Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

"Alright then, Xue'er, I respect your choice." Hyotei's voice was as light as a breeze, carrying a hint of indescribable melancholy.

Looking at Xue Di's cold and aloof eyes, she felt a mix of emotions churning within her—as two of the three great kings of the far north, they had been together for tens of thousands of years, how could they not understand each other's pride?

But when the lightning tribulation hung overhead, she truly realized that her so-called pride was so insignificant in the face of the mighty power of heaven and earth.

Humans! Apart from their short lifespan, they are creatures truly favored by heaven and earth.

How long would it take for a soul beast to cultivate for 100,000 years?

Ten thousand years?

Even longer, long enough to endure the trials and tribulations of time, truly living to the age of 100,000.

Many soul beasts fall on the path of advancement, either hunted by their natural enemies or struck by lightning tribulations, never even reaching the threshold of 100,000 years.

But what about humans?

In less than a hundred years, one can cultivate to the point where one can hunt down soul beasts that are a hundred thousand years old.

Unlike soul beasts, they don't have to face a life-or-death lightning tribulation every 100,000 years, nor do they have to spend their long years in solitude.

One hundred thousand years! What a distant and heavy number. For soul beasts, this is an almost insurmountable chasm, a shore they may not be able to reach even if they spend their entire lives.

But what about humans? This short-lived species has produced many powerful individuals in just a hundred years, and even invented something as extraordinary as soul tools, which allows them to unleash the full potential of soul power.

Their rise to power didn't even take ten thousand years.

They are truly blessed by nature!

Especially in this era, the world has nurtured many rare ingredients that can make soul beasts and humans stronger, but what use are they if we can't eat them?

Hyotei recalled how much effort they had put into capturing the pufferfish whale.

She concealed her presence and lurked by the frozen lake, trying to get closer time and time again, only to watch as the silvery-gray creatures turned black from poison.

In such a long time, she didn't even manage to catch a whole pufferfish whale.

But what about Shi Yu and the others? On their very first day in the cave, they successfully captured something and even prepared such an exquisite dish.

She still remembers how desperate she felt, yet how determined she was, when she learned that even if she caught a pufferfish whale, without a skillful way of cooking it, eating it would only lead to her death.

She was even prepared to die in order to taste that legendary flavor.

It wasn't until she witnessed Huo Yutong using her Golden Eyes to lock onto the poison sac and precisely peeling away the purple venom sac with her thin, cicada-wing-like silver knife, watching the snow-white fish flesh radiate golden light, that she finally realized one thing—this era already belonged to humanity, and the glory of soul beasts was ultimately over.

"Goodbye, Xue'er. I hope we can meet again next time." The Ice Emperor's figure gradually became transparent. She took one last look at the Snow Emperor, turned around and walked towards Huo Yutong's sea of ​​consciousness. Her steps were resolute, without a trace of lingering.

Only Elder Yi, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, and Huo Yutong in their sea of ​​consciousness could sense how turbulent the emotions were surging the moment that emerald light entered their sea of ​​consciousness.

Hyotei cried her heart out, her tears flowing like a burst dam, staining a corner of her mind slightly green.

Those long-forgotten memories, those years spent with Xue Di, all surfaced before her eyes. Each scene was like a needle, piercing her heart with pain. All those days, all those days!

"Bingbing..." Tianmeng Ice Silkworm floated to her side, reached out, and wanted to pat her shoulder, but could only pass through her body. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she couldn't say any words of comfort.

Although Xue Di said she would "think about it," they all knew in their hearts that this mistress of the far north had already made her choice.

That "I'll think about it" was just a polite way of saying no.

"Then we won't disturb the Lord of the Far North any longer. We'll return to the Star Dou Great Forest first." Shi Yu nodded slightly to the Snow Emperor, his voice calm and even, but a hint of regret flashed in his eyes. He gestured to Huo Yutong with his eyes.

Huo Yutong immediately understood and carefully took out a plate from her storage soul tool. The plate contained slices of pufferfish and whale meat that were cut as thin as cicada wings. The white fish meat had a faint luster and emitted a refreshing aroma.

"Senior Xue Di, I apologize for disturbing you today. Please accept this pufferfish sashimi as a token of my gratitude."

She gently placed the jade plate on the ice lotus, then turned and followed Shi Yu and Zhu Lu.

The Snow Emperor stood there, watching their departing figures, watching the three figures gradually disappear into the swirling snow until they were no longer visible.

The surrounding snow gradually subsided, leaving her alone on the icy plain.

Xue Di slowly walked to Bing Lian's side, looked at the plate of sashimi, and remained silent for a long time. She stretched out her slender fingers, picked up a piece of fish, and gently put it into her mouth.

The intense sweetness exploded in her mouth, the delicate meat melting like snowflakes, carrying a refreshing coolness, sliding down her throat and into her stomach. It was a delicious taste she had never experienced before, more amazing than any ingredient from the far north.

But the Snow Emperor sighed softly, and that sigh echoed across the vast ice plain, carrying endless helplessness and melancholy.

"Alas, how could I not know that?" she murmured softly, a hint of self-mockery in her voice. "Bing'er, I know I might not survive this tribulation. I know that if I choose to follow that little girl, perhaps I will have a brighter future. But I am the Snow Empress of the Far North, the Lord of the Far North!"

Her voice paused.

Finally, she uttered the words that had been weighing on her heart, her tone filled with the responsibility and duty of a queen.

"If even I give up, what will happen to the other soul beasts in the far north?"

The group had walked quite a distance, their footprints buried by the swirling snow. Suddenly, Shi Yu spoke, breaking the silence: "Actually, I knew the outcome from the beginning. The Snow Empress definitely wouldn't agree."

The energy form of Hyotei floated out from Huo Yutong's sea of ​​consciousness. Her figure trembled slightly, and her voice was heavy with sobs: "Why? There were clearly better choices, why couldn't you let go of your pride? Why didn't you choose to come with us?"

Shi Yu stopped and turned to look at her, his eyes filled with understanding and admiration: "Ice Empress, Snow Empress, she's not doing this for some so-called pride. You know yourself, she is the Lord of the Far North. It is precisely because she is the Lord of the Far North that she is destined not to choose to go with us."

He paused, then continued, "This is the responsibility of the Lord of the Far North. For the sake of her people, she has no other choice. She can be struck dead by lightning, or she can transform into human form and try again, but she cannot willingly become someone else's soul ring. If even she, the Lord of the Far North, makes such a choice, then what will the soul beasts of the entire Far North rely on? And where will they go?"

"She is a worthy queen of the far north."

Hyotei's cries grew louder, tears wetting her cheeks only to instantly turn into ice crystals: "I know! But at this moment, I just wish she weren't some Lord of the Far North!"

She cried her heart out, as if she wanted to cry out all her grievances and reluctance. Tianmeng Bingcan silently stayed by her side, letting her energy body lean against her.

Shi Yu looked at her, sighed softly, and said with a hint of solemnity, "Let's go. She deserves everyone's respect. Ice Emperor, cheer up. You should be proud of the choice she made, proud that you know the Snow Emperor, and proud of the entire far north."

Hyotei sobbed for a long time before gradually stopping. She raised her head, gazing towards the core of the far north, her eyes hardening with determination: "Waaah... You're right... I shouldn't be sad... I should be proud of the decision that fool Yuki made... She's a worthy ruler of the far north... the pride of the entire far north!"

Shi Yu nodded and turned to walk towards the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Let's go. I hope we can meet this admirable Lord of the Far North again next time."

The snow was still falling, but the wind seemed to have lost some of its biting chill and gained a touch of tragic grandeur.