Douluo Continent: I possess astonishing wisdom as I control energy!

"..."

Hyotei's heart skipped a beat for a moment, unable to hold back.

Looking at the face that combined the features of both of them, a face that was almost too beautiful, she felt a pang of self-consciousness and her throat bobbed slightly.

Damn it, this mere human only bears a slight resemblance to the Snow Empress, how come she can't withstand it at all?!

Chapter 85 The Ice-Blue Soul Ring, the Completely Condensed Soul Core!

Hyotei, with great willpower, looked away, then lowered her head and rubbed her face, her mind slightly muddled.

Meanwhile, Kong Ming'an, who had appeared in a completely new guise, was unaware of Hyotei's unusual behavior. He was currently busy getting used to his current state.

His current state is actually a fusion technique between his and the Snow Empress's martial souls, with him taking the lead.

In this state, he still retains control over energy, although it cannot be maintained for long, and this instinctive control over energy is extremely energy-consuming.

However, if it is only used to complete the soul core condensation and soul ring modification, it is generally sufficient.

He familiarized himself with the body that had merged with the Snow Emperor and the power within it that far surpassed his original strength, and then began to act.

He raised his hand, and the Snow Empress's crimson 100,000-year soul ring, which was originally ranked ninth, floated in his palm.

The next moment, countless thin, yet incredibly refined, transparent energy threads spread from his fingertips and then wrapped around the scarlet soul ring.

The structure of energy unfolded before his eyes, with fine threads resembling carving knives and embroidery needles, beginning to inscribe and weave onto the spirit rings.

As the threads of the fingertips weaved and traced the patterns, the hidden designs on the Soul Ring began to slowly change, gradually acquiring an indescribable beauty.

At the same time, Kong Ming'an also raised his other hand.

With her palm facing upwards, the ultimate ice and snow attribute soul power unique to the Snow Empress began to gather.

To avoid running out of time, he had to multitask for the time being, simultaneously modifying his spirit rings and condensing his spirit core.

However, it is worth mentioning that Kong Ming'an's method of condensing the soul core is completely different from the traditional method.

Instead of compressing his soul power first, he directly used his precisely controlled mental power to construct an optimized soul core energy structure framework.

Then, he guided his soul power into it and made it begin to rotate.

With the infusion of soul power, the pre-constructed energy structure is continuously reinforced, causing it to solidify first, and then the internal soul power gradually solidifies.

The entire process, under Kong Ming'an's control, was devoid of the life-or-death struggles that ordinary soul masters face when condensing their soul cores; it was characterized by pure efficiency and precision.

Time passes minute by minute.

Hyotei watched intently, observing every detail of Kong Ming'an condensing the soul core and modifying the soul ring.

At this moment, Xue Di's originally scarlet ninth spirit ring had completely transformed into a deep and pure ice blue.

Countless mysterious silver patterns flowed silently across its surface, radiating an intense, chilling aura and boundless energy that sent shivers down the spine—magnificent and mysterious.

On the other side, a soul core, no bigger than a thumb but radiating a dazzling ice-blue light, resembling a miniature star, had already taken shape.

It floated silently, autonomously and greedily devouring all the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy), transforming it into the purest and ultimate ice and snow energy.

At that moment, Kong Ming'an's gaze sharpened, and he clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect.

The icy blue soul core flew precisely towards the modified icy blue soul ring and embedded itself firmly in the very center of the ring.

"Om-!"

The moment the soul core and the soul ring came into contact, countless transparent energy threads, which only Kong Ming'an could "see" and which he had designed in advance, rapidly extended from inside the soul ring and perfectly merged with the soul core!

Everything fits together perfectly, as if it were created from the same source!

The fusion of the spirit ring and the spirit core is now complete!

A more powerful and stable aura emanated from the spirit ring.

Kong Ming'an slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his mind relaxing.

The next moment, a flash of light appeared, and the Martial Soul Fusion Skill was deactivated.

The two figures separated again.

Kong Ming'an's face was slightly pale, his body swayed, and an endless feeling of exhaustion surged up like a tide. His vision went black, and he fell backward powerlessly.

The Snow Empress instantly reached out and carefully pulled him into her arms, letting him lean against her.

A hint of worry flashed quickly in her icy blue eyes. She quickly checked his condition and found that he had simply fallen into a coma due to excessive consumption of soul power and mental power. Only then did she feel a little relieved.

"Snow Emperor." Ice Emperor stepped forward quickly, her tone filled with concern.

"I'm fine." Xue Di gently shook her head, adjusting her position to make the boy in her arms more comfortable, her movements careful and gentle.

Xue Di looked at the soul ring containing the soul core beside her, remained silent for a moment, then raised her head to look at Bing Di and asked softly, "Bing'er, are you willing to believe him now?"

Hyotei remained silent, their gaze, tinged with a complex mix of emotions, fixed on Kongming's slightly pale face.

Immediately, the image of what seemed to be the other person's grown-up face involuntarily surfaced in her mind. She unconsciously pursed her lips and whispered:

"I don't know."

Trusting a human being is too difficult for her.

Xue Di lowered her eyes, her fingertips gently brushing against Kong Ming'an's cheek, her voice ethereal and calm: "Bing'er, do you still remember the contract between me and him?"

Hyotei nodded silently.

"Now, your original nature has been restored, and his character dictates that he will not break the agreement."

"He will surely become a god in the future, and his promise to protect the far north will naturally stand the test of time."

Xue Di paused, a faint but genuine smile appearing on her lips. "In essence, everything I have already belonged to him."

Hyotei remained silent.

The Snow Emperor looked at her again, a hint of expectation in her icy blue eyes: "So, Bing'er, are you willing to try to believe him now?"

Hyotei remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice somewhat hoarse: "I still don't know. In any case, he's human, and I find it really hard to completely believe it, but..."

She recalled Kong Ming'an's confident and composed demeanor when he explained his ideas, and his focused profile as he tirelessly guarded the Snow Empress's transformation for over half a month, without sleep or rest. She paused, then continued:

"I want to stay, I want to see more."

She wanted to see for herself whether this human was truly so extraordinary, and whether Xue Di's choice was truly worthwhile.

A faint smile appeared on Xue Di's usually aloof face. Her tone softened slightly as she said, "Welcome, Bing'er."

Hyotei pursed her lips, glanced at the unconscious Kong Ming'an, and awkwardly remarked:

"Welcome what? I don't even know if this guy wants me to stay. If he kicks me out, are you going to secretly keep me here?"

Xue Di paused for a moment, her eyes becoming somewhat subtle, but she spoke with certainty: "He will agree to let you stay."

She paused slightly, looking down at the boy nestled in her arms, as if recalling something. She repeated herself, but with a strange undertone in her voice:

"He definitely will."

"So sure?"

Ice Empress looked at Snow Empress with suspicion, completely unable to understand why Snow Empress was so certain.

I feel like something's not quite right.

Chapter 86 Ascending the Divine Stairs, the Star Ring Technique

Consciousness was shrouded in a hazy state, but at a certain moment, it surfaced, and Kong Ming'an slowly awoke.

The first thing he felt was the unusually soft and elastic touch on the back of his head; then, a faint, sweet fragrance, like the first melting snow, lingered around his nose.

With some effort, Kong Ming'an opened his eyes. His vision was a little blurry, but it gradually cleared. What came into view was the familiar metal ceiling of the laboratory, only half of which was visible.

Huh? Wait, half of the ceiling?

Kong Ming'an was stunned for a moment, and before he could think about it, the Snow Emperor's voice rang out from above:

"woke up?"

Kong Ming'an snapped out of his daze, rubbed his temples, and slowly sat up.

He shifted his gaze slightly to the side, and naturally met the Snow Empress's icy blue eyes, drawing closer with a hint of inquiry.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, I'm just a little overexerted."

After half a month of care, coupled with the use of the Soul Fusion Technique, temporarily taking over the use of the Snow Empress's power, and maintaining a high degree of mental concentration and precise energy control for a long time.

The stacking of debuffs finally overwhelmed him, forcing him to go into a protective hibernation state.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"It's only been two days," Xue Di replied softly.

Kong Ming'an understood, but before he could speak, a voice suddenly rang out:

"The Snow Empress has always been watching over you."

Not far away, Hyotei stood with her arms crossed, wearing her exquisite green and white dress, her golden eyes fixed on him. Her scorpion tail swished slightly behind her, a look of deep resentment on her face.

Why does that sound so sour?

Kong Ming'an chuckled slightly, then looked at Xue Di and asked earnestly, "How are you feeling now?"

This is an inquiry into the state of Xue Di after she condensed her soul core from her soul ring.

“Very good.” Xue Di paused slightly. “...Or rather, very good.”

With a slight thought, her spirit rings appeared one after another beneath her feet: two black, six red, and the most dazzling and pure ice-blue spirit ring.

At this moment, it no longer seemed to be just a spirit ring, but more like a miniature ice-blue star vortex.

A dreamlike, icy-blue aura flowed around its body, while inside, countless tiny, star-like ice crystals slowly rotated around the icy-blue soul core at the very center, emanating a vast and pure extreme chill. It was magnificent, mysterious, and dreamlike, making people unable to resist immersing themselves in it.

Kong Ming'an observed it closely, his gaze slightly lost in thought. At a certain moment, he reached out a finger and gently touched the exquisite creation he had sculpted himself.

Instantly, a warm yet powerful energy surged from his fingertips. The energy structure was stable and exquisite, with the soul core and soul ring intertwined, forming a unified whole, almost perfect.

"I was originally thinking of calling it 'Core Ring,' but now I feel that 'Star Ring' would be a more fitting name?"

Kong Ming'an murmured unconsciously, a faint light appearing in his eyes.

How exciting it is to create such a magnificent creation with my own hands!

A surge of accomplishment welled up inside him, and a rare, captivating smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Xue Di lowered her eyes slightly, staring intently.

Not far away, Hyotei couldn't help but glance at him a few more times. She suddenly realized that this human who had stolen her Snow Empress was actually quite handsome at times.

After a long while, Kong Ming'an calmed down a bit, withdrew his hand with satisfaction, and then asked, "Snow Empress, how did it feel specifically? For example, in terms of soul power?"

Xue Di paused for a moment, then came to her senses and carefully assessed her own condition:

"Right now, all the soul power in my body is being slowly absorbed by this, hmm, 'Star Ring,' then purified within the soul core, and finally returned to my body."

"And the quality of the output soul power is significantly improved by a level compared to the previous quality."

Kong Ming'an nodded; this was exactly what he had expected.

The creation of the "Star Ring" is not something that can be done overnight; it doesn't mean that the quality of soul power will increase dramatically immediately after it's created. Rather, it's a gradual process, one ring at a time.

The successful creation of each star ring represents a complete tempering and transformation of the soul power throughout the body.

Like ascending a divine staircase, each step is a transformation, until all nine rings are complete, and the quality of soul power undergoes an ultimate leap through extreme accumulation, resulting in complete sublimation!

This is a path different from the traditional one, where faith is used to forge a divine position, thereby leading to godhood through faith.

That is, the path to godhood through soul power!

And this is precisely one of the ultimate goals that the "Dharma Cultivation" system is currently pursuing!

Hmm. Why has the magic power been strengthened again?

Perhaps because he had just woken up, Kong Ming'an's mind was unusually sharp, but after a short while, he came to a conclusion.

"Based on the current rate of absorption and transformation, your first round of 'Star Ring Transformation' will take approximately six months to complete."

Xue Di nodded slightly. Kong Ming'an's estimated time was roughly the same as her own perception.

This period of time wasn't long for her, considering that compared to before when she suppressed her cultivation to avoid the heavenly tribulation falling prematurely, resulting in her strength stagnating for tens of thousands of years,

Now, she can feel the progress every moment, and the results are remarkable.