The Snow Emperor's eyes were crystalline blue, pure as the world's most flawless sapphire. Wei Xuan's eyes, by contrast, were deep and dark—like the unfathomable night sky, quiet and endless.
Their gazes locked. An invisible pressure filled the air, two mighty auras clashing in silence.
The Ice Emperor, startled by the tension, quickly stepped forward. "Snow Emperor, please—don't act rashly," she urged, positioning herself near Wei Xuan.
The Snow Emperor studied him for a long moment before speaking, her tone calm but commanding: "Release your spirit rings and those soul beasts. I want to see them for myself."
Her voice was as clear as wind over frozen plains—beautiful, but distant, devoid of warmth.
She didn't doubt the Ice Emperor's words, but she wanted proof—proof with her own eyes.
Wei Xuan frowned slightly.
"I don't care for that commanding tone of yours," he said evenly, his voice quiet but cutting.
The Ice Emperor hurried to smooth things over.
"She doesn't mean offense," she said quickly. "She's only curious."
Wei Xuan didn't answer—only met the Snow Emperor's gaze, calm and sharp as a blade.
Her expression chilled, and the air itself seemed to freeze. Snow swirled violently, and the temperature plummeted—approaching absolute zero.
But Wei Xuan didn't move. He stood there motionless, unbothered, not a hint of frost forming on him.
Then, with a flicker of thought, something changed. The blizzard that raged around him—stopped.
For a brief moment, even the falling snow hung still in the air. Then, it surged again—but this time, the snow obeyed him, not her.
The control of the ice and snow—the very essence of the Extreme North—had been wrested from the Snow Emperor's hands.
It was not a contest of power, but of mastery. And in mastery of the element of frost… no one, not even the Heavenly Ice Maiden herself, surpassed Wei Xuan.
"…What?"
For the first time, the Snow Emperor's calm wavered. Her face—normally composed and serene—showed true surprise.
That anyone could steal control of her snow was unthinkable.
Her sapphire eyes glimmered with curiosity and disbelief as she stared at Wei Xuan anew.
"A truly… fascinating human," she murmured softly.
It was the first time in countless years that a mortal had managed to surprise her.
The Ice Emperor, too, looked on in astonishment. She had been about to help him resist the cold—
but Wei Xuan had not only withstood it; he had taken command of it.
"…You astonish me," the Snow Emperor said at last. "I didn't expect someone so young to possess such terrifying control over ice and snow—greater even than my own."
Her tone carried no shame, only simple honesty.
"Are you… a soul beast in human form?" she asked curiously, her gaze sweeping him up and down.
It was the only explanation that made sense.
A human mastering ice to this degree? Impossible—unless he was something beyond human.
Wei Xuan shook his head slightly.
"The Ice Emperor asked me the same thing," he replied. "But no—I'm not a transformed soul beast."
"Some people are simply born different. Call it divine favor, if you like. I was born with an affinity for ice and snow so strong it borders on absurdity."
His words were simple truth, not arrogance. Indeed, Wei Xuan was a being set apart by fate.
The Snow Emperor nodded slowly, thoughtful. She could not understand it fully—but she could recognize strength when she saw it.
"You have earned my respect," she said quietly.
From that moment, her view of him shifted. No longer did she see a lesser being of flesh and blood, but someone equal in essence—a peer among the sovereigns of frost.
Satisfied that she would no longer act rashly, Wei Xuan raised a hand.
Four spirit rings shimmered into existence—three purple, one black. And from them, his four soul beasts appeared: the Ice Flood Dragon, Saber-Tooth Ice Tiger, Ice River Mammoth, and the Ice Phoenix.
Even though the Snow Emperor had braced herself, the sight still left her breathless.
The beasts radiated life—souls, not mindless remnants—and their forms were indistinguishable from the living. For someone who understood the balance of spirit and form as deeply as she did, this defied reason.
Her composure broke.
Shock—pure and unfeigned—flashed across her flawless face.
After a long moment, Wei Xuan withdrew his spirit rings, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he observed her reaction. He was already contemplating the next step.
If the Snow Emperor, like the Ice Emperor, were to one day willingly become his spirit ring… the gain would be immeasurable.
Two supreme sovereigns of the Extreme North, bound as allies within him. It would save him the effort of ever seeking another.
It took a long while before the Snow Emperor composed herself again. Her breath came lightly, her tone now edged with something else—hope.
"If you die one day," she asked suddenly, "could these soul beasts—whose spirits remain alive within your rings—return to life? Could they leave your body and become true soul beasts again?"
She did not care how he achieved this miracle. All that mattered was the possibility of resurrection.
If it were true, it would change everything. It would end the endless slaughter of her kind.
The Ice Emperor froze, realization dawning. Her jade eyes widened.
Yes—if this method could truly preserve and restore soul beasts after becoming rings…
Then the entire fate of the soul beast race could be rewritten.
Her heartbeat quickened. Her gaze burned with anticipation.
"Answer her," she whispered. "Please…"
Wei Xuan blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Of all the questions he'd expected, this wasn't one of them—and why were they so casually discussing his death?
'I'm not planning to die anytime soon,' he thought dryly.
Still, he considered the question seriously. Could a soul ring's spirit truly live on after the host's death?
Silence fell. The two rulers of the north held their breath, eyes fixed on him.
After several long minutes, Wei Xuan spoke at last.
"…In theory," he said slowly, "yes. It's possible."
"Truly!?"
The two empresses exclaimed in unison, eyes shining with tears of joy.
They didn't care about his "in theory." They had heard only one word: possible.
"To think… that one day, soul beasts might live without fear of extinction…"
The Ice Emperor threw her arms around the Snow Emperor, her voice trembling with emotion.
For the first time in ages, the icy world of the Extreme North felt warm.
(End of Chapter)