Chapter 268: Snow Empress – "He Wants You, and You Just Give In?"
"Alright!"
Gritting his teeth, Huo Yuhao nodded firmly.
But a deep sense of humiliation surged in his chest.
He stared at the tiny root in front of him, resentment and unwillingness swirling in his eyes.
He hated the unseen thief who stole his fortune—hated his fate even more.
Why was he always the one who lost everything?
Why did destiny decide he only deserved leftovers—grass roots and scraps?
It was supposed to be his opportunity.
Still, he lunged forward. Summoning the last of his strength, he clawed at the frozen ground, tearing it apart with raw fury. Dirt and ice splattered as his fingers dug deep, ripping the pale, finger-thin root from the frost as though gouging out an enemy's eye.
Without even brushing off the dirt, he shoved it between his teeth and bit down viciously.
Crunch!
The root broke easily—not hard at all.
But the moment it hit his tongue, a bone-piercing chill shot through his mouth, along with an earthy bitterness that twisted his stomach. It was disgusting.
It tasted like frozen raw radish rolled in sand—and yet, Huo Yuhao chewed with abandon, jaw tight, swallowing it whole as if devouring revenge itself.
In seconds, half the crystalline root was gone.
Boom!
The instant it entered his stomach, a frigid surge exploded through his body.
If it had been the full Snow Lotus, his mortal physique would have shattered in an instant. But this was just one piece of root—its potency immense yet survivable.
"Yuhao! Circulate your soul power! Absorb the energy!" shouted Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
Huo Yuhao snapped into focus, guiding his soul force through his meridians.
The icy rush slowly turned into warmth, flowing through his limbs, cleansing his veins, and smoothing the flow of his soul power.
"What an amazing feeling… just one root, and the effect is this strong..."
Shaken, Huo Yuhao could hardly believe it.
Yet his chest still ached with regret.
If he'd been just a minute faster… If he'd taken the full Snow Lotus…
Would he still be struggling like this, gnawing roots in a frozen cave?
Would he have already become someone powerful?
The thought made his heart twist tighter with frustration until he could only sigh helplessly.
Tianmeng watched quietly, equal parts pity and regret.
Had Huo Yuhao obtained the complete Hundred-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, it would have transformed his destiny outright.
The ice-element core within his body could have fused with such a treasure, forming his second martial soul right here and now.
It wouldn't compare to what the Ice Empress could grant, but it would still be enough to create a powerful dual martial soul—a future of limitless potential.
But fate had offered him only scraps.
At least this root still contained residual essence. For any other person, it was priceless—a treasure worth tens of thousands of gold coins. It strengthened his physique greatly, raising his inherent quality.
At Shrek Academy, where prodigies thrived, he had always been at the bottom.
Even after consuming the Profound Water Pill earlier, he had barely crawled out of mediocrity.
Now, thanks to this root, he had finally risen from "ordinary" talent to "good."
Barely enough to keep up with his class.
At least, from now on, he wouldn't be left too far behind.
Meanwhile, far away, the cave glowed with golden warmth from Ye Chen's soul lamp.
The Ice Empress sat cross-legged on a thick fur rug, surrounded by oil-paper packets stuffed with snacks and sweets.
Her cheeks bulged adorably as she chewed like a squirrel hoarding for winter, mumbling through mouthfuls toward the frosty figure beside her.
"Hic… Snow Empress, don't stay mad, okay? Try this cream puff—it's soft and sweet! Ye Chen really isn't that bad, you know…"
Swallowing, she grabbed another sugar-dusted puff and pushed it toward the Snow Empress's tightly sealed lips.
"C'mon, just taste it! I bet you've never eaten anything this good. Smiling once in a while won't kill you, you know?"
The Snow Empress's lashes trembled slightly. The enticing smell tickled her nose, betraying her composed façade.
She pursed her lips tighter, her whole demeanor screaming "Don't touch me." Yet her nose twitched softly, betraying curiosity.
Finally, when the Ice Empress pushed the puff closer—its sugar grazing her mouth—the Snow Empress relented.
Her icy-blue eyes opened, burning with reluctant irritation. She glared once, then leaned forward and took a measured bite.
"Ahm."
She chewed quickly, her elegant face softening just a fraction. The sweet, milky warmth melted against her tongue, cracking the frozen composure she'd worn for centuries.
For a brief blink, the corners of her lips twitched upward.
Then, just as quickly, she hid it—closing her eyes again, expression turning cool and aloof, pretending nothing had happened.
But the subtle ease in her features didn't escape the Ice Empress's notice.
"Heh, told you it's good," she whispered smugly, crunching happily on a cookie of her own.
"Ye Chen said soul spirits can leave him for short periods, as long as we respond when he needs soul skills. So technically, we're still free even after becoming his spirits."
Snacking between words, she tried to coax the Snow Empress a little more.
"Hmph. Of course you'd defend him. You're his now," the Snow Empress muttered coldly.
Her cheeks turned slightly pink at the memory—those recent, shameless displays between Ye Chen and the Ice Empress replaying vividly in her mind.
The nerve of them—doing that while she was right there!
Utterly scandalous!
The Ice Empress had completely lost her dignity as one of the sovereigns of the Extreme North!
"Cough, cough… Well, you know Ye Chen," the Ice Empress murmured, blushing deeply herself. "His Martial Soul is the Ice Dragon King. He's… well, he's good at almost everything. Just a bit… spirited, maybe? Nobody's perfect."
The Snow Empress shot her a glare sharp enough to freeze stone.
"So he wants you, and you just give in?"
That single line carried both fury and disappointment.
To her, it was unthinkable.
The proud queen of frost and snow—reduced to fawning over a human boy.
She could barely stand to see it.
(END CHAPTER)
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