After several more days, Huo Yuhao and his group finally arrived at the core area of the Extreme North Land as indicated by the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
The wind and snow here seemed to possess a certain spirituality; the gale was laden with bone-chilling cold and pure Heaven and Earth Origin Qi. An ordinary Spirit Master would likely struggle even to breathe here. Looking around, there was only the eternal frozen world—vast, desolate, yet hiding unspeakable dangers and Opportunities.
"Alright, we're almost at the spot." The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's voice echoed in Huo Yuhao's mental sea, carrying a hint of imperceptible tension and anticipation. "Next, we just need to wait for our target. Yuhao, Furina, you can take a short break. It's best to build an ice house; it can ward off the wind and cold and serve as a temporary shelter."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao nodded and replied, "Understood, Brother Tianmeng." He then turned to Furina beside him, his tone filled with trust: "Sister Furina, let's build an ice house."
Furina smiled beautifully, her demeanor relaxed and natural. "That's easy." Before her voice even faded, she gracefully snapped her fingers. Her Soul Power stirred slightly, and the three members of her Second Martial Soul, "Salon Solitaire"—Gentilhomme Usher, Surintendante Chevalmarin, and Mademoiselle Crabaletta—appeared at her call. Composed of pure water elements, they were elegant and mysterious, floating quietly by Furina's side.
"You three, sorry to trouble you. Please build a sturdy and beautiful ice house," Furina instructed softly.
Gentilhomme Usher and the others immediately took the order. Without needing to communicate, they tacitly released a soft glow of water elements. They did not use their core Origin power but instead manipulated the abundant water vapor in the surrounding air.
Streams of water intertwined and took shape as if they had lives of their own. In the blink of an eye, the framework of an exquisitely structured, crystal-clear water dwelling was formed. The piercing wind of the Extreme North Land's core area could be called nature's most effective flash-freezer. As soon as the water house took shape, the bone-chilling cold surged forward. In almost an instant, the flowing water was completely solidified into an exceptionally sturdy, subtly glowing, perfect ice house. The process was easy and fluid, like creating a work of art.
Huo Yuhao watched in a daze. His original plan was to laboriously dig into snowdrifts or ice layers with his white tiger dagger, which would be time-consuming, exhausting, and bound to look crude. Furina's method was not only highly efficient, but the finished product was also a masterpiece. He couldn't help but praise her sincerely: "Sister Furina, your method is amazing!"
Furina humbly shook her head, her gaze sweeping gently over the three quiet creations. "It's all thanks to Gentilhomme Usher, Surintendante Chevalmarin, and Mademoiselle Crabaletta. If you want to give praise, praise them." Upon receiving the compliment, the three water elemental beings seemed to transmit pleasant emotional fluctuations. Gentilhomme Usher stood straighter, Surintendante Chevalmarin's glow flowed softly, and Mademoiselle Crabaletta's tentacles swayed gently.
Even the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm in the mental sea clicked its tongue in secret. "This little girl's use of Martial Souls and elements is truly ingenious and full of imagination. It seems her background is even more extraordinary than I imagined."
After a brief rest, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's tone became solemn again. "Alright, next is the most critical preparation. Yuhao, we are about to face two major hurdles. The first is luck—seeing if I can successfully lure the target and restrain her. The second is your perseverance. The Fusion process will inevitably be agonizing. If your will wavers even slightly, not only will all our efforts be in vain, but all of us might end up dead here."
Just then, an old but powerful voice cut in, carrying a sense of transcendence and confidence: "End up dead? This old man doesn't think so." The slumbering Electrolux had awakened once more, his power—a blend of strange deathly aura and holiness—rippling slightly. "Having absorbed the energy of that immortal herb recently, I have recovered some of my strength. While it's not enough to face the existence you mentioned head-on, if things go south, I'm quite confident in protecting you all while we escape."
The aura emitted by Electrolux was as deep as an abyss, making the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm feel a chill. It only now truly realized that this old man residing within Huo Yuhao's body likely had a foundation far exceeding its initial estimates; he was certainly no bluffer.
Electrolux paused, his spiritual intent sweeping over Furina outside, and continued, "Besides, isn't that little girl still there? She can casually pull out all sorts of rare treasures; I don't believe she doesn't have a life-saving trump card. Kid Yuhao, you can afford to have a bit more confidence."
Huo Yuhao nodded heavily, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "Mhm! I believe in Sister Furina, I believe in Elder Yi, and I believe in your plan, Brother Tianmeng! We will definitely succeed!"
Furina did not disturb the communication between Huo Yuhao and the entities within him. She just watched the changing expressions on his face, understanding everything in her heart. She was already well aware of what was about to happen and the final outcome. Since joining the Axis Cult, Huo Yuhao's diet, living conditions, and Cultivate resources were far superior to the original story's timeline. With Body Tempering from medicines, the full version of the Mysterious Heaven Skill to consolidate his foundation, and the Taiyi Spirit Refining Art to nourish his divine soul, both his physical strength and mental resilience far surpassed the version of him that had come to the Extreme North Land in the original trajectory. Though fusing with the Ice Empress Martial Soul was still a challenge, the success rate had undoubtedly increased significantly.
At this moment, Huo Yuhao took a deep breath. Following the method previously taught by Tianmeng, he slowly released his first spirit ring. The ring, originally as white as jade, quietly emerged. Then, its color began to undergo a marvelous transformation, changing from white to pale gold, and then from pale gold to a brilliant and stable bright gold, as if condensed from the purest sunlight, emitting a gentle yet undeniable majesty. This was the true liberated form of a million-year soul ring!
As the spirit ring's color stabilized, an illusory figure condensed in front of Huo Yuhao. However, when the light and shadow solidified, what appeared before Huo Yuhao and Furina was not the silkworm image they had imagined, but a youth dressed in a white suit with gold patterns of a unique design (resembling silkworm patterns). This youth had brilliant blonde hair and brownish-gray eyes filled with a bit of cunning and excitement. His face—remarkably—was eighty to ninety percent similar to Huo Yuhao's!
Huo Yuhao was dumbstruck. He pointed at Tianmeng, then touched his own face, momentarily speechless. "Brother Tianmeng... you... you're..."
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm (youth form) touched his own face with some pride and chuckled, "How is it, Yuhao? Handsome, right? I fine-tuned and optimized this based on your appearance. After all, I'll be appearing before people frequently in the future; image is very important!"
Furina looked Tianmeng up and down, a playful curve appearing at the corner of her mouth. She reminded him with a hint of mockery, "The image is not bad. However, Tianmeng, let me warn you first: work hard! But I'll tell you this: being a simp never ends well. If you're a male Soul Beast, then stand tall for me. It's an eternal truth that the strong deserve the strong, and a simp who simps to the very end will only end up with nothing." Her words were pointed, hinting at the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's ten-thousand-year-long persistent pursuit of the Ice Empress.
Huo Yuhao was confused, not quite understanding Furina's deeper meaning.
But the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm felt a jolt in its heart, as if its innermost thoughts had been exposed. It was secretly horrified: 'How does she know about me and the Ice Empress? I haven't even told Yuhao about this in detail! Does she really have the power of foresight? Or... was her previous claim of being related to the Water God actually true?' The more it thought, the more it felt Furina was unfathomable, shrouded in a layer of mysterious mist.
Tianmeng shook his head, pushing aside his stray thoughts for the moment. Capturing the Ice Empress was the top priority. With a serious expression, he said to Huo Yuhao and Furina, "Get ready, I'm about to begin."
With that, the gaze of the youth formed by the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm suddenly became incredibly sharp. He no longer deliberately hid his vast, ocean-like spiritual Origin aura. A massive, pure energy fluctuation full of life's allure, like a giant lighthouse flame ignited on the dark ice plains, spread out in all directions with him as the center, surging especially toward the core area of the Ice Empress's territory!
At the same time, a powerful spiritual intent filled with complex emotions exploded like thunder over the Extreme North Land, clearly conveying its will: "Ice Empress! I know you feel my presence! Ten thousand years of grievances shall be settled today! I, Tianmeng, have returned for revenge! Do you dare to show yourself?!"
This intent was like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering the silence of the Extreme North Land's core area. After a moment of silence, a sudden change occurred at the distant northern horizon!
A dense, pure, emerald-green light, full of vitality yet carrying an aura of extreme danger, surged forward like a tide at an unimaginable speed. The sky, originally dark and gloomy due to heavy clouds, was instantly transformed into a massive, flawless emerald-green gemstone the moment it was swept over by this light, as if painted by an invisible giant hand. The suffocating sense of oppression in the air was instantly swept away, replaced by a more heart-pounding, terrifying pressure, as if being locked onto by the majesty of heaven and earth!
"She's here!" The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was ecstatic in its heart, but on the surface, it forced itself to remain calm and became even more alert.
Feeling the vast power that swept through heaven and earth and changed its colors, even though Huo Yuhao was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but gasp, a strong tremor rising from the depths of his Soul. Is this the true power of the Ice Empress, one of the three great kings of the far north? Truly terrifying!
"Tianmeng! You're actually still alive! As expected of the longest-lived fellow in our Extreme North Land!" A crisp, cold, yet strangely magnetic female voice that seemed to penetrate the Soul rang out from all directions. The appearance of this voice was accompanied by a physical, terrifying sound wave. The snow on the ground was tossed up like a giant invisible wave, instantly roaring to a height of several meters. Only the hundred-meter radius protected by the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's massive mental force remained as calm as before.
"Ice Empress..." The youth formed by the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm looked up at the sky. Watching that boundless emerald green, the vengeful tone in his voice suddenly vanished, replaced by a complex emotion that had settled over ten thousand years, inconsistent with his youthful appearance. His voice became exceptionally tender, even a bit syrupy. "Long time no see... Since you haven't passed away, how could I bear to leave before you? Do you remember what I said ten thousand years ago? If I can survive this time, one day, I will definitely make you my partner!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Huo Yuhao felt a layer of goosebumps all over his body. At the same time, he instantly understood what Furina's previous warning about being a "simp" meant. He stole a glance at Furina and saw her with a "just as I thought" expression, gently shaking her head.
Meanwhile, Furina leisurely adjusted the angle of the ice house, seemingly preparing to observe this "reunion" that spanned ten thousand years in a more comfortable posture.