"Alright, Fifth Soul Skill: Illusory Water Thunderstorm!"

Following Skydream's suggestion, Tianlin used Illusory Water Thunderstorm to infuse the Silken Dancing Snow with twenty thousand years of cultivation. The once-cute sprite's face twisted in pain.

The demonic sword's boost was too intense—weak soul beasts didn't enjoy this kind of power-up.

Under the Illusory Water Thunderstorm, the snow sprite grew. If she was a little girl before, she was now like a maiden, though still innocent.

It seemed Tianmeng was right—only at a hundred thousand years, when she became a mature woman, would she gain real intelligence.

Ning Rongrong gently stroked the Silken Dancing Snow. "Please, lend me your power for my sixth soul ring."

The Silken Dancing Snow, disliking Tianlin's forceful energy, channeled all its twenty thousand years of cultivation into Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. A black sixth soul ring appeared on the pagoda's sixth tier.

Stripped of cultivation, the maiden reverted to a child but looked relieved.

Ning Rongrong kissed the Silken Dancing Snow on the cheek and sent her back to her companions. "Thank you. Go back and dance with your friends."

That was certainly the easiest sixth ring ever. Tianlin watched the little sprite fly away, wondering if he could take one home.

With such a special method, and using his Illusory Water Thunderstorm, couldn't he make soul rings in batches?

But he quickly dismissed the idea. The Silken Dancing Snow was too weak; from the sprite's pained expression, a few times was fine, but too many and it would explode.

Perpetual motion machines really were impossible. Better to let them keep dancing.

Now, Ning Rongrong had fully absorbed her sixth ring, enhancing all her attributes. The stronger she was, the more she'd help in the future.

"A twenty-thousand-year Silken Dancing Snow ring—am I the first ever?" Ning Rongrong giggled.

Because Silken Dancing Snow grew so slowly and was often drained by others, she'd never heard of a five-thousand-year-old one, so her ring was indeed the first.

"Rongrong, what level are you now?" Tianlin asked. With a twenty-thousand-year ring, plus the effects of two immortal herbs, she shouldn't just be level sixty.

"Sixty-four! And my cultivation speed doesn't feel any slower than at level fifty. Thank you, Brother Sword—it's all thanks to you." Ning Rongrong jumped into Tianlin's arms, joyfully acting spoiled. Her talent now far surpassed most innate full soul power cultivators.

She might still lag behind Qian Renxue's innate twenty-level advantage, but even if the original protagonist Tang San were alive, even with Mysterious Heaven skill, he would struggle to catch up to her current speed.

Tianlin was very satisfied. Ning Rongrong was now just about god-level talent.

…

A few more days passed. Tianlin and Ning Rongrong, now on foot, crossed the Frost Forest and truly entered the Extreme North. The snow was so deep it reached their knees, but with their cultivation, it wasn't much trouble.

Unlike the Frost Forest, here soul beasts over ten thousand years old were everywhere. The climate was so harsh that soul masters rarely came, and only the strongest soul beasts survived.

Aside from Di Tian, the Snow Empress, and the other fierce beasts, the average fighting strength here far surpassed the Star Dou Forest.

Skydream Ice Silkworm guided Tianlin and said, "Xiao Tian, keep heading north. We're only at the edge; our target is deep inside."

"Brother Skydream, no rush. We need to wait for the rabbit. I figure Tang Hao won't take the Frost Forest but will cross the mountains straight into the Extreme North, so we should intercept him there. He should be arriving soon," Tianlin said, pulling Ning Rongrong onward.

As night fell, they finally found a cave to spend the night. Tianlin held Ning Rongrong in his arms, using his elemental fire to keep her warm.

"So warm. Even in such a cold place, being in Brother Sword's arms feels like basking in the spring sun," Ning Rongrong murmured, falling asleep nestled in his chest.

"It would be great if I could be with Bingbing like this one day. But that's fine. We're close now, and soon I'll see her," Skydream Ice Silkworm sighed longingly.

Seeing this, Tianlin asked curiously, "Brother Skydream, I remember your ice silkworm race is food for the ice scorpion clan—why are you so obsessed with the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress?"

"Xiao Tian, you don't understand—love knows no race."

"I know you're wondering: we're different races, even natural enemies, so how could there be love? Once you reach our level, race isn't a barrier. I seek spiritual connection. You've heard how she treats me. To be honest, a big reason I wanted to become your soul ring is that I couldn't wait anymore. I'm afraid her time will run out and she won't make it. I love her, even if she doesn't love me. No matter what, I'll do everything I can to keep her alive. My selfish wish is just to stay by her side, even if she scolds me every day—I want to hear her voice. Can you understand? That's love." Skydream Ice Silkworm poured out his feelings.

Tianlin wanted to say that this wasn't love, but being a simp, but seeing Skydream so deep in, he knew there was no pulling him out.

Since that was the case, he could only do his best to help fulfill Skydram's wish, and help him and the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress become gods together. If Huo Yuhao could do it in the original, Tianlin believed he could too.

He glanced at his storage soul tool, which contained something very important—something he picked up at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well while replenishing the Blue Silver King's spirit energy. This would be crucial for the coming events.