"I think you're not the type who doesn't know when to yield, right?"
Su Yu playfully flicked his dark gold claws, smiling, but his words carried nothing but intimidation.
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass remained silent for a moment. It glanced at Snow Empress, then at Su Yu, before finally making a move.
It gently swayed, emitting ripples of ice-blue light.
Its already beautiful octagonal leaves gradually transformed, taking on the appearance of blue crystals, dazzling beyond measure.
A brilliant radiance shimmered, making it look like a perfect piece of art.
Soon, droplets of ice-blue liquid emerged on the crystalline leaves, sparkling like tiny fragments of blue diamonds.
Su Yu raised his hand and beckoned, causing the droplets to rise into the air before being collected into the jade bottle he held.
After filling about half the bottle, the ice-blue liquid on the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass had completely disappeared.
The entire plant seemed to have dimmed somewhat.
Su Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't try to fool me. Hand over your ice crystal as well."
"You don't want to meet an untimely death, do you?"
"Don't play tricks in front of me. I understand you all better than you understand yourselves."
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass fell silent—truly silent.
It had thought that offering some Ice Dew Rain would be enough, but who would have expected Su Yu to know about its Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal?
"You can regrow another one in ten thousand years at most. But if I strike with my claw, you'll be dead right now."
"For certain reasons, I won't kill soul beasts that have developed intelligence."
"But if you refuse to cooperate, don't blame me for being ruthless."
"The same goes for all of you. If you comply, we all benefit."
"If you don't, I don't mind wiping you all out."
"Once you're dead, not only will your essence belong to us, but so will your body, your soul bones, and soul rings."
"Choose—your essence or your life. I'm not joking."
Su Yu's voice was cold as his piercing gaze swept across the area.
Here, there were quite a few immortal herbs that had developed intelligence.
The Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Spring was too uniquely blessed—one day inside equaled ten days outside.
Because of this, most of the plants within had already become soul beasts.
Among them, over twenty had grown to a notable level, mostly immortal herbs.
These beings had intelligence comparable to humans, each harboring their schemes.
Su Yu simply wanted to warn them not to have any funny ideas.
Not immediately uprooting and tearing them apart was already an act of mercy.
It wasn't that Su Yu couldn't kill; it was merely a trace of pity due to his identity as a soul beast prince.
But that pity was conditional—on their cooperation.
As Su Yu's words fell, the aura of Hai Bodong and the other two erupted simultaneously.
All three were top-tier powerhouses.
Hai Bodong dominated the world, Mu Wu was half a step into the pinnacle, and even Chen Xin had reached Rank 97, a Super Douluo.
Though many immortal herbs were present, and several had been cultivated for over a hundred thousand years,
compared to these three, resisting would be suicide.
If sheer numbers mattered, why would the world need strong individuals?
Forget Hai Bodong—Mu Wu alone could wipe out the entire Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Spring.
Seeing Su Yu resort to threats the moment he was displeased, and feeling the earth-shattering auras, all the immortal herbs fell silent.
Humans wielded the knife, and they were the meat on the chopping block. Resisting now would be sheer idiocy.
No one wanted to die. Since they didn't, they had to comply.
Seeing this, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass finally lost all hope and stopped struggling. Its body shone as a rhombus-shaped ice-blue crystal slowly emerged from its core.
The crystal had distinct sharp points on all four edges, with straight ridges in the center of each side, naturally forming eight points in total.
This was the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass's most precious treasure—the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal, condensed from ten thousand years of cultivation essence.
It was an extremely rare top-tier immortal treasure. Its energy purity and density even surpassed the Myriad-Year Profound Ice Marrow.
Placing it nearby could enhance cultivation speed. Embedding it into a weapon could grant any metal the power of absolute ice.
And if consumed, it would have miraculous effects.
However, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal was the very essence of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, infused with ultimate coldness.
Ordinary people couldn't handle it.
Only ice-attribute soul masters could attempt to refine it. Of course, the best candidates were those with the power of Ultimate Ice.
And at this moment, there were exactly two Ultimate Ice beings present.
As the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal floated upward, an astonishing chill swept through the area.
Even Su Yu, who wielded Ultimate Ice, felt a wave of cold wash over him, making him shiver slightly.
"Whoa, what a treasure!"
"What a terrifyingly pure ice energy!"
Inside Su Yu's spiritual sea, the voices of Sky Dream Iceworm and Ice Empress rang out almost simultaneously.
Even these two well-traveled beings were shocked by the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal's appearance.
Su Yu ignored them. Seeing Snow Empress's eager gaze, he smiled and said, "Open your mouth."
Obediently, Snow Empress opened her small mouth, and Su Yu poured all the Ice Dew Rain from the jade bottle into her.
Then, he broke off a small piece of the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal and placed it in her mouth.
Strangely, the previously solid Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal melted instantly upon entering her mouth, transforming into pure energy that surged into Snow Empress's body.
["Stop! You're being reckless! That's my ten-thousand-year cultivation essence! She can't withstand it!"]
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass cried out in alarm, unable to believe Su Yu's recklessness.
Ice Dew Rain was one thing—it was still an essence but had milder energy.
But the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Crystal's energy was intense and domineering. How could a tiny girl like Snow Empress possibly endure it?
It didn't care if Snow Empress lived or died.
What it cared about was that if something happened to her, Su Yu would blame the surrounding immortal herbs—especially itself!
That was its real concern.
"What do you know?"
"There isn't a single ice energy in the world capable of harming her."
Su Yu shot the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass a glance, took a few steps forward, and, under the stunned gazes of the many immortal herbs, placed Snow Empress into the Cold Spring.
Snow Empress sank directly into the Cold Spring.
The water, infused with the essence of Ultimate Ice, surged into her body.
Many immortal herbs thought Snow Empress was doomed.
But to their shock, not long after, she floated back up.
Snow Empress puffed out bubbles from her small mouth as beams of ice-blue light radiated from her body.
Along with it came an extreme and terrifying chill.
The nearest Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass trembled.
This... This was Ultimate Ice?!
As Ultimate Ice surged outward, the surrounding Cold Spring seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force, flowing toward Snow Empress.
Countless ice-attribute energies from heaven and earth swarmed in, frantically pouring into her body.
As a result, her form began to change.
A dense ice-blue radiance illuminated the surroundings, and within the glow, Snow Empress's body seemed to be growing.
On the shore, Su Yu sat down casually.
Nearby, the immortal herbs shrank back as if they had seen a plague god.
First, he robbed the Aromatic Silk Beauty.
Then, he robbed the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
To these herbs, Su Yu was nothing less than a disaster incarnate—a man who killed at the slightest disagreement.
Who wouldn't be afraid of him?
Su Yu ignored them, his gaze fixed firmly on Snow Empress in the Cold Spring.
Time passed second by second.
Snow Empress, originally a three-year-old child, had grown into a girl of six or seven.
This sight left the surrounding immortal herbs utterly dumbfounded.
["This... this little girl... she's not human, is she?"]
The Aromatic Silk Beauty couldn't help but blurt out.
What kind of child could absorb that much energy?
And grow instantly after consuming it?
This didn't look human at all!
Su Yu shot it a glare. "Keep spouting nonsense, and I'll pluck you out."
The Aromatic Silk Beauty shuddered and shut its mouth instantly.
Su Yu finally turned around and looked toward the Cold Spring, silently waiting.
And this wait lasted for more than ten hours.
...
The next day, at dawn.
As the sky began to brighten, the Snow Empress, who had been continuously absorbing energy at the center of the Cold Spring, finally showed some movement.
Around her, a dense ice-blue light barrier shimmered, a natural formation due to her absorption process.
At this moment, the barrier shattered with a loud crash.
Ice-blue radiance burst outward, covering nearly half of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
As the light gradually faded, a graceful figure slowly emerged.
It was a young girl—an exceptionally beautiful young girl.
Snowflakes adorned her body like the most exquisite white gown. Her large ice-blue eyes were so pure and deep that they seemed capable of reflecting the entire world.
Her long hair cascaded down her back in a pristine snow-white hue, reminiscent of an ancient glacier.
An intense chill spread instantly from her, enveloping everything.
Su Yu's gaze sharpened. In the next instant, he flickered and appeared beside the Snow Empress.
The Snow Empress looked at him, and the very next moment, a small, flawless hand shot toward his chest.
This palm strike carried no trace of fireworks* yet made Su Yu's hair stand on end.
(*meaning it was executed with effortless grace, like an immortal's technique, rather than a mortal's crude martial arts.)
Su Yu immediately responded with a palm strike of his own, equally devoid of any extraneous force.
When their palms met, an extreme cold erupted.
A layer of frost rapidly spread across Su Yu's body, while a layer of ice simultaneously covered the Snow Empress.
But in the next moment, both of them trembled slightly, and the ice shattered.
The Snow Empress raised a single hand, and behind her, a magnificent phantom figure emerged.
Black, black, black, black, black—five soul rings lit up.
The fifth soul ring gleamed, and countless snowflakes filled the air, transforming a hundred-meter radius into a frozen domain.
Moreover, this was the Cold Extreme Spring. With its energy assisting her, the Snow Empress's domain became even stronger.
Su Yu's body trembled slightly, and behind him, a phantom figure appeared, clad in an imperial ice-blue robe with a crown atop its head.
Red, red, gold, red, red—five soul rings flashed one by one.
Extreme cold surged forth, and Su Yu's aura instantly climbed to its peak.
Facing the Snow Empress's ice domain, Su Yu instantly superimposed both his Ice Emperor Domain and the Ice Empress Soul Bone skill, Eternal Freeze Domain.
The two domains fused, forcefully breaking through the Snow Empress's Empress' Chill Domain.
The Snow Empress remained expressionless and slashed forward with her ice sword. The very air seemed to be cut apart as countless tiny water molecules froze into ice.
—Empress' Sword.
Su Yu sighed helplessly. His first soul ring lit up, and in the next instant, the Snow Empress was inexplicably frozen into a block of ice and fell into the Cold Spring with a splash.
Roughly ten seconds later, the Snow Empress burst out of the spring. Her ice-blue eyes carried a hint of grievance.
"That's dishonorable! You're using such a cheap trick!"
Ice Emperor's Decree was simply too overpowered—even the Snow Empress couldn't resist such an absolute skill.
It was fair to say that as long as Su Yu used the Ice Emperor's Decree, the Snow Empress was guaranteed to lose.
"Cheap? I call it making full use of my advantages," Su Yu said righteously.
"Hmph! You just don't dare to compete with me in ice control. If you have the guts, use the same skills!"
"It's not like you don't know the Snow Empress's Three Absolutes," the Snow Empress huffed.
"And what, next you're going to say we should use the same soul power too? Maybe even no soul bone skills?"
"Losing is losing. Little Snow, don't tell me you can't accept it?" Su Yu taunted.
The Snow Empress snorted. "When have I ever been a sore loser? Just wait—one day, I'll grind you into the ground!"
"And when that day comes, I'll make sure to smack your butt hard!"
She spoke angrily, her gaze filled with grievance.
Su Yu burst into laughter. "I'll be waiting for that day. But I don't think it'll ever happen."
"Little Snow, you're destined to be bullied by me for the rest of your life."
"Go to hell!"
The Snow Empress glared at Su Yu and lightly tapped her delicate jade-like foot against the Cold Spring. With a few graceful leaps, she landed on the shore.
Su Yu's figure flickered, returning to the shore as well.
Watching from a close distance, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass was utterly stunned. It could sense the pure ice essence emanating from both of them.
They both embodied the extreme of ice, yet their aura was even purer than that of the Cold Spring itself.
This made the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass feel a hint of longing.
Back on land, Su Yu's gaze naturally fell upon the Snow Empress.
At this moment, she looked about twelve or thirteen years old, her features exquisite and flawless.
Her large ice-blue eyes were like gemstones—clear and luminous.
Especially with that unparalleled grace beginning to show in her demeanor, the Snow Empress was breathtakingly beautiful.
Even though she appeared as a young girl, her beauty was still stunning beyond words.
Frankly, Su Yu found her incredibly attractive.
And for some reason—perhaps it was just his imagination—but as the Snow Empress grew, her presence became even more compelling to him.
It felt… intimate.
Su Yu didn't know that the Snow Empress felt the same way about him.
"Little Snow, how do you feel now?" Su Yu asked.
The Snow Empress narrowed her eyes slightly. "I feel great. I've finally recovered to my growth phase and currently have 52 levels of soul power."
"At last, I've shed that weak and powerless state."
Su Yu smacked his lips. "I thought you were pretty cute before. I liked it a lot."
The Snow Empress rolled her eyes and accused, "Of course you did. You beast."