The Soul Airplane touched down at the Heaven Dou City Spirit Pagoda Airport. Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena walked out, looking toward the tower-like structure rising in the distance.
Heaven Dou City occupied a peculiar geographic position: it bordered the Star Dou Great Forest and was also fairly close to Shrek City.
And the Pagoda Master of this branch of the Spirit Pagoda was none other than the Fierce Beast—the Bear Lord!
Huo Yuhao turned to look at Gu Yuena with an odd expression. "Is the Bear Lord really suited for this?"
He truly could not picture the Bear Lord dressed in formal attire, acting as a branch Pagoda Master...
"He's fine, though he didn't actually want to be a branch Pagoda Master at first,"
Gu Yuena chuckled. "He only came here because he wanted to observe Divine Craftsman Zhenhua performing Heaven Refined forging up close, to watch and learn. Besides, 'a person should be viewed with fresh eyes after three days' absence'—weren't those your exact words, Yuhao? With assistants at his side, holding down the fort through sheer martial strength is no problem for him."
"I suppose I was being too subjective." Huo Yuhao gave a helpless smile as he stepped out of the airport alongside Gu Yuena.
As a famous historical city, Heaven Dou City was subject to Federation regulations meant to preserve its original character: all building heights were capped at fifty meters, restricted to ten stories or fewer. Consequently, no towering skyscrapers were visible here; instead, numerous ancient trees grew well beyond fifty meters tall.
The Spirit Pagoda branch here complied with the rule without exception, standing at a mere fifty meters in height at the heart of Heaven Dou City.
However, the two did not head toward the Spirit Pagoda branch, but rather made their way to a hotel.
According to Luo Yanglu, the person who had summoned them was staying there.
The hotel was located in a bustling district of Heaven Dou City. Elegant and grand, its exterior blended modern and traditional architectural styles, steeped in historical charm.
Stepping into the hotel, Gu Yuena glanced toward the grounds behind the building. After a brief pause, she looked at Huo Yuhao. "You two probably need to catch up, right? Although I don't know why she wanted to see me, you two could use some private time. I'll just wait here for a while."
She had noticed Luo Yanglu's hints earlier and had a good idea of who had summoned Huo Yuhao this time.
Having not seen each other in who knew how many years, they would certainly need time to reminisce. There was no need for her to interrupt; she could ask why she had been invited later.
Huo Yuhao nodded. Seeing Gu Yuena find an armchair and settle down like a girl absorbed in her personal net world, he bypassed the front desk and walked straight toward the gazebo behind the hotel.
Both he and Gu Yuena could sense the spatial fluctuations coming from there.
The person was right over there.
...
The hotel's lakeside gazebo sat beside a tranquil stretch of water, surrounded by verdant ancient trees. A gentle breeze drifted past, carrying a refreshing scent of grass and foliage.
The lake was crystal clear, with small fish occasionally leaping from the surface to send rippling rings across the water.
Huo Yuhao stepped inside, breaking the peaceful quiet of the spot.
By rights, plenty of guests would usually be relaxing here at this hour, yet when Huo Yuhao walked in, he did not see a single soul.
"The area was cleared, huh."
Huo Yuhao chuckled softly. Looking across the empty pavilion, he took another step forward.
Space shifted, and in the blink of an eye, a figure in white was already seated inside the pavilion ahead of him.
It was a young woman of seventeen or eighteen, tall, slender, and gracefully shaped. Her pure, flawless white dress accentuated her noble, transcendent air.
As if sensing Huo Yuhao's gaze, the maiden slowly turned her head toward him, revealing an astonishingly breathtaking countenance.
Her eyes were a clear, ethereal sky-blue. Pure white hair like pristine snow cascaded from the back of her head all the way to her feet, dancing gently in the lake breeze and bringing with it a subtle chill.
Two pairs of blue eyes met—a glance that spanned ten thousand years.
Huo Yuhao smiled warmly.
"I'm back."
The Snow Empress—seen by the world as an aloof, peerless presence—looked at him, and a gentle smile blossomed across her face as well. That smile was like a ray of warm winter sun, melting the surrounding chill with captivating grace.
"It's good that you've returned."
...
"Senior Yulai?"
Gu Yuena stopped tapping her soul tool optical screen and looked up at the cool, elegant woman who had suddenly appeared before her, a look of surprise on her face. "Why are you here as well?"
Leng Yulai looked at the black-haired, dark-eyed girl, momentarily caught off guard. But recalling what her elder sister had mentioned earlier, she understood at once. In a gentle voice, she said, "Ah, Na'er. I came along with Pagoda Master Snow Empress. What about you?"
She cared deeply about her sister's disciple.
"Pagoda Master... Snow Empress probably asked Yuhao and me to come together," Gu Yuena replied.
"Yuhao?" Leng Yulai was taken aback. Hearing Gu Yuena's soft tone, she was inexplicably reminded of the days when she had longed for Yun Ming.
Thinking back, she had been like someone possessed in those days, acting as if she couldn't go on living without Yun Ming.
If Lord Snow Empress hadn't frozen her solid into an ice sculpture to force her to cool down for ten years, and if she hadn't cleared up the misunderstanding with her sister, her life would have been utterly ruined.
She truly didn't know where she had found the nerve back then.
Did she really think the Holy Spirit Cult was stronger than the Spirit Pagoda? Or did she believe that after becoming an Evil Soul Master, she could escape the Spirit Pagoda's grasp?
The first Pagoda Master was right: love-sickness was poisonous. One had to remain rational. A mindset where nothing mattered except one's lover was completely untenable—it made one lose all sense.
With that in mind, Leng Yulai looked at Gu Yuena.
"By Yuhao, you mean the Huo Yuhao who passed the Red-level trial, right? What kind of person is he?"
This girl was luckier than she had been; the person she liked was within the Spirit Pagoda, which did not violate ancestral precepts, and he possessed exceptional talent. Still, she felt his character warranted observation.
"Yuhao?"
Though Gu Yuena found the question somewhat strange, out of respect for Leng Yulai's standing, she offered a few thoughts. "In my eyes, he..."
As she listened, Leng Yulai gradually formed a clear picture of Huo Yuhao in her mind.
He was the type who returned tenfold whatever respect he received; if others treated him well, he reciprocated in kind, and his demeanor was steady and composed.
A person like that likely held fairly traditional views on romance, unlike her past fiery passion, preferring a natural, gradual progression.
There were pros and cons to that. Reaching a fruitful conclusion would likely take a very long time, but at least there would be plenty of positive feedback along the way. Even if they didn't end up together in the end, it wouldn't leave her empty-handed...
Leng Yulai glanced at Gu Yuena, pondered for a moment, and shared some of her thoughts with her.
...
Huo Yuhao sat down in the pavilion and said with a smile, "Why did you choose to meet in Heaven Dou?"
"I had business to handle here. I originally intended to look for you in East Sea City, but I ended up delayed by those matters."
A glint of mirth showed in Snow Empress's eyes. "Speaking of which, since you chose re-cultivation, why didn't you head straight to the Extreme North?"
Though ten thousand years had passed since their last meeting, their conversation was completely devoid of awkwardness, flowing naturally.
Huo Yuhao shook his head. "When I first heard news that you weren't appearing in public, I guessed you had chosen re-cultivation, so I didn't go—to avoid causing you trouble."
Snow Empress let out a light laugh. "I think you simply didn't want to rely on me anymore. Your wings have grown stiff, and you thought you could manage entirely on your own."
Inside the Sea of Spirit, the three figures nodded in quiet agreement.
*Exactly, exactly! Snow Empress is entirely right!*
*Yuhao's wings have grown stiff, and he looks down on us old, frail, and crippled folks now.*
"Not at all." Hearing that, Huo Yuhao gave a helpless smile. "If you weren't around, I'd probably be living the same life I did ten thousand years ago."
Across ten thousand years, there were many contingency plans he couldn't put in place himself; he could only entrust them to someone he trusted.
Su Tong wouldn't do, Juechen wouldn't do, and Guyi wouldn't do either. It wasn't just a matter of trust, but also of lifespan. Even if they themselves were beyond reproach, their descendants might not be trustworthy.
Ten thousand years ago, the person he had chosen to entrust with everything was Snow Empress—and her alone.
Di Tian was strong, but lacked flexibility. The original Spirit Pagoda had also invited the Star Dou Great Forest to join, yet they had ultimately been driven out. Furthermore, Di Tian was an outsider, and Huo Yuhao did not trust him.
Over the past ten thousand years, during the interim periods when the Spirit Pagoda had lacked an Ultimate Douluo, Snow Empress had personally presided over the headquarters, shielding the Spirit Pagoda from wind and rain.
The Extreme North was also a major faction within the Spirit Pagoda, preventing the monopoly of power seen in the original history.
Without Snow Empress, the Spirit Pagoda he awoke to find might very well have been that same disappointing organization of old...
Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered, and he let out a quiet sigh.
"Over these ten thousand years... I owe you a great debt."
Snow Empress's watery eyes rippled slightly as she looked at him, asking a question seemingly unrelated to the topic: "Do you know the name of my Four-Word Battle Armor?"
Huo Yuhao paused.
"Though I have no need for it and have never used it in the outside world, I still gave it a name."
Seeing his reaction, Snow Empress's expression grew softer, though her tone was solemn.
"My Four-Word Battle Armor is called—Ice-Spirit Snow Crossing!"
"Ten thousand years ago, you ferried me across my Heavenly Tribulation, allowing the Extreme North to endure in peace for ten thousand years. Now, I shall ferry you across to help you ascend to godhood!"
"..." Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance with her, as though thousands of words had already passed between them.
*To ferry across?*
Huo Yuhao reflected on the path he had walked so far.
Snow Empress, Gu Yuena, Di Tian, the Soul Spirits, Tang Wulin... the roads they walked were all different now.
Was it good? The future remained undecided and hard to predict. But at this very moment, their lives weren't bad, were they?
It truly was a crossing.
Ferrying the common masses, ferrying the mortal world, ferrying others... and ferrying oneself!
A brand-new artistic conception rose alongside his spiritual power, causing Snow Empress a hint of surprise before she chuckled and shook her head.
"In terms of conception, no one in this era can rival you."
"You flatter me. At best, it only works to bully those in the same realm." Huo Yuhao exhaled deeply. "If not for your reminder, it would have taken me a long time just to step through the door."
"It's nothing."
Snow Empress shook her head slightly. "Just as I said, let us speak no more of the favors of the past ten thousand years. Do I owe you any less? Given the relationship between us, why stand on ceremony?"
Huo Yuhao said, "Even brothers keep clear accounts. An excessive debt of gratitude turns into resentment, and taking another's devotion for granted is never right. From the perspective of a Soul Beast, ten thousand years might not seem long, but to me, the debt has grown far too heavy."
Snow Empress shot him a sidelong glance, a meaningful smile curving at the corner of her lips.
"Ten thousand years have passed, yet you haven't changed in the slightest. Very well, I cannot out-argue you on these principles. If you cannot repay it in the future and there comes a time when I desire something, don't blame me for using your gratitude for leverage."
"..."
Huo Yuhao furrowed his brow, sensing something off in her smile.
Snow Empress wouldn't actually leverage a debt of gratitude for something, would she?
Besides, if there was anything she wanted, she only had to ask, and he would never withhold it.
After all, in his heart, Tianmeng, Electrolux, Ice Empress, and Snow Empress held equal standing, none higher or lower than the rest. Other people could at best match them, never surpass them...
Yet for Snow Empress to specifically point it out, it couldn't be mere idle talk.
After a moment's thought, Huo Yuhao smiled anyway. "Of course. If I'm the one who failed to repay it, what right would I have to accuse you of demanding repayment?"
Snow Empress chuckled softly without answering.
Inside the Sea of Spirit, Ice Empress examined the Snow Empress outside, watching Huo Yuhao begin reminiscing with her about the past ten thousand years, her eyes narrowing slightly.
After taking Human Form, Xue'er's appearance hadn't changed much, except that she possessed a bit less aloofness and a touch more mortal warmth...
After a brief silence, Ice Empress decided to simply emerge from Huo Yuhao's body. "How have you fared these past ten thousand years? Have you grown used to living in the human world?"
"Bing'er, I trust you have been well." Snow Empress turned toward her with a gentle smile. "I have fared quite well, and I imagine you feel the same. Life in the Extreme North was rather monotonous after all, and the time spent over these ten thousand years has been far more colorful than the past.
"Still, compared to when you were all around, it did feel rather lonely. Only Xiao Bai was around to chat with me, but he is far too simple-minded—agreeing with whatever I said—and the others kept their distance. For the first time, it made me feel that ten thousand years... was rather long."
Snow Empress's gaze softened. "Fortunately, you are all back now."
Hearing her words, Huo Yuhao and Ice Empress fell into silence.
*Ten thousand years was rather long?*
The few of them could set up a mahjong table inside the Sea of Spirit, but Snow Empress...
"Why look so solemn?" Snow Empress gave a helpless smile at their expressions. "Never mind, we can talk about that later. Let us discuss proper business. Having reunited after so long, I brought you a gift today, Yuhao."
"A gift?" Seeing Snow Empress produce a small box from her Storage Ring, Huo Yuhao's eyelid twitched.
He had grown somewhat sensitive to the word 'gift' lately.
Snow Empress set the box on the table, opened it, and slid it toward Huo Yuhao.
Resting quietly in the center of the box was an extraordinary gem-like object.
It was roughly the size of a longan fruit, shaped like an elegant teardrop. Its surface was covered in countless tiny facets, radiating a cool, ice-blue luster.
Though its size was unassuming, the moment sunlight struck it, it instantly refracted into countless brilliant beams of light—no longer gold, but a dazzling ice-blue.
Those radiant beams of ice-blue light seemed to transform into sharp rays crisscrossing the space within the gazebo.
Looking at it, Huo Yuhao's pupils contracted.
"The Ice God Bead!"
The Ice God Bead, also known as the Heart of the Ice God, was an ice-attribute Divine Tool. Its sole property was cold—an ultimate, absolute cold.
Huo Yuhao was not entirely certain of its origins, knowing only that it was likely in the Extreme North, and judging by Gu Yuena's familiarity with it in the original timeline, it might also have had ties to the God Realm from the era of the Dragon God.
Ten thousand years ago, he had searched for it without success. Later, he had mentioned it to Snow Empress. He never imagined that ten thousand years later, she had actually found it.
Chapter 83