Of course, what truly shocked Shui Linglong, Shui Yue'er, and Xue Wu's group of girls...
...was the nine Spirit Rings surrounding Ye Yu's body—two purple, four black, and three red.
A Titled Douluo?!
And with this Spirit Ring configuration—what kind of monster was this?!
"Sis! Honestly, I think you should hurry up and win over Big Brother Ye Yu."
"If I remember right, Big Brother Ye Yu should only be in his early twenties now."
"Early twenties, yet his cultivation has already reached the Titled Douluo realm!"
"From his first Spirit Ring being thousand-year, third Spirit Ring being ten-thousand-year, and seventh Spirit Ring being hundred-thousand-year…"
"A freakish talent like this probably has the potential to become one of the legendary gods!"
Beside her, Shui Yue'er spoke to Shui Bing'er, still stunned.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Shui Bing'er shot her a helpless look.
"I know what I'm doing."
But this time, she didn't say anything like "impossible."
After summoning his Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul...
...Ye Yu used Blue Silver Wood Dragons to easily subdue Snow Empress, Ice Bear King Xiao Bai, and Ice Devil Titan King.
Looking at the three before him, Ye Yu shook his head with a wry smile.
"Snow Empress, I truly had no intention of fighting you."
"But why did you force my hand?"
"I'm the kind of person who always treats others the way they treat me."
"You came at me with killing intent—so tell me, what should I do?"
"Don't!"
At this moment, Ice Empress shouted anxiously, pleading for Snow Empress.
"Lord Ye Yu, please—don't kill Snow Empress, Xiao Bai, or Ah Tai!"
"I will explain everything to them."
"I promise such a thing will never happen again!"
Unfortunately, ever since obtaining the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor Martial Soul, Ye Yu had never intended to let Snow Empress, Ice Bear King Xiao Bai, or Ice Devil Titan King Ah Tai go.
He simply hadn't decided how to act yet.
But since Snow Empress had handed him the opportunity, even Ice Empress's plea would not make him relent.
"Ice Empress, this isn't something you can guarantee."
Ye Yu shook his head calmly.
"However, for your sake, I can choose not to kill them."
"They need only offer themselves to me in Spirit Beast Sacrifice, preserving their complete consciousness to become my Spirit Rings."
"In the future, when I become a god…"
"Snow Empress, Ice Bear King, and Ice Devil Titan King can follow you and ascend with me."
"Isn't that perfect?"
His lips curled slightly as he spoke.
"Don't even think about it!"
Snow Empress's face was like frost, her cold beauty filled with fury.
"I would rather die than lose my freedom and become your Spirit Ring!"
Ye Yu simply smiled.
He did not doubt her words—but whether human or Spirit Beast, intelligence came with weaknesses.
Snow Empress might not fear death herself, but Ye Yu believed she would care about the lives of Ice Bear King Xiao Bai, Ice Devil Titan King, and all the creatures of the Extreme North.
"Snow Empress, Ice Bear King, Ice Devil Titan King!"
"I will give you two choices."
"Sacrifice yourselves to me, and once it's done, I will leave."
"Refuse, and I will kill you and take your Spirit Rings and Spirit Bones."
"And after that, I will slaughter every Spirit Beast in the Extreme North."
"Choose. I doubt you wish to see the Extreme North turned into a dead land."
His voice carried a cold sneer.
"Human! You're despicable!"
Snow Empress trembled with rage—Ye Yu had threatened her with the fate of the entire Extreme North.
But remembering the power he had just displayed…
That towering, sky-reaching Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul that could grow and split at will...
If given time, he truly might be able to annihilate all Spirit Beasts of the Extreme North.
Logically, Snow Empress felt he might not slaughter the source of Spirit Rings for humanity... but she didn't dare gamble on that.
"Human… you win."
In the end, Snow Empress yielded.
"We will sacrifice to you—but you must give me time to arrange the affairs of the Extreme North."
"Rest assured, Spirit Beasts keep our word. We are not like you humans, speaking lies without shame."
"Agreed."
Ye Yu smiled and did not refuse.
After promising to let her prepare the Extreme North's affairs, he dispelled the Blue Silver Wood Dragons binding Snow Empress, Ice Bear King, and Ice Devil Titan King.
Snow Empress returned to her snow peak residence, leapt into the sky, and performed the Ice Sky Snow Lady Dance, summoning all Spirit Beasts of the Extreme North.
She could not admit they had been defeated and forced to sacrifice. Instead, she told them that she, Ice Bear King Xiao Bai, and Ice Devil Titan King were soon to face their lightning tribulations...
...and without certainty of survival, they would leave to seek a solution.
She entrusted the governance of the Extreme North to a 100,000-year Cold Ice Sky-Rending Lion.
After finishing her arrangements, she dismissed the gathered Spirit Beasts and descended before the Ice Palace.
Ye Yu emerged with Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, Shui Linglong, and the other girls.
"Don't worry—I won't go back on my word."
Snow Empress took a deep breath and initiated her sacrifice.
A brilliant white light erupted from her body, forming a snow-white barrier that rapidly expanded outward.
Everyone except Ye Yu—including Ice Bear King Xiao Bai and Ice Devil Titan King—was pushed outside.
Only she and Ye Yu remained within.
Her figure floated into the air, becoming crystalline like ice sculpture, streams of snowy light flowing constantly into Ye Yu's body.
After an unknown time, all that remained of her was a scarlet Spirit Ring over 600,000 years old and a crystalline skull engraved with snowflake patterns.
The scarlet ring flew into the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor Martial Soul at Ye Yu's back, becoming its third Spirit Ring.
The Ice Sky Snow Lady Skull fell into Ye Yu's hands.
After Snow Empress, Ice Bear King Xiao Bai and Ice Devil Titan King also sacrificed themselves in turn.
Their sacrifices became the fourth and fifth Spirit Rings of the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor Martial Soul, along with an Ice Bear King Right Arm Bone and a Ice Devil Titan King Left Leg Bone.