[DD2]: 519 (Patreon)

"Swish!"

A stream of light tore through the sky, landing directly before a massive ice-blue palace.

As the radiance faded, a figure with snow-white hair fluttered in the wind. Gazing at the grand palace before him, Su Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, and he let out a faint sigh.

"Greetings, Young Master!"

Before the Ice Phoenix Palace, the Ice Phoenix Legion responsible for its defense saw Su Yu's revealed form and all knelt on one knee in unison, bowing their heads in salute.

Su Yu took a light breath, then flicked his sleeve and strode straight into the palace.

The Ice Phoenix Palace was the fourth palace, ranking just behind the Ice God Main Hall, the Heavenly Ice Hall, and the Ice Dragon Palace.

Among the nine halls of the Ice God, it had always held a unique status.

Moreover, unlike the other halls, the guardians of the Ice Phoenix Palace had always, throughout history, been saintesses of the Ice Phoenix bloodline.

Though it was ranked fourth, it carried a very special meaning.

When Su Yu arrived before the Ice Phoenix Palace, Shui Lingguang, having heard the commotion, had already come out to greet him.

Shui Lingguang was still dressed in a long, ice-blue palace gown, her temperament elegant and pure.

Her eyes, like crystalline blue ice, shimmered with glistening waves—ethereal and clear.

"Young Master!"

Shui Lingguang folded her hands in front of her and bowed slightly.

Su Yu looked at Shui Lingguang, a subtle ripple in his gaze, and spoke softly, "Rise."

Shui Lingguang stood up, stepped to the side, and gestured inward, "Young Master, please!"

Su Yu gave a slight nod and stepped forward.

Shui Lingguang followed closely behind.

Once the two entered the grand hall, the doors of the Ice Phoenix Palace closed with a thunderous boom.

Inside the hall.

The towering hall was vast and imposing, with rows of columns standing tall, exuding solemnity.

Su Yu walked straight ahead, his gaze fixed directly on the high platform at the front.

Atop the platform stood a statue.

The statue was lifelike and heroic—undoubtedly the Ice God.

In front of the Ice God's statue was an octagonal stone pedestal.

On the pedestal, a barrier of light shimmered, and within the barrier, a radiant sphere of light flickered with iridescent colors.

Su Yu stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the barrier—or more precisely, the dazzling sphere of light within it.

Shui Lingguang gently approached Su Yu's side, gazing at the sphere, her beautiful eyes flickering slightly.

The next moment, her lips parted, her voice as clear as a spring flowing through ice.

"This object has been guarded by the Ice Phoenix Palace through generations. Though it may not be as important as the Icefall Divine Spear or the Ice God Scroll—"

"But it is still an indispensable part of the Ice God's trial."

Shui Lingguang looked at Su Yu and said slowly, "In the past, Lord Ice God once discovered a strange object by chance at the southernmost end of the world."

"According to legends passed down through the ages, the southernmost end of the world is known as the coldest place on earth."

"It is a place of true extreme cold, surpassing even the far north."

"The temperature there remains below minus two hundred degrees Celsius all year round, and the climate is harsh, with frequent extreme disasters."

"Even a Titled Douluo-level powerhouse cannot survive such an environment."

"It is a true dead zone, where almost no creature exists."

"Yet, in such extremely harsh conditions, a treasure beyond reason was forged."

"Lord Ice God found a divine bone there."

"A divine bone born of heaven and earth, gathering the purest ice elements in the world."

"It is a creation of heaven and earth—and a miracle rarely seen in the world."

"For ice-attribute soul masters, it is a treasure beyond imagination."

"With this divine bone fused, one has hope of forging a true Godly Body of Ice, taking the key step toward godhood."

"At that time, Lord Ice God had already become a god, and the divine bone was of no use to her. So she kept it as a legacy to be passed down through the generations."

"And from that time on, our Ice Phoenix clan has guarded this object until it finds its true master."

"Now, with your arrival, Young Master, this innate divine bone has finally found its home."

"Innate divine bone!"

Su Yu murmured softly, his eyes flickering.

He was basically aware of most of the treasures passed down in the Ice God Hall.

Among them, the innate Ice God Bone guarded by the Ice Phoenix Palace was the one that most caught his attention.

It was hard to imagine that such a miraculous object could be born between heaven and earth—its value was nearly unimaginable.

Ten-thousand-year Mysterious Ice Essence, immortal herbs, Spirit Gold—all these were already rare treasures.

But compared to this divine bone, they all paled in comparison.

This was a true divine object that could help one transcend the mortal and achieve the sacred.

Its value far surpassed even artifacts like the Golden Dragon Spear.

After all, weapons are external things, while this bone could bring about a fundamental transformation in the person themselves.

If a quasi-god were to obtain such a divine bone, there was no doubt that godhood would be within reach.

Seeing Su Yu lost in thought, Shui Lingguang bit her lip lightly, hesitated a moment, and said, "But while the divine bone is good, to fully absorb it and make it your own is no simple matter…"

"I know!"

Su Yu raised his hand to interrupt Shui Lingguang, finally shifting his gaze from the divine bone.

His eyes slowly fell on Shui Lingguang, and he said calmly, "First is the attribute restriction."

"This divine bone is of the purest ice attribute. To perfectly absorb it, one must first possess ultimate ice."

"That is naturally not a problem. The difficulty lies in the divine bone's power being too great—far beyond what one person can digest."

"So, in the process, someone must use special methods to assist from the side."

"Originally, the method wasn't fixed, but someone thought otherwise."

Su Yu glanced at the distant statue and sighed.

"Young Master…"

Shui Lingguang's delicate body trembled, and she lowered her head, her face losing some of its color.

Su Yu stepped forward, placing his hands gently on Shui Lingguang's shoulders.

Shui Lingguang shivered all over, lifted her head slightly, her gaze somewhat dazed.

Su Yu raised his right hand and softly brushed away the hair from Shui Lingguang's forehead. "But… this isn't really something unacceptable, is it?"

"Hmm?"

Shui Lingguang's beautiful eyes widened, as if surprised by what she heard.

Su Yu smiled faintly, "What's wrong? Am I not being clear enough?"

He stroked Shui Lingguang's fair, delicate cheek, speaking gently, "The Ice Phoenix clan has waited tens of thousands of years, countless generations of saintesses have guarded this with their lives—I am not a callous person. Of course, I feel this in my heart."

"And Lingguang, you are stunningly beautiful. I hardly consider this a loss, do I?"

His words became much more direct, and Shui Lingguang's pretty face flushed a deep red.

Su Yu chuckled and continued, "In truth, I should have made this decision long ago. It's just that I'm sometimes a bit stubborn."

"Making you wait so long, Lingguang—that's my fault."

"No, Young Master, you mustn't blame yourself…"

Shui Lingguang hurriedly spoke, but Su Yu gently pressed a finger to her lips.

"Shh, let me finish."

Su Yu's eyes grew soft. "Actually, I've always had good feelings for you, Lingguang."

"It's just that sometimes, it's hard to adapt to a change in status all at once."

"If that old woman hadn't forced my hand with the seventh trial, maybe I'd still be hesitating even now."