Farewell

That night, Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena also stayed temporarily at the hotel where Snow Empress was lodging. In her room, Gu Yuena sat on the bed, turning over the day's events in her mind. Meeting Snow Empress for the first time, taking on a teacher to learn an art... and finally, what Huo Yuhao had said. "Once you understand, we'll talk." Talk again, was it? *Beep, beep, beep—* The chime of a soul communicator cut into Gu Yuena's thoughts. She retrieved the communicator, and when she saw the number on the screen, her expression froze. No wonder she had felt as though she had forgotten something. It was Teacher Leng. She must have already reached East Sea City by now, right? Gu Yuena quickly accepted the call, and a projection materialized in midair. High-grade soul communicators possessed a video-call function, though she rarely made use of it. In the projection, Leng Yaozhu's features and the background behind her gradually sharpened into clarity. In the image, she sat on the edge of a bed, her long, fair legs crossed over each other, a warm smile resting on her face. Yet the moment she laid eyes on Gu Yuena, her gaze shifted ever so slightly, and she subtly took in Gu Yuena's surroundings. Was this... a hotel? "Na'er... are you at a hotel?" Leng Yaozhu did not interrogate her little traitor of a disciple about why she had forgotten her, simply asking, "Where is Huo Yuhao?" "Yuhao is in the room next door." Hearing that, Leng Yaozhu gazed quietly at Gu Yuena for a moment before asking, "Na'er, tell me honestly: what are your thoughts?" Gu Yuena started, then fell silent. ... In the adjacent room, Huo Yuhao held the Ice God Bead in his palm, pondering what he had gained today. The Ice God Bead could temper Ultimate Ice, and it also contained the power of the ice-attribute laws, which would aid in shaping a godhead. Coupled with the Body Sect, he had now secured the foundational resources for elevating both of his Martial Souls... "She'll be leaving soon, won't she?" Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, his spirits somewhat dampened. He rose from his room, walked outside, and made his way over to the pavilion behind the hotel. Moonlight flowed like water, bathing the area around the pavilion in a blanket of silver. Inside, Snow Empress sat upright on a stone bench. Her snow-white robes blended seamlessly into the surrounding scenery. Her features were picturesque, yet touched with an aloof, distant chill. Upon seeing Huo Yuhao approach, however, the coolness in her eyes vanished, and a faint smile touched the corners of her lips. "Can't sleep either? Come sit for a while." Snow Empress gestured toward the seat beside her. Huo Yuhao nodded, walked over, and sat down at her side, joining her in gazing at the bright moon above. Faint, elegant wisps of fragrance drifted through the air, settling the mind with an easy calm. Neither spoke for a long time, simply sitting together in quiet stillness. After a good while, Huo Yuhao finally broke the silence: "Are you leaving?" Snow Empress inclined her head slightly. "Yes. I have seen the people I needed to see, and I have given you what I needed to give. I plan to return to the Extreme North first to pave the way for you." If she stayed any longer, she worried she would find herself reluctant to go. "...There's no need for that. Have a little more faith in me," Huo Yuhao said with a helpless smile. Snow Empress turned her gaze from the solitary moon in the sky to Huo Yuhao, her voice gentle. "I have far more faith in you than I do in myself." "Right now, I can still be of help to you. But once we achieve godhood, I might not be able to keep pace with you—just like ten thousand years ago... So let me protect you for one more stretch of the road while I still can." "..." Huo Yuhao let out a breath. "Stay a bit longer tomorrow. I've learned several new dishes over the past few years; I'll cook them all for you to try. We can reminisce some more." "All right," Snow Empress replied, smiling with a nod. Afterward, the two talked for a long time—about the days when Snow Empress had taught Huo Yuhao in the Extreme North, the time they had snuck into Mingdou to ambush foes together, the time Snow Empress had instructed Su Tong and been called 'Mistress' by her... Moments Huo Yuhao knew of, and stories he had never heard, flowed gradually from Snow Empress's lips. Some brought a knowing smile to his face, while others left him feeling a touch embarrassed. Yet as he looked upon Snow Empress's serene smile, Huo Yuhao's heart also settled into peace. Smiling faintly, he shared a few amusing tales Snow Empress had never heard, drawing soft laughter from her again and again. Time slipped quietly away like this, until three in the morning arrived in the blink of an eye. Snow Empress glanced at the sky and said softly, "By the way, forging the alloy with the Extreme Ice Divine Crystal will still take some time. Why not give me a gift now?" "Just say the word." Snow Empress parted her red lips slightly. "A form of address." There were some things she minded after all. Huo Yuhao raised his head and met Snow Empress's clear, limpid eyes. A sudden flash of understanding struck him. After a momentary hesitation, he murmured softly: "...Xue'er?" Huo Yuhao's tone was very gentle, if just a little stiff. The moment those two words left his mouth, Snow Empress paused in silence, then rose and said, "Too stiff. Better not call me that for now. It's late; I'll head back to my room to rest. You should get some sleep early, too." With that, Snow Empress turned and walked away. Her pace was composed, her figure ethereal, yet nothing could disguise the rosy blush flushing her cheeks. When Bing'er called her that, she could face it with complete composure. Why did it feel so utterly different when Yuhao said it? It made her heart clench so tight... Huo Yuhao sat in the pavilion, watching Snow Empress leave until her figure disappeared, before finally looking back up at the night sky. This side of Snow Empress... was a sight he had never witnessed before, either. ... The next afternoon, the setting sun spilled across the apron of the soul airport, tingeing the air with the melancholy of parting. Huo Yuhao and Snow Empress stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the departures hall, quietly watching the soul airplanes taking off and landing outside. Only the two of them were here. Dark Phoenix Douluo seemed to have matters to attend to and did not plan to return to the Extreme North with Snow Empress right away, while Gu Yuena, just as before, had left the time to them. "Be careful. If she doesn't know what's good for her, leave it to me," Huo Yuhao reminded her via voice transmission. "There's no need to indulge them!" If Snow Empress wished to pave the road for him, the first thing to do was naturally to eliminate all other dissenting voices within the Extreme North. The Mermaid clan was rooted in the Extreme North Ice Sea, and the Sea Princess among them was likewise at the Ultimate Douluo level, an overlord of the Extreme North as well. In the ocean, the Snow Empress of the past might not have been her match. However, that had only been in the past. "I understand." Snow Empress smiled faintly, stepped closer to Huo Yuhao, and leaned down to smooth his collar, which had been ruffled by the airport draft. "The road ahead is long. Don't focus only on hurrying forward; remember to take good care of yourself." Huo Yuhao paused, his tone gentle. "Mm, you too. Don't overwork yourself. Until we meet again—this time... it won't be long!" With that, Huo Yuhao enveloped the area in his spiritual domain. As Snow Empress leaned close, he reached out a finger and tapped her fair forehead. A spatial imprint settled between her brows and slowly faded from sight. "My grasp over spatial power isn't complete yet, but fortunately, my spiritual power is growing at a decent pace. Even so, this is the most I can manage for now. At the very least, I'll be able to know whether you are safe." Snow Empress did not stop him, allowing him to do as he wished. Only after he finished did she touch the spot between her brows, a glint of comprehension in her eyes. This was an imprint Yuhao had condensed with his spiritual power through his own insights into spatial power. With his current strength, he would have to rely on the Snow Empress Token she had left him to inversely sense her condition. Yet as Huo Yuhao's cultivation recovered, he would eventually be able to achieve what she could. *He hasn't even re-cultivated to his peak, yet he's already worrying about me.* Even as the thought crossed her mind, the look in Snow Empress's eyes grew softer still. After considering for a moment, she extended her spiritual power, causing the Snow Empress Token on Huo Yuhao's forehead to reveal itself, and infused something further into it through her spiritual power. "I didn't originally intend to do this, but thinking about it now, I might as well leave it behind, if only to save you from worrying about me." Huo Yuhao started. Sensing what Snow Empress had left behind, he found himself torn between laughter and tears. Could this even be considered a parting anymore? Snow Empress was practically staying by his side in another form entirely...