Having devoured nearly two-thirds of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's body, the Bing Di 's jade-like carapace became even more translucent, and the chill emanating from its body became even purer and more intense, clearly indicating that it had benefited greatly.
She shook her huge pincers with satisfaction, looked at the large piece of silkworm flesh containing immense energy that remained on the ground, and then glanced at Jiang Zhen beside her, whose aura had stabilized at level seventy-eight.
"Ah Zhen..."
She transformed back into human form, clapped her hands, and gestured with her chin towards Jiang Zhen.
"I must return to my clan to distribute the remaining treasures to them. Are you... going to wait here, or come with me?"
Her tone seemed casual, but there was a subtle, almost imperceptible hint of anticipation in her emerald eyes?
Perhaps they wanted to show this human their majesty and territory as one of the three Heavenly Kings of the far north, or perhaps they felt it was strange to leave him alone here.
Jiang Zhen pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Very well, I'm just about to witness the splendor of the Arctic Ice Jade Scorpion Clan."
He was indeed quite curious about the Bing Di clan.
"Hmph, you have good taste."
Bing Di 's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, and then with a wave of his hand, he put the remaining silkworm meat into the spatial soul tool he had picked up earlier.
"Stay close. The inner circle is not comparable to the outer circle. If you get lost and become snacks for some fool, I won't care."
With that, she moved, transforming into a streak of emerald light, and sped towards the deeper reaches of the icy plains.
Jiang Zhen smiled slightly, his body enveloped in a misty haze, as if he were merging into the wind, easily keeping up with her pace.
The deeper you go, the harsher the environment becomes.
Giant icicles hundreds of meters high and deep ice valleys can be seen everywhere.
Powerful auras of ice-attribute soul beasts rose and fell, but upon sensing the Bing Di 's undisguised kingly aura, they all cowered and retreated.
After flying for about half an hour, a huge forest of ice ridges appeared ahead.
These icicles, like sharp swords, pierce the sky, forming a natural barrier.
After passing through the icicle forest, a vast basin surrounded by ring-shaped icebergs suddenly opens up before you.
Inside the basin, the temperature seemed to be more constant than outside, and nests built of ice blocks could be seen everywhere, with many crystal-clear ice scorpions moving about inside.
This is the core settlement of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan!
The arrival of Bing Di immediately caused a stir among the tribe.
"It's Your Majesty!"
"His Majesty is back!"
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Many powerful, ancient ice scorpions lowered their heads and swayed their tails in respect.
Most of them had an aura of over ten thousand years, with some even approaching one hundred thousand years. Jiang Zhen nodded in approval, realizing that the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan's ability to become the overlord of the far north was indeed due to their profound foundation.
Bing Di landed on the highest ice platform, reverting to her haughty and aloof demeanor. She tossed the enormous piece of Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm flesh onto the platform, her clear, cold voice echoing throughout the surroundings:
"This is the flesh of a million-year-old ice silkworm, which will greatly benefit your cultivation. Elder Bi Ling will distribute it."
An exceptionally large scorpion, known as Elder Bi Ling and possessing an aura far surpassing that of ordinary ten-thousand-year-old ice scorpions, stepped forward and respectfully touched the ice surface with its pincers:
"We will obey Your Majesty's decree!"
It looked at the piece of silkworm meat, a hint of shock and ecstasy flashing in its compound eyes, as it could feel the incredibly tempting energy within it.
After arranging the distribution, Bing Di inquired about the recent situation within the clan, including whether there had been any external invasions or resource disputes.
Elder Bi Ling reported that nothing serious had happened. After all, the Bing Di 's fearsome reputation made most soul beasts afraid to approach the Ice Jade Scorpion's territory.
Just as Bing Di was dealing with clan affairs, the appearance of this strange human, Jiang Zhen, aroused the curiosity of the Ice Jade Scorpions, especially the young Ice Jade Scorpions who had not yet grown up.
Several small creatures, each with only a few decades or a hundred years of cultivation, only the size of a palm, and with bodies as beautiful as jade carvings, timidly peeked out from the edge of their nest. Their tiny yellow compound eyes stared at Jiang Zhen with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
They had never been so close to a human before, especially one who exuded an aura that made them feel comfortable yet unfathomable.
Looking at these few bright and adorable little creatures, Jiang Zhen couldn't help but smile gently.
He slowly squatted down, trying not to exude any pressure, and stretched out his fingers. A trace of pure and gentle water essence lingered around his fingertips, like the purest dew in the morning.
The little ice scorpions were initially frightened and shrank back, but the icy coldness and purity of that aura made them feel close, so they cautiously approached.
One of the bolder ones extended its tiny pincers and gently touched Jiang Zhen's fingertip, then immediately withdrew them. Finding no danger, it curiously approached again.
Jiang Zhen smiled, and with a thought, a stream of water gathered in his palm, quickly taking shape and solidifying, transforming in the blink of an eye into a lifelike, miniature "Ice Jade Scorpion" phantom!
This phantom is made entirely of pure water element, exuding a faint chill, and swings its tail hook and small pincers nimbly in the air.
"Wow!"
The little ice scorpions were instantly drawn to this amazing "kindred spirit," emitting subtle, excited mental fluctuations.
They circled around the water-based "little scorpion," curiously trying to touch it with their pincers. When they discovered they could pass right through it, they were frightened and ran away. Seeing the phantom still crawling happily, they excitedly surrounded it again.
Jiang Zhen controlled the Pure Water Illusion Spirit, making the little Ice Jade Scorpions very happy. Their initial fear had long been forgotten, and they even tried to play with this "partner" that could not be hurt.
This heartwarming and amusing scene also drew curious glances from some adult ice scorpions nearby, who developed a much better impression of this human who could manipulate "ice water" and was so friendly to their young.
After a while, Bing Di finished his business and came over.
Seeing that Jiang Zhen was actually using his abilities to tease the tribe's children, and doing it quite well, with the usually mischievous kids now all circling around him, she was first taken aback, then pouted:
"Hmph, they certainly know how to coax children."
But the hint of tenderness deep in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
As she approached, the little ice scorpions sensed Her Majesty's presence and immediately became obedient, but still looked at the water phantom spirit with reluctance.
Jiang Zhen dispelled the illusion and stood up.
"Is it all done?" he asked.
"Um."
Bing Di nodded, her gaze sweeping over the group, a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction in her voice, "Everything's alright. Let's go back to Sunset Forest."
However, Jiang Zhen shook his head.
He looked around at the icy basin, feeling the surge of his level 78 soul power and the power of the million-year soul ring he had just fully absorbed, and a new plan had already formed in his mind.
" Bing Di ,"
He spoke, his gaze fixed on the seemingly endless ice field in the distance.
"I plan to stay here and cultivate for a while."
"Um?"
Bing Di turned her head in confusion, her emerald eyes meeting his. "Stay here? This place is only cold, and while the energy here is pure, it's nothing special. How can it compare to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well?"
"I want to consolidate my rapidly increasing cultivation here and attempt to break through to the next level."
Jiang Zhen explained, his eyes flashing with a clear goal.
"I have a feeling that I'm not far from reaching the level 80 bottleneck. Once I break through to level 80 here..."
He paused, his tone becoming firm.
"Let's head straight to the Ice Sea to find the Mermaid Princess and obtain my eighth spirit ring. After that, we can return to Sunset Forest."
...