Unrivaled Tang Sect

Ah Tai nodded at Huo Yuhao and said, “You are the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress’ companion, and that means you will always be the Extreme North’s friend. If ever you need our help in the future, don’t hesitate to send someone here to give us instructions.” He bent down as he spoke, and passed his palm face-up in front of Huo Yuhao.

He was in human form, but he was still a lot more muscular than Huo Yuhao was. There was an icy-blue snowflake on his broad palm, which seemed like it was made from ice and snow. However, Huo Yuhao realized to his surprise when he took it that the snowflake was actually lukewarm. But he could clearly feel that the terrifying aura of Ultimate Ice contained within it.

“This is the Snow Empress’ Writ, and it’s personally given by the Snow Empress. If you need anything in the future, just send someone to the Extreme North with that Snow Empress’ Writ, and we will follow any instruction or request you have.”

“Thank you,” Huo Yuhao didn’t decline his offer, and he put the Snow Empress’ Writ in his storage soul tool. The Extreme North’s strength was very formidable. Furthermore, the Extreme North bordered both the Heavenly Soul and the Dou Ling Empire’s northern territories. Perhaps he would actually need their help in the future.

The Tai Tan Snowdevil King stood up straight. “We have completed our task, and we shall take our leave. Please send my regards to the Snow Empress.”

“Ah Tai.” Blue light glowed as the Snow Empress glimmered beside Huo Yuhao.

The Snowdevil King hurriedly bowed to greet her as she appeared, and the Ice Bear King made his posture a little more glamorous.

The Snow Empress stared at the Snowdevil King seriously and said, “I’ll leave the Extreme North to you, Ah Tai. I’ll give you this – with this, you will be able to survive one more breakthrough.” The Snow Empress waved her hand as she spoke, and a ray of blue light flew towards the Snowdevil King.

The Snowdevil King caught it subconsciously, and his eyes changed drastically in the next moment. He knelt down in front of the Snow Emperor with a “kerplunk”, and his eyes were covered with mist.

“Thank you, Snow Empress. I will forever remember your favor of lengthening my life.” He kowtowed three times at the Snow Empress respectfully before he got back on his feet and strode away with his tribe of Tai Tan Snowdevils.

Huo Yuhao naturally knew what the Snow Empress had given him, but he had no intention of stopping her. He knew that the Snow Empress was helping him establish camaraderie. His connection with the Extreme North would be seamlessly intimate with this relationship.

The Ice Bear King side-eyed the Tai Tan Snowdevil King enviously and grunted as he muttered under his breath, “What are you so happy about? I’ll have my own in the future.”

The Snow Empress glanced back at him and said, “You shall follow Yuhao for now. Take these few days to treat your wounds, and we will depart when you’re better.” The second part of her sentence was targeted at Huo Yuhao, and she disappeared into his body after that.

The Ice Bear King nodded obediently as his plump frame plopped back down onto the snow. The snow’s temperature was so low that normal people would lose their lives lying down on such a surface, but the Ice Bear King seemed like he was enjoying himself.

Huo Yuhao turned around and gazed at the Sun Moon Empire’s camp in the distance, and a faint smile gradually appeared on his face.

I was defeated the last time around, Ju zi, but I have pulled one back this time. I hope you understand what I’m trying to tell you, and leave this place as quickly as possible.

He wasn’t worried that the lesson he had given her wasn’t sufficient. So many bases and structures had been destroyed, and no matter how reluctant Ju Zi was, she couldn’t reconstruct everything and continue excavating within such a short period of time. In the end, it wasn’t easy for her to transport all those structural installations in the first place. The cost of excavation was also exorbitant, and she probably couldn’t put the same batch together within two months.

Huo Yuhao did consider taking some of those rare metals back, but this place was so cold, and doing so would be a terribly difficult task. His individual strength was limited after all. He also considered asking the Tai Tan Snowdevils to help, but the Tai Tan Snowdevil King was only here because of the Snow Empress’ favor, and he couldn’t just command the new ruler of the Extreme North. He gave up thoughts of this endeavor.

After this lesson, the Sun Moon Empire would have to think long and hard if they wanted to try to excavate the rare metals here again. Huo Yuhao could do a lot more during this period of time, and he would have time to relay this information to the academy. The academy would contact the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires, and they were bound to do something.

Huo Yuhao told the Ice Bear King to continue treating his wounds here while he snuck back towards the Sun Moon Empire’s camp to scout it out.

Huo Yuhao had a lot less trouble without the aerial surveillance soul tools. He didn’t have to worry about anything at all with his concealment abilities.

Huo Yuhao gazed down from a distance, and he could how wretched the Sun Moon Empire’s camp was. The sky was already bright by now, and the Sun Moon Empire’s army was clearly hard at work. They were collecting and salvaging their broken and damaged machines, and they seemed like they were taking apart their camp at the same time.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Huo Yuhao’s mouth. Are they finally going to leave?

Damaged machines weren’t the most painful losses, as machines could be replenished and repaired. However, many of their tents had been destroyed, and that meant many soldiers no longer had shelter or a place to rest. That was fatal in a chilly place like the Extreme North! Since Ju Zi could command her soldiers with strict obedience, then she had to have a relatively good reputation and prestige within her army, so she couldn’t just disregard these soldiers. Furthermore, she still had to consider that he would notify the Dou Ling Empire. Retreating was her only choice under such circumstances.

As for those minerals and whatnot that the army had already excavated, he would just let them take them away. He could no longer do anything to stop them. After all, they hadn’t managed to excavate much.

Indeed, after a morning of readjustment, the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer legion put away many of their damaged or destroyed soul tools. They were damaged, but the rare metals inside them were still very precious. They could still use those rare metals after repairing or recycling them, so they couldn’t just waste those soul tools.

Midday passed, and the army had their meals before they moved out and proceeded towards the south, back into the Heavenly Soul Empire’s territory. The Fire Phoenix Legion was positioned at the rear.

Huo Yuhao watched them slowly leave, and he couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss and lament in his heart. He was finally standing on opposite sides from Ju Zi in the end – how could he face her again in the future under such circumstances?! Haih, I hope we don’t meet again on the battlefield. But since she’s one of the Sun Moon Empire’s marshals, can we really avoid meeting each other on the battlefield again?

Huo Yuhao was still doubtful in his mind when he suddenly noticed that a sphere of red light emerged in the barren army camp. The fiery red light was flickering very faintly, but it was very glaring amidst the white and snowy ground.

Eh?

Huo Yuhao was too far away, so he couldn’t see clearly even with his Spirit Eyes and Purple Demon Eyes. He had to activate his Eye of Destiny as he swept across to that area.

He quickly discovered that someone was standing in the snow, and this red light came from her body. Wasn’t that Ju Zi?

In this moment, Ju Zi’s pretty pale face flowed with grief and dismal beauty, and she was staring in his direction.

She’s waiting for me? She guessed that I would come here to scout.

Huo Yuhao felt his heart quiver as he heaved a sigh, and he finally flew in Ju Zi’s direction.

Ju Zi could see him flying towards her from some distance away, and the sadness in her expression gradually receded. A slight smile appeared on her lips, and she thought to herself that her arch-enemy did have a conscience after all.

Huo Yuhao drifted to the ground about five meters away from Ju Zi. They stared into each other’s eyes, and their expressions were both deep and complicated.

“You’ve won, this time.” Ju Zi grunted softly; she was evidently a little upset.

Huo Yuhao heaved a sigh and said, “Actually, I don’t want to win. If only we weren’t standing on opposite sides.

“Then stand over on my side!” Ju Zi retorted furiously, “If you come to me, we will no longer be standing on opposite sides, no?”

Huo Yuhao grew silent. He paused for a moment before he said slowly, “We have our own wishes and creeds. I know that if you insist on continuing down this path, you cannot convince me. Can’t you see that I haven’t attempted to convince you?”

“Aren’t you afraid that I’ve prepared a trap here?” Ju Zi suddenly said coldly, “Have you forgotten what I said to you that day? Your heart is too soft. There’s a saying that the compassionate cannot hold military authority. If I had been in your shoes last night, I would have unleashed a massacre when I had the absolute advantage. I would have done as much as I could to weaken my enemies’ strength, and best if I could do away with myself, the mastermind. That would have been the only way to get something done once and for all. But you didn’t do so, and you still dare to come see me at such a close distance. Aren’t you afraid that I have prepared another ambush? You can’t have the same luck to avoid capture every time, and when I’m prepared, it’s impossible for you to capture me. At least, you can’t do so within a short period of time.”

Huo Yuhao laughed coolly. “But I have never considered you as my enemy.”

Huo Yuhao’s simple sentence dissolved Ju Zi’s fierce expression, and she just stared at him blankly.

I have never considered you as my enemy. This was such a simple sentence, but it flicked at Ju Zi’s heartstrings forcefully.

The fury on her face disappeared, and a plain smile took its place. She heaved a faint sigh as she muttered to herself, “You live up to your name as the man that I have chosen. No matter how foolish you are, you are still foolishly cute. But we can only be opponents in the end. You’ve won this time, but you may not the next time. I hope that we will cross paths again as late as possible because I truly don’t want you as my opponent. That’s not because you are hard to deal with, but because I can’t bring myself to do anything to you. You may leave.”

Huo Yuhao stared at her quietly and said, “Can this really not be changed, Ju Zi?”

Ju Zi shook her head and answered, “No.”

Huo Yuhao no longer tried to advise her. He knew that she had made up her mind a long time ago, and he only asked his question was because he was still hanging onto a fine thread of hope.