Check-In: Tu Shan Ya Ya

The ring was naturally the one Zhao Ming had snatched from Hu Liena, but there was no way he would tell Xiao Wu that.

Women were emotional creatures, after all.

During a relationship, certain well-intentioned lies were necessary. Otherwise, if you told her outright that another woman had used it before, wouldn't that be disastrous? That was the kind of thing only a clueless straight man would do!

For a considerate man like Zhao Ming, all he needed was to give the ring a meaningful name and add a few unforgettable stories to move Xiao Wu. He could please both women at once—why not?

Next, Zhao Ming made up another painfully cliché story from Earth for the ring. Even so, Xiao Wu was moved enough to nestle in Zhao Ming's arms and wipe away her tears.

"By the way, Xiao Wu, there's something I need to tell you," Zhao Ming said when he felt the timing was right.

"What is it?" Xiao Wu curled up in Zhao Ming's arms like a kitten, her eyes half-closed as she smiled.

"I might need to leave Nuoding City for a while. During that time, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here by yourself," Zhao Ming said with a sigh.

"Why? Are you going home?" Hearing Zhao Ming's words, Xiao Wu immediately sat upright and stared at him without blinking.

"Yes, I'm going home. You know my Second Martial Soul needs to obtain a Soul Ring, and that Soul Ring can only be acquired within my family," Zhao Ming said, his eyes lighting up as he followed Xiao Wu's lead. If he obtained a Million-Year Soul Ring later, he could also use that nonexistent family as an explanation.

Xiao Wu knew about Zhao Ming's Second Martial Soul. It was not exactly a secret, and Zhao Ming had told her about it directly.

"You're getting a Soul Ring for your Second Martial Soul? Why? You could wait until you break through to Soul Douluo or even Titled Douluo before obtaining a powerful Soul Ring. Adding one to it now would be a huge waste," Xiao Wu said in surprise.

"Well, my family's situation is a little unusual."

"Fine, then. But can't I go home with you?" Xiao Wu pouted.

"Be good. I'll definitely take you with me next time." Zhao Ming rubbed Xiao Wu's little head and spoke gently.

"Mm." Xiao Wu gave a soft hum and said nothing more.

Early the next morning, Zhao Ming set off.

Nuoding City, where Zhao Ming currently was, lay in the south of the Heaven Dou Empire, while the Extreme North was to the north of the empire. The journey was long.

Zhao Ming found a trader in Nuoding City, obtained a horse and a detailed map, then set off.

Zhao Ming did not travel quickly. From time to time, he stopped to take in the local customs and scenery throughout the Heaven Dou Empire.

In the blink of an eye, six days passed. Zhao Ming had already entered the more northern regions of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the air around him grew colder and colder. The frigid weather forced Zhao Ming to stop at a nearby city and buy some warm clothing and equipment.

Although the weather around him was freezing, Zhao Ming did not find it too unbearable. Whenever it became too cold, he released Flame Spirit Princess to warm himself up. After all, Flame Spirit Princess was fire-elemental and could fully meet Zhao Ming's needs. In exchange, Zhao Ming's Soul Power was rapidly drained away.

At the northernmost edge of the Heaven Dou Empire, there were no longer any cities. The brutal cold made the place completely unsuitable for human habitation. After entering this region, Zhao Ming mostly rested in the wilderness.

Among his supplies was a small foldable tent made from Ice Bear hide. As Soul Beasts capable of living in the Extreme North, Ice Bears had exceptionally thick fur that could effectively block out the cold air outside. The tent was not large, only two meters long and 1.2 meters wide, but it was more than enough for one person.

Over the past few days, Zhao Ming's greatest realization had been that water truly could freeze the moment it dripped here.

He had never lived in such a cold region before. Even on Earth, he had lived in the south, where it was difficult to see even a heavy snowfall, much less an environment like this.

So once he actually began living here, many awkward problems came to light.

The one he remembered most vividly was relieving himself in this freezing environment. The instant his urine left him, it froze into ice, and the ice followed the arc toward his little brother.

It scared Zhao Ming out of his wits. He hurriedly summoned Flame Spirit Princess to thaw it out.

After that incident, Zhao Ming was traumatized. Whenever he went to the bathroom, he had to keep Flame Spirit Princess by his side, just in case.

After traveling for another day, Zhao Ming finally reached his destination. In this snow-covered land stood a black stone stele, bearing a line of small text:

"Extreme North, forbidden zone for humans. Soul Beasts sighted. Danger, danger, danger!"

The last three instances of "danger" were marked in red.

The Extreme North, a forbidden zone for humans—it was no joke. Forget ordinary people; even Soul Masters with slightly lower cultivation could not withstand such brutal weather. Even ice-elemental and water-elemental Soul Masters would not come here to obtain Soul Rings without sufficient strength.

"Ding, congratulations to the Host for completing the check-in mission."

"Ding, congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Puppet, Tu Shan Ya Ya."

Hearing the system notifications, Zhao Ming did not feel particularly excited. His Soul Power was only level fifteen right now, so even if he obtained this Puppet, he could not use it. If the check-in mission had not been time-limited, Zhao Ming truly would not have wanted to come this early.

Moreover, after staying in such a freezing place for so long, Zhao Ming felt as though he was about to lose all worldly desires.

If he had been an adult, he definitely would have cursed, This damn place is so cold I don't even feel like making love.

"Host, why don't we take a look around inside? Maybe we can settle your first Soul Ring while we're at it," the system suddenly urged from the side.

"Look around my ass. I don't want to die this young. With my current strength, forget Tian Meng—even a random Ice-type Soul Beast could probably kill me," Zhao Ming said irritably.

"That may be true. But I'm afraid you can't leave now," the system said with a chuckle, its voice filled with schadenfreude.

The system's words gave Zhao Ming a bad feeling.

But soon enough, he understood what the system meant.