Douluo: Seven Treasure Pagoda? I'm Actually a Summoner!

Jiang Bai and the Ice Dragon were linked by their souls.

The Ice Dragon’s instinctive mastery over the power of ice and snow—combined with the affinity for the ice element bestowed by its hundred-thousand-year cultivation base—greatly aided Jiang Bai in his comprehension of the "Extreme Cold" artistic conception.

That sword strike just moments ago drew at least forty percent of its power directly from the Ice Dragon.

Even now, when thinking of that Ice Dragon, the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress still found it utterly incredible.

When they first met, the Ice Dragon was merely an eight-thousand-year soul beast; although it possessed impressive potential, in their eyes, it was still nothing more than a "little runt."

Yet, right under their very noses—after entering the mysterious pocket dimension within Jiang Bai’s tower—the Ice Dragon’s cultivation base began to skyrocket at a truly mind-boggling speed.

This was especially true after it consumed that Eight-Angled Profound Ice Grass; that single act triggered a fundamental, qualitative transformation within it.

Subsequently, it consumed several stalks of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow in succession, achieving breakthrough after breakthrough.

Just half a month ago, when Jiang Bai summoned the Ice Dragon to spar with the Ice Empress, the immense, overwhelming pressure—the unmistakable aura of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—left both the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress momentarily stunned.

From eight thousand years of cultivation to one hundred thousand years—it had taken less than three months!

There was no descent of a Heavenly Tribulation, no accompanying celestial phenomena; the breakthrough had occurred naturally, effortlessly, and in utter silence!

This completely defied the ironclad laws of the soul beast world; for a hundred-thousand-year soul beast to break through—specifically when crossing a major cultivation threshold—it was an absolute certainty that a Heavenly Tribulation would descend to test it.

The power of the Heavenly Tribulation was terrifying beyond measure: survive it, and one lived on; fail, and one’s soul would be utterly annihilated.

Yet, Jiang Bai’s soul beast appeared to be... completely exempt from this rule?

This discovery stirred up a tempest of emotion within the hearts of the two Sovereigns of the Extreme North.

If... if they, too, were to enter Jiang Bai’s tower dimension when attempting to cross their own next major cultivation threshold, would they likewise be able to evade that terrifying Heavenly Tribulation?

This thought—like a seed—was quietly planted within the hearts of the two Sovereigns of the Extreme North, and it immediately began to take root and sprout.

Although this remains merely a concept for the time being—yet to be put into practice—and it is impossible to say with certainty whether the world within the tower would truly facilitate breakthroughs for Soul Beasts of their caliber, it nonetheless presents a possibility of immense allure.

After all, for Soul Beasts—and especially for those ferocious beasts standing at the very pinnacle of power, such as themselves—every breakthrough into a new major realm represents a monumental gamble: a life-or-death struggle waged against the very heavens.

If one could somehow bypass the Heavenly Tribulation... the implications of such a feat went without saying.

As her thoughts circled back, the look the Snow Empress cast upon Jiang Bai took on a deeper, more profound significance.

The secrets harbored within this human youth were far more numerous than his outward demeanor suggested.

At that moment, Jiang Bai had already dispelled his Ice Dragon possession state.

The icy-blue radiance faded from his body, revealing a small dragon by his side—its length now reduced to a mere five meters, its entire form shimmering with the crystalline brilliance of a carved sapphire.

The little dragon nuzzled affectionately against Jiang Bai’s leg, its icy-blue draconic eyes brimming with a mixture of deep reliance and pure joy.

I really chose the right master!

Three months—going from less than nine thousand years of cultivation to a hundred thousand years! Who else could possibly pull that off?!

Following this master means living the high life, cultivating at rocket-like speeds, and—best of all—avoiding those deadly lightning tribulations!

The Ice Dragon felt, with absolute certainty, that this was the single wisest decision of its entire draconic existence—bar none!

Jiang Bai smiled as he gently stroked the pair of crystal-clear dragon horns atop the Ice Dragon’s head; the touch was cool, yet possessed a soothing, gentle warmth.

He could sense the waves of joy and deep affection radiating directly from the Ice Dragon’s soul.

"You’ve worked hard, Fourth. Go back and get some well-deserved rest."

With a mere shift of his intent, he recalled the Ice Dragon back into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda.

Subsequently, Jiang Bai turned to face the Snow Empress, offering a solemn bow with clasped hands: "My deepest gratitude, Your Majesty, for sharing your knowledge without reservation. The might of the Emperor’s Sword far exceeds anything I could have imagined; this is entirely a testament to the excellence of your instruction."

His words were spoken with absolute sincerity.

The Snow Empress’s guidance invariably struck straight at the core of the matter; a mere handful of words from her was often enough to instantly dispel his confusion and grant him sudden, profound enlightenment.

Such high-level, strategic instruction was—by an immeasurable margin—far more efficient than simply burying his head in solitary, arduous cultivation on his own.

"Next, I would like to continue learning the Emperor’s Palm from you—please don’t hold anything back!"

Anticipation gleamed in Jiang Bai’s eyes. Having witnessed the sheer power of the Emperor’s Sword, he now yearned even more to master the remaining two techniques of the Snow Emperor’s Three Ultimate Moves.

Observing Jiang Bai’s earnest demeanor, the Snow Emperor smiled—a radiant smile like melting ice and snow.

"Very well. Although the Emperor’s Palm and the Emperor’s Sword both belong to the Way of Ice, their underlying concepts are vastly different. The Palm places greater emphasis on momentum and condensation—it is a technique of ’great skill appearing artless,’ using the formless to penetrate the gaps within the solid. I..."

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Before the Snow Emperor could finish speaking, the Ice Emperor—who had been standing nearby—could finally hold back no longer.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she cast a sidelong glance at Jiang Bai with her emerald eyes; her exquisite, petite face was etched with a mixture of displeasure and grievance.

"You little brat! Is the only person whose kindness you remember Xue’er’s?"

The Ice Emperor pouted. "If it weren’t for me—spending every single day sparring with you, training with you, acting as your living punching bag, feeding you moves and countering yours to help you build experience—do you think you could have improved this fast?"

"Do you think your Emperor’s Sword would have taken shape so quickly? And now look at you—every other word out of your mouth is about how ’skillful’ the Snow Emperor’s teaching is. So, does that mean I’ve spent the last two-plus months taking a beating for absolutely nothing?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became, her cheeks puffing out slightly. Paired with her breathtakingly beautiful features, this display of petulance lent her a unique, endearing charm.

Jiang Bai blinked in surprise, then chuckled softly.

Having spent this time together, he had long since figured out the temperament of this Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion.

She possessed formidable power and a personality that was both proud and direct—at times even a bit childish—yet she was fiercely protective of anyone she deemed worthy of her regard.

She might complain with her mouth, but deep down, she didn’t necessarily mind; it was mostly just a case of that awkward, childish mindset: "I want some praise, too!"

Jiang Bai had one approach for dealing with Qian Renxue, and a completely different one for handling a tsundere little imp like this!

"Of course, Lady Ice Emperor deserves plenty of credit, too!"

Jiang Bai quickly straightened his expression and declared with sincere earnestness.

"If it weren’t for you, Lady Ice Emperor—tirelessly engaging me in live combat drills, guiding me on how to react to shifting situations and how to channel my power effectively during battle—I never could have transformed theoretical knowledge into practical combat ability in such a short span of time. Sparring with you has truly benefited me immensely."

And that—was no mere flattery.

As one of the three great sovereigns of the Extreme North, the Ice Empress—having battled her way up from an ordinary Ice Jade Scorpion to become a fierce beast nearing 400,000 years of cultivation—possessed a wealth of combat experience that could only be described as terrifying.

Over these past two-plus months of sparring, Jiang Bai had made rapid strides in close-quarters combat, timing, and the intricate details of Soul Power application.

Many combat tricks—insights typically gleaned only through life-and-death struggles—were deconstructed and demonstrated to him by the Ice Empress without the slightest reservation.

Hearing Jiang Bai’s praise, the Ice Empress’s expression softened slightly; yet, she maintained her haughty demeanor, giving a dismissive huff.

"That’s more like it. I suppose you’re not entirely devoid of a conscience, you brat."

She turned away, presenting her back to both Jiang Bai and the Snow Empress, though the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curl upward in a faint, secret smile.

Watching the Ice Empress’s deliberately arrogant retreating figure, the Snow Empress shook her head with a helpless, soft chuckle, her eyes brimming with tenderness.

She turned her gaze back to Jiang Bai, her expression turning serious.

"Cultivating the Imperial Palm begins with observing the momentum and focusing the intent. Observe this boundless expanse of wind and snow..."

The Snow Empress raised her slender, jade-like hand, and instantly, snowflakes began to swirl and howl through the valley.

Jiang Bai stilled his mind and focused his gaze intently, following along with the Snow Empress’s explanation.

"This technique of the Imperial Palm is named: Great Cold, No Snow."

"While the Imperial Palm itself possesses immense power, it is also subject to a specific limitation: its full force can only be unleashed if the palm itself—the physical hand—makes direct contact with the opponent..."

The biting wind howled; the snow swirled and danced...