49: Chapter 49: A Breeding Ground and a Cage, A Mad Plan

Su Chen's figure disappeared behind the door, and the room was suddenly plunged into a strange silence.

Elder Xuan stood up from the corner. His seemingly bloated body now gave one a sense of immense weight, like a mountain.

The next second, his figure flickered, leaving behind a faint afterimage as he vanished from the spot.

In the corridor, Su Chen had only taken a few steps when he felt his shoulder sink.

A large hand, like a palm-leaf fan, had rested upon his shoulder.

"Let's go, kid."

Elder Xuan's voice betrayed no emotion.

Su Chen felt his vision blur, and he instantly lost the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet.

It was as if he had been lifted by an invisible hand. The next moment, howling winds filled his ears.

The outline of Star Luo City rapidly shrank beneath his feet, turning into a tiny square before completely disappearing at the edge of the horizon.

Elder Xuan's speed was absurdly fast.

It was completely different from his usual lazy demeanor, where he looked like a drunkard swaying with every step.

The surrounding clouds were violently torn apart, turning into streaks of white light that flew backward.

Su Chen could even feel the space slightly twisting and groaning under this extreme speed.

This was the strength of a rank 98 Super Douluo.

When traveling at full speed, it was simply unreasonable.

The two of them flew in silence at an altitude of ten thousand meters.

I don't know how much time passed before Elder Xuan's voice, steady as a mountain, finally sounded in Su Chen's ears, clearly overpowering the whistling wind.

"Kid, there are no outsiders here now."

"Tell me the truth."

It was coming.

Su Chen composed himself, knowing the real show was about to begin.

Elder Xuan didn't give him any time to react and got straight to the point.

"That 'Soul Spirit contract method' you mentioned, and the one lying inside this thing, it's the 'Snow Empress', right?"

Clearly, this elder of the Sea Gods Pavilion knew far more than he appeared to.

Su Chen took a deep breath, without the slightest concealment or hesitation.

"Yes, Elder Xuan."

"She is indeed the leader of the three great kings of the Extreme North Land, the 700,000-year cultivation Ice Jade Empress—the Snow Empress."

As his voice fell.

"Hiss—"

Even with Elder Xuan's rank 98 cultivation, this Gluttonous Douluo, who had seen all the storms of the world, clearly gasped at this moment.

The large hand gripping Su Chen's shoulder tightened abruptly.

Even their high-speed flight experienced an imperceptible pause in the air due to this instant shock to his mind.

Elder Xuan stared fixedly at Su Chen, sharp light erupting from his cloudy old eyes.

He didn't ask how Su Chen had done it, nor did he ask what risks were involved.

He only asked the most critical question.

"Why?"

"Are you after that so-called 'Soul Spirit contract method'?"

A 700,000-year Spirit Beast—even a Limit Douluo would have to take a detour if they saw one.

This kid, on the other hand, not only didn't run away, but actually "picked" it up.

This was no longer something that could be described as just having guts.

This was courting death; this was playing with fire.

Hearing Elder Xuan's question, Su Chen's expression calmed down instead.

"Yes."

Su Chen nodded, his voice not loud but exceptionally firm.

"We exhaust all our efforts to kill a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast, only to obtain one spirit ring and one Spirit Bone."

"Its ten thousand years of cultivation, its wisdom, its insights into the laws of heaven and earth—all vanish with its death."

"This isn't called obtaining power; this is called wasting heaven's gifts."

Su Chen's voice gradually became more passionate.

"Elder Xuan, you are a powerhouse standing at the pinnacle of the continent."

"You should know better than me about the existence of those few in the deepest parts of the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Do you really think they will sit idly by and watch their kin be slaughtered by us Spirit Masters until they face extinction?"

"If you drain the pond to catch the fish, there will eventually come a day when the fish are gone."

"When that day comes, a war will inevitably break out between Spirit Masters and Spirit Beasts that will sweep across the entire continent."

"At that time, where will we Spirit Masters go?"

Every word of Su Chen's was like a heavy hammer, striking fiercely at Elder Xuan's heart.

High above, the howling wind seemed to have gone quiet.

Elder Xuan was silent.

In his seemingly cloudy eyes, an incredibly complex light flickered.

There was shock, there was contemplation, and there was even a trace of... fear, which he himself had not noticed.

Because he knew.

Everything this kid said was correct.

"The current Snow Empress is not the 700,000-year Spirit Beast that shook the continent as you imagine."

"Her nirvana failed, and she turned into source energy, re-condensing into an... embryo."

"An embryo with an incredibly pure source, but whose soul has fallen into the deepest slumber."

"This is the only opportunity, and the best opportunity."

Su Chen's eyes became burning hot.

"Elder Xuan, think about it."

"If we wait for her to break the seal on her own and restore her true form, with the Snow Empress's extremely arrogant personality, would she accept any contract from us Spirit Masters?"

"No, she wouldn't."

Su Chen answered his own question.

"That wouldn't be cooperation; it would be enslavement."

"What would await us would only be a devastating counterattack."

"A dying counterattack from a 700,000-year Spirit Beast is something no one can withstand, not even Shrek."

These words made Elder Xuan's eyelids twitch.

Su Chen continued: "But it's different now."

"In the embryo state, her consciousness is a blank slate, just like a piece of white paper."

"This is the most ideal, and indeed the only, time to establish an initial soul connection and attempt to sign an 'Soul Spirit contract' of mutual benefit."

"We are not trying to enslave her, but to become the first partner she sees when she wakes up."

For the first time, an emotion called "shock" appeared in Elder Xuan's cloudy eyes.

This plan was too bold.

Too bold!

"This deification platform you mentioned..." Elder Xuan pointed to the jade box.

"Yes." Su Chen nodded. "It is both an incubator to protect the Snow Empress's source from dissipating, and an incredibly powerful cage."

"My operation must be carried out without breaking this seal."

"I must use my spiritual power to carefully communicate with her sleeping consciousness, letting her accept my goodwill."

"And I must also ensure the stability of the seal, so she doesn't wake up prematurely and go on a rampage."

Su Chen gave a bitter smile.

"The balance required is as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"Every step is like walking on thin ice at the edge of a ten-thousand-foot cliff."

"One wrong step, and there is no hope of salvation."

Elder Xuan did not speak for a long time.

He just looked at Su Chen, his eyes extremely complex.

A long time later, he finally exhaled a long, heavy breath.

"Madman!"

"You kid, you really are a madman!"

Xuan Zi looked at Su Chen as if he wanted to see right through this young man.

"Do you know who the last madman who dared to think like this and dared to do this was?"

Su Chen looked at him without speaking.

Elder Xuan grinned, revealing a smile that was uglier than crying. "It was that old guy, Mu En."

"You kid, you are exactly like him when he was young!"