Exploring the Extreme North Land

In the original setting of Unrivaled Tang Sect, the Ice Jade Scorpion clan was indeed the strongest ice-type Soul Beast in the Extreme North Land apart from the Snow Empress. They generally lived in the Core Area of the Extreme North Land. Because they enjoyed feeding on weaker ice silkworm-type Soul Beasts, they often ventured into the Outer Area to hunt for food.

Perhaps that was why the Shui Family Ancestor encountered one in the Outer Area, named it the Ice Scorpion King, and included it in the Soul Beast Atlas passed down through the Shui Family for generations.

Other Soul Master families probably had no idea that Soul Beasts like the Ice Scorpion King even existed.

"Staying in the Extreme North Land for too long will inevitably draw the attention of powerful Soul Beasts. To find the Ice Scorpion King more safely and quickly, that is why we chose your Speed Reach Mercenary Group."

At this point, the Shui Family Head looked at Xia Liang with blazing eyes. "Young friend, I heard that you are one of the continent's rare Summoning System Soul Masters and possess the ability to Summon Strange Ghost Fire. Through these Ghost Fires, you can easily locate all kinds of Soul Beasts. But I wonder, under the erosion of the Extreme North Land's freezing air, how long can your Ghost Fires maintain their search?"

"My Ghost Fire can only be used at night." Xia Liang smiled awkwardly. "Shui Family Head, it is daytime now. I cannot summon them."

Hearing this, the Shui Family Head stiffened. "Why did you not say so earlier? Did we not waste an entire night for nothing?"

"No." Xia Liang said, "Since last night, I have already dispatched a large number of Ghost Fires to investigate the surrounding area. There is no Ice Plain within ten miles, nor are there any traces of the Ice Scorpion King you mentioned. So we can continue another ten miles forward. Tonight, I will have the Ghost Fires search for Soul Beasts again. What do you think?"

"Another ten miles?" Gazing ahead at the endless white snow, the Shui Family Head hesitated. He had come to find a Soul Ring for his daughter, not to court death.

If they ventured any deeper and caught the attention of the Extreme North Land's powerful Soul Beasts, everyone from the Shui Family would have little chance of survival.

But they had already come this far. How could they give up halfway?

"Fine. Then we will proceed another ten miles." The Shui Family Head asked seriously, "Young friend, your Ghost Fire should be able to withstand the freezing air of the Extreme North Land, correct? Otherwise, you could not have investigated anything last night."

"After consuming hot drinks made by the Milk Martial Soul, the Ghost Fire I summon gains the ability to resist the cold as well. As long as we drink the hot drinks on schedule, they can keep searching for Soul Beasts throughout the night. During the day, for safety's sake, we can retreat ten miles and rest."

After hearing Xia Liang's arrangements, the Shui Family Head pondered for a moment before nodding.

Thus, the group advanced another ten miles. A Soul Saint once again condensed the surrounding snow into an Ice Castle twenty meters in diameter.

After entering the castle and finishing their meal, night had fallen.

Night and day in the Extreme North Land were still quite different.

The howling wind and snow already obstructed one's vision, and at night, it became even harder to see.

This was also one of the reasons Soul Masters dared not set foot in the Extreme North Land.

When visibility was poor, they could only maintain Spiritual Perception for extended periods. This could easily lead to mental fatigue and even conditions such as snow blindness.

Outside the Ice Castle.

The Shui Family Head, Shui Bing'er, and the others stood together, watching Xia Liang with puzzled expressions. They all wanted to see exactly how this rare Summoning System Soul Master would summon Ghost Fire capable of seeking out Soul Beasts.

To conceal his Undead Attribute, Xia Liang deliberately released his First Soul Ring beneath everyone's focused gazes. He placed his left hand over his chest and pointed his right hand toward the sky in a summoning gesture, then softly muttered something resembling a Soul Curse.

As Black-Purple Ribs encased his entire body and the First Soul Ring lit up, the right arm growing from the Skeleton Martial Soul also pointed toward the sky.

At that moment, countless Black-Purple Ghost Fires lit up in rows across the pitch-black sky, then swiftly scattered in all directions through the wind and snow.

Watching the countless Black-Purple Ghost Fires fly off in every direction, the Shui Family Head asked uncertainly, "Is that all?"

Xia Liang shook his head. "Only fifty Ghost Fires just flew out to search for Soul Beasts. Some may be shattered by Soul Beasts or naturally dissipate during the process, so I still need to create more. But my Soul Power is running low."

"It is fine. We will help you." The Support System Soul Saint and the Food System Female Soul Emperor used their respective Recovery Type Soul Skills on Xia Liang.

After three minutes, his Soul Power had fully recovered.

Xia Liang continued creating Black-Purple Ghost Fires. While having them search the Ice Plain for the Ice Scorpion King, he also secretly had them thoroughly search every area for Soul Bones and other wilderness resources.

Predation and conflict between Soul Beasts would inevitably result in one side's death.

When Soul Beasts killed each other, there was also a chance of Soul Bones dropping.

With a history stretching back more than a hundred thousand years and few human Soul Masters venturing into the Extreme North Land, if there were any Soul Bones, they could definitely be scavenged. Perhaps they might even find precious relics left behind by dead Soul Masters.

Scavenging. That was why Xia Liang had decided to risk entering the Extreme North Land.

Two hours later.

The number of Black-Purple Ghost Fires sent out to search for Soul Beasts had already reached nearly two thousand. The Shui Family members did not dare venture deeper into the Ice Plain of the Extreme North Land and could only remain in the Ice Castle awaiting news.

Some Shui Family Soul Masters chatted and laughed within the castle, while others played cards.

The Shui Family Head sat cross-legged in a corner, meditating and cultivating with the Ice Attribute Energy contained within the Extreme North Land.

Xia Liang remained beside Shui Bing'er. Their ages differed by only two or three years, so they had more topics in common as young people.

Through their conversation, he learned that Shui Bing'er's Third Soul Ring had originally been meant to come from the Frozen Forest, granting her a Soul Skill called Resist Ice Ring.

However, after the Speed Reach Mercenary Group gained a formidable reputation and credibility, the Shui Family Head changed his mind and decided to have the Speed Reach Mercenary Group help search the Extreme North Land for Soul Beasts like the Ice Scorpion King.

Only after learning this did Xia Liang realize that his involvement had more or less affected the characters and plot mentioned in the original work.

Three years ago, he had exchanged a pile of nonsense theories with Yu Xiaogang for the Soul Beast Compendium.

He had assumed Yu Xiaogang had already discovered those theories were nonsense. Yet unexpectedly, a year ago, Spirit Hall released a report on Martial Soul research.

Yu Xiaogang, the Theory Master who had once published the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, published a new Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. He also used examples to prove the Martial Soul Mimicry Theory that plant Martial Souls could absorb animal Soul Rings.

Apart from the empirical evidence supporting some of those theories, Yu Xiaogang's new Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul also involved the concept of Dominant Martial Soul Bloodlines and the existence of Tool Beast Integration within Martial Souls.

Perhaps only Xia Liang knew that all these concepts had actually been nonsense he had made up three years ago. They had consequently led to the development of Yu Xiaogang publishing new theories through Spirit Hall.

Now, because of him, the Speed Reach Mercenary Group existed. And because of the Speed Reach Mercenary Group, Shui Bing'er had the chance to absorb the Soul Ring of an Ice Scorpion King, a Soul Beast suspected to belong to the Ice Jade Scorpion clan.

If she truly could absorb an Ice Jade Scorpion's Soul Ring, Shui Bing'er would become even stronger than she had been in the original work.

She herself would also transform from a Control System Soul Master into an Assault Dual System Soul Master who specialized in both control and direct offense.