Chapter 288: Return to Mingdu

  This man was a powerhouse from another timeline?

  Both Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and Xue Bing now had a much deeper understanding of Qin Xiao's existence.

  "Xue Bing, it's your turn to make a decision now."

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm hurriedly urged, hoping she would finally commit. If she agreed, everything would be settled.

  However—

  Xue Bing remained silent.

  "You’re killing me here. Is it really that hard for you to lower your head?"

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm felt that Xue Bing was as unyielding as a millennium-old block of ice. "Think about it carefully. How many days are left until your hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribution? A golden opportunity is right in front of you, and yet you refuse to seize it?"

  He was growing increasingly anxious.

  It had taken him great effort to convince Qin Xiao to agree to let Xue Bing become his second martial soul.

  But Xue Bing’s stubbornness far exceeded his expectations.

  "Tianmeng, forget it."

  Qin Xiao waved his hand dismissively. "Everyone has their own will, and soul beasts are no different. I can see that she remains highly skeptical of me.

  You must all be wondering how a powerful god could end up in a weakened state like this. But the truth behind it is too complex—knowing it might not be beneficial for you.

  However—"

  As Qin Xiao spoke, his spiritual world changed once again.

  A pitch-bck seed drifted into view from some unknown pce.

  Below the seed was a glowing sphere.

  It was none other than the remnants of destruction, and within the glowing sphere y the divine position of evil.

  "This is…"

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm widened his small eyes, struggling to comprehend what he was seeing.

  The divine aura emanating from the Seed of Destruction felt familiar. Qin Xiao had briefly released a simir aura when Tianmeng first entered his spiritual world.

  Xue Bing, on the other hand, felt an overwhelming pressure that made her feel as though she was suffocating.

  "As you can see, this is a divine position—the throne of a God-King, no less.

  Which means achieving godhood for me is effortless. In fact, I would become one of the strongest beings in this god realm."

  Qin Xiao's voice was deep as he gazed at Xue Bing. "The reason I chose you is twofold. First, having you as my second martial soul will indeed accelerate my cultivation. With the foundation of twin martial souls, I can demand more cultivation resources from my academy, allowing me to fuse with my divine position sooner.

  Second, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm pleaded relentlessly. He annoyed me so much that I finally decided to come to the Extreme North."

  Having finished speaking, Qin Xiao simply looked at Xue Bing, saying nothing more.

  "So… if I still refuse, what happens?"

  Xue Bing suddenly asked in a quiet voice.

  Qin Xiao’s fingers, which had been tapping rhythmically on the armrest of his throne, suddenly paused. "I trust you will make the right decision, won’t you?"

  As expected.

  Xue Bing’s heart trembled.

  Although Qin Xiao hadn’t given a direct answer, she already knew the outcome.

  If she continued to refuse, there would be only one result—death.

  Yes—death.

  A being capable of towering over the gods, even in his current weakened state, was not someone she could take lightly.

  She was convinced that Qin Xiao still had hidden cards, and eliminating a soul beast of her level wouldn’t be a challenge for him.

  "I now see the truth of this matter… but I also know too much."

  Xue Bing realized she was now in a dilemma with no way out.

  "Xue Bing, I don’t understand your hesitation."

  "Your time is running out. When the heavenly tribution finally descends, you will be reduced to ashes."

  "And think about it—what’s so bad about following big brother? He’ll carry you to godhood with ease. Not only that, but big brother has never forced me to do anything. He’s never made me do anything against my will."

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm continued persuading her earnestly. "A golden opportunity like this doesn’t come often, Xue Bing—don’t be foolish!"

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  Qin Xiao’s fingers resumed tapping on the armrest.

  However, this time, there was no clear pattern.

  The speed of his tapping grew faster and faster.

  This was a silent warning to Xue Bing—a signal that his patience was running thin.

  And it wouldn’t st much longer.

  Before his patience was completely exhausted, she had to make the right decision.

  This was Qin Xiao’s brilliance. Only fools explicitly say, “If you help me, I will grant you rewards. If you refuse, I will punish you.”

  He was a God-King.

  That kind of coercion would only lower his prestige and make him lose the aura of a ruler.

  But this?

  Without uttering a single threat or promise, Xue Bing’s psychological defenses had already crumbled.

  She would convince herself.

  "I am willing to become your second martial soul."

  Finally, Xue Bing spoke again.

  This time, she made a clear distinction—pcing Qin Xiao above herself.

  "Xue Bing, I knew you’d make the right choice."

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm immediately cheered.

  However—

  Xue Bing gave him a cold gre. "Can you stop assuming things? My decision to become Lord Qin Xiao’s second martial soul is solely for survival. It has nothing to do with personal feelings toward you."

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm tried to scratch his head with his short arms.

  The awkward part was—he couldn’t reach.

  Xue Bing ignored Tianmeng Ice Silkworm and turned her gaze toward Qin Xiao. "My lord, I will now become your second martial soul and provide you with both a soul bone and a soul ring."

  "I can condense the soul bone based on your needs. Which part would you prefer?"

  In the original story, Xue Bing had given advice to Huo Yuhao.

  But in the face of Qin Xiao, she didn’t dare to make a decision on her own.

  "I'll take the torso bone."

  Qin Xiao answered almost without hesitation.

  The torso bone was the most crucial soul bone. Moreover, he recalled that Xue Bing’s transformed torso bone was exceptionally powerful—it didn’t just include the spine, but also the sternum and ribs. Essentially, it was equivalent to gaining two extra soul bones. Not choosing it would be a huge waste.

  Xue Bing nodded slowly.

  But Qin Xiao noticed hesitation in her expression.

  "Is there a problem?"

  "My lord, the issue is that your body is still too weak. The power of a hundred-thousand-year soul bone is immense. If you directly absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, it may pce an overwhelming burden on your body."

  "Thus, I recommend that you absorb the soul bone first to strengthen your physique before refining the soul ring. This way, the burden on your body will be greatly reduced, preventing unnecessary damage."

  Xue Bing’s reasoning was well-structured.

  Qin Xiao nodded slightly.

  That made sense.

  After all, even Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had sealed his own soul power to prevent an overload.

  "The process of repcing bones is equivalent to having them forcibly extracted—it will be painful."

  "The pain I have endured is beyond your imagination."

  Qin Xiao smiled indifferently.

  He wasn’t boasting.

  He had experienced the agony of soul-shattering. Later, when passing through chaotic space-time turbulence, even his divine soul had been gradually worn away.

  After suffering pain on that level, something like bone repcement barely even registered.

  Moreover, Qin Xiao was eager to increase his strength.

  A while ter—

  The bone repcement and soul ring absorption were completely finished.

  Xue Bing’s spiritual form had also fully integrated into Qin Xiao’s body.

  Her gaze toward Qin Xiao was now filled with awe.

  Say what you will—just the fact that he didn’t even flinch during the bone repcement process was enough to earn her recognition.

  This lord is truly a man of steel.

  Meanwhile, Qin Xiao had obtained four powerful soul skills.

  Two soul ring abilities: Xue Bing’s Cws and Ice Emperor’s Protection.

  Torso soul bone abilities: Eternal Frozen Domain and Ice Emperor’s Wrath.

  Among them, Eternal Frozen Domain was a formidable domain-type ability with boundless potential.

  Qin Xiao was quite satisfied.

  Now, all that remained was following the original story’s route—hunting down an ice silkworm to obtain his second soul ring’s Mimicry ability. Then, everything would be perfect.

  After all, in Qin Xiao’s eyes, Mimicry was nothing short of a divine ability.

  "Tianmeng, Xue Bing."

  Upon hearing Qin Xiao’s call, Xue Bing immediately responded, "My lord."

  In contrast, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm’s response was much more sycophantic. "Big bro, whatever you need, just say it—I’m all ears!"

  "I need to obtain a second soul ring for my Spirit Eye martial soul. The target is an ice silkworm. Can you find one?"

  "My lord, I actually know of some even more suitable soul beasts. Would you consider other options?"

  Xue Bing hesitated before suggesting, "Ice silkworms barely have any combat power. I worry that—"

  "Xue Bing, you can look down on me all you want, but you can’t doubt my big bro’s judgment."

  "An ice silkworm will shine when the time comes. Our species has its own unique advantages!"

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm’s face darkened upon hearing Xue Bing’s comment.

  Xue Bing replied indifferently, "I meant nothing against you. I was merely stating the facts."

  However—

  The more nonchant Xue Bing’s attitude was, the more frustrated Tianmeng Ice Silkworm became.

  At that moment, Qin Xiao’s calm voice echoed between them. "The reason I chose an ice silkworm as my second soul ring is well thought out. Just tell me—can you find one or not?"

  "Brother, I can find one. On our way to the core region, we passed by an ice silkworm."

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm quickly said, "Although we were quite far away at that time, I’m sure it’s perfectly suited to be your second soul ring."

  Afterward, Qin Xiao didn’t have to exert much effort to obtain the coveted Spiritual Mimicry soul ring.

  Upon witnessing this soul skill’s effect, Xue Bing was so shocked that she was speechless.

  She never expected that such a small ice silkworm could provide such a powerful soul skill.

  Reflecting on it, the soul beasts she had previously considered recommending to Qin Xiao might not have even granted an ability as potent as this.

  Meanwhile, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was brimming with pride.

  As if saying, See? Our Ice Silkworm soul skills are incredibly strong!

  Leaving the Northern Extreme Lands, they headed straight for Mingdu.

  Xue Bing found herself constantly exposed to new and unfamiliar experiences.

  Inside Qin Xiao’s spiritual world, she had taken the form of a young girl dressed in a jade-green long dress. Her long, dark green hair cascaded down her back, and on each side of her delicate face, there were four emerald-colored markings.

  Her aura remained as cold as ever.

  However, beneath her bright eyes, there was now a hint of curiosity and fascination.

  "Ice Bing, do you see that? The city ahead is Mingdu."

  "In the human world, only Shrek City can compare to it."

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm enthusiastically introduced the city to Xue Bing.

  It was indeed massive!

  And imposing!

  For a brief moment, Xue Bing's gaze flickered with awe, but her pride wouldn't allow her to show such an emotion.

  "I don’t see what’s so special about it. Other than its appearance, it’s nothing impressive."

  "In my eyes, it's not worth mentioning."

  Xue Bing spoke disdainfully.

  Which, to be fair, wasn’t entirely false.

  With her strength, she could likely destroy this city.

  However…

  That was assuming no one resisted.

  "The human world isn’t as simple as you think. You both saw the soul tool I used earlier on the journey, didn’t you?"

  "It allowed me to unleash an attack at the level of a Soul Emperor."

  At that moment, Qin Xiao's voice echoed within the spiritual world.

  Hearing this, Xue Bing's pupils slightly contracted.

  She had to admit, human inventions intrigued her.

  Seeing that both Xue Bing and Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had fallen silent, Qin Xiao continued, "In truth, that soul tool was nothing."

  "In the human world, there exist even more powerful soul tools—stationary soul-guided cannons with power equivalent to a Limit Douluo’s full-force attack. Xue Bing, even if your true body were here, how many strikes could you withstand?"

  "I…" Xue Bing opened her mouth but couldn't give an exact number.

  "Doulou Continent today is not the same as it was in the past. Over the span of ten thousand years, too much has changed."

  "Human combat power is no longer something that can be measured solely by cultivation realms, soul rings, or soul bones."

  Qin Xiao spoke slowly, "Under normal circumstances, given a few more millennia, the advancement of soul tools would reach an even more terrifying level."

  As he said this, he mentally added—

  That is, assuming he didn't intervene in Douluo Star’s technological development.

  If he directly introduced battle armor, warships, and other advanced soul tool technologies, no one could predict what kind of upheaval it would cause in Douluo Continent.

  Qin Xiao wouldn’t mind stirring the waters of Douluo using these advancements.

  He was quite curious—if the elites of the Sun Moon Empire, cd in battle armor, appeared in Shrek City, how would the people of Shrek respond?

  Of course—

  Before doing any of this, there was one prerequisite—Qin Xiao had to have the strength to protect himself.

  Otherwise, if something too advanced were to appear too soon, it might bring unnecessary trouble upon him. He could end up in a dangerous situation before he had the chance to muddy the waters.

  Hearing Qin Xiao’s expnation, both Xue Bing and Tianmeng Ice Silkworm were momentarily dazed.

  Humans were far more powerful than they had imagined.

  "I never thought humans had such formidable weapons. I assumed that the soul tools I had seen before represented their limits."

  Xue Bing couldn't help but sigh.

  Having ruled over the Northern Extreme Lands for so many years, she had some knowledge of soul tools.

  In her opinion, they were just average.

  No real threat to true powerhouses.

  But now, she understood—what she had seen was nowhere near the pinnacle of Douluo Continent’s soul tool technology.

  The truly terrifying weapons had been hidden away.

  "Does this mean that our soul beast race is destined to be exploited and devoured by humans?"

  As the ruler of the Northern Extreme Lands, Xue Bing couldn’t help but feel sorrow for her people.

  She felt sorrow for all soul beasts.

  "Brother, tell me—if the Northern Extreme Lands and the Star Dou Forest joined forces, could they stand against humans?"

  Tianmeng Ice Silkworm asked, unable to suppress his concern.

  After a brief silence, Qin Xiao replied, "Given their current strength? No chance. Even if you add in the Evil Demon Forest, it wouldn’t change anything."

  Xue Bing’s delicate body trembled violently, and she bit her lip tightly. "Does this mean soul beasts are truly doomed to extinction?"

  Qin Xiao said, "In reality, if soul beasts wish to change their fate, it isn’t impossible. They just need to be clear about what they truly want."

  "Eradicating humanity entirely is impossible. But securing a means for the soul beast race to survive and thrive isn’t difficult."

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