The energy within the Snow Lotus was vast—pure and boundless, like an endless reservoir of neutral power that could be freely absorbed by anyone.
The instant Wei Xuan came into contact with that energy, the Soul Power within his body began to surge restlessly, his physique instinctively responding to its purity. The icy essence of the lotus nourished him in a way that felt both natural and divine. After gazing at it for a while, he released a faint mist of frost to seal the lotus, then placed it carefully into his storage ring.
"Snow Emperor," he said calmly, "your origin has been damaged. You should become my spirit ring first—it will give your source time to stabilize and recover."
"I have no objection," the Ice Emperor said immediately.
Sooner or later, it made no difference to her—but for the Snow Emperor, time was far more critical. The Snow Emperor hesitated briefly, then nodded. She truly didn't have many years left before facing her seventh heavenly tribulation, a fatal ordeal.
If she waited until Wei Xuan reached the sixtieth level, she might not survive to see that day. Becoming his fifth spirit ring was indeed the wisest choice…
Far from the Extreme North, in a desolate snowy plain not far from its border, a shimmer of light appeared. Huo Yuhao suddenly materialized and crashed hard into the snow, tumbling forward and landing face-first.
"Ah—!" he cried out as the impact tore at his open wounds, his body trembling with pain.
Clutching his ribs, he rolled over onto his back, gasping for breath, his face twisted in agony.
"Y-Yuhao…" came a faint, weakened voice within his mind.
His eyes widened. "Tianmeng-ge! How are you?"
"I'm… not doing well," the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm said weakly. "My origin is greatly depleted. I may need to sleep… for a very long time."
"Ah!? Tianmeng-ge, don't scare me!" Huo Yuhao cried, sitting up despite the pain, his eyes red-rimmed.
To him, Tianmeng wasn't just a partner—it was his dearest friend, his only guide. The thought of losing him filled his heart with panic. The silkworm's voice softened.
"I won't die… not yet. But I'll need a long time to recover."
"Before I sleep, I need to tell you something," Tianmeng continued faintly.
"Tell me, Tianmeng-ge," Yuhao said quickly, exhaling in relief.
"First—it's about your second Martial Soul. I won't be able to help you get another soul ring. You'll need to handle that on your own."
"Your second Martial Soul must not bond with just any beast. It must be a soul beast of purest extreme ice."
"Preferably an Ice Jade Scorpion or an Ice Sky Maiden—if not, at least a Titan Snow Demon."
"To achieve this, you'll have to rely on your Shrek Academy connections. When you return…"
The silkworm's fading voice continued to instruct him in detail—how to plan, what to say, every step carefully arranged before it finally quieted. … God Realm.
Vast clouds rolled across a boundless, luminous sky, infused with divine light and drifting mists. Amid the haze stood a man—tall, tranquil, and commanding. His long, water-blue hair cascaded down his back like a shining waterfall.
His posture was poised, his presence detached, exuding the aura of one above all beings. His youthful face, no older than twenty, carried eyes ancient and weathered by the tides of time—eyes that saw through all creation. The God King—Tang San.
He gazed into the distance, faint purple light flickering in his pupils. For a long time, he stood silently, until his calm expression began to tighten.
"The thread of fate… has changed?" he murmured, frowning slightly.
Moments ago, everything had been stable. Now, something—or someone—had altered destiny itself. That wasn't supposed to happen.
He raised his right hand, and a blue light screen shimmered before him, revealing scenes below—the mortal realm, deep within the northern snows. Tang San's eyes narrowed as he watched Huo Yuhao lying weak and bloodied in the snow.
"Strange," he whispered. "He's missing a chance… a fate that was meant to transform his talent. His path has shifted."
"What could have caused this?"
He recalled his previous divinations using the God Realm's core system. Huo Yuhao's destiny was vital to the balance of the God Realm's future. If his fate had changed, the consequences could ripple across realms.
Losing this destined opportunity meant that Yuhao's potential remained limited. He would no longer qualify to inherit his divine seat—nor even that of "the other one." The Sea God's Trident appeared before Tang San, glowing with soft, cerulean radiance.
He gripped it, channeling divine energy, attempting to trace the disturbance through time and space. He had to identify the source that disrupted Yuhao's destiny—and, if possible, restore it. Flickering visions flashed across his mind, indistinct and hazy, as though veiled in fog.
Still, he could discern enough to form an impression. Then—he saw it. The Extreme North.
The moment Wei Xuan appeared before Huo Yuhao. Tang San's brow furrowed deeply. At that very instant, Wei Xuan seemed to sense something.
His body stiffened. A subtle awareness brushed his consciousness—the unmistakable feeling of being observed through fate.
"Who's trying to read my past?" Wei Xuan's gaze lifted sharply toward the sky, his expression darkening.
He recognized the sensation immediately. This was the feeling of someone attempting a divine divination on him. For a brief moment, their consciousnesses brushed across space and dimension—and even the God King Tang San felt resistance.
"…It's him," Tang San muttered grimly, rubbing his temples as a wave of stabbing pain tore through his head.
He hissed under his breath, his features tightening. He had been rebounded—a backlash from the divination. For someone of Tang San's level, this was almost unthinkable.
That a mortal could repel his divine sight—it defied logic. As the pain eased, he continued to stare at the fading vision of Wei Xuan's shadow. A deep unease coiled in his chest—something primal, something he hadn't felt in eons.
For the first time since ascending to godhood, Tang San felt fear. That man's presence… was wrong. Someone who could make a God King's heart tremble—if word of it reached the other gods, the God Realm would be shaken to its core.
"…Enough," Tang San said finally, exhaling slowly.
"I'll correct the disturbance in his fate. That much, at least, I can still do."
He attempted once more to trace Wei Xuan's origins—only to find an absolute void. The threads of destiny refused to reveal his past. With a faint scowl, Tang San withdrew his hand, divine light fading.
"Bound by the God Realm's rules, I can't interfere directly," he murmured.
"I can't erase him… not yet."
Above the mortal world, the divine winds stirred. Far below, fate itself trembled in silence.
(End of Chapter)