Chapter 7) Meeting with the Snow Empress

The journey to the central region of the far north was, as always, tedious. Even for someone like me, flying halfway becomes impossible. The expenditure of spiritual power and flight speed just wasn't worth it. However, I found the endless snowy landscape intriguing, considering I lived in this snowy area.

Fortunately, this area had a scarcity of spirit beasts below 100,000 years old. The harsh winds and extreme cold made it unfavorable for them. Only animals seeking a breakthrough or those already surpassing 100,000 years of age would choose to reside here.

Many underestimated the far north due to the low number of spirit beasts, forgetting that hunting in the central region was nearly impossible. Therefore, the number of animals older than 100,000 years surpassed other areas significantly.

Some of these beasts were particularly aggressive, resulting in frequent conflicts that delayed my progress. The most frustrating part was the peace treaty between me and the rulers of the north, which prevented me from killing them outright. However, if a beast showed clear intent to harm me even after a hard-fought battle, I had no qualms about ending its life.

After a couple of such encounters, word spread, and there were no more fools foolish enough to challenge me for the sake of quick power. Instead, a large number of individuals appeared, seeking to refine their combat skills, lucky to have an immensely powerful person who wouldn't kill them unless they provoked me with deadly intent.

With these thoughts in mind, I arrived at the central region, specifically at the location of a massive ice hurricane formation that concealed the Snow Empress's sanctuary. I intended to enter, but a gap opened, revealing a gigantic polar bear. Standing 15 meters tall, it was a massive creature, resembling a white hill.

"Human, Mother awaits your arrival," the Ice Bear King grumbled.

"Glad to see you in good health, Ice Bear King. Our previous agreement still stands, you know," I responded.

"Hmm, human, I won't join your little human clan."

"It's a pity because my tribesmen recently discovered a spiritual bee hive, and we started producing top-quality spiritual honey. Just like the one I brought you last time."

The polar bear stared at me for a prolonged moment, a struggle evident in its eyes. Eventually, it turned away and entered the sanctuary. "Come on, don't keep Mother waiting."

I smiled and followed the massive creature inside. As we entered the inner area, a grand ice palace came into view. I could sense the presence of an extremely powerful being within. While she was slightly weaker than me, her mastery over the snow and ice domain surpassed mine. No matter how much of a genius I was, I couldn't compete with someone who had comprehended the laws of snow and ice for over half a million years.

Such is the way of things. Not only could she perceive everything within snowy and icy domains, but she could also manipulate all the spiritual energy in the central area. Engaging in combat with her was akin to fighting against a part of the world itself.

Approaching the colossal gates, they opened on their own accord, granting us entry. The ice corridors were adorned with sculptures and ornaments crafted from ice, which were imbued with spiritual and icy energy. Any spirit master with an ice attribute in this place could cultivate two or even three times faster.

And all of this was achieved without formations. With them, the rate of improvement would be unimaginable. Every time I witnessed it, I couldn't help but sigh.

Upon entering the throne room, my gaze fell upon a beautiful woman with snow-white hair and piercing blue eyes seated on the ice throne. Her face wore a cold expression, but her eyes revealed immense pride and arrogance.

I couldn't blame her for it. After living for countless years and reaching her realm of ice and snow mastery, she had become a semi-divine powerhouse in her own right. However, I, too, was far from an ordinary person, and my expression immediately turned icy and devoid of emotion. Although I couldn't surpass her in the ice and snow domain, my raw strength surpassed hers.

We stood there, gazing into each other's eyes. I felt my control over ice and snow slipping away, but I used my sheer force to resist any attempt to overpower her.

Minutes passed, and snow began to fall throughout the hall. The temperature plummeted to a degree where even the blood of a Hyper Douluo would freeze instantly without an ice attribute. Even then, they would feel immensely weakened because the laws of ice and snow in this area divided the region into two sides, preventing them from drawing energy from the world for their attacks.

A few more minutes passed, and the Snow Empress relinquished her control, speaking up.

"You have grown stronger. Your spiritual power, in particular, suggests that with one more step, you could become a divine officer."

"The world cannot tolerate divine powerhouses. I must either ascend or establish my divine kingdom. I wanted to discuss this matter with you."

"You are arrogant. Only the Dragon God King was capable of creating a divine kingdom. Even then, they required assistance from five human God Kings."

"That's true, and in the end, they were betrayed, leading to the current state of affairs."

"Considering you know the history, do you expect me to aid you in establishing a new divine kingdom?"

"Well, I thought our relationship had progressed to a level of trust. Furthermore, this case is different from the past."

"You're correct. We no longer have a Dragon King, and we will have to face five God Kings from your people regardless. So tell me, how do you propose we win this clash?"

"You should know that the Silver Dragon King is the ruler of this world. I have also discovered that there are currently three locations with divine inheritances, one of which belongs to Asura."

"Hmm, you are even more audacious than I thought. You plan to strike at them through their inheritances. But I fail to see how you will succeed. Mere poison won't even make them budge."

"Well, I have several plans, but I have yet to decide which one is the most viable. Between the two of us, you witnessed the fall of Divine Beasts and saw the rise of human gods."

She closed her eyes, lost in her memories. After a while, she spoke again.

"What do you wish to know?"

"I want to understand what divine energy entails. According to my perception, it represents a significant leap in quality, but I'm uncertain about its exact attributes."

She pondered for a while, her brows furrowing as she recalled the past. "I can't provide a definitive answer because I was very young at that time. However, I do know that divine energy embodies the laws developed by the respective gods. Furthermore, this energy is much purer and denser than spiritual energy."

"Denser? How so?"

"You don't understand. The mere manifestation of divine energy suppresses spiritual energy. There is no resistance, no chance of causing harm."

"Hmm, you mentioned that the energy contains laws within itself. Hence, we should still be able to resist it to some extent."

"No chance. The laws within the divine energy, even if different from those possessed by the god you face, simply refuse to obey you. You cannot draw support from the power of the world, nor can you utilize your understanding and spiritual power. You are defenseless. Only other gods can kill gods."

Frowning, I realized that if that was the case, our chances of victory were even slimmer than before. I closed my eyes and swiftly contemplated all possible courses of action. However, every idea that came to mind seemed futile. Only one possibility remained, but I couldn't act on it alone, let alone openly. Once my movements were detected from above, we would surely lose any chance we had.

"You could contact the Silver Dragon King. She might possess more information and could provide some assistance."

"If reaching her were so easy, I would have consulted her first."

"Well, that's all the information I can provide. Let us proceed with our trade agreements. I am interested in your products with an ice attribute."

We continued our negotiations, but my heart remained unsettled. I needed to find a way to intervene and weaken the gods while gaining strength for myself in preparation for the impending battle. Luck was not on my side, and the thought troubled me. Was submission truly the only path to prosperity?

As I pondered the question of submission, a glimmer of determination ignited within me. No, I couldn't accept defeat without exhausting all possibilities. I couldn't surrender to the whims of the gods and forsake the freedom and independence of our kind.

With renewed resolve, I looked at the Snow Empress and spoke firmly, "No, submission is not the only path to prosperity. We must find a way to level the playing field, to challenge the dominance of the gods."

Her eyes widened with surprise, curiosity mingling with her pride. "And how do you propose we do that? The power of the gods is overwhelming."

"As I said before, we can use their inheritances to attack. Although their power over the law of the world is enormous, it is not comprehensive. Even then, we can use power outside of our world. "

"You're going to play with dangerous forces. You don't even fully understand what you're going to do and what it might lead to."

"That's why I'm looking for your help. You have lived much longer than any human civilization, for such a huge period you should have realized that without taking risks we will achieve nothing."

"But I'm not going to risk my life in your half-thought-out plan. The forces beyond the world are Emptiness and Chaos. Not one of these powers is inaccessible even to the gods, how can a mortal even hope to comprehend it."

"If we don't find the answer in our world, then we can look elsewhere. After all, we are not the only world in this infinite universe. "

"What you are looking for is beyond the power of the divine realm, and without great luck and a miracle, you won't even be able to find a dead world, let alone a living one. With our capabilities, this is an impossible dream."

We fell into silence again. After all, opposing the gods is a path of endless danger and struggle. The path that most often does not have a happy ending, but I have to go along this path.

"I will continue to search and fight anyway. With or without your help. "

She sighed and said.

"Continue on your way and maybe you will succeed. The North will be on your side, but apart from the resources that you can get through trade, I can't help you with anything else. Maybe the Silver Dragon knows more and can help you better."

We talked a little more and I decided to come back. In our next meeting, perhaps we will already discuss how we will explore a new world or we will be near death before the last battle.