Douluo: The Unrivaled Demon Lord

Chapter 102 Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion ② (5k)

Soul beasts at the Ice Emperor's level possess incredibly strong spiritual power, granting them an exceptionally keen sense of danger. Therefore, the Ice Emperor sensed something amiss almost instantly. Tianmeng's golden body suddenly became ethereal, and then instantly pounced in front of her.

Hyotei's speed was undeniable, but in that instant, she suddenly felt herself slow down, and everything around her became viscous. The terrifying mental energy was like a vast ocean, trapping her deep within it. Even though she struggled with all her might, she still couldn't escape this quagmire.

Tenmu's seemingly suicidal aura caused a flicker of surprise in Hyotei's icy eyes, but after the initial shock subsided, Hyotei's gaze grew increasingly sharp and cold.

"Tianmeng! How dare you use your mental power like this? You're courting death!"

Unmoved by Hyotei's roar, Tianmeng turned its head towards the core circle, letting the falling snow pelt it. Then it whispered:
"Yes, if I were alone, doing this would be tantamount to courting death, but I'm not alone now. Even if I can only hold you captive for a very short time, it will still be enough."

"I think that years from now, Hyotei, you will thank me for what I did today..."

A faint white light film silently glided along the ground at that moment, and even the powerful Hyotei did not notice the light film gliding on the snow.

The next instant, Hyotei felt a tightness all over his body, and he completely lost the ability to move.

Hyotei's pupils contracted, and his entire body began to erupt with power as he twisted and turned wildly, trying to break free from the restraint and control of the white light membrane.

The white light membrane distorted for a moment, but Hyotei did not break through it. White and green lights flashed intertwined, and Hyotei's panic was undisguised. She unleashed a series of powerful skills at full power, holding nothing back...

But in the next instant, this powerful soul beast, who had roamed the far north for hundreds of thousands of years, truly felt fear, because even her desperate struggles were futile...

The feeling of being bound was growing stronger at an alarming rate, pressing down on her body and making a teeth-grinding gurgling sound. No matter how much she struggled, the force of the binding continued to increase... Slowly, Hyotei's raised front claws were gradually suppressed, and her upturned tail hooks were also pressed tightly against her body.

The Ice Emperor, one of the three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, was actually bound tightly by Tianmeng.

"No, no, this is impossible! Tianmeng, how could you, a piece of trash, possibly bind me? With your race and abilities, how could you possibly possess such a powerful control-type soul skill!?"

Hyotei's voice was filled with panic and fear. Most living beings feel fear unconsciously when facing death; it's a biological instinct... But at this moment, Tenmu gave her the feeling that he wanted to kill her...

No matter how proud and cold the Ice Emperor's personality was, she was still afraid of death... or rather, she would rather die under the heavenly tribulation than die such a cowardly death at the hands of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, which would be an insult to her.

The golden light slowly faded, and Tianmeng's figure reappeared, this time with a gentle smile on its face:

"Hyotei, I know you're scared and confused right now, but this isn't the place to talk. Don't blame me, I'll tell you everything later. I'm doing all this really just for your own good."

After saying that, Tianmeng slowly raised her eyes, and then a golden light shot towards Bingdi. In the flash of the golden light, Bingdi's body disappeared into thin air.

Tianmeng sighed softly, and her consciousness, along with the nine golden lights, slowly returned to Shuyan's spiritual sea.

"Run, Ayan! I can already sense that the Ice Emperor's people are heading this way. If we don't make a tactical retreat soon, the three of us might die here today."

Upon returning to the Lake of Life, Tianmeng's composure crumbled instantly, her previously calm expression shattering as she urgently urged Shu Yan.

Shu Yan nodded, his consciousness regaining control of his body. The terrifying spatial power within him surged, and in the next instant, with a flash of silver light, Shu Yan's figure completely disappeared within a radius of dozens of miles.

The traces they left behind were quickly smoothed over by the returning wind and snow, leaving only a faint trace that was constantly dissipating in the wind.

……

Several hours later, Shu Yan appeared in a snowfield on the outskirts of the far north.

He arrived at the top of a small hill, from which he could overlook almost the entire area within a 360-degree radius.

A golden light emerged from between Shu Yan's eyebrows, and then transformed into a golden disc about one meter in diameter.

With a flash of light, a figure slowly emerged from the golden disc, while the white light membrane reappeared, trapping it within. Judging from its form, it was none other than the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, Ice Emperor.

The remains of Tianmeng are the culmination of its millions of years of cultivation, and their sturdiness and flexibility are absolutely heaven-defying.

Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, its energy accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years was continuously drained by a group of powerful soul beasts, until it was finally depleted, leaving only its original energy and its two major attributes.

But during the extraction process, it deliberately mobilized its own energy to continuously nourish its body. If it weren't for its physical resilience, it probably would have died countless times already.

After failing to break free of Tenmu's mental prison, Hyotei slowly recovered from her initial fear and panic. She began to reflect on her situation and what Tenmu really wanted to do.

When Bingdi saw Tianmeng again, his gaze was still cold, but the chilling killing intent was hidden by the coldness.

"Hyotei, it seems you have matured considerably compared to tens of thousands of years ago. I am quite pleased that you did not struggle too much and cause me more trouble."

Tianmeng's usual lazy voice rang out.

"Tianmeng, what exactly do you want to do?"

Hyotei was silent for a moment, then spoke in a cold voice.

"I just want to be with you forever..."

Tianmeng said very honestly.

“But I also know that your 400,000-year tribulation will arrive in less than a hundred years. You once said that 300,000 years is your limit. Without me, you are destined to perish under the tribulation, which is something I do not want to see.”

"If you want immortality, the only way is to become a god. But as you know, it's almost impossible for us soul beasts to become gods, whether we cultivate in our original form or transform into human form... So, during the ten thousand years I was imprisoned in the Star Dou Great Forest, I kept thinking and finally found the only feasible path that could guarantee a certain success rate."

Hyotei's expression softened slightly, and she said coldly:

"What on earth do you want to say?"

Tianmeng gazed at Bingdi for a moment, then sighed softly:
"Hyotei, we've been old friends for a while now. Haven't you noticed that the person standing before you isn't a condensed form of my spiritual energy, but rather my true spiritual essence?"

Upon hearing what Tianmeng said, Hyotei's expression faltered for a moment. After observing her carefully, she said with some astonishment:

"You...your body!?"

"Yes, I have lost my body."

Tianmeng spoke in a calm voice, and its body gradually became ethereal, replaced by the figure of Shu Yan.

"Humanity!?"

Hyotei's astonishment deepened, even showing a hint of disgust.

Shu Yan ignored the emotions in Hyotei's eyes, looked directly at her, and then spoke softly:

"Hyotei, let me introduce myself. My name is Shu Yan, and I'm Tianmeng's partner, or rather... master..."

"Hyotei, this is the path I've chosen, a so-called path to godhood!"

Tianmeng's voice rang out after Shu Yan finished speaking, filled with unprecedented determination and fervor. That passionate emotion even directly affected Bingdi. "Humans are the most intelligent of all beings, a race favored by Heaven. Bingdi, in the eyes of your Ice Jade Scorpions and many other powerful races, the human body is as fragile as a snowflake. Yet, these seemingly weak humans have grown stronger and more powerful in just tens of thousands of years, until now they have even begun to possess the strength to contend with our entire soul beast race."

"Human potential is terrifying. A human who has cultivated for decades or even hundreds of years can contend with a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast or even a ferocious beast. Why is that? Because human potential far exceeds that of us soul beasts! Weak bodies and short lifespans cannot hinder human development. They are the race that is truly blessed by the heavens."

At this point, Tianmeng paused slightly, then continued:

"Hyotei, do you still remember that day ten thousand years ago?"

Hyotei was momentarily dazed, then subconsciously said:

"The heavens and earth lost their color, their overwhelming power was overwhelming, and in an instant, one became a god..."

"Correct!"

Tianmeng said excitedly.

"It was on that occasion that I sensed the presence of at least five deities in the Star Dou Great Forest. Even the two great beast kings of the Star Dou Great Forest perished because of it. They were not killed by humans, but chose to fulfill the wish of the most powerful human from ten thousand years ago!"

"Hyotei, only gods can possess endless life... so based on this, I came up with a bold idea."

"That is to become a human's intelligent soul ring, to become a part of him, and with the combined power of our two races, to give birth to a god. At that time, we, as part of the god, will also enter the divine realm with him and obtain the eternal life we ​​have always dreamed of!"

Hyotei looked stunned, staring blankly at Shu Yan and Tian Meng, then fell into a long period of thought and silence… After a while, she spoke:

"How sure are you?"

"Sixty percent! If you join, I can say with absolute certainty that my success rate is definitely over seventy percent!"

Tianmeng said decisively.

"So tall!?"

Hyotei was both astonished and confused.

"Yes! That's right! My judgment can't be wrong. With your mental strength, Hyotei, you can't see through Ayan's true nature, right? Now I'll withdraw my mental strength, and if you take a closer look, you'll understand why I'm so confident."

Tianmeng acted swiftly, removing the protection it had set up to prevent others from seeing through Shu Yan's true nature, and Xie Ji did the same... In an instant after all the protection and cover disappeared, Bingdi's pupils contracted, and his eyes were completely enveloped in shock.

After a long silence, the shock in Hyotei's eyes subsided somewhat. She looked up at Shu Yan, the trace of disgust she had felt for the opposing race completely gone. In her eyes, there was only a lingering sense of astonishment.

"Hehe... Bingbing, you see? This is the genius I found. He possesses the super true dragon martial soul Yazi, one of the nine sons of the Dragon God. The purity and power of his bloodline are even enough to rival the Beast God Di Tian. He's only twelve years old, but his cultivation has already reached the Soul Emperor realm. He has a soul ring ratio beyond your imagination, and he has an unimaginable control over spatial power..."

"Bingbing, you probably can't believe it, but even though that guy with a million years of cultivation had all his energy and essence drained by those bastards except for his original energy, to the point that I can't even provide Ayan with a soul bone, I can provide Ayan with an unformed ice attribute martial soul!"

"In other words, Shu Yan's second spirit currently only has an attribute but no specific form. The species of the spirit beast he acquired for his first spirit ring will determine the type of his ice-attribute second spirit... Bingbing, I've gone to great lengths for you. This position was specially reserved for you..."

Hyotei's expression froze completely; her thoughts were so jumbled that she couldn't process them for a moment.

The astonishment brought by Shu Yan's unparalleled talent, the shock of Tianmeng granting Shu Yan a second martial soul, and the considerations and anxieties about the future made Bingdi struggle and hesitate immensely. However, she was indeed a hegemon who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years. After about a quarter of an hour, she regained her senses. Her gaze turned to Shu Yan, her eyes no longer so cold, and her voice had lost some of its chill:
"You are a human being who can't help but shock and amaze me. Perhaps, as Tianmeng said, you are the best choice I have made after considering many factors."

A smile appeared on Shu Yan's face as he spoke softly:

"We all share the same goal, and I think that after a period of adjustment, we will become like-minded partners."

“Yes, yes, yes! It definitely will… Bingbing, now release your spiritual essence. Over the past ten thousand years, through numerous experiments, I have completely mastered the method of allowing soul beasts to maintain their conscious mind and spiritual essence after fusing with humans. With your spiritual strength, you cannot complete the fusion with humans on your own, but with me here, the process will be much simpler.”

Hyotei glanced coldly at Tenmu, then spoke:

"You need to give me a guarantee that you won't tamper with my spiritual essence during the fusion process, thereby making me subject to your control later..."

Tianmeng was taken aback, then said somewhat hurtfully:

"Bingbing, don't you believe me?"

"Hehe... I'm making all these choices because you forced me to. I admit I'm tempted by your suggestion, but that doesn't mean I'll completely trust you. In fact, I'd rather trust Shu Yan than be fooled again."

Hyotei said without any mercy.

"Bingbing...how could you do this! I'm only doing this for your own good!"

Tianmeng said with great distress, but it still made a guarantee:
"By the God of Ice, I, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, swear in the name of ice that I will never tamper with anything in the process of helping the Ice Emperor become a Wisdom Soul Ring. If I break this oath, may everything that belongs to ice be taken away by you."

Upon hearing this, Hyotei nodded in satisfaction.

The restraints on Tianmeng slowly loosened. After giving Shu Yan a deep look, Bingdi's originally crystal-yellow eyes slowly turned emerald green. A soft emerald green halo began to ripple backward from the base of her scorpion tail, eventually condensing at the tip of her tail hook.

With a flash of emerald light, a small emerald green orb separated and slowly floated up. Meanwhile, the Ice Emperor's exquisite body gradually lost control, the light in her eyes slowly disappeared, and finally she slowly fell to the ground.

Tianmeng was overjoyed. The golden light representing its own consciousness floated forward along the remains, suddenly growing larger upon contact with the emerald green sphere, then enveloping it before quickly returning to Shuyan's spiritual sea.

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, having lost control of its spiritual origin, immediately unleashed an extremely terrifying ferocity, and the nearby sky was instantly bathed in a layer of emerald green light. One can imagine just how terrifying the Ice Emperor's strength truly was.

The extreme chill seeped into every part of his body. Shu Yan groaned, his soul power surging rapidly within him, barely managing to suppress the spread of the chill.

"Tianmeng, I must say, your judgment is truly excellent. I never imagined that a human boy who is no more than fifteen years old could be so powerful in every aspect."

"I believed you when you said that with me, the success rate of creating a god would exceed 70%, but... why is there such a massive amount of life energy in Shu Yan's spiritual sea? Hmm... what is this aura...?"

Hyotei's voice shifted from shock to surprise, then finally turned to doubt and wariness...

……

In the sea of ​​spirits, Tianmeng stood obediently to the side, watching the two powerful figures, who in their prime could crush it with one hand, confront each other...

Ice Emperor warily observed the Evil Princess, whose face wore a gentle smile. Although the Evil Princess's smile was warm, it was not enough to offset the evil aura contained in the essence of her soul. Ice Emperor had been in the world of soul beasts for hundreds of thousands of years, and it took him almost an instant to realize that the Evil Princess was definitely not a kind person.

"Hello, Ice Emperor. Let me introduce myself. My name is Evil Princess, my true form is the Soul-Devouring Spider Queen, with 500,000 years of cultivation. I am also a member of the God-Making Project. Well, or rather, I am the first initiator of the God-Making Project."

Xie Ji chuckled, then extended a fair and delicate hand to Bing Di, who had already transformed into human form.

Upon hearing Xie Ji's cultivation level, a look of astonishment flashed in Bing Di's eyes. She simply couldn't imagine why a demonic soul beast with a cultivation level of 500,000 years would come up with a plan to create a god. However, her mind was quick, and she soon shifted her focus from her original identity as one of the three Heavenly Kings of the Far North and adopted her new identity:
"Ice Emperor, with 390,000 years of cultivation, his true form is the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion."

Two delicate hands, one large and one small, gently clasped together. Xie Ji's smile gradually became more alluring, while Bing Di's face remained as cold and indifferent as ever. Tian Meng, watching this seemingly historic moment from the side, couldn't help but smile as well...

……

(End of this chapter)