Douluo: The Throne of Ice

Chapter 8 clarifies the initial steps on the path of creating a god.

Shu Yan looked up at Xue Di's almost perfect pretty face, then chuckled softly and shook his head.

"Impossible, Snow Empress. Your hatred and aversion to humans are plain for all to see. The only reason I am a special being in your eyes is because of my Ice and Snow Maiden Martial Soul and the bloodline within me that is almost identical to yours. Without these, there would probably be four more skeletons on the edge of the far north today..."

"Humans and soul beasts are inherently hostile beings. Humans' path to advancement requires stepping on the lives of soul beasts. You are the emperor of the far north, and compared to ordinary soul beasts, your hatred for humans will only be greater, not less."

It's unclear when it started, but the Snow Emperor's slender, jade-like fingers began to gently tap the throne beneath her, which was made of millennia-old ice marrow. The crisp sound echoed throughout the hall and resonated in Shu Yan's heart.

The next second, Xue Di's slender phoenix eyes swept over Shu Yan, and Shu Yan felt a chill run down his spine, as if all his secrets had been exposed to her. But he still forced himself to meet Xue Di's gaze.

After a long silence, a slight ripple appeared in Xue Di's eyes, which had been as calm as still water. She parted her red lips slightly and then said, word by word:

"I will not allow a human with the Ice and Snow Maiden Martial Soul to leave the far north, unless you can defeat me with your own hands."

She was undoubtedly conflicted about Shu Yan's existence.

On one hand, she felt extreme disgust and aversion to humans, but the aura and bloodline of Shu Yan made her feel an uncontrollable sense of closeness to him. Even though she did have the intention to kill him, she could not bring herself to do it. The inner conflict left her with no idea how to deal with Shu Yan, so she simply imprisoned him in the far north to prevent him from harming the far north in the future after his rise in the human world.

The other reason is actually hard to say.

Since her birth, the Snow Empress has lived in the far north for hundreds of thousands of years, rising from a weakling to the revered ruler of all races in the far north. No one can imagine or understand the loneliness and pain in her heart. Even the Ice Empress can only barely alleviate this feeling. A piece of her heart is missing, and that missing piece stems from her longing for companions and warmth and happiness. And she saw a faint possibility of all this in Shu Yan…

Therefore, Shu Yan's gamble paid off; Xue Di wouldn't kill him, or in some ways, she couldn't bear to kill him.

Shu Yan simply smiled and showed no surprise.

Having already experienced such a bizarre event as time travel, it's difficult for other things to elicit significant emotional changes from him anymore.

Shu Yan looked intently at Xue Di. After this complete awakening of his talent domain, his face had become even more handsome than before, and he possessed a unique, refined, and otherworldly aura. Even from Xue Di's current perspective, the elegance and composure that Shu Yan exuded in every gesture was still captivating. No wonder Xu Jiujiu's feelings for him gradually changed during their childhood friendship, eventually becoming uncontrollable...

"Snow Empress, let's not beat around the bush. Perhaps, setting aside all this nonsense, there's something we can discuss that we're both more interested in..."

Shu Yan coughed twice more, the sound was not loud, but Xue Di could clearly feel that the young man in front of her had suddenly become a different person, and his temperament had suddenly become sharp.

Xue Di slowly sat up, her expression showing no change.

Shu Yan's gaze met hers again, and they both felt a flutter in their hearts. The next moment, Shu Yan said, word by word:

"Your very essence is damaged, and you are no longer able to survive the 700,000-year tribulation. Between life and death, you must make a choice. My words should be correct, right?"

boom--

The Snow Empress's aura surged violently, shaking the surrounding palaces and sending countless ice shards raining down. Shu Yan staggered back more than ten steps before barely regaining his footing. The next moment, the Snow Empress's voice, seemingly crackling with ice shards, rang out from above:

"Human, tell me how you know these secrets, and I will spare your life."

Upon hearing this, Shu Yan showed no sign of panic, and simply continued:

"You can rest assured, only Hyotei and I know about this. No one else knows. As for how I found out, I cannot tell you..."

Xue Di simply stared coldly at Shu Yan, and after a long while, she said:

"I do not believe your words."

Shu Yan looked up and faced Xue Di directly, then said:

"As the most devout believer of the Sea God, I swear to the great Sea God that every word I have said is true, and if I have uttered even one false word, may I perish, body and soul."

Upon hearing this, Xue Di's pupils contracted slightly, as if she had recalled that scene from ten thousand years ago. She still had a deep impression of that event. The world changed color, and an aura that suppressed all living beings from raising their heads permeated the entire continent. That was a true divine aura, so powerful that it was simply unimaginable.

And the deity who emerged victorious in that later divine war, if the Snow Empress remembers correctly, was the Sea God…

Perhaps it was because Shu Yan's vow was too resolute that Xue Di's expression softened slightly, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on Shu Yan's lips.

The Sea God... a being described as a savior in continental legends, but Shu Yan never thought so. Right and wrong, black and white impermanence, these are all determined by the victors. No one cares about the right or wrong of the losers. From the moment of defeat, their fate is already sealed.

But what do these things matter to him?

He had no reverence for God, let alone faith. Without faith, the essence of these vows ceases to exist, so what use are they? They are nothing more than tricks to deceive people.

Xue Di looked at Shu Yan, her indifference gone, replaced by a complex emotion.

"What exactly are you trying to say, and what do you want? Heh... Only now do I realize that in all this time, I have never truly seen through you humans, this race favored by heaven and earth..."

Shu Yan's expression gradually softened. He looked at Xue Di's face and said softly:

"Whether it is a human or a soul beast, their lifespan is ultimately limited. In this era, even plant-type soul masters, who are known for their longevity, can only live for about four hundred years at most, even if they successfully cultivate to the Limit Douluo level. Soul beasts are different, but it is roughly the same."

"The shackles of bloodline prevent many soul beasts from even breaking through ten thousand years. Even if they manage to break through to the hundred thousand year level, they may still perish under the heavenly tribulation. The life of a soul beast seems very long to humans, but in your eyes, a great dream lasts for thousands or hundreds of thousands of years. It sounds far away, but looking back, it seems pitifully short."

"To break through the limits of life and strength, one must surpass those limits and ascend to godhood. Only then can one be qualified to transform from a pawn into the player of the game..."

Shu Yan's voice became gentle like a spring breeze, and it rang in Xue Di's ears with a seductive meaning. Xue Di listened blankly, but her thoughts drifted away unconsciously. She seemed to have entered a state of deep thinking and temporarily lost her sense of the outside world. Shu Yan stepped up the long, icy staircase and finally arrived at the first step below the main seat.

Before Xue Di could recover, Shu Yan's voice rang out again:

"The dream of reaching level 100 flows in the blood of every generation of powerful figures on the continent. You have at most a hundred years left to live. We share the same obsession with immortality. In your final moments, why not fight one last time for yourselves? Join forces with me and gamble on the path to godhood to reach that elusive divine level. If we succeed, immortality will no longer be a dream. If we fail, at least we will have left a brilliant mark on this world. Countless descendants will walk the path we have trod. We will live in the memories of future generations, in whatever form we take..."

The Snow Empress's consciousness seemed to clear instantly upon hearing the words "creating a god." She raised her head, and their gazes met in the air. For some reason, her heart trembled slightly. Those two words, like a spell, echoed in her ears...

……

P.S.: I finally got it signed today, and the book status is all changed too! ovo

P.S.: Please add this to your favorites and recommend it! (doge)

(End of this chapter)