Although everyone held slightly different opinions on certain matters, when it came to eating, their views were—unsurprisingly—perfectly aligned.
Soft-Bone Rabbit meat that was close to a hundred years old was at its absolute prime—tender and flavorful. After being marinated and grilled with various seasonings, the finished dish emerged golden and crispy on the outside, while juices flowed freely inside. It was, without exaggeration, one of the finest delicacies imaginable.
The Ice Empress instantly transformed into a full-fledged "table tyrant," devouring everything in sight without the slightest concern for her image. Her ferocious eating made the Snow Empress's temple twitch uncontrollably. In the end, unable to tolerate it any longer, the Snow Empress simply grabbed her and tossed her away to avoid having her own appetite ruined.
Shu Yan and Xu Jiujiu exchanged a glance, both smiling.
When the Ice Empress finally returned to the table, her manners had noticeably improved. The group chatted casually as they ate, the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
Perhaps because he was in an especially good mood, Shu Yan leaned back in his chair and joked casually,
"If it weren't for the fact that Soft-Bone Rabbits haven't produced another Rabbit Emperor in ten thousand years, I'd honestly be very interested in the soul bones and soul skills this species can provide."
"Skills like recoil-free instant teleportation and Invincible Golden Body would be hard to match even among top-tier soul beasts. And yet it's almost absurd—teleportation aside, the soul beast that produces a god-tier skill like Invincible Golden Body is a creature known for being weak and having inferior bloodlines. It really makes no sense."
As soon as he said this, the three women all paused in unison.
The Snow Empress thought for a moment, then spoke first,
"If you're interested in teleportation-type soul skills, that's actually not difficult to solve. Near the northern border of the Extreme North, close to what humans call the Douling Empire, there's a mutated Void Predator that's reached the ten-thousand-year level."
"It isn't counted among the Extreme North's recognized ten-thousand-year soul beasts. On the contrary, it's extremely bloodthirsty, especially fond of devouring the blood of high-bloodline soul beasts. Its actions have caused severe damage in the Extreme North and endangered several already-rare species."
"I've personally attempted to kill it three times, but its abilities are simply too bizarre. As a mutated soul beast with both space and ice attributes, it can freely enter, exit, and manipulate space to conceal itself. Even I can't match it when it comes to spatial control."
"And it's incredibly cunning. In terms of pure space abilities, even though it only has ten-thousand-year cultivation, it can evade my pursuit for a short time. If I persisted, it would eventually die—but the problem is that it operates very close to human territory. The moment it senses danger, it flees straight into the human world, usually toward densely populated areas, making it impossible for me to act."
Shu Yan froze for a moment, clearly not expecting his casual remark to bring up something like this.
That said… a mutated ten-thousand-year soul beast with both ice and space attributes—the more he thought about it, the more perfectly suited it seemed for him.
Beside them, the Ice Empress seemed to recall something as well and said angrily,
"I remember that thing. About three hundred years ago, it targeted my clan. I and several members close to the Scorpion King level tried to hunt it down, but its control over spatial power was terrifying. Not only did my Everfrozen Domain fail to trap it, it even took the opportunity to injure one of my clansmen."
"Putting aside my personal grudge with it, I have to admit—it doesn't feel like an ordinary ten-thousand-year soul beast at all. Its strength is absurd."
Shu Yan's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He lightly tapped the table and said in a low voice,
"If Sister Snow and the Ice Empress work together, taking it down shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
The Snow Empress and Ice Empress exchanged a glance, both understanding his intent.
Resting her chin on one hand, the Snow Empress said with mild amusement,
"A sixth soul ring at ten thousand years—and not even a normal one. Are you confident you can handle it?"
The Ice Empress immediately followed up,
"Yeah. Don't overestimate yourself and end up bursting apart. If that happens, I'll have no choice but to take Snowy back to the Extreme North and enjoy our final peaceful days."
Xu Jiujiu also stopped eating and looked at Shu Yan with concern.
Being stared at by all three of them, Shu Yan said helplessly,
"I do have some confidence. After absorbing the life force released by the Gold of Living Beings and the remaining origin soul power of the Snow Lotus, my body has been changing almost every day. I can clearly feel it and have a rough idea of my limits."
"And if I really can't handle it… isn't Sister Snow still here? I trust you wouldn't just watch me die, right?"
As he spoke, Shu Yan even let out a deliberately sorrowful sigh.
The Snow Empress was amused and waved her hand lightly.
"Enough. That doesn't sound like something you'd normally say."
"Even without you, Ice and I would have made sure to kill that creature before the end, to prevent it from continuing to harm the Extreme North. Now that circumstances are a bit different, eliminating it early—and making full use of it after death—can only be a good thing."
"I agree. Cultivate properly and raise your soul power to level sixty as soon as possible. When that time comes, you'll get what you want."
She smiled gently. At some point, the cold aura surrounding the Snow Empress had noticeably softened while being around them. Now, even Xu Jiujiu dared to act spoiled or joke with her—and the Snow Empress herself seemed completely unaware of the change.
The Ice Empress stared blankly at the Snow Empress's warm smile, momentarily unable to tell whether this was reality or a dream.
She had noticed the change as well. And for some reason, a strange jealousy bubbled up inside her. Looking at Shu Yan's smiling face—and mindful that the Snow Empress was present—she muttered quietly,
"How is it that he barely even tried to act cute, and Snowy just let him have his way? I've talked myself hoarse, and she still won't accept me…"
After a round of intense internal "relationship analysis," the Ice Empress quickly reached a conclusion:
"Damn Shu Yan! This is all your fault! Just you wait—if I ever get the chance, you won't have it easy… hmph!"
Naturally, no one noticed her muttering. The Snow Empress continued eating her neatly sliced roast rabbit with elegant movements. Shu Yan was still lost in thought, while Xu Jiujiu—having barely eaten for nearly a full day—was too hungry to care about anything else and focused entirely on her food.
Seeing the almost untouched roast rabbit in front of Shu Yan, the Ice Empress swallowed despite herself. In the blink of an eye, she snatched his plate away.
Facing Shu Yan's stunned expression, she puffed out her chest and said righteously,
"You owe me this!"
A completely baffled Shu Yan:Heavenly Screen
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