Chapter 139: Zhu Zhuyun Is Moved, First Encounter with the Snow Empress
Having personally witnessed the effects of an immortal herb, how could Zhu Zhuyun possibly remain unmoved?
Compared to enduring the brutal struggle between family and imperial power—fighting tooth and nail just for that illusory position of empress—
The temptation of immortal herbs and the possibility of breaking through to the Titled Douluo realm were far greater.
Even if she truly became empress, as long as she did not hold the dominant position in the Martial Soul Fusion Technique, she would at best remain nothing more than Dai Weisi's appendage.
Moreover, once Dai Weisi ascended the throne as emperor, it was inevitable that he would take concubines.
If she were strong, she might be able to control the harem.
But if Dai Weisi were the stronger one, then in the ruthlessness of the imperial family, she would eventually be reduced to a complete tool.
Zhu Zhuyun had lived within the Zhu family far longer than Zhu Zhuqing and had undergone even deeper indoctrination.
Yet it was precisely because she had seen and experienced more that she understood more clearly what lay ahead—and what she truly wanted.
Compared to Zhu Zhuqing, she desired more things: power, strength, and family ties—she wanted all of them.
Thus, Zhu Zhuqing's proposal struck straight at her heart.
"Zhuqing… is what you're saying really true?" Zhu Zhuyun asked excitedly.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "Elder sister, I've already told you my entire plan. Can you still not trust me?"
'That's right. She even told me something so utterly rebellious… As long as I reported her words to Dai Weisi, the imperial family would immediately investigate her.'
Zhu Zhuyun thought silently.
Zhu Zhuqing had handed her leverage—placing her fate directly in Zhu Zhuyun's hands.
This made Zhu Zhuyun feel her sister's sincerity and trust.
The lingering resentment she felt from having been deceived was swept away entirely. Now, the only thing she feared was that Zhu Zhuqing's plan might fail.
"Zhuqing… Thank you. Elder sister believes you. If Dai Mubai can truly defeat Dai Weisi, I will fully support you," Zhu Zhuyun said solemnly.
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuyun stepped forward and tightly embraced her younger sister.
Compared to Zhu Zhuqing's cool, restrained body, Zhu Zhuyun's figure was warmer—almost burning—but Zhu Zhuqing felt a different kind of warmth altogether.
Because the future of the Zhu family might finally be about to change.
After leaving Zhu Zhuyun's residence, Zhu Zhuqing told Qi Tian everything about their conversation.
Qi Tian did not let his guard down. He sought out Ling Yuan and asked her to keep an eye on Zhu Zhuyun.
Although the two were sisters, Qi Tian would never be careless enough to trust Zhu Zhuyun completely.
If anything went wrong, Qi Tian could protect himself—but it would completely disrupt Bibi Dong's plan.
And so, to avoid leaving a knot in Zhu Zhuqing's heart, he chose to play the villain himself.
A few days later.
Extreme North—Core Region, deep within the frozen plains.
Qi Tian possessed the Ice Empress for the second time.
She had only recently emerged from seclusion after digesting the vitality of the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
Her cultivation had now broken through to four hundred thousand years, and at the latest, her fourth heavenly tribulation would descend within a thousand years.
However, after absorbing the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's essence, the Ice Empress felt confident that she now had the strength to survive the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation.
At midnight, she suddenly felt her body lose control once more.
'Damn it, that human's skill again?' the Ice Empress thought in alarm.
She was now a four-hundred-thousand-year soul beast, yet she was still being controlled by a human.
That human was simply too terrifying.
Before long, she felt her body transform into human form, her hands instinctively pressing against her chest and squeezing.
"Qi Tian! What are you doing?!" the Ice Empress shouted angrily.
Although she was a soul beast, she possessed inherited memories—she was well aware of what that area meant to humans.
Places that even the Snow Empress had never touched…
Qi Tian had already touched them over the past few days.
The Ice Empress burned with fury.
"Ah—force of habit. So you were awake?" Qi Tian said awkwardly.
"What do you mean by 'force of habit'? You clearly just wanted to take advantage of me!" the Ice Empress accused angrily.
Qi Tian withdrew his hands and didn't continue arguing with her. After all, this time, he really was in the wrong.
"As the king of soul beasts, this is where you live?" Qi Tian asked, glancing around at the surroundings.
Everything around them was an endless expanse of white, with not a single building in sight.
In Qi Tian's imagination, as the ruler of soul beasts, the Ice Empress should at least have some sort of residence—even if not a luxurious ice crystal palace, she should still have a place to live, right?
"My residence isn't here," the Ice Empress replied, successfully having her attention diverted, and began explaining to him.
As a scorpion, the place she lived was naturally a cavern within the glacier.
Cursing Qi Tian's ignorance inwardly, she continued, "I'm going to see the Snow Empress now. Return control of my body to me!"
After the last possession, she already knew that Qi Tian's ability could last an entire day.
However, during that time, Qi Tian could still return control of her body to her whenever he wished.
She was about to meet the one she loved—Snow Empress—and she didn't want her body to be controlled by Qi Tian at such a moment.
"Go see Snow Empress? Great! Hurry up and point the way for me!" Qi Tian's eyes lit up.
The progress of his mission was moving this fast—was he finally about to make contact with the next target?
"No! Give my body back to me!" the Ice Empress said firmly.
She was the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress, not the Sky Azure Bull Python. She didn't have a bull's head, nor would she shout "Great!" in excitement.
Unlike the Sky Azure Bull Python, who could watch his beloved Xiao Wu fall in love with a human and ultimately sacrifice himself for that human.
It could only be said that the Sky Azure Bull Python was the ultimate cuckold.
"How is it not okay? I'm using your body right now—and I have a way to make Snow Empress respond to your feelings," Qi Tian said.
Hearing Qi Tian so bluntly expose her thoughts, the Ice Empress suddenly felt flustered.
But compared to making Snow Empress fall in love with her, everything else was insignificant—something she could easily ignore.
"What are you saying? Is that really true?" the Ice Empress asked.
"Of course it's true. I'm a human—far more experienced in romance than you soul beasts," Qi Tian replied.
The Ice Empress thought about it and felt that it really did make sense.
As a soul beast, she truly lacked real ability in this regard.
Though she had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, her intelligence and emotions had developed gradually. Without seeing or experiencing such things, there was naturally no way for her to learn them.
"…Fine. I'll show you the way," the Ice Empress said, her tone softening noticeably.
Following the path indicated by the Ice Empress, Qi Tian headed toward another location deep within the core region of the Extreme North.
The distance between her dwelling and Snow Empress's wasn't very far. As they traveled, Qi Tian asked about the progress between her and the Snow Empress.
But he hadn't expected the Ice Empress to be this hopeless—their relationship hadn't gone beyond that of ordinary friends.
Moreover, because Snow Empress's temperament was far too cold, the two rarely interacted. What the Ice Empress felt toward Snow Empress was more admiration than love.
Before long, Qi Tian arrived at Snow Empress's location.
"Look—Snow Empress is right there!" the Ice Empress said excitedly.
Qi Tian looked in the direction she indicated and saw her immediately.
Amid the ice and snow, Snow Empress stood like a divine maiden, transcendent and solitary.
Her snow-white hair cascaded down her back all the way to her feet. Her ice-blue eyes were clear and ethereal, as though they could see through everything in the world.
Her slender, perfect figure was flawless. She wore a plain white dress without the slightest adornment, yet it only made her appear even more noble and peerlessly beautiful.
Her cold, aloof demeanor blended perfectly with the frozen world around her, yet felt utterly out of place.
Snow Empress was simply too detached—like a goddess untouched by worldly dust.
But Qi Tian understood that Snow Empress was not cold by nature—she was merely too lonely.
And the Ice Empress, being a soul beast with very little humanity, simply had no way of successfully "conquering" Snow Empress on her own.
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End of Chapter