The Transaction Fails, Xue Di's Persistence"Who are you?"
The Snow Emperor's cool gaze slowly shifted from the golden trident to the figure holding it, and she solemnly said.
As the leader of the three Heavenly Kings of the far north, Xue Di possesses top-tier strength on the continent and has an exceptionally broad vision.
Although the man before her was far less imposing than she was, the golden trident in his hand exuded an aura of extreme holiness and danger. That chilling sense of oppression could only mean one thing: the trident was a weapon of a god.
Otherwise, she would have driven this uninvited guest away long ago.
Dai Yao quietly observed the Snow Emperor, who was renowned in the world of Douluo Continent II: The Peerless Tang Sect.
If beauty is divided into ten levels, the appearances of Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, and others who have undergone lotus evolution would naturally be at the tenth level of beauty power. Xue Di's appearance, however, could be considered at the ninth level of beauty power, comparable to Bibi Dong.
With her slender and tall figure and aloof and stunning temperament, she is second to none in the entire continent.
However, this powerful and stunningly beautiful soul beast had a rather tumultuous journey in the original story. Knowing it couldn't survive the Heavenly Tribulation, it used the Snow Demon's special abilities to break free from the limitations of a ferocious beast and transform into a human. But at its most vulnerable moment, it was taken advantage of by the people of the Sun Moon Empire and sealed inside the Conferred God Platform.
Later, by chance, it fell into Huo Yuhao's hands.
It was a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune.
Of course, this kind of luck was also deliberately orchestrated; otherwise, how could such a coincidence happen? The Snow Empress's fate was constantly manipulated by Tang Shenwang, gradually turning her into the 'daughter' of Huo Yuhao, the chosen one of destiny.
Dai Yao did not expect that the first of the three Heavenly Kings of the Far North he met was the strongest one, the Snow Empress.
However, since we're already here, we might as well make the best of it.
If we could persuade the Snow Empress to sacrifice herself for the Snow Dance, that would be wonderful.
"Hehe, who I am is not important. I may have some minor reputation in the human world, but it won't reach Xue Di's ears. You can just call me 'Dai Yao'."
Dai Yao smiled and said.
Upon hearing this, Xue Di frowned slightly.
This isn't ten thousand years from now, when her name is unknown to anyone in the human world, and even in this far north, few know her. This guy named 'Dai Yao' immediately recognized her, clearly possessing a deep understanding of the far north.
Her gaze lingered on the golden trident for a moment longer, and Xue Di stared at Dai Yao, slowly saying:
"Whoever you are is none of my business. Now, tell me why you've come? What is your purpose?"
There were no hidden tricks in how soul beasts interacted, and Dai Yao, too lazy to mince words, chose to get straight to the point:
"I have come here today to offer you a glimpse of an opportunity."
"Opportunity? What opportunity?"
Xue Di was somewhat puzzled.
"If I remember correctly, Snow Emperor, your current cultivation level is between 680,000 and 690,000 years. In another 10,000 years, you will face the Heavenly Tribulation that occurs once every 100,000 years. With your current strength, it seems that you are not confident of success."
Dai Yao said slowly.
Xue Di frowned deeply, her gaze towards Dai Yao growing increasingly cold.
This person not only knew her exact cultivation level, but also the details of her upcoming tribulation. This was a secret she had never revealed to anyone! How did this person know all this?!
What exactly are you trying to say?
The Snow Empress spoke coldly, her tone already carrying a hint of danger. If this person couldn't give her a satisfactory answer, she would definitely leave him stranded on this icy plain!
Hearing the threat in Dai Yao's words, Dai Yao did not rush to answer. Instead, he raised the Trident of Poseidon in his hand. As the golden trident mark on his forehead lit up, the sacred aura rippled out once again.
"This item is called the Trident of Poseidon, the legendary weapon of the sea god. I am fortunate to have gained the sea god's approval and can inherit his divine position. I am still one step away from inheriting the true divine position. After obtaining the complete soul ring and soul bone, I need to hunt down the deep-sea demon whale in the ocean."
"This is the final test that the Sea God has given me."
"Of course, I am confident that I can kill that deep-sea demon whale and inherit the position of the sea god, but I cannot bear to see one of my wives unable to enter the divine realm because her cultivation level is too low."
"Therefore, I want to get the help of a 100,000-year-old ice-attribute soul beast, and sacrifice it to her to increase her strength."
Dai Yao said frankly.
His words shocked Xue Di and also ignited an uncontrollable anger within her.
The astonishment lies in the fact that this person has actually gained the approval of the gods and has the opportunity to become a god; moreover, the final test is to hunt down that soul beast in the sea that has been cultivating for nearly a million years.
Although she was far away in the far north, she knew about the legendary soul beast that was about to break through the million-year limit and become a god.
Countless years ago, she had encountered that deep-sea demon whale. On the edge of the continent in the far north, that enormous whale, whose size blotted out the sky, filled her with deep fear at a mere glimpse. It was far too difficult for this person to hunt down the deep-sea demon whale.
But what angered her even more was that this man actually wanted her to sacrifice herself to his wife so that the couple could be reunited in the divine realm!
And they call it 'opportunity'?!
This is utterly shameless! Even if this person becomes a god, what does it have to do with her? Such a condescending attitude, as if sacrificing oneself to become her wife's soul ring is an honor, is truly unbearable.
For hundreds of thousands of years, the Ice and Snow Maiden, whose heart had been as calm as a still lake, now felt boundless rage.
"You humans are truly insatiable, actually coveting my spirit ring! Out of respect for the Sea God, if you leave now, I can let bygones be bygones. But if you insist on staying here, then I will not be so lenient!"
The Snow Emperor's gaze was icy, and an ice sword began to condense in her hand. Snowflakes danced wildly in the sky, and the temperature above the basin plummeted.
Battle is imminent.
Before Dai Yao could finish speaking, Xue Di's reaction was unexpectedly intense, and she adopted a stance of fighting to the death.
He stated his purpose, but he hasn't yet mentioned the benefits to Xue Di!
In the original novel, Xue Di became Huo Yuhao's soul spirit. After Huo Yuhao inherited the position of the God of Emotions, he became the emotion of sorrow.
You could say this ending is pretty good.
After all, only a handful of spirit beasts entered the Tang family in the original story. Although they were only Huo Yuhao's spirit, they still possessed eternal life, just without much dignity.
In terms of purpose, Dai Yao's trip to the far north was actually no different from Tang San's.
One was for the chosen one, the other for his woman.
Dai Yao rarely made excuses for himself; with such an opportunity before him, there was no reason to let it slip away. Moreover, if Xue Di became Xue Wu's 'protector,' he wouldn't mistreat her.
In the original novel, Tang San was able to revive Da Ming and Er Ming and have them guard the Haotian Sect for him, so why can't he?
"Please calm down, Snow Emperor."
Dai Yao cleared his throat, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.
"Perhaps you have misunderstood my proposal. My proposal is not a one-sided plunder of you, but a mutually beneficial one."
Upon hearing this, Xue Di's hostile gaze softened slightly; she wanted to hear what kind of 'mutual benefit' was involved.
Noticing the change in Xue Di's emotions, Dai Yao pressed his advantage, saying:
"My proposal is not a simple sacrifice. In a sense, I am inviting you to become the protector of my wife. When I successfully inherit the divine position and ascend to the divine realm, I will resurrect you and grant you eternal life."
"You don't need to brave the heavenly tribulation where you have a slim chance of survival, or even risk taking human form and walking that path where life and death are uncertain."
"If you do not believe what I say, I can make a vow to ensure that I will not break it. This matter is beneficial to both of us. I wonder what your choice is, Snow Empress?"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor Sword in the Snow Emperor's hand paused slightly, and the killing intent vanished without a trace.
Dai Yao's offer was very tempting, but Xue Di felt somewhat unwilling. Although Dai Yao was nominally inviting her to become his wife's protector and grant her eternal life, in reality, wasn't she just Dai Yao's servant?
Being a servant of a god is not a shameful thing, but she couldn't get over her own conscience.
She has her own pride.
If Dai Yao were still young and had not yet inherited the divine position of the sea god, she could treat him as an equal, and she wouldn't mind sacrificing herself to Dai Yao's wife. But now it's too late. Dai Yao has already inherited the divine position and has taken the initiative in this negotiation. She has too few bargaining chips.
She's willing to offer help in times of need, but unwilling to be someone who adds to someone's success when things are already going well...
Even as a servant of the gods, she still wanted to have her own dignity.
But before Dai Yao received the divine inheritance, would she have taken a liking to him and offered him as a sacrifice to his wife? Probably not. Given her proud nature, she would have refused even Dai Yao at that time without hesitation, let alone Dai Yao's wife!
Why would she become a human soul ring or soul bone?!
For the first time in hundreds of thousands of years, her emotions were so turbulent.
Her cold gaze flickered slightly, the imperial sword in her hand vanished without a trace, she lowered her altitude to be at eye level with Dai Yao, and a cold voice came from her snow-white lips.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I decline."
Facing the inheritor of the divine power, the Snow Empress slightly restrained her arrogance; otherwise, she would have simply said, "I refuse."
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao's eyelids twitched slightly.
Within the Vast Ocean Universe Cover, the two women hiding to the side felt immense regret. This was a super soul beast over 600,000 years old; if she had sacrificed herself to Xue Wu, the benefits she would have received would have exceeded everyone's imagination!
After a brief moment of regret, a strong sense of crisis immediately welled up in my heart.
This terrifying soul beast rejected Dai Yao's offer. Will Dai Yao be in danger?!
"As expected, they refused."
Dai Yao thought to himself.
In his memory, Xue Di was an extremely proud soul beast.
If Xue Di hadn't been sealed in the Conferred God Platform during her transformation, causing damage to her origins, she wouldn't have chosen to become Huo Yuhao's soul spirit out of desperation.
What puzzled Dai Yao was that, despite being rejected by Xue Di, he showed no regret or pity whatsoever, as if he didn't care at all.
After returning from his training on Poseidon Island, he realized that he had changed.
When he fled from the Star Luo Empire and arrived at the Heaven Dou Empire, he was cautious and moved between various forces. Even after arriving at the Spirit Hall, his situation did not improve much and he felt even more precarious.
Bibi Dong's Papal Palace, Qian Daoliu's Hall of Worship, and the hidden spirit beast forces within the Spirit Hall—one wrong move and they could fall into an abyss of no return. Not only would they themselves perish without a burial place, but Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong would also meet a similar fate.
It was this precarious situation that made Dai Yao always feel a sense of crisis and view everything around him with great vigilance.
But since his training on Poseidon Island ended and he became one of the continent's top experts, with his life no longer threatened, his perspective on things has changed significantly, becoming much more macroscopic. Many of his former enemies are no longer a concern to him.
For example, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and so on.
Of course, this does not include Tang San.
He is very confident now.
This confidence comes from strength.
Perhaps, he can now help Douluo Continent end this battle as soon as possible, allowing the people to recuperate.
That's why he didn't feel regretful about Xue Di's rejection. "To have it is my fortune, to lose it is my fate."
"Since you have refused, I can only respect your choice. However, while you may not approve of my suggestion, it would be a rare opportunity for other soul beasts. Does the Snow Empress have any suitable candidates to recommend to me?"
Dai Yao smiled and said.
He expected that the Snow Empress would not agree; the Ice Empress was the real purpose of his trip.
Xue Di was suddenly startled.
Yes, she was unwilling to give up her dignity and rejected Dai Yao's proposal, but becoming the protector of a future god's wife was an opportunity that many soul beasts would covet.
The path to becoming a Soul Beast is extremely difficult. Even after overcoming countless hardships and dangers to become a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast, one still has to face the Heavenly Tribulation that occurs once every 100,000 years.
One wrong move and you could be destroyed, body and soul.
Hundreds of thousands of years of arduous cultivation have all been in vain.
Becoming the protector of a deity's wife, though one loses freedom, grants eternal life and a peaceful existence. If this news were to spread, the position of protector would likely be fought over by countless soul beasts!
Her snow-white pupils flickered slightly, and the image of Hyotei appeared in her mind.
She knew very well that ten thousand years from now, the Ice Emperor would not survive the four hundred thousand year tribulation. If she didn't want to turn into withered bones, she had to find a way out now. Becoming the protector of Dai Yao's wife was undoubtedly the best choice.
"I think I can recommend a soul beast to you."
A slight fluctuation appeared in Xue Di's voice.
"Oh? Who?"
Dai Yao feigned doubt.
"Hyotei." (End of Chapter)