104: Chapter 104: It's simple, just let Xue Di marry Lu Jing, right?

The destructive energy ripples in the distance finally began to subside, and a mist of ice crystals and seawater hung over the beach, refusing to dissipate.

As the mist gradually thinned, revealing two figures of peerless grace, Lu Jing, Sea Dragon Douluo, and the other Sacred Pillar Douluos watching from afar finally breathed a sigh of relief, though their hearts were still pounding violently in their chests.

The brief yet intensely fierce clash just now, especially the final collision between the power of the ocean and the ultimate cold, left a deep imprint on everyone's minds, one they would likely never forget for the rest of their lives.

Poseidon hovered in mid-air, clutching the trident, her long red dress fluttering slightly in the sea breeze.

Her beautiful face carried a flush from the intense battle, and her breath was slightly unsteady, but her eyes remained bright and profound.

Surrounded by a faint glow of the Sea God, she looked at her opponent with eyes full of appreciation and a hint of imperceptible solemnity.

Snow Empress had already landed back on the ground, standing on the chaotic beach covered in ice shards and deep craters.

She was still wearing a white dress, spotless, though her complexion was a shade paler than before.

The burning battle intent in her ice-blue eyes had faded, replaced by her usual coldness, though if one looked closely, a trace of hidden exhaustion could be detected.

The aura of extreme cold around her had also receded significantly; clearly, the previous outburst had taken a toll on her.

The two stared at each other from a distance, the air filled with a special atmosphere following a duel between masters—a mix of respect, scrutiny, and mutual recognition of strength.

Snow Empress spoke first, her voice cold and calm, breaking the silence: "I lost. On this ocean, you hold the advantage of terrain and the blessing of Divine Power; I am indeed no match for you."

She conceded cleanly, without the slightest hesitation or resentment—this demeanor fully displayed the bearing of the ruler of the Far North.

Hearing this, Poseidon revealed a gentle and sincere smile on her beautiful face, and she shook her head lightly, her voice ethereal and pleasant: "You are too modest. Your ultimate ice and snow is tyrannical and peerless, and both your crowd control and lethality are at the pinnacle. If not for the fact that I can borrow power far exceeding the norm on this endless ocean, the outcome of today's battle would have been uncertain. This battle has allowed me to witness the splendor of the Far North, and I have benefited greatly."

Her words were not merely polite; the strength of Snow Empress had indeed made her feel pressure.

Especially those three consecutive ultimate techniques, which were perfectly coordinated and possessed unparalleled power; if they were in the Far North or on a continent, she knew she could never have received them so easily.

At this moment, Lu Jing, Sea Dragon Douluo, and the others flew over to join them.

Lu Jing walked quickly to Snow Empress's side and asked with concern in a low voice: "Snow Sister, how do you feel? You aren't hurt, are you?"

Although he had confidence in Snow Empress's strength, facing a powerhouse like Poseidon, worry was inevitable.

Snow Empress turned her head slightly, glanced at Lu Jing, shook her head gently, and replied in a flat tone: "I am fine, just a bit exhausted. She... is very strong."

These simple words conveyed her high recognition of Poseidon's strength.

Hearing this, Lu Jing breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Poseidon, smiling and cupping his hands: "Many thanks to Senior Poseidon for holding back and keeping Snow Sister company to loosen up."

His words were clever, giving Poseidon face while pointing out that this was merely a sparring match to loosen up.

Poseidon smiled, her gaze shifting between Lu Jing and Snow Empress, and she said pointedly: "It is a blessing to spar with such a powerhouse. Come to think of it, I must thank you, young friend Lu Jing, for acting as the bridge."

She naturally understood that Lu Jing was instrumental in making this duel happen.

Sea Dragon Douluo and the others also stepped forward, paying their respects to Poseidon and Snow Empress with looks of awe and excitement.

That battle just now gave them a more intuitive and profound understanding of the strength of these two peak existences, leaving them nothing but full of admiration.

Poseidon nodded at the group, then said to Snow Empress: "If you don't mind, you can come to Sea God Hall to discuss the Dao with me at any time. Although Sea God Island is dominated by water, all paths lead to the same destination, and it may be beneficial to each other's cultivation."

This was undoubtedly a very high level of recognition and an invitation.

Snow Empress's ice-blue eyes flickered with a ripple upon hearing this, and she nodded slightly: "If I have free time, I will certainly pay a visit."

Although she was cold, she would not refuse an opportunity to improve her own strength, especially when it came to exchanging ideas with a powerhouse like Poseidon.

The peak duel ended in this manner of mutual appreciation.

Poseidon still had affairs on Sea God Island to attend to, so after a brief exchange of pleasantries with everyone, she turned into a streak of red light and returned to Sea God Hall.

Sea Dragon Douluo and the others also returned to their respective Sacred Pillars to stand guard, filled with excitement and emotion.

On the beach, only Lu Jing and Snow Empress remained, along with Wang Donger, who was still deeply immersed in cultivation on the distant steps.

Lu Jing accompanied Snow Empress as they walked slowly toward their residence in Sea Horse Sacred City. The setting sun stretched their shadows long.

"How do you feel?"

Lu Jing asked again, this time more specifically: "How does Poseidon's strength compare to the Deep Sea Demon Whale King?"

Snow Empress was silent for a moment, seemingly savoring and comparing, before speaking coldly: "They are different. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King excels in profound cultivation, a powerful physical body, and tyrannical, wild strength. As for Poseidon... her control over power is more exquisite, her use of Spirit Ability is superb, and more importantly, she can channel a trace of the Sea God's Divine Power, which is a higher level. On this ocean, Poseidon is more troublesome."

She paused and added: "Without the blessing of the ocean's power and Divine Power, she might not be a match for the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. But if she has that true artifact in hand..."

She did not continue, but the meaning was clear: Poseidon, wielding the Sea God Trident, would be on a different dimension of strength.

Lu Jing nodded, indicating he understood. Poseidon's power relied heavily on the faith of the Sea God and this ocean. This also gave him a more intuitive understanding of the power of artifacts.

...

Meanwhile, deep within Lu Jing's spiritual sea, a discussion about Snow Empress's fate was taking place intensely between three special guests.

"Wow! So Big Sister Snow Empress is this fierce!" A young voice full of surprise and admiration rang out—it was Tian Meng Ice Silkworm from this era, who had not yet experienced ten thousand years of slumber or become Huo Yuhao's wise spirit ring.

Through Lu Jing's shared perception, it had seen the earth-shattering duel outside and was so excited that its round body was rolling around in the spiritual light cluster.

"That is Sea God Douluo Poseidon! Level ninety-nine! Big Sister Snow Empress was actually able to trade blows with her! That's too amazing!"

Beside it, Ice Empress, who had transformed into a mini green scorpion, couldn't help but snort, her tone filled with pride: "Hmph, nonsense! Otherwise, do you think the title of Ruler of the Far North is just for show? Snow Empress's cultivation is approaching seven hundred thousand years, and her control of ultimate ice is superb. If not for being on the opponent's home turf, it's hard to say who would have won!"

Although she usually had some minor rivalries with Snow Empress, she absolutely defended Snow Empress's dignity when facing outsiders.

Another voice spoke up, carrying the World-weary tone of someone who had seen it all—this was the Tian Meng Ice Silkworm from ten thousand years later: "Not bad, not bad. Snow Empress's strength, even ten thousand years later, would be at the top level. Even that guy, the Spirit Beast Emperor Di Tian, might not be able to get any advantage in the Far North. It's just a pity..."

Old Tian Meng's tone suddenly became a bit wistful.

"Pity what?" Little Tian Meng asked curiously.

Ice Empress also fell silent, a trace of gloom flashing in her green scorpion eyes.

Old Tian Meng sighed, his voice dropping a few decibels: "It's a pity... No matter how powerful a Spirit Beast is, if they cannot become a god, they cannot escape the Heavenly Tribulation in the end. Snow Empress's seven-hundred-thousand-year tribulation... is not far off. With her arrogant nature, she would never choose to sacrifice herself to a human and submit to someone else. But that tribulation..."

He did not continue, but the meaning was self-evident.

The Heavenly Tribulation of Spirit Beasts is more terrifying with each one; the success rate of the seven-hundred-thousand-year tribulation is despairingly low.

Just like Ice Empress's four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation.

If she hadn't been unsure of surviving, why would Ice Empress have sacrificed herself to a human?

It's no joke; after all, once you sacrifice, it's equivalent to handing over everything you have to the other party. For terrifying existences like them who have lived for hundreds of thousands of years, that is an absolute insult.

Ice Empress sighed softly, her voice filled with helplessness and a hint of imperceptible sadness: "This is her choice. We have tried to persuade her, but she... will not change."

She had known, competed with, and accompanied Snow Empress for countless years; she knew Snow Empress's pride too well.

Making her sacrifice her soul and freedom to survive, becoming a vassal to a human—that would be more unbearable than killing her.

Yet, precisely because of this, thinking of Snow Empress potentially falling under the Heavenly Tribulation made Ice Empress's heart ache as if pierced by a cold scorpion needle.

She was powerless.

The spiritual sea fell into a heavy silence.

All three of them were Spirit Beasts and understood the cruelty of the fate of Spirit Beasts.

Especially the Tian Meng Ice Silkworm from ten thousand years later; even though he had managed to reach a million years by just eating and sleeping, he still couldn't break through to become a god and ascend to the Divine Realm.

Although this cultivation was obtained by absorbing ten-thousand-year Profound Ice Marrow, you have to admit it was a million years, right? Since it was a million years, shouldn't he logically have ascended to the Divine Realm?

And the result? In the end, he still had to sacrifice himself.

Thinking of this, suddenly, Old Tian Meng's round spiritual body brightened, as if he had thought of a brilliant idea, and he shouted excitedly: "Wait! I've thought of a way! There is still one way to let Snow Empress avoid the tribulation and achieve eternal life!"

"What way?" Ice Empress and Little Tian Meng asked almost simultaneously, their voices filled with a hint of unbelievable anticipation.

Old Tian Meng shook his body triumphantly, chuckled, and said his idea that he thought was genius: "It's very simple! Just have her become a Dao companion with Xiao Jing and become husband and wife!"

"..."

The spiritual sea instantly fell into a dead silence.

Ice Empress and Little Tian Meng were both stunned, as if they had heard something absurd.

A few seconds later, Ice Empress reacted first. Her mini green scorpion figure suddenly burst out with intense green light, and a wave of extreme cold instantly swept across a corner of the spiritual sea.

She roared, and an invisible spiritual scorpion tail lashed out at Old Tian Meng's spiritual body: "Are you stupid?! What is in that dead bug brain of yours?! Mush?!"

Old Tian Meng was struck by the sudden attack, its spiritual body rippling, and it cried out aggrievedly: "Ouch! Bingbing, why are you hitting me! What I said is true!"

"True my foot!"

Ice Empress was trembling with anger and scolded: "Use your bug brain to think! Snow Empress would rather face the tribulation and have her body and soul destroyed than sacrifice herself to a human, submit to someone else, and lose her freedom! Why? Because of her pride! She disdains having too deep of a connection with humans, let alone attaching herself to one! You are actually fantasizing about making her marry a human now?! This isn't saving her, this is the greatest insult to her pride! If Snow Empress knew you had this idea, believe it or not, she would rush in right now, freeze you into ice slag, and crush you ten thousand times?!"

Ice Empress's barrage of questions hit Old Tian Meng like hail.

Old Tian Meng was a bit dazed from the scolding. It recalled Snow Empress's cold, arrogant personality, viewing all living beings as ants, and it seemed... perhaps... probably... Ice Empress made a lot of sense?

Snow Empress's pride was carved into her bones.

Making her try to please and attach herself to a human male for the sake of survival was even harder for her to accept than failing the Heavenly Tribulation.

This was not a solution at all; this was challenging her bottom line.

Old Tian Meng's momentum suddenly wilted, and it muttered softly: "I... I was just anxious... Besides, feelings can be cultivated... What if... What if Xiao Jing is charming and Snow Empress changes her mind? It's better than watching her fail the tribulation..."

Its voice grew smaller and smaller, and clearly, it also felt that the possibility of this "what if" was minimal.

Ice Empress looked at Old Tian Meng's cowardly appearance, and her full anger finally turned into a long, helpless sigh.

How could she not want to save Snow Empress?

But... change her mind, cultivate feelings?

The object is Snow Empress, who wouldn't even bother to give an ordinary human a glance?

That is even ten thousand times harder than letting her become a god directly.

Old Tian Meng seemed unwilling to give up, raised its head, looked in the direction of Ice Empress's spiritual body, and said with a hint of stubbornness and final struggle: "Bingbing... could it be... could it be that you are really willing to watch, just watch Snow Empress... fall under the Heavenly Tribulation? Is there... really no way left for us?"

The reason it did this was that it wanted to tie Snow Empress and Lu Jing together, so there would be a greater chance of success when facing the God King trial that had yet to arrive.

This question, like a cold needle, pierced through all of Ice Empress's anger and helplessness, leaving only deep, icy powerlessness.

She fell silent, her green eyes reflecting the vast but destined-to-be-cruel World rules outside the spiritual sea.

A way? Perhaps there is, but it requires a miracle, a miracle capable of breaking the pride and persistence that Snow Empress has formed over hundreds of thousands of years.

And a miracle, the reason it is a miracle, is because its probability is infinitely close to zero.