction, it was they who stood up, created the Wanshou Platform Plane, and preserved countless endangered soul beast bloodlines."

"They were just ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. Compared to them, aren't you ashamed? You were the Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North. After gaining immortality, did you ever think of the Extreme North again? Or before leaving, did you think about how to repay it if you became gods? I once read a saying: 'A king guards a pure land and protects a people's peace.' You were kings of the Extreme North. Even if the God Realm forbade you to remain like Da Ming and Er Ming, couldn't you have severed your godhood and stayed to guard the Extreme North? Fine — let's take a step back. In all these years in the God Realm, did you ever recall your identity as the Extreme North's Heavenly Kings?"

"Please punish us." Snow Empress lowered her head. She had no defense. When Yuhao became a god, if she had wanted to stay, she could have.

By then, Yuhao was already a god and could have removed her from his body without any harm.

Given how much they had helped him, if they had asked, he likely would have agreed without hesitation.

Even if the God Realm questioned it, the worst consequence would have been severing their divine powers.

"It wasn't that you couldn't give up your divine power — you just couldn't leave the God of Emotions, Huo Yuhao, could you?" the Ice God asked helplessly.

"Yes," Snow Empress admitted directly, with no hesitation.

"Sigh…" The Ice God sighed softly. "You followed him to the God Realm, but ended up with nothing. Do you regret it?"

"Xue Nu doesn't regret it. Snow Empress now does." Snow Empress replied. This was clearly her inner conflict — as Xue Nu (her personal self), she didn't regret it. But as Snow Empress, ruler of the Extreme North, she now did.

Only after hearing the Ice God's words did she begin to regret it.

"I understand." The Ice God nodded and then asked, "If I separate you from Huo Yuhao, would you be willing?"

"I will follow your orders," Snow Empress looked up and answered.

"And the rest of you?" She looked to Ice Empress and the others.

"Wherever Mother goes, I'll go," Ice Bear King Xiaobai was the first to respond.

"As long as the Ice God spares Tianmeng, I'll do whatever she says," Ice Empress gritted her teeth, still hoping to save Tianmeng.

"You're bargaining with me?" The Ice God chuckled. "You've all been in the God Realm, seen the circle of god kings, and you know their power. Yet I can stand here openly. Do you really think I care about a few third-level gods like you?"

"I'm even speaking with you now only because you and Snow Empress were once rulers of the Extreme North. Regardless of what happened later, you once guarded this land. That's the only reason I'm giving you a chance." The Ice God sighed lightly, turning to Snow Empress. "Even now, the Titan Snow Demon King still regards himself as one of the three Heavenly Kings. Meaning, he still recognizes your positions. Snow Empress — given that, what do you say we do now?"

"I've indeed let personal emotions cloud public duty. I've failed the people of the Extreme North. When we return, I'll declare Atai the sole ruler of the Extreme North," Snow Empress said.

"You think he's up to the task?" the Ice God pressed.

"No." Snow Empress shook her head. "He's too driven by personal feelings, unable to separate public from private. He's likely to follow our same path. But there's no one more suitable."

The Ice God was silent. Snow Empress's words had hit the mark.

She didn't think much of Titan Snow Demon King herself.

Back then, Snow Empress had given him her seal to make him the sole ruler of the Extreme North. But that blockhead still called himself one of three kings — and even handed her seal to Huo Yuhao!

"In that case, aren't you pushing the Extreme North into disaster?" the Ice God asked.

"I…" Snow Empress opened her mouth but didn't know how to respond.

"Tell me — are you still willing to sacrifice for the Extreme North?" the Ice God asked seriously.

"I am." Snow Empress answered without hesitation, biting her lip. "I'll stay by Atai's side and help him with all my strength."

Hearing this, Ice Empress and Xiaobai immediately jumped up.

"Xue Nu!"

"Mother!"

Xiaobai didn't need explanation. For hundreds of thousands of years in the Extreme North, he had always been at odds with Titan Snow Demon King.

As for Ice Empress — though she'd been with Tianmeng since the Valley of Emotions, she couldn't accept Snow Empress being with Titan Snow Demon King.

"You don't need to say more. This is what we owe the Extreme North. We were its Heavenly Kings. Whatever sacrifice it takes is our duty," Snow Empress said firmly.

"Enough!" The Ice God gave her a helpless look. "Although Titan Snow Demon King is my descendant and I'd be glad to see you two together, I never asked this of you."

"Private matters are private. Who you choose to be with is your business — nothing to do with me." She rolled her eyes. Seeing Snow Empress and Ice Empress like this, one might think she was the villain.

"Recently, I've been watching some promising soul beasts in the Extreme North, trying to pick a suitable ruler. Every one of them I pointed out their flaws, gave them a chance to grow. Whether they're fit to rule depends on how much they improve." She raised her voice. "Snow Empress, you're one of the candidates. I've said all I need to say. If you want to continue guarding the Extreme North, then show me with your actions. Only by becoming the ruler of the Extreme North can you truly protect it."

After speaking, the Ice God turned into a beam of light and vanished.

Once she was gone, Snow Empress turned to Ice Empress and Tianmeng.

"Xue Nu, let's leave. Let's go somewhere remote and live in peace," Ice Empress bit her lip. She understood the Ice God's intent — Snow Empress had to deal with them, especially Tianmeng.

Among them, only Tianmeng had harmed the soul beasts of the Extreme North by leading humans there.

But the problem was, Ice Empress had long been with Tianmeng.

If Snow Empress made a move on him, it could mean a permanent rift between her and Ice Empress.

The Ice God was testing whether Snow Empress valued her duty as ruler more than her personal ties.

Ice Empress didn't want Snow Empress to act. If she did… she wouldn't know how to face her again.

But Snow Empress ignored her and looked at Tianmeng. "Let me ask you one thing. When you took Yuhao to find Bing'er in the Extreme North — was it because you loved her, or because you saw her power and wanted her for your god-making plan?"

"Of course it was because I loved Ice Empress!" Tianmeng answered instantly. He knew he couldn't hesitate. One slip, and he might die on the spot.

"You're lying." Snow Empress's voice was icy. "If you had said it was both, I would have believed you. But you didn't."

Tianmeng froze. He realized she had tricked him. But now, all he could do was grit his teeth and persist. "I just purely loved Ice Empress and wanted to take her to immortality."

"Liar!" Snow Empress sneered. "Bing'er is a free spirit. If you truly loved her, you would have considered whether she could bear losing her freedom."