Chapter 111 Countermeasures
"Snow Empress..." she whispered, her voice as cold as shattered jade, "This list includes you too? If you wake up and see this change, what will you do?"
"As for humans..." A cold glint flashed in the Ice Empress's eyes, and the temperature of the entire Absolute Zero domain seemed to drop even further, "The Far North has never been your backyard. Not before, and not now... even less."
She slowly raised her fair, jade-like hand and gently clenched it.
A hundred miles away, an ancient iceberg thousands of meters high, existing for hundreds of thousands of years, silently turned into the finest ice crystal dust, dissipating in the absolute zero wind.
"Those who spy, die."
The icy voice, like a declaration of law, echoed in every corner of the Far North, and through some unseen connection, was transmitted to the hearts of all the powerful beings who were casting their divine senses here.
—After the initial silence and fear, all sides of the continent finally erupted with an unprecedentedly violent reaction!
Star Dou Great Forest, core circle, Lake of Life.
Gu Yuena's silver-purple dragon eyes were fixed on the description and rewards of the Ice Emperor displayed on the celestial screen, a look of utmost solemnity appearing in her eyes for the first time.
The ferocious beasts behind her—Di Tian, Zi Ji, Bi Ji, the Ten Thousand Demon King, Xiong Jun, and others—changed their expressions drastically, especially Xiong Jun, whose massive body even trembled slightly.
"Forty-seven hundred thousand years… Absolute Zero Domain… Ice Soul Divine Core… Touching the Divine Authority…"
With each word Di Tian uttered, his voice grew heavier. "My lord, the Ice Emperor's strength is now probably…"
"Already above mine."
Gu Yuena slowly interjected, her voice calm yet carrying a barely perceptible fluctuation. "The Primordial Ice Soul Divine Scorpion bloodline—that's a primordial divine beast bloodline that's in no way inferior to my Silver Dragon King bloodline."
"The Absolute Zero Domain is one of the supreme domains that touches upon the origin of the ice-type laws. The Ice Soul Core… actually contains the shattered divine spark of an ancient ice god…"
She paused for a moment before continuing, "The far north actually hides such a profound foundation. The Ice Emperor… I underestimated her."
Zi Ji took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "My lord, is this improvement of the Ice Emperor a good thing or a bad thing for the soul beasts as a whole?"
"She is domineering and aloof, only recognizing the far north. Now that her strength has increased dramatically, will it…"
"No."
Gu Yuena shook her head firmly, "Judging from the evaluation, she has a loyalty and trust in the Snow Emperor that surpasses everything. And the Snow Emperor… although I have never had a deep relationship with her, being able to rule the far north and make an existence like the Ice Emperor sincerely submit to her, her wisdom and magnanimity are definitely not those of a narrow-minded person."
"The stronger the Ice Emperor, the more stable the Far North, and the greater the deterrent effect on humanity. This, to some extent, alleviates the pressure on Star Dou."
Bi Ji said softly, "My lord, should we make contact with the Far North?"
Gu Yue Na pondered for a long time before slowly replying, "We will not take the initiative to make contact for now. The Ice Emperor has just been upgraded and needs time to digest and stabilize. If we go rashly, it could easily cause misunderstandings. However, we can show goodwill—restrain all Star Dou Soul Beasts from harassing the Far North's borders in any form."
"At the same time, we will convey the news of the Ice Emperor's ranking and our attitude to the edge of the Far North through the Spirit of Nature."
Her gaze was distant: "The Soul Beast race is scattered in various places, each with its own leadership. We do not force unity, but we ask that they have basic understanding and bottom lines when facing humans. The Ice Emperor and the Snow Emperor will be important... allies."
Martial Soul City, Papal Palace.
For the first time, the scepter in Bibi Dong's hand trembled slightly.
A layer of icy gloom covered her exquisite face, and deep within her purple eyes was unprecedented fear and... a deeply hidden horror.
"A 470,000-year-old ferocious beast... Absolute Zero Domain... Fragments of the Ice God's Divine Spark..." she repeated in a low voice, each word like an ice pick piercing her heart.
Below, all the titled Douluo elders, including the newly promoted Hu Liena, were pale and silent.
Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was dry: "Your Majesty... this... this is beyond our ability to cope. The Far North will probably become an absolute forbidden zone."
Ghost Douluo's figure flickered in the shadows: "Your Majesty, our Far North exploration plan, and several secret bases..."
"Abandon them all!"
Bibi Dong said decisively, her voice icy, "All personnel, withdraw immediately! At all costs, erase all traces of us in the Far North! Immediately! Right now!"
"Yes!" Ghost Douluo's figure vanished instantly.
Bibi Dong took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down: "The Ice Empress... one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North... her strength was already terrifying, and now it's even more... in the human kingdoms, apart from a few reclusive Limit Douluos, no one can contend with her."
"No, even those few, it's unknown how much of their strength they can unleash in the Absolute Zero Domain."
She looked at Hu Liena: "Nana, what do you think?"
Hu Liena's face was still a little pale, but her eyes had regained their composure. After careful consideration, she respectfully said: "Teacher, the Ice Empress's inclusion on the list has completely changed the power structure of the continent."
"First of all, the Far North has changed from a 'dangerous but explorable source of spirit rings' to an 'absolute forbidden zone with an owner and whose owner is extremely dangerous.' This will greatly affect the acquisition of spirit rings by high-end spirit masters and may cause turmoil in the spirit master world."
"Secondly, the existence of the Ice Empress is a sword hanging over the heads of the two great empires and all spirit master forces. But conversely, this is also an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Hu Liena nodded. "The Ice Emperor is a Soul Beast, one of the most supreme beings among Soul Beasts. Her appearance and power will inevitably exacerbate the antagonism between humans and Soul Beasts, especially the panic among lower- and middle-level Soul Masters and ordinary people."
"We can guide this sentiment, portraying the Spirit Hall as the leader and core force 'resisting the threat of Soul Beasts and protecting human civilization.' This is more likely to unite people's hearts and minds, and it carries a greater sense of justice and urgency than directly advocating for the unification of the continent."
Bibi Dong's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Continue."
"Furthermore," Hu Liena lowered her voice, "no matter how strong the Ice Emperor is, there is only one, and her territory is mainly in the far north. As long as we don't provoke her, there shouldn't be any direct conflict in the short term. On the contrary, the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire, located near the borders of the far north, will face increased pressure."
"We can use this as an excuse, under the guise of 'cooperative defense,' 'intelligence sharing,' and 'establishing a joint defense mechanism,' to further infiltrate, influence, and even control the border defense forces of the two empires. Especially the Heaven Dou Empire; Emperor Xue Ye is probably already overwhelmed with problems."
(End of Chapter)