"Xue'er, you... succeeded?"
Ice Empress, who had been guarding the place of secluded cultivation, was the first to sense that distinct, divine aura. She appeared before Snow Empress in an instant, her emerald eyes filled with excitement and disbelief.
Close behind were the massive Ice Bear King, Xiao Bai, and the majestic Titan Snow Devil King. They too felt the intimate calling and pressure originating from their bloodlines and souls.
"Yes, it was a success."
Snow Empress rose slowly, her long ice-white dress fluttering without wind. Looking at her closest companions and subordinates, a warm smile bloomed on her exquisite face, enough to melt glaciers.
"Divine sense, divine body, divine power, and my own godhood... I am no longer of soul beast origin, but the Goddess of Ice and Snow."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried a weight as heavy as a thousand jun.
Escaping the threat of the Heavenly Tribulation, breaking free from the shackles of lifespan, and possessing eternal life and the power to protect her realm—all of this was something she once dared not even imagine in her dreams.
And the one who brought about all these changes was that man who seemed gentle but was actually unfathomable—Lu Jingming.
Thinking of him, the cold, ice-like gaze in Snow Empress's eyes involuntarily turned into flowing spring water, filled with gratitude and... a trace of indescribable tenderness.
"Great! Mama has become a god, that's just wonderful!"
Ice Bear King Xiao Bai pounded the ice excitedly, shaking the earth and mountains, his honest face full of joy.
"Goddess of Ice and Snow... my Far North finally has its own deity's protection."
The Titan Snow Devil King's voice rumbled, filled with agitation and pride.
The Ice Empress flew directly to Snow Empress's side and gripped her hand tightly, tears faintly shimmering in her green eyes.
"Xue'er... congratulations. We finally... reached this day."
Snow Empress squeezed the Ice Empress's hand back, her gaze sweeping over the Ice Empress, Xiao Bai, and Ah Tai. Her voice was gentle yet firm.
"Not just me. You, and everyone in the Far North, will have the opportunity in the future."
She paused and continued, "By his side, a genius no less than Madam Herta has arrived recently—Madam Ruan Mei, whose attainments in the field of life exceed even Madam Herta's. She is well-versed in the mysteries of life. Once matters here are settled, I will personally seek him out and ask Madam Ruan Mei to find a way for you all, to see if we can bypass or even break that damn curse."
Hearing this, a strong light of hope burst from the eyes of the Ice Empress and the others.
They knew well how heaven-defying Madam Herta's methods were; a genius who could stand equal to her must possess world-shaking abilities. Even without a Herrscher Core, perhaps they could find a chance for godhood through bloodline modification, soul sublimation, or other paths.
This trust stemmed from a blind worship of the strength of Lu Jingming and those around him, and from a deep longing to break the shackles of fate.
"Are you going to Sea Abyss City? I'll go with you," the Ice Empress said immediately, unwilling to wait another moment.
"Alright, but before that..."
Snow Empress nodded slightly. With a thought, she sensed a distress signal sent through the "World Serpent" network from the Eighth Throne, the "King of Spirit" Huo Yuhao, along with his approximate coordinates and information about the enemy.
An interested smile appeared on her cold, beautiful face. Her divine ice power rippled slightly, causing the surrounding temperature to drop a few more degrees.
"Just right."
Snow Empress whispered to herself, her eyes shining with divine light.
"I've just condensed my godhood and happen to need a suitable opponent to verify my current level of power... This ready-made 'touchstone' has delivered itself to my door."
She looked at the Ice Empress. "Bing'er, get ready. We might need to... stretch our limbs a bit."
As her words fell, the majesty of the Goddess of Ice and Snow leaked out inadvertently. In the sky above the core region of the Far North, invisible cold currents seemed to coalesce.
Sea Abyss City, Core Area, a tranquil residence enveloped in soft starlight and soothing melodies.
It was unlike the killing intent and bustle of the outside world; the air was thick with warmth and peace.
On a soft, wide sofa, Lu Jingming leaned lazily in Robin's embrace, his eyes closed as he rested, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
Robin held him tenderly, her slender fingers gently smoothing his hair, while her lips hummed a soft melody that could soothe the soul.
Beside them on the carpet, the little one, Lu Mingyin—delicate as carved jade—was holding a wonderful toy that glowed and sang, playing happily and letting out crisp giggles from time to time, adding life to the quietude.
Suddenly, Lu Jingming received a message from the Eighth Throne, the "King of Spirit" Huo Yuhao, carry an urgent tone for help.
Lu Jingming did not open his eyes immediately; only his eyelashes flickered imperceptibly. He instantly completed the connection and analysis with Hatsune Miku.
He had long known through Hatsune Miku's surveillance that Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had descended to the lower realm. He just hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to run into these two and be hunted by them.
It seemed the matter of Xiao Wu had been exposed; otherwise, given Huo Yuhao's status, he wouldn't be hunted by Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
Next, there would be some fun to watch.
He slowly opened his eyes, those deep pupils showing no ripples, as if he had just woken from a short nap. He sat up slightly, pulling away from Robin's embrace with natural, fluid movements.
"Hmm?" Robin stopped humming, her beautiful eyes looking at him with inquiry.
Lu Jingming did not answer directly. Instead, he leaned over and picked up his precious daughter, Lu Mingyin, who was playing busily.
The little one was stunned for a moment by being picked up by her father, but then she split her small mouth—which hadn't finished growing teeth—and let out an even more cheerful laugh, reaching out her chubby little hands to grab Lu Jingming's face.
A trace of doting flashed in Lu Jingming's eyes. He lowered his head to nuzzle the little one's tender cheek affectionately and then gave her a loud "mwah" kiss.
"Hehehe..." Lu Mingyin laughed non-stop, her little hands waving.
This heartwarming scene caused a brighter smile to bloom on Robin's face—a radiance of happiness belonging to a wife and mother, shining from the inside out.
Lu Jingming teased his daughter for a moment before handing her steadily back to Robin.
"I'm going out to handle some business," he said flatly, as if he were merely going to attend to a routine official matter.
"Okay." Robin took her daughter and nodded gently, not asking a single question.
She understood Lu Jingming and trusted his abilities even more. In this vast continent or even the starry universe, there were few things he would find difficult. Since he spoke so nonchalantly, there was no need for concern.
She simply adjusted her posture to make her daughter more comfortable and continued humming the unfinished gentle melody. Her gaze followed Lu Jingming's retreating figure toward the door, her face full of contentment and tranquility.
She loved her current life—having a powerful man she loved deeply, a healthy and cute daughter, her own songs and career, and a group of "sisters" who, despite their different personalities, got along harmoniously... All of it was as beautiful as a dream.
Of course, if... her brother could be here too, it would be even more perfect.
Such thoughts would occasionally cross Robin's mind. Her elder brother, who always carried responsibility on his shoulders and was both protective and strict with her.
She had mentioned several times to Lu Jingming whether he could bring her brother to this world. Each time, Lu Jingming would give a somewhat helpless smile and gently deflect with the excuse that his "Power of Reality" was temporarily insufficient.
Robin knew better in her heart.
What "insufficient Power of Reality"? Lu Jingming now controlled a planet, linked parallel worlds, and had even begun to touch other planes. Summoning her brother might not be easy, but it was by no means impossible.
As for the real reason... thinking of her brother's legendary "sister-complex" attribute, Robin was also somewhat helpless.
If he knew his precious sister had not only followed a man of "unknown origin" but had become one of his many confidantes and even had a child... her brother would likely go berserk on the spot. Even if he couldn't beat Jingming, he would definitely cause a chaotic uproar that would give Jingming a massive headache.
Thinking of this, a sly and knowing smile curled at the corner of Robin's mouth.
Never mind, no rush. Both she and Jingming had plenty of time. For now, she would just enjoy this hard-won peaceful life.
Lu Jingming walked out of the residence, the warm smile fading from his face, replaced by his usual calm and depth. He did not gather an army, nor did he disturb Herta, Ruan Mei, or the others. With just a slight thought, his figure vanished silently from Sea Abyss City like ink dissolving in water.
On the vast, boundless wasteland, the sky was an oppressive leaden gray. Wild winds whipped up dry dust, letting out wailing whistles. This place was far from human civilization; only withered yellow grass swayed feebly in the wind, like an ancient battlefield forgotten by the world.
A gray streak of light, like a bird, streaked across the sky—it was Huo Yuhao's body, currently dominated by Electrolux's divine sense.
However, the momentum of this light was suddenly cut off by a black shadow that appeared out of thin air, even swifter and more agile. That shadow seemed to "seep" directly out of a fold in space without any warning, appearing precisely in front of the gray light.
The shadow solidified, revealing Zhu Zhuqing's cold, beautiful face and slender figure. There was no dazzling divine light around her, only a sense of blurriness as if she were merged with space and could vanish again at any moment. But that icy aura caused the space in front of her to freeze.
"It ends here."
Zhu Zhuqing's voice was not loud, but it pierced clearly through the gale into Huo Yuhao's ears.
Almost at the same moment Zhu Zhuqing appeared, a golden light exploded behind them like a sun crashing to the earth. Dai Mubai's majestic figure descended with a boom, landing steadily a hundred meters behind, forming a pincer attack with Zhu Zhuqing and completely blocking all paths of retreat.
War God divine power surged around him, golden flames rising and pushing back the surrounding dust to form a clear ring. Battle intent blazed in his pupils as he locked onto the target.
The three stood in a triangular standoff in the center of the wasteland. The atmosphere tightened to the extreme in an instant; even the whistling wind seemed to hold its breath.
Zhu Zhuqing's cold gaze pierced through the gray haze on the surface of Huo Yuhao's body, as if looking directly at the ancient remnant soul deep within. She spoke indifferently:
"Give up your pointless struggle; you cannot escape. Though I do not know which venerable god you were in life to be able to persist as a remnant soul and even protect this boy... a remnant soul is just a remnant soul. Even if your rank in life might have been above ours, right now your origin is incomplete and your divine power is rootless. You are no match for Mubai and me together. Reveal Xiao Wu's whereabouts, and perhaps you can avoid the pain of having your soul scattered."
Her analysis was calm and precise, pointing out Electrolux's greatest weakness at the moment. He possessed high-level divine sense essence and techniques, but lacked sustained divine power output and a complete divine body for support.
Electrolux, controlling Huo Yuhao's body, saw a trace of helplessness and weariness flash in his gray eyes. His aged voice echoed across the wasteland:
"Alas... the world is unpredictable, and fate plays tricks. This disciple of mine has had a rough life and deep obsessions; he has never given me peace of mind. But since he entered my sect and received my inheritance, it is a matter of karma. As a teacher, how can I hand my disciple over to outsiders to be dealt with?"
He was naturally aware of the matter between Huo Yuhao and Xiao Wu and could only sigh at the fickleness of fate. However, the die was cast, and the child had already been born; regret was useless now. He knew that once Huo Yuhao fell into their hands, the secret would inevitably be exposed under divine methods.
At that time, facing the towering rage of the God King Tang San, Huo Yuhao would have no chance of survival, and even the newborn child might suffer. Whether for public or private reasons, he had to protect Huo Yuhao.
"Stubborn and foolish, refusing the easy way and choosing the hard way!"
Dai Mubai had long lost his patience, and hearing this, his anger flared. He wasted no more words; a War God always preferred to crush ingenuity with power.
Dai Mubai let out a low growl and slammed his right foot onto the ground.
"BOOM—!!!"
With his foot as the center, the earth for a hundred meters around collapsed and cracked as if struck by an invisible giant hammer. Countless clumps of dirt and stone were blasted into the air by the violent divine power.
As for the man himself, he transformed into a humanoid meteor burning with fierce golden divine flames, crashing directly toward Huo Yuhao with a terrifying aura that threatened to pulverize everything. Wherever the charge passed, the air was intensely compressed and rubbed, letting out a rolling thunderous roar and leaving a visible, distorted, and scorching vacuum trail.
This was the purest power and speed, containing the War God's unstoppable will to fight.
Almost at the same instant Dai Mubai moved, Zhu Zhuqing moved as well.
She did not have Dai Mubai's world-shaking momentum. Her figure merely flickered slightly, and she seemed to merge completely into the gaps between light and space, vanishing from her spot. It was not an afterimage from high-speed movement, but a true, near-spatial flicker.
In the next instant, she appeared like a ghost at Huo Yuhao's side. The distance between them seemed as if it had never existed.
Zhu Zhuqing held her fingers like a blade. The edge of her fair palm was wreathed in a condensed, dim divine light. The light was not piercing, but it carried an extreme sharpness that cut the soul and ignored defense, silently slicing toward Huo Yuhao's neck and vital points.
She was so fast that she outstripped sound; the whistle of breaking air only sounded after the attack nearly hit home. This was a lethal strike that pushed speed to the limit and integrated it into the attack, making it impossible to defend against when coupled with her ghostly displacement.