Douluo: The Throne of Ice

Chapter 10 The Snow Emperor's Teachings and Gifts, the 100,000-Year-Old Snow Lotus

The path to becoming a god is long and uncertain, but neither Shu Yan nor Xue Di are impatient people. The two discussed this matter for a very long time before finally reaching a complete consensus.

Perhaps having clarified their path forward, the two began to talk more. The Snow Empress also gradually began to personally guide Shu Yan's cultivation. Her cultivation was infinitely close to 700,000 years, and her true form was the Ice and Snow Maiden. If we were to discuss who was most qualified to teach Shu Yan in this era, it could only be her.

Xue Di's guidance was indeed very useful. Many things that were once unclear became clear after Xue Di's few words of instruction. To enjoy the full-day instruction of a powerhouse with strength equivalent to a human limit Douluo, probably only Shu Yan in the whole world has this kind of treatment.

Under Xue Di's almost nanny-like guidance, in the sixth month in the far north, Shu Yan's soul power officially reached level 45. A Soul Master at the age of thirteen is a rare sight on the continent. Even the Black and White Twin Holy Dragons, who once dominated the continent, could not achieve as much at this age as Shu Yan.

After Shu Yan decided to spend some more time cultivating in the far north, the Snow Emperor brought him an incomparably precious gift.

This is a lotus-shaped plant that emits a faint icy blue light. Its leaves are like transparent ice crystals with dazzling light flowing inside. The moment it appears, the energy in the surrounding world seems to become richer, and a faint fragrance permeates the air, making people feel refreshed.

Shu Yan's pupils contracted slightly, and then he said:

"This is……?"

A faint smile appeared on Xue Di's usually aloof face. She looked at the pure snow lotus and then said softly:

"As you can feel, this is a 100,000-year-old snow lotus, which I obtained by chance. I originally intended to use this 100,000-year-old snow lotus as a guide to complete the sealing of my own origin, but now, I have abandoned that path, and this snow lotus has naturally lost its purpose. Now, I am handing it over to you, which can be considered as letting it play its final role."

After a pause, Xue Di added:

"The Snow Lotus is a top-grade plant-type soul beast, but it is very difficult for it to develop intelligence. Even now that it has cultivated to the level of 100,000 years, its intelligence is still as weak as that of an ordinary hundred-year-old soul beast. But precisely because of this, the essence of heaven and earth that the Snow Lotus possesses is purer and more abundant than that of other soul beasts of the same kind. The energy it contains is even enough to transform a person and make them feel like they are reborn. Although I have already absorbed some of the essence of heaven and earth and energy in this Snow Lotus, the remaining essence of heaven and earth and energy are enough to make you undergo a transformation and greatly increase your soul power level."

Shu Yan took the snow lotus from Xue Di's hand and instantly felt an exceptionally large amount of energy within it. He looked up at Xue Di and said earnestly:

"Thank you for your kindness. I will definitely repay you if I have the opportunity in the future."

Xue Di simply shook her head slightly, and then said:

"Now that we have formed an alliance, there is no need to say such things. As far as I know, even among so-called human companions, there is no need for such politeness."

Shu Yan chuckled silently, then explained softly:

"Human emotions are extremely complex. They can be incredibly pure or they can be driven by strong ulterior motives. If you are a true companion, you don't need to be so polite. But if you don't know each other thoroughly, you still need to be courteous and polite."

Xue Di nodded thoughtfully, seemingly trying to understand the meaning behind Shu Yan's words.

"Are you saying that I'm not a comrade you truly acknowledge?"

The Snow Empress's voice was leisurely, and although a faint smile remained on her face, in Shu Yan's eyes, a faint black aura emanated from her. A chilling feeling rose in his heart. Shu Yan swallowed hard, then said with difficulty:

"Of course not, this is just the norm among humans, and you naturally cannot be included..."

Upon hearing this, the black aura surrounding the Snow Emperor slowly dissipated, and Shu Yan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The Snow Emperor's oppressive aura was still too strong.

Xue Di glanced at Shu Yan, then sat down on an ice chair nearby. She rested her chin on one hand, a hint of weariness in her beautiful eyes, and said languidly:

"Begin refining and absorbing this snow lotus. Don't worry about any accidents. I will seal any excess energy within your source. You just need to absorb the essence of heaven and earth and the source energy from the snow lotus to the best of your ability."

Shu Yan nodded in agreement and then sat down cross-legged on the spot. The 100,000-year-old snow lotus quietly floated in front of him. Under his guidance, the pure essence and energy of heaven and earth inside it began to surge out, and then transformed into streams of blue and white intertwined energy that flowed into his body. Surprisingly, this energy was extremely gentle, unlike the frenzied absorption of a soul ring. Instead, it had a warm and gentle feeling.

Xue Di yawned softly to the side, her beautiful sky-blue eyes tracing Shu Yan's face, her gaze flashing back to every little moment they had spent together since they met. Then she chuckled softly, a faint smile curving her lips, but quickly returned to calm.

……

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and Shu Yan's aura continued to rise. The essence of heaven and earth and the energy stored in the 100,000-year-old snow lotus were too vast. Even though the Snow Emperor had already absorbed nearly half of the essence of heaven and earth, the remaining half still gave Shu Yan tremendous benefits.

In just seven days, his soul power level climbed from the initial level 45 all the way up, and now he is only one step away from breaking through to Soul King. This almost saved him nearly a year of hard training. Moreover, nourished by the essence of heaven and earth and the original energy of the snow lotus, his already strong physical qualities were once again greatly enhanced, and his soul was also nourished and became more resilient and powerful.

But his greatest gain was not limited to that. The essence and energy of heaven and earth that he could not absorb were sealed in his origin by the Snow Emperor. These would subtly nourish his body and further accelerate his cultivation speed. In just seven days, it was indeed a great transformation for Shu Yan.

Xue Di stared blankly for a moment as she looked at Shu Yan's face, which was becoming more and more similar to hers due to the further evolution of the Ice and Snow Maiden's essence.

If her face possessed a noble yet aloof beauty, then Shu Yan's style leaned towards androgyny. His facial features were softer than hers, and his handsome appearance carried a touch of feminine coldness. This contrast did not make him appear awkward; on the contrary, it enhanced his charm. In other words, Shu Yan's face could indeed be described as captivating to both men and women.

In the instant the Snow Empress was stunned, Shu Yan's aura rapidly gathered, then transformed into ripples of icy blue soul power that spread outwards. The colors on his original four soul rings—purple-purple and black—slowly peeled away, replaced by a unified and deep, ink-like black. Through primal evolution, coupled with the snow lotus's essence of heaven and earth and the relentless cleansing and sublimation of primal energy, Shu Yan's first four soul rings were all upgraded to black ten-thousand-year soul rings at this moment.

Shu Yan slowly opened his eyes. The seven days of refining and absorbing the essence did not make him feel tired. On the contrary, he felt refreshed and relaxed, as if he had been reborn.

Xue Di rubbed her temples and slowly walked over from the side, her clear voice ringing out.

"A Soul King at the age of thirteen—such an achievement would probably be unprecedented in the history of your human world..."

Shu Yanqing laughed heartily, then said:

"I must thank you for that. Without this snow lotus, I probably wouldn't have been able to avoid such arduous cultivation."

Xue Di smiled gently, not caring much. With a wave of her jade hand, a crystal-clear seed slowly rose from the ground and landed in Xue Di's hand.

"Don't mention it. The stronger you are, the greater our chances of success in the future. I'm just increasing my own chances of survival..."

Shu Yan chuckled helplessly, feeling that there was something strange about Xue Di, a feeling that was more like... a sister's feelings for her brother?

As if struck by a sudden thought, Shu Yan's body trembled slightly. He quickly shook his head, banishing all the strange ideas from his mind...

……

(End of this chapter)