Chapter 15: Decision: The Human Powerhouses Who Infiltrated the Core Region

It seemed she had noticed Shu Yan's condition was off; Snow Emperor curled her lips and gave a light chuckle, not taking it to heart.

He was just a thirteen-year-old boy; no matter how mature his mind, in her eyes he was merely a slightly smarter child. Through subtle, gradual interaction, her feelings for Shu Yan underwent a slight strange shift. If before she had regarded him as kin and companion due to bloodline ties and their shared path to godhood, now their bond was a notch above that.

When a child reaches the age of budding affection, can this self-proclaimed older sister really be blamed…?

Ahem, almost went off topic…

Getting back on topic, after hearing Shu Yan's words that day, Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor actually gave serious thought to the meaning of his words.

Shu Yan is human, a fact that even the world's destruction could not change. In the half year he spent in the Extreme North, Snow Emperor clearly sensed changes in him. Humans are social creatures, and besides, Shu Yan still has ties in the human world. Though the Extreme North is the best place for his training, anyone can see that keeping him confined there would likely yield a poor outcome.

Regarding this, Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor discussed it and finally made a decision.

Since Shu Yan cannot stay long in the Extreme North, why shouldn't they follow him to the human world for a look?

This was the result of their careful deliberation. Although through Shu Yan they had a rough grasp of the current power distribution in the human world and the condition of its top experts, as they said, soul beasts and humans are ultimately two utterly different species; entering the human world is as dangerous for them as humans entering the soul beast world, and the risks are great. Yet after weighing everything, they still decided to accompany Shu Yan on a trip.

First, they have confidence in their own strength. Snow Emperor's condition is still near its peak; even without the Extreme North's heavenly energy boost, she can still be considered a Limit Douluo. Ice Emperor, while not a Limit Douluo, is at least equivalent to a human rank-98 Super Douluo.

Both possess ultimate attributes and have known each other for hundreds of thousands of years; their battle coordination is seamless, they can read each other's intentions at a glance. Without exaggeration, such a duo could slaughter through the vast majority of the continent's top powers; even against superpowers, any aggressor would have to weigh the consequences and possible fallout.

Second, the reason is simple: they also want to witness just how prosperous and wonderful the so-called human world is. Having lingered long in the Extreme North, their curiosity about the outside world has never ceased; they simply never found a suitable opportunity.

After the two sisters discussed it, they quickly settled all arrangements.

Ice Emperor first returned to her clan to handle some matters, which would take a few days, and Snow Emperor then directly explained her and Ice Emperor's idea to Shu Yan.

When Shu Yan first heard the news, he was stunned for a long while, but after coming to his senses he accepted it naturally.

Although I don't know exactly what Snow Emperor and Ice Emperor are thinking, at least this outcome is good for him. Though having their protection in the Extreme North means carefree living, he still prefers to return to the human world—human nature being what it is—at least Shu Yan doesn't feel he is some misfit.

……

When Ice Emperor reappeared, it was already another seven days later; she didn't know what she had been busy with, but she looked slightly fatigued, and Snow Emperor, curious about her appearance, immediately asked: 'Ice'er, did something big happen? You don't look quite right…'

Ice Emperor let out a soft sigh, her body leaning softly into Snow Emperor's embrace; catching Snow Emperor's faint fragrance, her expression gradually eased, and she then began to recount the events.

"It's not really a big deal, I returned to the clan intending to settle some minor matters, but not long after I got back, while patrolling my territory, I sensed a human presence near the Bing Hai. Upon drawing closer, I found that those several people were not weak; even the weakest was a Soul Douluo, and the leader's strength approached that of a human Super Douluo. Moreover, they had actually slipped into our core region right under our noses. Looking at their camp and traces of life, they've likely been stationed there for quite a while, yet not a single soul beast noticed anything amiss."

Ice Emperor paused here, then continued:

"I realized their intentions were not small, so I led the clansmen to surround them under cover of night. Those few sensed the abnormality and fought desperately, even resorting to an immensely powerful weapon. I failed to notice in time, and many clansmen suffered grave injuries and fell…"

A hint of guilt appeared in Ice Emperor's eyes. Initially, she deemed those humans' cultivation too insignificant to worry about, so her momentary lapse allowed one of them, in his dying moments, to employ some unknown means that triggered a series of massive explosions. By the time she came to, it was too late; the clansmen who followed her were dead or wounded. In her fury, Ice Emperor's Eternal Freeze Domain spread a hundred li, and she ultimately tortured to death the remaining few.

Ice Emperor's words also plunged Snow Emperor into deep thought.

Because Shu Yan's arrival, it had indeed been a long time since she last knew the situation in the core region. Know that the core region of the Extreme North is not small; its area even surpasses that of somewhat larger hunting forests outside. Just as the dangerous zones of the Star Dou Great Forest are forbidden to humans, the Extreme North's core region has always been a human no-go zone—not to mention evading the ever-present powerful soul beast scouts from outside, even enduring the bitter cold here is extremely difficult.

And yet now, humans dare to camp in the core region, even appearing to have grand designs. Snow Emperor, not knowing what she was reminded of, saw her face darken abruptly.

If Shu Yan had not appeared, she would by now be on the verge of using the heavenly essence of that hundred-thousand-year snow lotus to seal her own origin and thus assume human form; at that time she would have been nearly at her most vulnerable—not only could a human whose strength approached Super Douluo easily kill her, but even an ordinary human Soul Sage could likely do so.

The more Snow Emperor dwelled on it, the more chills ran down her spine; gripping the edge of the ice bed, she squeezed hard and instantly crushed it into a pile of ice shards.

Listening to their conversation, Shu Yan's hazy memories began to surge; if he remembered correctly, in the original story Snow Emperor, while attempting to assume human form, had unfortunately encountered a human who had penetrated the Extreme North's core region, and that person sealed her with a ninth-level Soul Guide Device God-Sealing Platform, then took her away from the Extreme North.

Now it seems his arrival has already begun to manifest changes and deviations; as for how the future will unfold, at present a thick fog has obscured everything, making the outcome impossible to discern……

Just as Shu Yan was lost in thought, Ice Emperor suddenly appeared at his side; seeing he still had no reaction, she skillfully reached out and pinched his waist firmly. Shu Yan frowned slightly, and instantly snapped back to attention.

"What's wrong?"

Shu Yan asked softly, at the same time gently shaking off Ice Emperor's hand that was still exerting force.

Ice Emperor let out a light hum, then flicked her wrist; several storage Soul Guide Devices of varying shapes suddenly appeared in her hand. Judging by the residual blood aura on them, these were likely the belongings left by the soul masters Ice Emperor had slaughtered.

"These are the storage Soul Guide Devices those bastards left behind after death; their contents are a mishmash, and I can't make sense of them, so I'm just giving them to you—maybe they'll come in handy someday."

Shu Yan gave a light smile, took the storage Soul Guide Devices from Ice Emperor's hand, and probed them with his mental power; in the next instant his pupils contracted sharply, as if he had beheld something terrifying……

……

(End of chapter)