The Return Journey

The train gradually slowed to a stop in the canyon's valley.

"We're finally here."

Wei Lin stretched. After eight hours on the train, his butt hurt from sitting.

"If you ask me, I'd have been better off flying down from above in my aircraft. At least it's fast."

Huang Tianyi and the other three all shook their heads. The train might have been a little slower, but at least it was stable.

At least it wouldn't send them spiraling 360 degrees into the sky on the spot.

The train had stopped in the central section of Ashen Frost Rift Valley, at the dividing line between ice and fire.

Ahead lay the extreme heat of the earth's molten core; behind them lay absolute zero.

"We're currently in the central area, right at the boundary where ice and fire fully mingle."

Wei Lin stamped on the ground beneath his feet. It was more like obsidian.

"Sister Xue, Sister Huang and I are going to hunt for a Soul Ring first. Do you want to come with us?"

The Snow Empress thought for a moment but ultimately declined.

"Let's split up. We wouldn't be much help if we went together, and splitting up will be faster. At least we can still make it back in time for the train to depart, right?"

Wei Lin didn't try to persuade her. The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress were, after all, the overlords of the Far North, and they had their own pride.

"Sister Xue, here are two phones. If you need our help with anything, call us."

After briefly explaining how to use the phones, Wei Lin led Huang Tianyi and Xu Qingyu toward the core of the central area.

The Snow Empress transformed her phone into a silver bracelet decorated with a cloud pattern.

"You've already helped me more than enough. From here on, let me do it myself."

The Snow Empress first set the Ice Empress down.

"Xue'er, you haven't fallen for him, have you?"

The Snow Empress was momentarily taken aback, then shook her head.

"It hasn't come to that. It's just... never mind. Let's go. We should focus on cultivating first."

People admired strength, and Soul Beasts even more so.

The Ice Empress pursed her lips but said nothing.

She couldn't help it. He had simply offered too much: he had strength and a powerful background.

With such a big thigh to cling to, even she was a little tempted.

No, no. I belong to Xue'er. I can't waver.

The two headed toward Ice Seal Canyon.

Meanwhile.

Qingyu was so hot that her tongue was hanging out.

"Brother, why is it so hot?"

Wei Lin checked the time.

"It's five in the afternoon now. Once night falls, you'll feel cold-cold enough to kill you. The temperature difference between day and night here can be nearly 800 degrees. Bear with it."

Though Wei Lin told her to bear with it, he still took out the Xuanyuan Water Control Flag.

Cool drops of rain and dew fell on them, sweeping away their exhaustion.

"Young Master, there's probably a Frost-Ashen Black Dragon up ahead, around a thousand years old."

The Frost-Ashen Black Dragons' territories were clearly divided, with each occupying a stretch of the valley. In the stretch before them, a giant dragon twenty-two meters long lay coiled.

"About fifteen hundred years old. Will this little fellow do?"

Wei Lin already had a rough idea, but when he considered Qingyu's Ice and Fire Body Tempering, immunity to both ice and fire, third layer of body tempering, and demigod-level dragon Martial Soul, absorbing an ancient variant should be well within her abilities.

"What do you think?"

Although Wei Lin knew there would be no problem, he still asked Qingyu for her opinion.

After all, absorbing it might not be a problem, but the pain would be very real.

"I'll listen to you, Brother."

It was a fifteen-hundred-year-old ancient variant, and a dragon at that. Absorbing it would definitely hurt.

But...

For once, Qingyu's expression turned serious.

Her older sister wanted to stay with Brother forever, but didn't she want the same?

She simply didn't like using her brain; it wasn't that she didn't have one. Besides, she had sworn to become Brother's foremost battle general. It was only a little dragon—she could handle it easily.

"All right, then she's the one."

The Heavenly Flame Bow appeared in Huang Tianyi's hand.

There was no need to go to so much trouble for the Frost-Ashen Black Dragon.

The Eternal Night Time Falcon had been hard to catch because of time; that was its mechanic.

"Sixth Soul Skill, Heaven-Burning Phoenix Cry Arrow!"

Huang Tianyi opened straight away with her sixth Soul Skill.

A gigantic phantom phoenix soared into the sky, then dove toward the Frost-Ashen Black Dragon's head.

Sensing danger, the Frost-Ashen Black Dragon opened her eyes.

Facing the phoenix arrow, she didn't flinch in the slightest. The ice and flame spikes along her spine lit up together, and layer upon layer of golden-red patterns flared across her body. Energy spilled from her tail in a vortex, and as she raised it slightly, her tail shot straight toward the arrow.

"Boom!"

A tremendous roar rang out.

The gap between their strength was simply too great. The arrow broke through her counterattack without the slightest hindrance and slammed into her.

"Done."

Huang Tianyi had left her with only a breath of life.

Wei Lin brought Qingyu before the grievously wounded Black Dragon and nodded to her.

Qingyu closed her eyes slightly. Golden dragon claws had already covered her hands, and she struck at the Black Dragon's head.

She slept peacefully.

A contract formation slowly rose, drawing the purple Soul Ring with its red and blue patterns onto her.

Within the Sea of Consciousness.

Xu Qingyu stood on the left, and the Frost-Ashen Black Dragon's figure stood on the right.

The two kept their eyes fixed on each other.

No words were needed. Dragons' thoughts were sometimes very simple.

They would fight, and whoever won would be the boss.

Golden scales covered their bodies as the two charged at each other.

No one could die in the Sea of Consciousness to begin with, and the contract device reinforced it, giving both of them a safeguard.

In the end, Qingyu suffered for her youth.

She was killed fifteen hundred times before she managed to kill the Frost-Ashen Black Dragon once.

As time passed, she grew more and more familiar with the Frost-Ashen Black Dragon's moves, and her own combat experience continued to grow.

From over a thousand times at the beginning to eight hundred now, the number of times she died kept dropping.

Qingyu didn't know how much time had passed. In any case, she could now kill her opponent at the cost of dying three times.

Seeing the girl charge at her again the moment she revived, the Frost-Ashen Black Dragon hurriedly held out her right hand. Then, under Qingyu's puzzled gaze, she conjured a little white flag out of thin air and waved it.

Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief. Her taut mind finally relaxed, and she slowly fell.

The Frost-Ashen Black Dragon didn't let her hit the ground, catching her instead.

In the outside world.

A full three days had passed since Qingyu began absorbing the Soul Ring. As it disappeared into her body, she slowly fell into Wei Lin's arms.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Wei Lin scooped her up in a princess carry, then headed back the way they had come.

Once back on the train, he first checked his phone messages.

"Snow's Overlord: Little Brother Lin, I need to go into seclusion for a while. You all go back first. We'll find our own way when the time comes."

Wei Lin took out his aircraft and sent the Snow Empress a message and its location.

The train slowly pulled onto the return track.

Meanwhile, the Snow Empress looked at Wei Lin's message and smiled faintly. Then she replied with a cute sticker of the Ice Empress making a finger heart.

Ice Empress: "...It's over. Xue'er has fallen for him completely. Do I still have a chance? Or... should I offer myself to him? At least that way I can still be with Xue'er."