Night fell at the hotel where Snow Empress was staying. Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena had also temporarily settled here.
In Gu Yuena's room, she sat on the bed, reminiscing about the day's events.
Her first meeting with Snow Empress, becoming her disciple... finally, her thoughts lingered on Huo Yuhao's words.
"We'll talk when you understand."
Talk again?
"Beep beep—"
The sound of the soul communicator interrupted Gu Yuena's thoughts. She took it out and saw the number on the screen, her expression stiffening.
No wonder she felt like she had forgotten something. It was about Teacher Leng. She must have arrived in East Sea City by now, right?
Gu Yuena quickly answered, and a projection appeared in mid-air.
High-level soul communicators had video call functions, though she rarely used them.
In the projection, Leng Yaoju's face and the background behind her gradually became clear. She sat by the bed, her long, fair legs crossed, a gentle smile on her face.
But when she saw Gu Yuena, her eyes changed slightly, subtly observing Gu Yuena's surroundings.
This is... a hotel?
"Na'er... are you in a hotel?" Leng Yaoju didn't question why her little cotton-padded jacket had forgotten about her. She simply asked, "Where's Huo Yuhao?"
"Yuhao is in the next room."
Hearing this, Leng Yaoju quietly watched Gu Yuena for a moment before asking, "Na'er, tell me the truth. What are your thoughts?"
Gu Yuena was stunned and fell silent.
...In the next room, Huo Yuhao held the Ice God Pearl, pondering the day's gains.
The Ice God Pearl could enhance Ultimate Ice and contained the power of ice laws, which was beneficial for shaping a godhood.
With the addition of the Body Sect, he had now found the basic resources for the sublimation of both his martial souls...
"She'll be leaving soon, won't she?"
Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, not in high spirits. He got up and walked out of the room, heading to the pavilion behind the hotel.
The moonlight was like water, spilling over the pavilion, silver radiance covering the ground.
Inside the pavilion, Snow Empress sat on a stone bench, her white clothes as pure as snow, blending with the surroundings. Her features were picturesque, yet carried a hint of coldness and aloofness.
But when she saw Huo Yuhao approaching, the coldness in her eyes disappeared, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Can't sleep either? Come, sit for a while."
Snow Empress gestured to the spot beside her.
Huo Yuhao nodded and sat down next to her, both gazing at the bright moon in the sky.
A faint, elegant fragrance wafted through the air, bringing a sense of calm.
For a while, neither spoke, simply sitting together in silence. After some time, Huo Yuhao finally spoke, "Are you leaving?"
Snow Empress nodded slightly, "Yes. I've met the person I needed to meet and given you what I should. I plan to return to the Far North first to pave the way for you."
If she stayed any longer, she feared she wouldn't want to leave.
"...You don't need to do that. Have a little more faith in me," Huo Yuhao said with a helpless smile.
Snow Empress's gaze shifted from the solitary moon in the sky to Huo Yuhao, her voice soft, "I have more faith in you than in myself."
"Right now, I can still help you. But once we become gods, I might not be able to keep up with you, just like ten thousand years ago... So let me protect you a little longer while I still can."
"..."
Huo Yuhao exhaled, "Stay a bit longer tomorrow. I've learned some new dishes in the past few years. I'll cook them all for you. We can catch up."
"Alright," Snow Empress smiled and nodded.
After that, the two chatted for a long time. The days when Snow Empress taught Huo Yuhao in the Far North, their adventures in Mingdu, Snow Empress instructing Su Tong, and being called "teacher's wife" by the latter...
Stories Huo Yuhao knew and those he didn't gradually flowed from Snow Empress's lips, some making him smile knowingly, others leaving him slightly embarrassed.
But seeing Snow Empress's serene smile, Huo Yuhao's heart also calmed. He smiled softly and shared some amusing stories Snow Empress didn't know, making her laugh repeatedly.
Time passed quietly, and before they knew it, it was three in the morning. Snow Empress glanced at the sky and said gently, "By the way, the alloy for the Ice God Crystal will take some time. How about giving me a gift now?"
"Just say it."
Snow Empress's red lips parted slightly, "A form of address."
Some things, she still cared about.
Huo Yuhao looked up and met Snow Empress's clear eyes. A sudden realization struck him. After a moment of hesitation, he softly said,
"...Xue'er?"
Huo Yuhao's tone was gentle, though a bit stiff.
As the words fell, Snow Empress was silent for a moment before standing up. "Too stiff. Let's not call me that for now. It's late. I'll go back to my room and rest. You should get some sleep too."
With that, Snow Empress turned and left, her steps calm and her figure graceful, but unable to hide the blush on her face.
Why did it feel so different when Yuhao called her that, even though she could remain calm when Bing'er did it?
It made her heart tighten...
Huo Yuhao sat in the pavilion, watching Snow Empress leave until her figure disappeared. Then he looked up at the night sky.
This side of Snow Empress... he was seeing it for the first time.
...
The next afternoon, the setting sun bathed the tarmac of the soul airport, the air filled with a sense of parting melancholy. Huo Yuhao and Snow Empress stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the departure hall, silently watching the soul planes taking off and landing outside.
Only the two of them were here. Dark Phoenix Douluo seemed to have some matters to attend to and didn't plan to return to the Far North with Snow Empress immediately. As before, Gu Yuena left the time to them.
"Be careful. If she doesn't know what's good for her, leave it to me," Huo Yuhao reminded through a mental message. "Don't indulge them!"
If Snow Empress wanted to pave the way for him, the first thing to do was to silence all other voices in the Far North.
The Mermaid Clan, based in the Far North's icy seas, had the Sea Princess, a peak Douluo, as their leader. She was also a dominant force in the Far North. In the ocean, even Snow Empress might not have been her match in the past.
But that was only in the past.
"I understand."
Snow Empress smiled softly, stepping closer to Huo Yuhao and leaning down to adjust his collar, which had been ruffled by the airport breeze.
"The road ahead is long. Don't just focus on the journey. Remember to take care of yourself."
Huo Yuhao paused, his voice gentle, "Yes, you too. Don't overwork yourself. We'll meet again soon... and it won't be too long this time!"
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao extended his spiritual domain to cover the area. He reached out and, while Snow Empress was leaning down, gently tapped her pure forehead. A spatial mark appeared on Snow Empress's brow, slowly fading.
"My grasp of spatial power isn't complete yet, but my spiritual power is improving well. This is the best I can do for now. At least I'll know if you're safe."
Snow Empress didn't resist, letting Huo Yuhao finish before touching the spot on her forehead, a hint of understanding in her eyes.
This mark was formed by Huo Yuhao's spiritual power, combined with his comprehension of spatial laws. With his current strength, he relied on the Snow Empress's Token she had left him to sense her condition in reverse.
But as Huo Yuhao's cultivation recovered, he could achieve what she had done.
'He hasn't even returned to his peak yet, and he's already worrying about me.'
Though she thought this, the softness in Snow Empress's eyes grew. After a moment of consideration, she extended her spiritual power, causing the Snow Empress's Token on Huo Yuhao's forehead to appear. Through her spiritual power, she left something else behind. "I didn't want to do this originally, but now I think it's better to leave it, so you won't worry about me."
Huo Yuhao was stunned, sensing what Snow Empress had left. For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Was this still a farewell?
Snow Empress was accompanying him in a completely different form...