With a rumbling sound, the heavy door of the secret chamber slowly opened, revealing Wang Chen's tall and imposing figure.
Outside the chamber, the Snow Emperor had been guarding Wang Chen. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she immediately looked up. A man with an overwhelming presence stepped out.
The Snow Emperor gazed at Wang Chen, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She had initially thought that Wang Chen's severe injuries would take at least a month to stabilize and three months to fully heal. Yet, in just two short days, he had completely recovered, and his aura was even more formidable than before.
The Snow Emperor marveled inwardly, "As expected of a human with the potential to become a god. His constitution alone is extraordinary, far beyond what others can hope to achieve."
Wang Chen stepped out of the chamber, his gaze sharp as lightning as it fell on the Snow Emperor. He gave a slight smile and said, "Thank you, Snow Emperor, for guarding me these past two days. Your efforts are appreciated."
The Snow Emperor shook her head, her cool voice carrying a trace of warmth. "It's no trouble. You are a guest of the Extreme North, and besides, with Bing'er fused with you, it's only natural that I ensure your safety."
She then looked at Wang Chen, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. The Snow Emperor, as the ruler of the Extreme North, found it beneath her dignity to offer herself so eagerly, making it difficult to express her thoughts.
Just as the Snow Emperor struggled to speak, the Ice Emperor spoke up from within Wang Chen's sea of consciousness. Knowing her close friend all too well and sensing her hesitation, the Ice Emperor decided to speak on her behalf.
"Wang Chen," the Ice Emperor said, "the Snow Emperor is nearing her 700,000-year tribulation. Like me, she won't be able to survive it. Let her become your intelligent soul ring as well. Wang Chen, do you agree?"
Wang Chen was naturally willing. After all, soul beasts with over 700,000 years of cultivation were exceedingly rare on the Douluo Continent. Excluding those in the ocean for now, on land, only Di Tian and the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler had reached such a level, with the Snow Emperor being the third. In every aspect, the Snow Emperor was comparable to a Limit Douluo, and her spiritual power had reached the early stage of Tangible and Substantive. Absorbing her soul ring and soul bone would significantly boost both his spiritual power and soul power.
However, Wang Chen's soul power had already reached the bottleneck at level 80. Even if he absorbed the Snow Emperor's soul ring with his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul, it wouldn't help him break through to level 80 or bring about a qualitative change in his strength. Instead, it would mean losing a powerful ally comparable to a Limit Douluo. If he were to complete the soul rings for his second martial soul in the Extreme North, the benefits would be minimal. After all, there were only four ferocious beasts in the Extreme North with over 200,000 years of cultivation: the Titan Snow Demon King, the Ice Bear King, the Snow Emperor, and the Ice Emperor. That wasn't enough to fulfill his soul ring needs. Wang Chen had no interest in absorbing soul rings from 100,000-year soul beasts, and he even found the 200,000-year Titan Snow Demon King and Ice Bear King somewhat lacking.
Moreover, even if Wang Chen were willing, the Snow Emperor, as the ruler of the Extreme North, would never allow him to wipe out the region's top-tier forces. If all the powerful soul beasts of the Extreme North became Wang Chen's soul rings, the region would fall into irreversible decline.
Thus, for the soul rings of his second martial soul, Wang Chen planned to hunt sea soul beasts in the ocean. Ice and water were closely related, and the ocean was vast, far surpassing the land. There were even sea soul beasts stronger than the Snow Emperor. Whale-type soul beasts, with their immense physiques and abundant soul power, were incredibly potent, not to mention their whale glue, which was highly nourishing. Wang Chen had no intention of passing up the sea soul beasts.
Therefore, he decided not to absorb the Snow Emperor's soul ring and soul bone just yet. Instead, he planned to enlist her as an ally to hunt for the eighth soul ring of his weapon spirit martial soul. Wang Chen had already chosen his target: the Sea Princess.
The Sea Princess, the ruler of the Ice Sea, had 600,000 years of cultivation and was a devout follower of the Sea God, completely loyal to him. By hunting the Sea Princess, Wang Chen would also be collecting a bit of interest from Tang San. Most importantly, the Sea Princess was a mental attribute soul beast. Absorbing her soul ring and soul bone would provide a far greater boost to his spiritual power than the ice-attribute Snow Emperor.
Wang Chen's spiritual power was currently at the early stage of Tangible and Substantive. Absorbing the Sea Princess's soul ring and soul bone could likely push it to the late stage. Then, for his ninth soul ring, if he absorbed the soul ring and soul bone of the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler, his spiritual power might break through to the divine level, reaching the pinnacle of the world.
However, hunting these top-tier ferocious beasts was no easy task. The Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler went without saying. The Sea Princess was also extraordinarily powerful, her strength comparable to a Limit Douluo, especially in the Ice Sea, where she had the home-field advantage. Even Limit Douluo powerhouses couldn't handle her. If she encountered an opponent she couldn't defeat, she could simply dive into the depths of the sea, leaving her enemies helpless.
Wang Chen alone wasn't confident in hunting the Sea Princess, which was why he needed the Snow Emperor's help. Together, they could take her down. However, the timing wasn't right yet. With the Sea Princess's 600,000 years of cultivation, Wang Chen's current physique couldn't handle absorbing her soul ring, especially since she wouldn't cooperate like the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm or the Ice Emperor had.
Wang Chen planned to return to the Sun Moon Empire immediately to craft an alchemy furnace. Using the specific herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well that enhanced physique and spiritual power, he would refine them into more effective elixirs according to a recipe. After consuming the elixirs and significantly strengthening his physique, he would be able to hunt the Sea Princess with the Snow Emperor and absorb her soul ring.
Wang Chen's mind worked quickly, sorting everything out in an instant: return to the Sun Moon Empire, refine the elixirs, and then team up with the Snow Emperor to hunt the Sea Princess.
Addressing the Ice Emperor, Wang Chen said, "If the Snow Emperor is willing to become my intelligent soul ring, that's my great fortune, and I absolutely agree. However, it depends on her consent."
With that, Wang Chen turned his gaze to the Snow Emperor.
The Snow Emperor nodded reservedly and said softly, "If it's you, Wang Chen, I'm willing."
Seeing her agreement, Wang Chen said, "Snow Emperor, there's no rush to become an intelligent soul ring. My cultivation has reached the bottleneck at level 80. How about you become my intelligent soul ring after I absorb my eighth soul ring? Otherwise, if you become my soul ring now, the immense energy would be too great a burden on my body."
The Snow Emperor considered this and nodded. "Alright, but please hurry. My 700,000-year tribulation is approaching. I estimate it will arrive in less than a year, and I'll face divine punishment."
The Ice Emperor's spiritual form emerged from Wang Chen's sea of consciousness, landing on his shoulder. Shocked, she said to the Snow Emperor, "Xue'er, your tribulation is coming so soon? Why didn't you tell me?"
Wang Chen wasn't surprised by the Snow Emperor's words. In the original story, the Snow Emperor was auctioned off a year later in a pitiful state, meaning that without his intervention, she would have used a 100,000-year snow lotus to transform into a human and start anew within the year. Such a dangerous act wouldn't have been attempted unless her tribulation was imminent.
The Snow Emperor gently patted the Ice Emperor's small head, a rare smile gracing her face. Wang Chen couldn't help but steal a few extra glances at her breathtaking smile.
He promised, "Rest assured, Snow Emperor. Within three months, I'll absorb my eighth soul ring."
The Snow Emperor asked with a hint of doubt, "Does absorbing an eighth soul ring require such long preparation?"
Wang Chen immediately explained that his target for the eighth soul ring was the Sea Princess, with 600,000 years of cultivation, and that he needed time to prepare to ensure success.
The Snow Emperor was somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected Wang Chen's eighth soul ring to come from the Sea Princess, whose strength she knew well from past encounters. The Sea Princess was only slightly weaker than her. While Wang Chen might be able to defeat her, killing her was a long shot.
Seeing the Snow Emperor's surprised expression, Wang Chen asked, "What's wrong, Snow Emperor? Is there a problem?"
The Snow Emperor shook her head. Though she had crossed paths with the Sea Princess, they had no real bond, so she had no reason to stop Wang Chen from growing stronger for the Sea Princess's sake. Wang Chen's strength was tied to her and her close friend, the Ice Emperor's, future, so the choice was clear.
"Wang Chen," she said, "the Sea Princess is only slightly weaker than me, and she leads an entire clan. You alone might not be enough. When you go to face her, I'll go with you."
Wang Chen hadn't even invited her yet, and the Snow Emperor had already offered her help, which made him smile. After some casual conversation, he and the Snow Emperor parted temporarily, and he headed toward the border, planning to return to the Sun Moon Empire.
On his way back, Wang Chen decided to make a detour to Dragon City, the northernmost city of the Heavenly Soul Empire, not far from the Extreme North, to acquire the Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Essence. This was a valuable resource, and with it, he would have the energy needed to condense the second soul core with complementary yin and yang attributes.
…
Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm, inside Tang San's residence, in the main hall.
Tang San and the God King of Destruction sat on sofas, the hall silent except for Tang San's slightly heavy breathing. A playful smile appeared on the God King of Destruction's stern face as he said to Tang San, "Sea God, what's the matter? Unwilling? Can't bear to part with your dual divine positions?"
Tang San's blood pressure spiked, but he maintained his composure. He knew this wasn't the time to break ties with the God King of Destruction. In both strength and influence, he was still inferior to Destruction. For now, he needed to endure—endure, endure, and endure again.
He would endure until he had greater mastery over the Shura God position, until he had won over a significant number of neutral faction gods, and until he could sow discord between the Goddess of Life and the God King of Destruction. Only then could he defeat Destruction. Otherwise, he absolutely couldn't afford a direct confrontation, especially when he was in the wrong. If he acted rashly, Destruction might actually dare to strike him down. Even with the protection of the Divine Realm's Core, he'd be reduced to a cowardly turtle hiding in its shell.
Tang San took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto his face and speaking calmly, "God King of Destruction, I've never been attached to my divine positions. If I could, I'd happily pass them on to a capable god. That way, I could take my wife and travel freely through countless worlds, living carefree and joyful lives. However, I bear the responsibility entrusted to me by the previous God Kings of Kindness and Evil. With this duty, I must carry the burden forward. Moreover, the inheritance of divine positions is no small matter, especially top-tier ones like the Sea God and Shura God, which require careful consideration. As for this Wang Chen you mentioned, I need to thoroughly evaluate his character, talent, and strength. Only if he passes in every aspect can I pass a divine position to him. Otherwise, if I pass a divine position to someone with an evil nature, their great power could cause even greater destruction, becoming a disaster for the Divine Realm."
The God King of Destruction snorted coldly. "Sea God, what are you implying? That I can't judge people properly? That Wang Chen, whom I've chosen, is an evil person?"
Tang San's anger surged within him. Since transmigrating to the Douluo Continent, when had he ever endured such humiliation? For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to kill the God King of Destruction and pass his divine position to his future son or grandson.
With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, Tang San said, "God King of Destruction, the inheritance of divine positions must be handled with care. If you're dissatisfied, feel free to convene the Divine Realm Committee, and we can discuss it at a meeting."
Tang San was confident that if the Divine Realm Committee were convened, his good reputation would ensure the support of the God Kings of Kindness and Evil. If his reasoning was sound, even the Goddess of Life might side with him.
The God King of Destruction looked at Tang San, sneering with a flash of disdain in his eyes. He had anticipated Tang San's evasion. As for convening the Divine Realm Committee, there was no need. He knew he couldn't outtalk Tang San, this hypocritical moralist who cloaked himself in righteousness.
But he wasn't in a hurry. His goal for today had already been achieved: to let Tang San know that he, the God King of Destruction, was now paying attention to Wang Chen and intended to support his ascension to godhood. This would make it difficult for Tang San to act against Wang Chen using ordinary means, as any move would surely be noticed. Though he didn't know why Tang San targeted Wang Chen, protecting him was enough. As long as Wang Chen was safeguarded, any further attempts by Tang San to harm him would expose more of Tang San's flaws. This would allow Destruction to reveal Tang San's true nature as a hypocritical gentleman to the other God Kings and strip him of his control over the Divine Realm's Core.
With a cold expression, the God King of Destruction said to Tang San, "Very well, Sea God. Take your time evaluating Wang Chen. But I hope you'll make a decision quickly. After all, lower-realm geniuses have short lifespans and can't afford to wait forever."
With that, the God King of Destruction laughed heartily and turned to leave, clearly delighted at having put Tang San in a difficult position.
After Destruction left, Tang San's face darkened instantly. The anger he had suppressed for so long erupted, and with a single slap, he reduced the table to dust.
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