Ye Yu smiled faintly, moving with a thought.
In a burst of dazzling ice-blue light, he summoned his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Martial Soul.
In an instant, an enormous figure appeared—its entire body ice-blue, glimmering with golden light, massive in size, wings sprouting from its back, its form part dragon, part scorpion.
Sensing the familiar aura emanating from within the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, the Snow Empress's expression changed.
"Ice Empress!"
"Ice Empress, Xiao Bai, Ah Tai!"
Upon seeing the Snow Empress, the Ice Bear King Xiao Bai, and the Ice Devil Titan King, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion immediately opened its mouth and spoke in the Ice Empress's crisp, clear voice.
"Ice Empress, how did you become a human's Martial Soul?"
Noticing the single crimson Spirit Ring encircling the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, the Snow Empress asked coldly, her tone tinged with suspicion.
"This…"
The Ice Empress looked troubled for a moment, unsure how to answer.
"Headmistress!"
At that moment, Shui Bing'er arrived, followed by the slightly behind Shui Yue'er, Xue Wu, and the other girls.
As Shui Linglong fell from the air, withdrawing her Martial Soul True Body and reverting to her human form, Shui Bing'er rushed forward to catch her, concern etched across her face.
From her storage-type Soul Tool, she took out prepared Spirit Power-recovery food and quickly fed it to Shui Linglong.
Seeing the Ice Empress at a loss for words, Ye Yu hovered lightly in midair, smiling faintly as he spoke directly:
"This is the result of an agreement between myself and Her Excellency the Ice Empress.
"Her cultivation has already approached four hundred thousand years, and she was about to face the Four-Hundred-Thousand-Year Lightning Tribulation.
"But for a ferocious beast, each lightning tribulation is a near-death ordeal.
"I happen to have a way to allow Her Excellency the Ice Empress to retain her consciousness, become my Spirit Ring, and have her soul dwell within my Martial Soul.
"In this way, she can avoid the tribulation and, in the future, follow me to become a god.
"A perfect win–win, don't you think?"
The Snow Empress's cold voice was laced with scorn, "Human, do you think I'd believe your nonsense?
"I don't know how you let the Ice Empress keep her consciousness while becoming your Martial Soul, but even if it helps her avoid the tribulation, she has lost her freedom.
"And you think becoming a god is so simple?
"Even if what you say is true—if you become a god, you could take her with you—but if you fail?
"With your short human life, a mere hundred years will see you buried in the soil.
"The Ice Empress, even facing the Four-Hundred-Thousand-Year Tribulation, could still survive for several thousand years more.
"But if she is your Spirit Ring, she'll be buried alongside you in little over a century!"
Her anger mounting, the Snow Empress's voice sharpened:
"And don't think I don't know! This is no equal agreement!
"If it were, she would have said farewell to us. You forced her into this and now try to deceive us!
"Despicable human—die!"
Imperial Extreme Heaven – Snow Dance Radiance!
With an angry cry, the Snow Empress unleashed her Extreme Cold Domain. Ice-white light imbued with frigid killing intent erupted outward, sweeping across the battlefield. Then, she flew into the air, summoned a sharp, deep-blue ice crystal sword into her hand, and swung it at Ye Yu.
"Snow Empress, don't!!"
Seeing her about to strike, the Ice Empress shouted anxiously.
It wasn't that she had suddenly abandoned the Snow Empress's side for Ye Yu's—
But thanks to the Skydream Ice Worm, she already knew that Ye Yu's cultivation had reached the Limit Douluo realm, his Spirit Rings configured in a heaven-defying two purple, four black, three red arrangement, and possessing three Martial Souls.
Earlier, when he had used his Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul, he hadn't even used his Seventh Spirit Ability: Martial Soul True Body yet had still defeated her effortlessly.
With such strength, the Ice Empress feared the Snow Empress would not be Ye Yu's match!
If the Snow Empress refrained from fighting, she could plead for mercy, perhaps even have the Skydream Ice Worm join her in persuasion—maybe Ye Yu would spare her and not target the Ice Bear King or Ice Devil Titan King for Spirit Rings.
But now, by attacking, the Snow Empress was practically handing Ye Yu an excuse to claim her as one!
As the Snow Empress descended with the Empress' Sword – Unparalleled Chill. Ye Yu transformed into a streak of lightning, retreating rapidly to create distance.
Behind him, the towering Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul seemed rooted in midair.
Countless roots and branches burst forth, splitting and spreading wildly in the air, weaving into countless lifelike Blue Silver Wood Dragons, each more than thirty meters thick.
With roars that shook the air, they surged toward the Snow Empress like a tidal wave.
"What?!"
Seeing the colossal, crystal-blue dragons sweeping toward her, the Snow Empress's expression changed dramatically.
With an angry cry, she unleashed an extreme cold snowstorm to freeze them, all while retreating rapidly.
But to her shock, Ye Yu's Blue Silver Wood Dragons were completely immune to her ice-and-snow attacks.
They tore through the blizzard, roaring as they coiled, slammed, and bit toward her.
With their massive size and immunity to ice-element energy attacks, the Snow Empress's ice crystal sword could not cut them apart.
"Snow Empress, come down! We'll help you!"
From atop the snowy peak, the Ice Bear King Xiao Bai and the Ice Devil Titan King roared.
Ice Meteor!
To create an opportunity for the Snow Empress to descend, the Ice Bear King roared and activated a Spirit Ability, creating an icy meteor that fell from the sky toward Ye Yu.
But Ye Yu slipped past it effortlessly.
Facing the overwhelming swarm of Blue Silver Wood Dragons, the Snow Empress had no time to retreat. In just a few breaths, a Blue Silver Wood Dragon had bound her completely.
"Oh, and you two as well!"
With the Snow Empress restrained, Ye Yu turned toward Xiao Bai and the Ice Devil Titan King, a faint smile on his lips.
In the next instant, hundreds of roaring Blue Silver Wood Dragons descended, enveloping the two colossal beasts.
Even with bodies over fifty and a hundred meters tall, they were soon wrapped tightly like dumplings and toppled onto the snow.
Within the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Martial Soul, the Ice Empress could only watch, helpless and pained.
It was over.
Off to the side, Shui Bing'er, Shui Linglong, Shui Yue'er, and the others stared wide-eyed—utterly shaken at how Ye Yu had so easily subdued the Snow Empress, the massive Ice Bear King, and the Ice Devil Titan King.