Chapter 86 Frozen Thousands of Miles

After the great battle on the Frozen Plains, the Northern Territory ushered in unprecedented peace. Melted snow nourished the black soil, and in just half a month, patches of tender green sprouted from the previously barren ice plains. The agricultural officials Emperor Cao Xukun brought from the Central Plains arrived with seeds and plow oxen, teaching the barbarian people how to farm step-by-step; craftsmen erected brick kilns, fired the first blue bricks, and neat rows of houses began to rise from the ground.

For the first time, the barbarian people no longer needed to migrate constantly, nor did they need to rely on hunting and plundering for a living. Looking at the crops growing in the fields and their own brand-new adobe houses, everyone was deeply grateful to Emperor Cao Xukun, chanting the praises of His Majesty Emperor Xuan wherever they went.

Li Tieniu had completely transformed into the Northern Territory's chief construction foreman. Every day, he wandered the construction site wearing a straw hat, tanned pitch-black, constantly shouting: "Move those bricks over there faster! We must finish building this row of houses today! His Majesty Emperor Xuan said that by the end of the month, all the elderly and children must be living in new houses. Whoever slacks off will have their meat ration docked!"

Emperor Cao Xukun spent every day accompanying Empress Bing Yao, strolling through the newly built palace. Empress Bing Yao's originally cold and detached face gradually softened with gentle smiles. Her silver hair was pinned up with a jade hairpin, shedding some of the sharpness of a queen and gaining a touch of maternal radiance.

One morning, Empress Bing Yao felt a wave of nausea right after waking up and ran outside, covering her mouth to dry heave. Emperor Cao Xukun hurriedly followed, gently patting her back, asking nervously: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? I will summon the imperial physician immediately."

Empress Bing Yao looked up, her cheeks slightly flushed, and she nodded gently, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum: "Your Majesty, I... I think I am pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Emperor Cao Xukun was stunned for a moment, then realized what she meant. He swept her up and spun her around, shouting excitedly, "That's wonderful! I'm going to be a father again!"

[ Ding! Detected that an heir with purple luck has been conceived! ]

[ Heir's Luck Grade: Top-tier Purple Luck ]

[ Bloodline Inheritance: Chaos Divine Body Bloodline + Barbarian Queen Bloodline! Born with control over ice-type powers, possessing an incomparably powerful physical body! ]

[ Congratulations to the Host! Obtained special reward: Ancient ice-type divine ability — Ice-Sealing Ten Thousand Li! ]

[ Obtained reward: Blessing of the entire barbarian clan's luck! Cultivation stabilized at the Great Perfection of the He-ti Early Stage! ]

As soon as the system prompt ended, a pure stream of ice-type divine power surged into Emperor Cao Xukun's body. Subconsciously, he raised his hand and waved it. A wave of chilling air instantly swept through the entire palace. The flowers and plants in the courtyard instantly froze into crystalline ice sculptures, and even the air seemed to be frozen solid.

"What the hell! What's going on?"

Li Tieniu happened to run in from outside, stepped onto the icy ground, and fell flat on his back with a "splat." He climbed up, looked at the ice sculptures filling the courtyard, and widened his eyes: "Emperor Xuan! What new skill have you unlocked this time? Why did it suddenly freeze?"

"I just learned Ice-Sealing Ten Thousand Li." Emperor Cao Xukun retracted his hand with a calm expression, "How is it? The power isn't bad, right?"

"Not bad? It's absolutely awesome!" Li Tieniu rubbed his hands together, looking envious, "From now on, we won't have to fear the heat in summer! With a casual wave of your hand, the entire Luoyang could become a giant natural refrigerator!"

Empress Bing Yao watched the two of them and couldn't help but laugh. Emperor Cao Xukun helped her sit down, carefully draped a cloak over her shoulders, and said gently: "You are not allowed to run around anymore from now on. Focus on resting and nurturing the fetus. If there is anything to do, just let the servants handle it. Don't tire yourself out."

"I know, Your Majesty." Empress Bing Yao leaned into his embrace, her face filled with a happy smile.

Just then, a scout rushed in, panicked and pale-faced: "Your Majesty! It's bad! Bing Lingtian has escaped back from the Extreme North! He has brought hundreds of die-hard loyalists, burning, killing, and looting at the border. He even said he is coming back to exact revenge and retake the Ice Empire!"

"Oh? He still dares to come back?" Emperor Cao Xukun raised an eyebrow, a cold sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I thought he had frozen into an ice sculpture in the Extreme North. I didn't expect his life to be so tough. Perfect, I can test the power of my newly learned Ice-Sealing Ten Thousand Li."

Li Tieniu immediately picked up his giant axe and said excitedly: "Emperor Xuan! I'll go with you! This time, I must chop off that brat's head and use it as a chamber pot!"

"No need, I'll go by myself." Emperor Cao Xukun waved his hand, "A few hundred remnants aren't even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. You stay in the palace and protect Empress Bing Yao well."

After saying this, he unfurled ice wings from his back and transformed into a stream of blue light, heading straight for the border.

By this time, the border town had already turned into a sea of fire. Bing Lingtian was wearing tattered animal skins, his hair and beard covered in ice shards, his eyes filled with madness and resentment. He held a rusty machete in his hand and roared at his subordinates, maintaining his arrogant demeanor to the very end:

"Brothers! That fake emperor, Emperor Cao Xukun, stole our home and stole everything from us! Today, we are going to fight our way back and reclaim what belongs to us! I obtained the inheritance of the ancient Ice Demon in the Extreme North, and I am even more powerful than before! Emperor Cao Xukun is no match for me at all!"

"Kill! Take back the Ice Empire!"

Hundreds of die-hard loyalists shouted along, brandishing their weapons as they charged into the town, burning, killing, looting, and committing all kinds of evil. The common people cried out to their parents, fleeing in every direction.

"Bing Lingtian, you certainly can jump around quite a bit."

A cold voice suddenly rang out. Emperor Cao Xukun slowly descended into the center of the town. His black dragon robe fluttered without wind, chilling air swirled around him, and his gaze was cold enough to freeze a person to death.

When Bing Lingtian saw Emperor Cao Xukun, his pupils shrank instantly, then he began to grin hideously: "Emperor Cao Xukun! You finally came! I suffered endless torment in the Extreme North just to find you and take revenge today! Now that I have the blessing of the Ice Demon's power, you are no longer my match! Today I will kill you, take back my Ice Empire, and take back everything of mine!"

"Just you?" Emperor Cao Xukun scoffed, looking him up and down, "Look at your current state, you look like a beggar, and you have the nerve to say you have the Ice Demon's inheritance? I think you've been frozen stupid in the Extreme North."

"You are courting death!" Bing Lingtian was poked in a sore spot and roared, brandishing his machete as he charged over, "Ice Demon's power, kill him for me!"

Faint black mist emerged from his body, condensing into a blurry phantom of an Ice Demon that lunged toward Emperor Cao Xukun.

"A mere petty trick."

Emperor Cao Xukun uttered these four words indifferently and slowly raised his right hand.

"Ice-Sealing Ten Thousand Li!"

In an instant, a terrifying chill expanded outward with Emperor Cao Xukun as the center. Wherever it passed, flames were instantly extinguished, the ground solidified into thick layers of ice, and the air itself turned into ice crystals. That Ice Demon phantom didn't even have time to let out a scream before it was frozen into an ice sculpture.

Bing Lingtian, charging at the very front, was instantly enveloped by the chilling air. He maintained his charging posture, his entire body turning into a crystalline ice sculpture, with a ferocious expression still lingering on his face.

The hundreds of die-hard loyalists did not escape either; they were all frozen in place, turning into ice sculptures of various shapes. The entire town instantly became a world of ice sculptures, terrifyingly quiet.

"With just this bit of ability, you dared to come back for revenge?" Emperor Cao Xukun shook his head, looking disdainful, "It really is like lighting a lamp in a latrine—courting death."

He waved his hand casually, and all the ice sculptures instantly shattered, turning into countless ice crystals that dissipated into the air. Bing Lingtian and his remnants didn't even leave behind a complete corpse; they completely vanished from this world.

[ Ding! Successfully killed the Son of Destiny, Bing Lingtian! ]

[ Obtained reward: 60% of Bing Lingtian's luck plundered! ]

[ Obtained reward: Ice-type divine ability proficiency + 100%! ]

Emperor Cao Xukun clapped his hands and turned to fly back to the palace.

Seeing him return, Li Tieniu hurriedly went to greet him: "Emperor Xuan! How was it? Was that brat Bing Lingtian taken care of?"

"Taken care of." Emperor Cao Xukun said indifferently, "I froze him into ice shards using Ice-Sealing Ten Thousand Li; not even ash was left."

"Awesome!" Li Tieniu gave a thumbs up, "This new divine ability is too powerful! You wiped them all out in one move! That brat Bing Lingtian is also unlucky; he just escaped back and ran into you learning a new skill. It's like delivering his head right to your door."

Emperor Cao Xukun walked to Empress Bing Yao's side and held her hand, "From now on, no one will ever dare to come to the Northern Territory to cause trouble again. Next, we will focus on construction and make the Northern Territory a true paradise on earth."

Empress Bing Yao nodded, leaning into his embrace, and said softly: "With Your Majesty here, it will definitely happen."