dì liǎng qiān wǔ bǎi èr shí èr zhāng jīn fēi xī bǐ de xuě hú zú
第两千五百二十二章今非昔比的雪狐族
Chapter 2522: Snow Fox Clan, No Longer the Same
“ bù cuò ， nǐ xiàn zài zhǐ xū yào jiāo chū yī hún yī pò ， lín mǒu zì rán bú huì wéi nán nǐ de 。[ běn zhāng yóu wǎng yǒu wèi nín tí gōng gēng xīn ]”
“不错，你现在只需要jiāo出一魂一魄，林某自然不会为难你的。[本章由网友为您提供更新]”
"Good. All you need to do is hand over one soul and one essence, and I won't make things difficult for you," Lin Xuan's cold voice echoed in his ears, as if it were merely a trivial matter.
lín xuān bǎ wán zhuó shǒu zhōng de bǎo wù ， lěng rán de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， fǎng fú suǒ shuō ， zhǐ shì yī jiàn wú zú qīng zhòng de xiǎo shì bà le 。
林轩把玩着手中的宝物，冷然的声音传入耳朵，仿佛所说，只是一件无足轻重的小事罢了。
However, the expression on the Frost Rat King’s face was extremely grim. As a late-stage Spirit Divination being, he knew very well how formidable the Soul Sealing Technique was. Handing over one soul and one essence meant handing over his life to the other party, leaving him with no chance of resistance.
hán shǔ wáng de biǎo qíng què nán kàn dào jí chù ， zuò wéi fēn shén hòu qī de dà néng yāo zú ， zhè jìn hún shù wēi néng rú hé ， tā zì rán xīn zhōng yǒu shù ， jué fēi yì bān de pǔ tōng jìn zhì kě yǐ bǐ nǐ ，jiāo chū yī hún yī pò ， děng yú jiāng xiǎo mìng jiāo dào duì fāng de shǒu lǐ ， cóng cǐ zài wú sī háo de fǎn kàng zhī lì 。
寒鼠王的表情却难看到极处，作为分神后期的大能妖族，这禁魂术威能如何，他自然心中有数，绝非一般的普通禁制可以比拟，jiāo出一魂一魄，等于将小命jiāo到对方的手里，从此再无丝毫的反抗之力。
In other words, taking this step would turn him into a slave, doomed for eternity. Psychologically, he refused to accept it, but what choice did he have? How could he face the imminent crisis?
huàn jù huà shuō ， mài chū zhè yī bù ， děng yú shì huà shēn wèi nú ， cóng cǐ wàn jié bù fù ， cóng xīn lǐ lái shuō ， tā zì rán shì wú lùn rú hé ， yě bù yuàn yì ， kě bù zhè me zuò ， yǎn qián de wēi jī yòu zěn me dù guò ， děng dài tā de ， kǒng pà mǎ shàng jiù shì hún fēi pò sàn de jié jú le ？
换句话说，迈出这一步，等于是化身为奴，从此万劫不复，从心理来说，他自然是无论如何，也不愿意，可不这么做，眼前的危机又怎么度过，等待他的，恐怕马上就是魂飞魄散的结局了？
What should he do? The conditions were too harsh, yet there was no room for negotiation at this point.
gāi zěn me bàn ， duì fāng tí chū de tiáo jiàn tài kē kè ， rán ér shì qíng fā zhǎn dào zhè yī bù ， què gēn běn jiù méi yǒu tǎo jià huán jià de yú dì le 。
该怎么办，对方提出的条件太苛刻，然而事情发展到这一步，却根本就没有讨价还价的余地了。
Between death and handing over his soul, how could he choose?
yī biān shì sǐ ， yī biān shì jiāo chū hún pò ， nǐ ràng tā zěn me xuǎn zé ？
一边是死，一边是jiāo出魂魄，你让他怎么选择？
But even with such difficulty, he had to make a decision. Lin Xuan's expression showed clear impatience.
kě zài nán yě dé zuò ， lín xuān liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng ， yǐ míng xiǎn bù nài fán qǐ lái le 。
可再难也得做，林轩脸上的表情，已明显不耐烦起来了。
The Nine Palaces Musty Sword trembled slightly, the originally dim light now radiating brightly again.
jiǔ gōng xū yú jiàn wēi wēi chàn dǒu ， yuán běn àn dàn xià qù de líng guāng ， chóng xīn kāi shǐ biàn dé yào mù 。
九宫须臾剑微微颤抖，原本黯淡下去的灵光，重新开始变得耀目。
Although they hadn't interacted much, this young man was undoubtedly ruthless. If he hesitated any longer, he would lose his chance entirely.
suī rán jiē chù bù duō ， bù guò zhè lín xiǎo zi jué duì shì xīn hěn shǒu là de rén wù ， zì jǐ ruò shì zài chí yí ， biàn shì lián xuǎn zé de jī huì ， yě bú huì gěi le 。
虽然接触不多，不过这林小子绝对是心狠手辣的人物，自己若是再迟疑，便是连选择的机会，也不会给了。
"Friend, please don’t act rashly. I am willing to admit defeat."
“ dào yǒu qiè wù dòng shǒu ， lǎo fū yuàn yì fú shū 。”
“道友切勿动手，老夫愿意服输。”
The Frost Rat King's forehead was drenched in sweat as he spoke weakly. Choosing the lesser of two evils, despite not wanting his fate to be controlled by others, it was better than immediate death. There’s a saying: "Better to live with dignity than die dishonorably." Thus, he chose to submit.
hán shǔ wáng de é tóu mǎn shì hàn dī ， yǒu qì wú lì de shēng yīn chuán rù le ěr duǒ lǐ ， liǎng xiāng qí hài qǔ qí qīng ， jǐn guǎn tā bù yuàn yì mìng yùn bèi bié rén zhǎng wò ， dàn zǒng bǐ mǎ shàng yǔn luò hǎo dé duō ， bú shì yǒu yī jù huà ， jiào zuò hǎo sǐ bù rú lài huó zhe ， suǒ yǐ tā zài zuì hòu ， xuǎn zé le qū fú 。
寒鼠王的额头满是汗滴，有气无力的声音传入了耳朵里，两相其害取其轻，尽管他不愿意命运被别人掌握，但总比马上陨落好得多，不是有一句话，叫做好死不如赖活着，所以他在最后，选择了屈服。
"Very well. Hand over your soul and essence."
“ hǎo ， nà dào yǒu jiù jiāo chū hún pò 。”
“好，那道友就jiāo出魂魄。”
Lin Xuan's face finally showed a smile.
lín xuān de liǎn shàng ， zǒng suàn shì lù chū le yì diǎn xiào róng 。
林轩的脸上，总算是lù出了一点笑容。
"Yes!"
“ shì ！”
“是！”
At this point, playing mind games could only bring humiliation. The Frost Rat King's face was pale as he spat out two small light orbs from his mouth.
shì qíng dào le zhè yī bù ， zài wán xīn jī shǒu duàn zhǐ néng shì zì qǔ qí rǔ ， hán shǔ wáng lián liǎn rú tǔ sè， yī zhāng kǒu ， liǎng gè mǔ zhǐ dà xiǎo de guāng tuán cóng zuǐ bā lǐ tǔ chū 。
事情到了这一步，再玩心机手段只能是自取其辱，寒鼠王连脸如土sè，一张口，两个拇指大小的光团从嘴巴里吐出。
Sure enough, they were the soul and essence!
guǒ rán shì hún pò ！
果然是魂魄！
Lin Xuan raised his right hand and grabbed them mid-air. The light orbs obediently returned to his hands under some mysterious force.
lín xuān yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， líng kōng zhè me xiàng qián zhuā qù ， nà liǎng gè guāng tuán rú bèi yī shén mì de lì liàng qiān yǐn zhe ， guāi guāi de huí dào le tā de shǒu lǐ 。
林轩右手抬起，凌空这么向前抓去，那两个光团如被一神秘的力量牵引着，乖乖的回到了他的手里。
Then Lin Xuan flipped his wrist, embedding a spell into the light orbs and sealing the Frost Rat King's one soul and one essence onto the Soul Sealing Talisman.
rán hòu lín xuān shǒu wàn fān zhuǎn ， yī dào fǎ jué hún zhe guāng tuán ， jiāng hán shǔ wáng de yī hún yī pò fēng yìn zài le jìn hún pái de lǐ miàn 。
然后林轩手腕翻转，一道法诀hún着光团，将寒鼠王的一魂一魄封印在了禁魂牌的里面。
"Xiang'er, take this."
“ xiāng ér ， gěi nǐ 。”
“香儿，给妳。”
Lin Xuan handed the object to Xiao Xue Fox on the side.
lín xuān jiāng cǐ wù dì gěi le yī páng de xiǎo xuě hú 。
林轩将此物递给了一旁的小雪狐。
"Me?"
“ gěi wǒ 。”
“给我。”
The little girl’s face was filled with astonishment.
xiǎo yā tou de liǎn shàng mǎn shì jīng è 。
小丫头的脸上满是惊愕。
"Yes. I have a spirit beast. What use is this big rat to me?"
“ bù cuò ， lín mǒu kě shì yǒu líng shòu de ， yào zhè dà lǎo shǔ ， yǒu shén me yòng tú 。”
“不错，林某可是有灵兽的，要这大老鼠，有什么用途。”
"Big rat?"
“ dà lǎo shǔ ？”
“大老鼠？”
Xiang'er couldn’t help but burst into laughter at that term, but the Frost Rat King showed no unusual expression. In light of his future life, some teasing was nothing compared to it.
xiāng ér tīng le zhè ge chēng hū ， rěn bú zhù pū chī yī shēng xiào le chū lái ， hán shǔ wáng liǎn shàng què bìng wú yì sè， xiāng duì yú zì jǐ jīn hòu yào miàn lín de shēng huó ， yǎn qián de xiē xǔ tiáo kǎn yòu suàn dé le shén me 。
香儿听了这个称呼，忍不住扑哧一声笑了出来，寒鼠王脸上却并无异sè，相对于自己今后要面临的生活，眼前的些许调侃又算得了什么。
"But you caught him with great difficulty."
“ kě zhè shì nǐ hǎo bù róng yì cái zhuā zhù de 。”
“可这是你好不容易才抓住的。”
Xiang'er still had a hint of hesitation on her face. The Frost Rat King was late-stage Spirit Divination; he would be an invaluable ally in many ways. This gift was too generous.
xiāng ér de liǎn shàng yī jiù yǒu jǐ fēn chí yí ， hán shǔ wáng nǎi shì fēn shén hòu qī ， bù lùn cóng nǎ ge fāng miàn shuō ， dōu shì yī qiáng jìng de bāng shǒu ， zhè fèn lǐ ， wěi shí tài dà le xiē 。
香儿的脸上依旧有几分迟疑，寒鼠王乃是分神后期，不论从哪个方面说，都是一强劲的帮手，这份礼，委实太大了些。
"I said I'll give it to you, so there’s no need for such formalities," Lin Xuan said earnestly. "For this rat, it indeed has no use. But if you make good use of him, he could greatly benefit the Snow Fox Clan."
“ wǒ shuō gěi nǐ jiù gěi nǐ ， hé bì hái zhè me kè qì ， cǐ shǔ duì wǒ ， què shí méi yǒu yòng tú ， dǎo shì nǐ ， yòng hǎo zhè jiā huo ， duì xuě hú yī zú de chǔ jìng ， kǒng pà dà yǒu bāng zhù 。” lín xuān yī bǎi shǒu ， kěn qiè de shuō 。
“我说给妳就给妳，何必还这么客气，此鼠对我，确实没有用途，倒是妳，用好这家伙，对雪狐一族的处境，恐怕大有帮助。”林轩一摆手，恳切的说。
"Alright... Thank you, Brother Lin. I will accept your offer." Xiang'er's smile was breathtaking.
“ rú cǐ …… duō xiè lín dà gē ， xiǎo mèi jiù gōng jìng bù rú cóng mìng le 。” xiāng ér yíng yíng yī fú ， yuán běn jiù shì jué sè， nà xiào yè rú huā de biǎo qíng gèng shì měi dào wú yǐ fù jiā de dì bù 。
“如此……多谢林大哥，小妹就恭敬不如从命了。”香儿盈盈一拂，原本就是绝sè，那笑靥如huā的表情更是美到无以复加的地步。
If anyone else had seen her, they would have been stunned. Although Lin Xuan didn’t feel it as strongly, there was a strange feeling in his heart, especially with "Brother Lin." When did this girl become so polite? Previously, she always called him "Big Guy."
ruò huàn yí gè rén ， kǒng pà dōu kàn dāi le ， lín xuān suī bù zhì yú ， dàn xīn zhōng yě yǒu yì diǎn yì yàng de gǎn jué ， yóu qí shì nà jù lín dà gē ， zhè yā tou ， shén me shí hòu zhè me kè qì ， yǐ qián ， kě dōu shì yǐ dà kuài tóu chēng hū 。
若换一个人，恐怕都看呆了，林轩虽不至于，但心中也有一点异样的感觉，尤其是那句林大哥，这丫头，什么时候这么客气，以前，可都是以大块头称呼。
But Lin Xuan didn't dwell on it much. There were still many issues they needed to address immediately.
bù guò ， lín xuān yě méi yǒu xiǎng tài duō ， bì jìng ， yǎn qián hái yǒu hěn duō wèn tí ， xū yào liǎng rén lì kè zhuó shǒu jiě jué de 。
不过，林轩也没有想太多，毕竟，眼前还有很多问题，需要两人立刻着手解决的。
...
……
……
Soon, rumors spread from the Frost Soul Ice Plain, causing a commotion throughout the Ice Sea Realm.
hěn kuài ， yī xiē liú yán ， yóu hán pò bīng yuán chuán kāi ， zhěng gè bīng hǎi jiè wèi zhī huá rán 。
很快，一些流言，由寒魄冰原传开，整个冰海界为之哗然。
First, the Holy Temple stepped forward to clarify that the precious item worshipped by this ice plain’sdemonic race had indeed been stolen before but was now recovered. This wasn’t much of an issue.
xiān shì shèng diàn chū miàn ， chéng qīng gāi bīng yuán yāo zú shì dài suǒ gòng fèng de bǎo wù ， qián yī zhèn què rán shì bèi dào le ， bù guò rú jīn yǐ shī ér fù de 。
先是圣殿出面，澄清该冰原妖族世代所供奉的宝物，前一阵确然是被盗了，不过如今已失而复得。
After all, what mattered to thedemonic race might be a threat to humans.
zhè yì diǎn bù suàn shén me 。
这一点不算什么。
But the next few rumors caused great shock among the major forces in the realm.
bì jìng yāo zú suǒ kàn zhòng de dōng xī ， duì yú rén lèi xiū shì lái shuō ， yǒu kě néng shì jī lē 。
毕竟妖族所看重的东西，对于人类修士来说，有可能是jī肋。
The three majordemonic race of the Frost Soul Ice Plain—Snow Fox, Frost Rat, and Ice Bear—declared their alliance. They would support each other and look out for one another.
dàn jiē xià lái jǐ tiáo chuán yán ， què lìng gāi jiè de gè dà shì lì ， wèi zhī huá rán 。
但接下来几条传言，却令该界的各大势力，为之哗然。
It was well-known that unlike human cultivators, there were no sects or families among thedemonic race; they generally formed alliances based on clans or tribes.
hán pò bīng yuán sān dà yāo zú ， xuě hú ， hán shǔ ， hái yǒu bīng xióng xuān bù jié méng ， cóng cǐ tóng qì lián zhī ， shǒu wàng xiāng zhù 。
寒魄冰原三大妖族，雪狐，寒鼠，还有冰熊宣布结盟，从此同气连枝，守望相助。
The Frost Soul Ice Plain was vast, home to many ice natureddemonic race. In the cultivation world where the strong preyed on the weak, this situation was even more pronounced. Over centuries, countlessdemonic race tribes had risen and fallen within the plain, some even being completely wiped out. Such occurrences were common in the cultivation world.
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， yǔ rén lèi xiū shì bù tóng ， yāo zú zhè biān ， bù cún zài zōng mén jiā zú yī shuō ， yì bān dōu shì tóng zú ， huò zhě yí gè bù luò ， wèi yī shì lì 。
众所周知，与人类修士不同，妖族这边，不存在宗mén家族一说，一般都是同族，或者一个部落，为一势力。
The Snow Fox Clan had only settled here for a few hundred years. While they appeared to have no conflicts with the Frost Rat or Ice Bear, there was constant covert rivalry between them.
hán pò bīng yuán miàn jī guǎng bó ， shēng huó zhe zhòng duō de bīng shǔ xìng yāo zú ， rán ér xiū xiān jiè ruò ròu qiáng shí ， yāo zú zhè biān de qíng kuàng yóu qí rú cǐ ， qiān bǎi nián lái ， bù zhī dào duō shǎo yāo zú de bù luò zài gāi bīng yuán xīng qǐ ， suí hòu yòu shuāi luò xià qù ， dǎo méi de shèn zhì bèi miè zú ， zài xiū xiān jiè zhè yàng de shì qíng shǔ bù shèng shǔ 。
寒魄冰原面积广博，生活着众多的冰属xìng妖族，然而修仙界弱ròu强食，妖族这边的情况尤其如此，千百年来，不知道多少妖族的部落在该冰原兴起，随后又衰落下去，倒霉的甚至被灭族，在修仙界这样的事情数不胜数。
Now declaring an alliance? Had something gone wrong?
xiàng xuě hú yī zú ， dìng jū yú zhè lǐ yě bù guò shù bǎi nián bà le ， biǎo miàn yǔ hán shǔ bīng xióng méi yǒu chōng tū ， qí shí àn dì lǐ de qīng yà què cóng lái méi yǒu tíng zhǐ guò 。
像雪狐一族，定居于这里也不过数百年罢了，表面与寒鼠冰熊没有冲突，其实暗地里的倾轧却从来没有停止过。
Initially, both otherdemonic race and human sects dismissed these rumors as mere jokes. They were absurdities without any basis.
rú jīn jū rán xuān bù jié méng ， yǒu méi yǒu gǎo cuò ？
如今居然宣布结盟，有没有搞错？
Whoever had fabricated this story was clearly a bore, boasting without planning, only to be laughed at for their naivety.
qǐ chū bù lùn qí tā dì fāng de yāo zú ， hái shì rén lèi zhè biān de zōng pài ， dōu jiāng cǐ chuán yán dàng chéng yí gè xiào huà lái kàn ， chún shǔ wú jī zhī tán 。
起初不论其他地方的妖族，还是人类这边的宗派，都将此传言当成一个笑话来看，纯属无稽之谈。
However, soon they realized the seriousness of the situation.
yě bù zhī dào shì nǎ ge wú liáo de jiā huo gěi biān zào chū lái ， chuī niú yě bù dǎ xià cǎo gǎo ， zài zhè lǐ yí xiào dà fāng 。
也不知道是哪个无聊的家伙给编造出来，吹牛也不打下草稿，在这里贻笑大方。
The Snow Fox, Ice Bear, and Frost Rat clans quickly took action, sweeping through other tribes in the plain.
rán ér hěn kuài ， tā men jiù xiào bù chū lái 。
然而很快，他们就笑不出来。
In the Frost Soul Ice Plain, these three clans were the strongest. Due to mutual restraint, otherdemonic race could live here peacefully. Now that the three clans had united, who could resist their combined strength?
xuě hú ， bīng xióng ， hán shǔ sān zú ， hěn kuài jiù yǒu le xíng dòng ， kāi shǐ héng sǎo bīng yuán shàng qí tā de bù luò 。
雪狐，冰熊，寒鼠三族，很快就有了行动，开始横扫冰原上其他的部落。
The situation was stronger than any individual. In just a few months, the influence and territory of the three clans expanded wildly. Previously, they only controlled the heart of the plain; now, after sweeping through smaller tribes, their reach extended to the outer edges, mere thousands of miles from Ming Xue City, where human forces were also present.
yào zhī dào ， zài hán pò bīng yuán ， zhè sān zú de lì liàng shì zuì qiáng dà de ， yǐ qián yīn wèi hù xiāng gù jì ， suǒ yǐ qí tā de yāo zú ， cái néng zài zhè lǐ kuài lè wú yōu de shēng huó ， rú jīn sān zú lián shǒu ， nà xiē sàn xiū yāo zú huò zhě shì xiǎo de bù luò ， shuí néng gòu kàng héng ne ？
要知道，在寒魄冰原，这三族的力量是最强大的，以前因为互相顾忌，所以其他的妖族，才能在这里快乐无忧的生活，如今三族联手，那些散修妖族或者是小的部落，谁能够抗衡呢？
Otherdemonic race tribes in the Frost Soul Ice Plain either submitted willingly or had no choice but to leave and seek new lands for survival.
xíng shì bǐ rén qiáng ， duǎn duǎn de shù yuè ， sān zú shì lì ， jiù fēng kuáng kuò zhāng ， yǐ qián ， tā men de yǐng xiǎng yǔ shì lì fàn wéi ， jǐn xiàn yú hán pò bīng yuán fù dì ， rú jīn zài héng sǎo gè xiǎo bù luò hòu ， yǐ jiāng chù jiǎo shēn dào le bīng yuán de wài wéi ， jù lí míng xuě chéng ， bù guò shù qiān lǐ ， yǔ rén lèi de shì lì ，jiāo cuò zài yì qǐ 。
形势比人强，短短的数月，三族势力，就疯狂扩张，以前，他们的影响与势力范围，仅限于寒魄冰原腹地，如今在横扫各小部落后，已将触角伸到了冰原的外围，距离明雪城，不过数千里，与人类的势力，jiāo错在一起。
Initially thinking it was a joke, they now realized its reality. Both otherdemonic race and human sects were greatly surprised by what had happened in the Frost Soul Ice Plain.
hán pò bīng yuán qí tā de yāo zú bù luò ， yào me zhǔ dòng guī shùn ， yào me jiù zhǐ yǒu gān cuì cóng gāi bīng yuán chè chū ， lìng qù qí tā de líng dì fán yǎn shēng xī ， xiū liàn xià qù 。
寒魄冰原其他的妖族部落，要么主动归顺，要么就只有干脆从该冰原撤出，另去其他的灵地繁衍生息，修炼下去。
Thus, they dispatched disciples here to gather information.
yuán běn yǐ wéi shì yí gè xiào huà ， méi xiǎng dào rú jīn què biàn chéng le xiàn shí ， bù lùn qí tā dì fāng de yāo zú ， hái shì rén lèi zhè biān de zōng pài ， dōu dà wèi jīng è ， hán pò bīng yuán jiū jìng fā shēng le shén me 。
原本以为是一个笑话，没想到如今却变成了现实，不论其他地方的妖族，还是人类这边的宗派，都大为惊愕，寒魄冰原究竟发生了什么。
The results were even more shocking.
yú shì tā men fēn fēn pài qiǎn dì zǐ ， lái zhè lǐ dǎ tàn xiāo xī 。
于是他们纷纷派遣弟子，来这里打探消息。
On the surface, it seemed like an alliance of three clans, but in reality, the Snow Fox Clan was dominant. The Ice Bear and Frost Rat followed the Snow Fox’s lead.
dé dào de jié guǒ gèng lìng rén wú yǔ 。
得到的结果更令人无语。
There were even rumors that the Holy Temple had announced that Princess Xiang'er would become a holy maiden of the temple. This made the Snow Fox Clan's influence skyrocket. Essentially, the Ice Bears and Frost Rats were mere puppets; Princess Xiang'er was truly the ruler of the Frost Soul Ice Plain.
biǎo miàn shàng shì sān zú jié méng ， qí shí què shì yǐ xuě hú wéi zhǔ ， bīng xióng yě hǎo ， hán shǔ yě bà ， dōu shì wéi xuě hú zú mǎ shǒu shì zhān de 。
表面上是三族结盟，其实却是以雪狐为主，冰熊也好，寒鼠也罢，都是唯雪狐族马首是瞻的。
PS: Another Monday has arrived. Please give me some recommendation votes, thank you all!
Chapter 2522: Snow Fox Clan, No Longer the Same
"Good. All you need to do is hand over one soul and one essence, and I won't make things difficult for you," Lin Xuan's cold voice echoed in his ears, as if it were merely a trivial matter.
However, the expression on the Frost Rat King’s face was extremely grim. As a late-stage Spirit Divination being, he knew very well how formidable the Soul Sealing Technique was. Handing over one soul and one essence meant handing over his life to the other party, leaving him with no chance of resistance.
In other words, taking this step would turn him into a slave, doomed for eternity. Psychologically, he refused to accept it, but what choice did he have? How could he face the imminent crisis?
What should he do? The conditions were too harsh, yet there was no room for negotiation at this point.
Between death and handing over his soul, how could he choose?
But even with such difficulty, he had to make a decision. Lin Xuan's expression showed clear impatience.
The Nine Palaces Musty Sword trembled slightly, the originally dim light now radiating brightly again.
Although they hadn't interacted much, this young man was undoubtedly ruthless. If he hesitated any longer, he would lose his chance entirely.
"Friend, please don’t act rashly. I am willing to admit defeat."
The Frost Rat King's forehead was drenched in sweat as he spoke weakly. Choosing the lesser of two evils, despite not wanting his fate to be controlled by others, it was better than immediate death. There’s a saying: "Better to live with dignity than die dishonorably." Thus, he chose to submit.
"Very well. Hand over your soul and essence."
Lin Xuan's face finally showed a smile.
"Yes!"
At this point, playing mind games could only bring humiliation. The Frost Rat King's face was pale as he spat out two small light orbs from his mouth.
Sure enough, they were the soul and essence!
Lin Xuan raised his right hand and grabbed them mid-air. The light orbs obediently returned to his hands under some mysterious force.
Then Lin Xuan flipped his wrist, embedding a spell into the light orbs and sealing the Frost Rat King's one soul and one essence onto the Soul Sealing Talisman.
"Xiang'er, take this."
Lin Xuan handed the object to Xiao Xue Fox on the side.
"Me?"
The little girl’s face was filled with astonishment.
"Yes. I have a spirit beast. What use is this big rat to me?"
"Big rat?"
Xiang'er couldn’t help but burst into laughter at that term, but the Frost Rat King showed no unusual expression. In light of his future life, some teasing was nothing compared to it.
"But you caught him with great difficulty."
Xiang'er still had a hint of hesitation on her face. The Frost Rat King was late-stage Spirit Divination; he would be an invaluable ally in many ways. This gift was too generous.
"I said I'll give it to you, so there’s no need for such formalities," Lin Xuan said earnestly. "For this rat, it indeed has no use. But if you make good use of him, he could greatly benefit the Snow Fox Clan."
"Alright... Thank you, Brother Lin. I will accept your offer." Xiang'er's smile was breathtaking.
If anyone else had seen her, they would have been stunned. Although Lin Xuan didn’t feel it as strongly, there was a strange feeling in his heart, especially with "Brother Lin." When did this girl become so polite? Previously, she always called him "Big Guy."
But Lin Xuan didn't dwell on it much. There were still many issues they needed to address immediately.
...
Soon, rumors spread from the Frost Soul Ice Plain, causing a commotion throughout the Ice Sea Realm.
First, the Holy Temple stepped forward to clarify that the precious item worshipped by this ice plain’sdemonic race had indeed been stolen before but was now recovered. This wasn’t much of an issue.
After all, what mattered to thedemonic race might be a threat to humans.
But the next few rumors caused great shock among the major forces in the realm.
The three majordemonic race of the Frost Soul Ice Plain—Snow Fox, Frost Rat, and Ice Bear—declared their alliance. They would support each other and look out for one another.
It was well-known that unlike human cultivators, there were no sects or families among thedemonic race; they generally formed alliances based on clans or tribes.
The Frost Soul Ice Plain was vast, home to many ice natureddemonic race. In the cultivation world where the strong preyed on the weak, this situation was even more pronounced. Over centuries, countlessdemonic race tribes had risen and fallen within the plain, some even being completely wiped out. Such occurrences were common in the cultivation world.
The Snow Fox Clan had only settled here for a few hundred years. While they appeared to have no conflicts with the Frost Rat or Ice Bear, there was constant covert rivalry between them.
Now declaring an alliance? Had something gone wrong?
Initially, both otherdemonic race and human sects dismissed these rumors as mere jokes. They were absurdities without any basis.
Whoever had fabricated this story was clearly a bore, boasting without planning, only to be laughed at for their naivety.
However, soon they realized the seriousness of the situation.
The Snow Fox, Ice Bear, and Frost Rat clans quickly took action, sweeping through other tribes in the plain.
In the Frost Soul Ice Plain, these three clans were the strongest. Due to mutual restraint, otherdemonic race could live here peacefully. Now that the three clans had united, who could resist their combined strength?
The situation was stronger than any individual. In just a few months, the influence and territory of the three clans expanded wildly. Previously, they only controlled the heart of the plain; now, after sweeping through smaller tribes, their reach extended to the outer edges, mere thousands of miles from Ming Xue City, where human forces were also present.
Otherdemonic race tribes in the Frost Soul Ice Plain either submitted willingly or had no choice but to leave and seek new lands for survival.
Initially thinking it was a joke, they now realized its reality. Both otherdemonic race and human sects were greatly surprised by what had happened in the Frost Soul Ice Plain.
Thus, they dispatched disciples here to gather information.
The results were even more shocking.
On the surface, it seemed like an alliance of three clans, but in reality, the Snow Fox Clan was dominant. The Ice Bear and Frost Rat followed the Snow Fox’s lead.
There were even rumors that the Holy Temple had announced that Princess Xiang'er would become a holy maiden of the temple. This made the Snow Fox Clan's influence skyrocket. Essentially, the Ice Bears and Frost Rats were mere puppets; Princess Xiang'er was truly the ruler of the Frost Soul Ice Plain.
PS: Another Monday has arrived. Please give me some recommendation votes, thank you all!