The cold wind blew across the eternal snowfields of the Extreme North Land, kicking up fine ice crystals that shimmered under the hazy moonlight. In this desolate, uninhabited land, a young boy was undergoing a bone-deep transformation.
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged in a snow cave, his brow furrowed and his body trembling slightly from time to time. Electrolux's gray Soul Power enveloped him like a veil, forming a protective barrier to resist the heart-wrenching pain generated during the Fusion of the Spirit Bone. Although there was no secret method Spirit Bone from the original work to share the pain, under Electrolux's precise mental force control, the Fusion process, though turbulent, steadily advanced along the predetermined path.
Time passed minute by minute, and fine beads of sweat oozed from Huo Yuhao's forehead, only to be quickly frozen into ice crystals by the surrounding low temperature. Furina stood guard quietly to the side, a hint of subtle concern in her deep blue eyes. She glanced outside the cave from time to time, alert to any potential dangers.
"Hold on, kid." Tianmeng Ice Silkworm rarely set aside his usual playful grin, his voice tight. "The Ice Empress's Origin power is even more overbearing than I imagined. If Old Yi weren't here, the energy impact from the Spirit Bone Fusion alone would be enough for you to handle."
Huo Yuhao grit his teeth, feeling the power rampaging through his body like a prehistoric beast. The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's Spirit Bone was fusing with his spine, every inch of Fusion accompanied by a piercing pain, as if countless ice needles were being driven into his bone marrow. Yet at the same time, he felt an unprecedented power surging within him, like a dormant dragon ready to burst forth from his body at any moment.
Amidst this intertwining of extreme pain and power, Huo Yuhao's consciousness gradually blurred, as if he were floating in an ocean of alternating cold and heat. He saw countless memory fragments—the glory of the Ice Empress's reign in the Extreme North Land, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's century-long obsession with her, and his own past of being bullied with his mother in the Dukes Mansion. These memories flashed by like a revolving lantern, eventually converging into a firm belief: he must become stronger, no matter the cost.
Suddenly, a cool stream of mental force flowed into his Sea of Consciousness, and Electrolux's voice rang out: "Steady your mind; the Fusion has reached its most critical stage. Guide the Ice Empress's Origin power to fuse with your Second Martial Soul. Do not resist; accept it, like a river flowing into the sea."
Huo Yuhao did as instructed, opening his mind and actively guiding that violent power. Miraculously, when he stopped resisting, the pain lessened significantly, replaced by a sense of harmonious blending. The Ice Empress's power became like a docile pet, beginning to follow his commands.
After an unknown amount of time, when the last wisp of the Ice Empress's Origin power perfectly fused with his body, Huo Yuhao snapped his eyes open and let out a long roar toward the sky. The roar echoed through the snow cave, causing the snow on the ceiling to fall in flurries.
"I succeeded!" Huo Yuhao looked at his hands in disbelief, feeling the surging power within him. "Thank you, Brother Tianmeng; thank you, Elder Electrolux; and Ice Empress and Sister Furina. If it weren't for you all, I definitely wouldn't have succeeded."
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's weary yet relieved voice sounded in his mind: "Finally succeeded. My hard work wasn't in vain after all. That fellow Ice Empress has finally become a part of us."
Electrolux's gray Soul form appeared much thinner, his tone carrying obvious exhaustion: "This is good! I will return to rest now; this has consumed quite a lot of my mental force."
Furina stepped forward and lightly patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder, a flash of admiration in her eyes. "Alright, take a rest first. In a bit, we'll find a second spirit ring for your Spirit Eyes Martial Soul."
Huo Yuhao nodded, still immersed in the joy of obtaining great power. But soon, he noticed an important figure missing from his Sea of Consciousness and couldn't help but worry: "Brother Tianmeng, why hasn't the Ice Empress appeared? Did something go wrong?"
"The Ice Empress is fine," Tianmeng Ice Silkworm quickly explained, his tone carrying an irrepressible joy. "She just finished fusing with your body. Although she had my protection, she is still very tired and is now in a deep sleep. After all, she's different from how I was back then. When I fused with you, I had almost no Soul Power left; it was a pure Fusion of mental Origins, and since I am of the mental attribute, it was much easier. But she was quite troublesome. Fortunately, it was a success. It won't be long before she wakes up."