Sensing something unusual about Shuyan's demeanor, the Snow Empress curled her lips into a soft smile. She didn't take it to heart.
He was just a thirteen-year-old boy, after all. No matter how mature he might be for his age, in her eyes, he was still just a clever child. Over time, as they subtly spent more time together, her feelings toward him began to shift in subtle, inexplicable ways. If she initially viewed him only as a kin due to the resonance of their bloodlines and shared goal of ascending to godhood, now those feelings had quietly deepened beyond that level.
Kids his age were just starting to feel the stirrings of affection. As his self-proclaimed "older sister," could she really fault him?
Ahem. She nearly got sidetracked there…
Back to the point—ever since hearing what Shuyan said that day, both the Snow Empress and Ice Empress had carefully reflected on his words.
Shuyan was human. That truth wouldn't change, even if the world crumbled. During the half-year he had spent in the Extreme North, the Snow Empress had clearly sensed the changes in him. Humans were social creatures. More importantly, Shuyan still had ties in the human world. Though the Extreme North was the most suitable place for him to cultivate, it was obvious: if he remained trapped here forever, it would eventually lead to a negative outcome.
So, after a long discussion, the Snow Empress and Ice Empress came to a decision.
If Shuyan couldn't stay in the Extreme North for long, then why couldn't they accompany him to the human world?
It was a conclusion they reached after careful consideration. Although they had already gleaned a general understanding of the power structures and top experts in the human world from Shuyan's descriptions, the truth remained: soul beasts and humans were fundamentally different species. Entering the human world carried the same risks for them as a human venturing into the realm of soul beasts. Still, weighing all factors, they chose to follow Shuyan.
First, they had confidence in their own strength. The Snow Empress was still in peak condition—despite losing the support of the Extreme North's unique energies, she remained at the level of an Extreme Douluo. The Ice Empress, while not quite an Extreme Douluo herself, was at least equivalent to a rank-98 Super Douluo.
Both possessed ultimate elemental affinities, had fought side by side for hundreds of thousands of years, and shared an instinctive synergy in battle. Not to exaggerate, but with their combined strength, they could decimate most of the top-tier factions on the continent. Even superpowers would have to think twice before acting against them, fully aware of the potential consequences.
Secondly, their reasoning was quite simple—they were curious. After spending countless years in the Extreme North, they wanted to see the much-talked-about human world for themselves. Their curiosity had never died, only been postponed until the right time came.
After deliberating together, the sisters quickly finalized their plans.
The Ice Empress returned to her clan first to settle a few matters, which would take a few days. In the meantime, the Snow Empress shared their intentions directly with Shuyan.
When he first heard the news, Shuyan was stunned. But after recovering, he naturally accepted it.
Though he couldn't be sure what the two Empresses were truly thinking, the outcome was certainly a positive one for him. With their protection, life in the Extreme North had been carefree. Still, he had always preferred the human world. That was simply human nature. Shuyan never thought of himself as someone who didn't belong.
…
Seven days later, the Ice Empress returned.
Whatever she had dealt with during her time away had clearly taken a toll—she looked visibly exhausted. Seeing her in such a state, the Snow Empress furrowed her brows and asked curiously,
"Bing'er, did something happen? You don't look well…"
The Ice Empress sighed softly and leaned into her sister's embrace. Surrounded by her scent, her expression slowly eased. Then she began to recount what had occurred.
"It wasn't anything too major. I went back to the clan to take care of a few small matters. But not long after I arrived, during a routine patrol near the Ice Sea, I sensed traces of human presence."
"As I got closer, I realized that those humans were anything but ordinary. Even the weakest among them had Soul Douluo-level strength. Their leader's cultivation was nearly that of a Super Douluo. What's more, they had actually infiltrated the core zone right under our noses. Judging by their encampment and the signs of prolonged activity, they had likely been stationed there for quite some time—without a single soul beast noticing a thing."
She paused, then continued with a heavier tone:
"Realizing they were up to something big, I led our clansmen to surround them under cover of night. They resisted desperately once they noticed our presence—and even unleashed a terrifyingly powerful weapon. I was caught off guard. Many of our people were severely injured… some didn't make it."
A flash of guilt flickered in the Ice Empress' eyes. She had underestimated their strength. In her eyes, those humans hadn't posed much of a threat. But she hadn't anticipated that, in their final moments, one of them would unleash a mysterious technique, triggering a devastating chain explosion. By the time she regained her senses, it was too late—many of her followers had fallen.
Enraged, the Ice Empress unleashed her [Domain of Eternal Frost], freezing everything within a hundred miles. She hunted down and brutally killed every last one of them.
Her words plunged the Snow Empress into deep thought.
Because of Shuyan, she had long neglected the situation in the core zone. The area was vast—even larger than most soul beast forests in the outside world. Like the Star Dou Forest's Forbidden Zone, the Extreme North's core zone had always been off-limits to humans. The area was swarming with powerful soul beasts, and even the bitter cold made survival near-impossible.
And yet, some humans had dared to establish a base there. From the look of it, they had plans.
The Snow Empress' expression darkened as if connecting the dots.
Had Shuyan not appeared, she would likely have just finished sealing her soul essence with the ten-thousand-year snow lotus's power, beginning her transformation into human form. That period would have been her most vulnerable state. Even a mere Soul Sage could have killed her with ease.
The more she thought about it, the more chills ran down her spine. Her fingers clenched the edge of the icy bed until it shattered in her grip, scattering shards of ice across the floor.
As Shuyan listened to their conversation, fragments of the original novel stirred in his memory. If he recalled correctly, the Snow Empress had indeed been ambushed by a human expert during her transformation and sealed within a Tier 9 soul tool—the Divine Sealing Platform before being taken away.
It was becoming clear now: his presence had begun to change the timeline. What would happen next was already hidden behind a thick fog—uncertain and unreadable.
While Shuyan was still lost in thought, the Ice Empress suddenly approached. Seeing that he was unresponsive, she calmly reached out and pinched his waist hard.
He flinched slightly and finally snapped back to reality.
"What is it?" he asked quietly, brushing her hand away.
With a light snort, the Ice Empress twirled her wrist, and several storage-type soul tools materialized in her palm—each different in shape and still emanating a faint, bloody aura. They had clearly belonged to the humans she had slain.
"These belonged to those bastards. I didn't bother checking what's inside. Just take them maybe you'll find something useful."
Shuyan smiled faintly and accepted them. As his spiritual sense entered the soul tools, his pupils suddenly constricted as if he had just seen something horrifying.
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