"There are still five Titled elders back home…"
The Snow Empress could, of course, hear the hidden sharpness behind Dugu Bo's polite words.
Her azure hair brushed against her flawless cheek as she turned her gaze toward Li Zhexian. Within those crystalline eyes of ice, faint ripples stirred.
"Not only do the people of this city hold you in such regard,"
"You have also befriended so many Titled Douluo."
"To gain the opportunity of the Slaughter Auspicious Beast's sacrifice, Li Zhexian, you are indeed extraordinary."
Li Zhexian merely smiled at her words, then turned to bow toward Dugu Bo and the others.
"Senior Dugu, please rest assured."
"With Senior Snow Empress accompanying me, I'll be perfectly safe in the Extreme North."
"In a few days' time, I shall return."
Seeing that the Snow Empress had not brought along the young Yazi, Li Zhexian already understood —
she must have an urgent matter, and most likely, it required returning to the northern reaches.
And sure enough—
No sooner had he spoken than the Snow Empress flicked her sleeve.
A fierce gale of snow and frost swept up Li Zhexian, carrying him high into the clouds.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished beyond the sky.
The blizzard slowly thinned.
Sunlight once again poured across the land of early September.
At that very moment—
Yu Tianheng and several others came rushing from the far end of the street.
"Zhexian was taken by that mysterious snow woman?!"
Hearing the surrounding chatter, Yu Tianheng and the others exchanged wide-eyed looks, filled with awe and disbelief.
"Zhexian's headed for the Extreme North?"
"Our idol's adventures are too incredible… makes one truly envious!"
At those words,
everyone around them nodded fervently in agreement.
——
Crossing the vast green lands beneath them, the air grew steadily colder as they traveled northward.
Before long, the icy landscapes of the Extreme North once again filled Li Zhexian's vision.
During the journey, the Snow Empress finally revealed the purpose of her visit.
"You said the little Yazi falls unconscious once every seven days?"
"And that the sword in its mouth continues to flicker with light?"
The Snow Empress nodded.
"Yazi sacrificed itself to you."
"Its Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone rest within you."
"Moreover, Little Yazi was born through your sword strike—perhaps you will find some clue."
As she spoke,
a trace of worry crossed her crystalline eyes.
Little Yazi concerned the fate of the Extreme North—nothing could be allowed to happen to it.
Li Zhexian also knew this was no small matter. His expression grew solemn.
"Senior Snow Empress, please hasten the journey..."
Whoosh—!
The winds howled sharper than blades.
The roar of torn air stung the ears, and the snow felt like knives upon the face.
After only two days of travel,
they had already reached the very heart of the Extreme North.
——
It was the same ice-crystal palace Li Zhexian had once visited.
The vaulted ceiling stretched endlessly upward, fine snow drifting down in silence, melting the instant it touched the ground.
In one corner of that magnificent hall, amid blooming crystal flowers,
the little Yazi played joyfully with a group of small white beasts.
A cluster of tiny snowmen, each barely a foot tall, tottered along behind it in a wobbly line.
"Yi-ya?"
The frolicking Little Yazi suddenly stopped.
It raised its head, looking around, then turned sharply—
And when its gaze met the white-robed youth who had just entered—
A visible light brightened in its jet-black eyes.
With a joyous cry,
it leapt forward, galloping like lightning.
Li Zhexian crouched down, a warm smile softening his refined features.
Little Yazi crashed into his chest—
so forcefully that even he staggered a step back.
"Little one, do you still remember me?"
He stroked the creature's snow-white fur affectionately.
"Yiya!"
Little Yazi gave a soft, indignant cry, rubbing against him in playful complaint—
then slipped free from his hold.
Holding the small azure sword clamped in its jaws,
it tapped the sword hilt lightly against Li Zhexian's knee.
"Hm?"
Li Zhexian immediately understood.
He summoned the Qinglian Sword to his hand.
The Little Yazi chirped in delight,
then eagerly swung its tiny head, using its sword to strike against his.
Clang—Clang—
Clang—Clang—
The sound of metal rang through the air again and again.
The small azure sword in Little Yazi's mouth grew ever brighter, its sharp aura rippling outward in fine threads that shredded the falling snowflakes into a flurry of glittering shards.
A flicker of astonishment flashed in Li Zhexian's eyes—
He could feel it clearly…
His own Qinglian Sword was trembling in response,
humming joyfully to meet the Little Yazi's call.
——
"Sister Snow, that little Yazi really does like that human boy."
The Ice Empress' tone carried a faint hint of jealousy.
All these years, she had been the one accompanying little Yazi —
yet never had the creature shown her such affection.
The Snow Empress replied softly:
"Little Yazi was born through his sword strike. Its predecessor sacrificed itself for him."
"Their bond is unbreakable—such closeness is only natural."
"How long until the seventh night?"
The Ice Devil Titan King answered in his deep, rumbling voice: "It will be tonight."
The falling frost around the Snow Empress stilled for an instant,
then drifted on once more.
"Let us hope this Li Zhexian can truly resolve the crisis."
After playing with Little Yazi for a while,
Li Zhexian turned and bowed to the Ice Empress and the Ice Devil Titan King.
The Ice Empress tapped the icy floor with her scorpion tail,
producing crisp, ringing sounds.
"Li Zhexian, tonight, everything depends on you."
Li Zhexian could not be sure if he could solve the mystery surrounding Little Yazi,
but he nodded firmly.
"I will do my utmost."
——
Half a day passed swiftly.
The moonlight above the Extreme North blurred in the swirling snow.
As time slipped toward its destined hour—
Little Yazi, who had been playing happily with Li Zhexian, suddenly snarled,
baring its fangs as hostility flared in its eyes.
The small azure sword in its mouth began to glow blood-red.
"Hm?!"
"Little Yazi didn't faint this time?!"
This deviation from the usual pattern made both the Snow Empress and Ice Empress' expressions harden.
"I… something's not right…" Li Zhexian's breathing grew rapid.
Inside his mind, faint roars of a ferocious beast began to echo—
clearer and louder with every heartbeat—
An unbearable restlessness welled up within him.
"Hu…"
He exhaled sharply,
summoning the Qinglian Sword to his hand.
To his shock, the Qinglian Sword was also glowing with bloodlight—
the same as the sword in Little Yazi's mouth.
The Ice Empress frowned sharply.
"What's happening?!"
The Snow Empress' frosty gaze flickered thoughtfully.
"Li Zhexian, Little Yazi—try striking your swords together."
At her command,
both man and beast swung in unison—
Zzzzt—!
Boom—!
A mysterious ripple burst from the point of contact.
The snow within the ice crystal palace was swept away in an instant.
Upon the two sword blades,
the bloodlight surged—
and in the blink of an eye,
it engulfed both Li Zhexian and Little Yazi.
ROAR—!!
A roar filled with bloodlust and fury exploded inside Li Zhexian's skull.
And in that moment—he understood everything.
The Yazi lineage…
A kindness repaid without fail.
A grudge avenged unto death!
The ancient beast that had crossed the sea from another continent
had once beaten the previous Yazi to the brink of death.
That hatred had long been etched into the bloodline itself.
Before dying, the old Yazi branded the enemy
with a trace of its Yazi Mark.
Now, Li Zhexian bore that Yazi's Spirit Ring and Bone,
and little Yazi carried its bloodline.
This vengeance—
was now theirs to inherit.
Feeling the terrifying pull from within the blood-red light,
Li Zhexian's face changed dramatically.
"Ice Empress! Snow Empress!"
"Little Yazi and I are being drawn to that beast's lair!"
"What?!?!"
The Ice Empress gasped in alarm.
The Snow Empress, however, placed her slender hand on Li Zhexian's shoulder.
"Little Yazi must not come to harm."
"And since that old demon once provoked me…
it's time I paid it a visit."
At her words,
the Ice Empress touched Li Zhexian's other shoulder with the tip of her icy scorpion claw.
"Ah Tai, guard the Extreme North.
I'll go with Sister Snow!"
Their voices faded into the blizzard—
And as a flash of blood-red light burst forth,
Li Zhexian, Little Yazi, the Snow Empress, and the Ice Empress vanished from sight.
Upon the icy floor of the palace,
a single drop of blood-red light remained—
a scarlet mark, glowing faintly like a beacon…