Chapter 49: Alliance of Ice and Fate
Xiao Qiang raised his hands to show his surrender, but the oppressive aura released by the Snow Empress didn't subside. Instead, it intensified slightly, forcing the already unstable Xiao Qiang to nearly collapse into the snow.
"It's over, it's over! The Snow Empress is angry! We're finished!" Tian Meng's voice trembled in Xiao Qiang's spiritual sea. The crushing pressure reminded the once-mighty soul beast of his days hiding in the Star Dou Great Forest, a time when fear constantly shadowed his thoughts.
"Calm down, Brother Tian Meng. Trust me. This isn't as bad as it looks." Even though his body was shaking and nearly pressed flat against the snow, Xiao Qiang remained strangely calm.
As long as the Snow Empress didn't strike him down on the spot, it meant the Ice Empress's message had been delivered. Whether it was the opportunity to help the Snow Empress survive her 700,000-year tribulation or the deep bond between her and the Ice Empress, both were reasons that could safeguard Xiao Qiang's life.
"I heard… you merged with the Ice Empress?" the Snow Empress finally spoke, her voice as cold as the winds that howled through the Far North. Her oppressive aura forced Xiao Qiang down on all fours before her.
"Yes, but her consciousness is still present. It wasn't like the usual hunting for a soul ring."
"Let her speak to me."
Xiao Qiang activated his mental sharing ability, allowing the Snow Empress to communicate directly with the Ice Empress.
"Snow Empress…"
"I'm glad you're alright," the Snow Empress responded indifferently. Her tone made it clear—this was the regal and aloof ruler of the Far North, not the Snow Empress who was once teetering on the edge of death in the original timeline.
"Snow Empress, I…" The Ice Empress hesitated, but upon remembering the fate of the Titan Snow Demon Ape, she swallowed her words.
"You, human. You claim to have a way to help me overcome my 700,000-year tribulation?" the Snow Empress asked.
"Yes. My martial soul allows me to sense rare opportunities. After fusing with the Ice Empress, I've detected a top-tier opportunity suited for ice-attribute soul masters. It's powerful enough to push someone to the level of a Super Douluo. I believe it can help you."
"Then hand it over," the Snow Empress demanded, now seated on a throne sculpted from snow, her voice that of a supreme ruler.
"Snow Empress… Ugh!" Before Xiao Qiang could explain, another wave of pressure slammed into him. His face buried in snow, he couldn't move at all.
"You are not qualified to negotiate with me. Obey—or die. Those are your only choices."
"No, this isn't wise, Snow Empress. Your heavenly tribulation must be close."
"So what?" she replied, her icy eyes boring into him.
"My ability to sense opportunities is tied to my martial soul. It's not something I can simply describe. Even I don't fully understand it. Forcing me to reveal the exact location of the Ten Thousand-Year Mysterious Ice Marrow won't work. I can only sense it when I actively search for it myself."
"So you think the threat of heavenly tribulation gives you the right to negotiate with me?" Her gaze chilled the air further, and even Xiao Qiang's cold-resistant body began to freeze under the suffocating pressure.
"I'm not threatening you, Snow Empress. I'm just offering a deal." Xiao Qiang met her eyes with determination. "I've merged with the Ice Empress. That makes me part of the Far North. I'm willing to use this opportunity to help you break through your tribulation. In return, I hope you'll acknowledge me as a member of the Far North and grant me some protection. Twenty years will be enough."
"During those twenty years, if I make requests, I hope you'll agree to them. Of course, I'll offer compensation. But sometimes, I won't have time to explain. I'll need you to act first and trust me."
The pressure eased.
Though she wouldn't admit it outright, the Snow Empress found Xiao Qiang's reasoning acceptable. It was a matter of pride and status. While she would never accept the role of "protector" to a human, if a fellow member of the Far North offered her a treasure, she could justify protecting him. And twenty years—barely a blink in a soul beast's lifetime—was no burden.
If Xiao Qiang's request ever became unreasonable, she could simply stop helping. After all, it was a request, not a command.
With the Ice Empress still present, the Snow Empress wouldn't harm Xiao Qiang without good reason.
"Very well. If you can help me surpass the 700,000-year threshold, I will acknowledge you as a citizen of the Far North and grant you twenty years of protection."
"Thank you, Snow Empress." Xiao Qiang breathed a sigh of relief.
With her protection, he wouldn't need to worry about the Sun and Moon Empire's Moon appearing out of nowhere to cause trouble. When the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Competition came, he wouldn't have to fear someone like Elder Xuan suddenly going berserk and abducting him, Xiao Hongchen, or Meng Hongchen as hostages.
As long as the soul beasts' promise from Tang Jia San Shao's original setting remained unbroken, Xiao Qiang's life was secure.
And with Tian Meng developing the Wisdom Soul Ring and the concept of the "soul," Xiao Qiang could begin laying the foundation for his god-making plan. In these twenty years, he could draw in the Snow Empress.
He already possessed the soul bones for both arms. If the Snow Empress joined him, then the 200,000-year-old Ice Bear King, Xiaobai, would surely follow, becoming one of his leg bones.
With the Snow Empress's support, Xiao Qiang could even bring in the Evil Emperor. At nearly 790,000 years of cultivation, the Evil Emperor was nearing his limit. If the Snow Empress agreed to create a god, and with the help of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools, the Evil Emperor would have no reason to refuse.
If he did refuse, well… the Snow Empress and the soul tools could give him a reason to "accept with dignity."
The Snow Empress would provide the skull. The Evil Emperor, the external soul bones. With just one more 200,000-year-old beast to complete his other leg bone, Xiao Qiang would possess five top-tier soul beast bones, plus three external ones—far beyond Tang San's capabilities.
As for the trunk bone? Once he reached level 99, he would go challenge the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
If Tang San turned out to be an enemy, then the Deep Sea Demon Whale King would be an ally. If not, well… hunting powerful soul beasts was what soul masters did.
If Tian Meng completed the soul system and the Snow Empress truly committed to the god-making plan, then even without Huo Yuhao's golden luck, Xiao Qiang—with his foresight, top-tier soul bones, and a second martial soul with a 200,000-year soul ring—could forge a godhood of his own.
At the very least… a first-level god.
With the Snow Empress joining him, Xiao Qiang's plans had finally taken shape. No longer a mere insect underfoot, he had officially stepped into the realm of giants.
The realm of future gods.