Return to the Extreme North

Becoming stronger sounds easy, but in reality... it doesn't seem too difficult.

Of course, this applies to Zhou Huan at present.

With the powerful Milk Bottle of the Snow Empress Origin, Zhou Huan only needed seven months to advance from level 67 to level 70, becoming Quasi-Soul Sage.

Before we knew it, it was already the end of fourth grade, and there was only one month left before the holidays.

For the past six months or so, Zhou Huan hasn't done anything particularly noteworthy besides cultivating, reading, and writing papers.

After all, life at Shrek is pretty ordinary.

Especially after his battle with Xiao Hongchen, Zhou Huan managed to get a level 5 Soul Tool from him by using the method of scraping and exhausting him, and Xiao Hongchen never bothered Zhou Huan again.

I don't know if I've figured something out.

As for Meng Hongchen, she's toxic; Zhou Huan basically avoids her whenever he sees her.

What frustrated Zhou Huan during these ten months of fourth grade was that he hadn't seen Zhang Lexuan even once.

Zhou Huan guessed that Zhang Lexuan was most likely in seclusion, cultivating her spiritual practice.

The passing of Mu En must have had a significant impact on Zhang Lexuan.

And now that she has the Immortal Herb given to her by Zhou Huan, she probably wants to break through to the Titled Douluo level as soon as possible.

Zhou Huan hadn't seen his Senior Disciple Sister for a long time, but he did get to know the Second Senior Sister from the Inner Court.

Coincidentally, Wang Yan's Martial Soul Research had reached a bottleneck, requiring a Soul Douluo to assist him.

Then, Han Ruoruo, the Second Senior Sister from the Inner Court, arrived.

"Second Senior Sister" was just a casual, informal title Zhou Huan used for Han Ruoruo; in reality, very few people in the Inner Court would address Han Ruoruo that way.

Han Ruoruo, Martial Soul Golden Rope, is known as the number one controller in the Inner Court. Her strength is second only to Zhang Lexuan, but she is actually a little older than Zhang Lexuan.

Of course, these are not the main points.

The key point is that Han Ruoruo is Wang Yan's future partner, and can also be considered Zhou Huan's teacher's wife.

In Zhou Huan's opinion, the two are quite a good match.

A nearly forty-year-old bachelor teacher and a female Soul Master who focused solely on cultivation for the first twenty-odd years of her life—this teacher-student romance is quite endearing.

In fact, Wang Yan is only about ten years older than Han Ruoruo. Such an age difference is nothing in the Soul Master World. Moreover, their personalities are very compatible. One is kind and gentle, and the other is gentle and generous.

Today, Zhou Huan came to Wang Yan's Martial Soul Research to ask for leave, and saw Wang Yan and Han Ruoruo working together on the Golden Rope Martial Soul Research.

Upon seeing Zhou Huan arrive, Han Ruoruo greeted him with a light laugh, "Junior Zhou, you're here again."

Han Ruoruo found this junior classmate quite interesting, especially after hearing Wang Yan talk a lot about Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan smiled and replied, "Hello, Second Senior Sister."

Hearing this, Han Ruoruo said with some doubt, "Your way of addressing her sounds fine, but I feel like there's something off about the 'Second Senior Sister' you're referring to."

Zhou Huan was speechless. Something was wrong. He wasn't calling her Second Senior Brother, nor was he calling her Second Junior Sister.

However, Zhou Huan didn't explain anything, but instead said, "That's not important. What's important is that you, Second Senior Sister, have been working overtime every day to help Teacher Wang. Teacher Wang should treat you to a nice meal, at least a meal at Keman Tower."

Han Ruoruo smiled and said, "Professor Wang is a senior and outstanding teacher in our college. I can actually learn a lot by helping out. I wouldn't dare let Professor Wang treat me to a meal."

At this point, Wang Yan was clearly not yet experiencing romantic feelings. While fiddling with his things, he said without turning his head, "Inviting you to dinner is nothing. After this research is finished, Ruoruo can eat whatever she wants."

Zhou Huan: "..." Brother, I created opportunities for you, but you were useless! No wonder you had to wait two years until the Sea God's Fate Blind Date before you dared to confess.

Han Ruoruo simply smiled and said nothing, clearly already used to Wang Yan's straightforwardness.

At this moment, Wang Yan suddenly realized something and asked, "Wait a minute, you don't have any tasks here today, Zhou Huan, did you come to see me for something?"

Although Zhou Huan had visited the research lab many times, he mostly came to assist with Zhou Huan's research.

Normally, Zhou Huan wouldn't bother him in the research lab.

Zhou Huan said, "I'm here to ask for leave. I need to leave the academy a month early."

Wang Yan didn't ask any questions and immediately agreed, "Okay, I understand, you can go now."

Han Ruoruo, standing to the side, was somewhat stunned. Although she knew Zhou Huan and Wang Yan were close, was it really that easy for Outer Court students to take leave? And for a whole month at once?

Zhou Huan seemed to sense Han Ruoruo's question and said, "Second Senior Sister, this is what happens when you have connections in court. You need to cultivate a good relationship with Teacher Wang."

Han Ruoruo nodded slightly at first, but then she thought, as an Inner Court Student, she shouldn't need to ask Wang Yan for leave, right?

By the time she wanted to say something more, Zhou Huan had already left the research lab.

Zhou Huan took a month's leave, which, combined with the end-of-term holiday, made a total of two months.

Such a long time was obviously for him to go to the Extreme North to obtain his seventh Soul Ring.

At the same time, Zhou Huan also planned to take advantage of the special environment of the Extreme North to condense his First Soul Core.

It will definitely take a lot of time, which is why I took an extra month of leave.

After leaving Shrek Academy, Zhou Huan did not slow down this time. He arrived at the outskirts of the Extreme North in just three days.

This place is still a world of ice and snow.

The moment Zhou Huan stepped inside, she felt a sense of coming home.

Actually, this feeling is not strange, mainly because Zhou Huan's First Martial Soul and all the Soul Bone on his body are Ice Attribute, and they are Extreme Ice.

To be honest, he might be better suited to life in the Extreme North; cultivating there would definitely be twice as effective.

It's a pity that in the Extreme North, there's nothing but wind, snow, or Soul Beast.

Zhou Huan is ultimately a human being. As a social animal, he cannot simply stay here in this freezing cold.

"Your Majesty, could you please show us the way so we can enter the Extreme North Core Zone more quickly and safely?"

Zhou Huan, amidst the wind and snow, resembled an inconspicuous Xiao Xue, yet remained perfectly still, more like a ten-thousand-ton oil tanker amidst endless waves.

Snow Empress was still feeling the warmth of her home, which she had left long ago, when she was suddenly interrupted by Zhou Huan's annoying voice. So she said irritably, "Go straight for fifty li, then turn east, then go another hundred li, and then keep going north!"

Zhou Huan, ignoring Snow Empress's attitude, asked, "Empress, you mentioned before that you had plans for my seventh Soul Ring. Are you trying to win over one of the Ferocious Beast here?"

In fact, Zhou Huan guessed that it was most likely the Ice Bear King Xiaobai, who was no weaker than the Titan Snow Demon King.

The Ice Bear King is Ferocious Beast with over two hundred thousand years of cultivation, making it the most suitable choice for his seventh Soul Ring.

Moreover, the Ice Bear King is considered the Snow Empress's adopted son, and he never contradicts her.

In fact, in the entire Extreme North, no Soul Beast would oppose anything the Snow Empress wanted to do.

However, Snow Empress's next words immediately refuted Zhou Huan's guess. "Do you know why my cultivation has reached nearly 700,000 years?"

Zhou Huan looked puzzled. "Isn't it because you, Snow Empress, are blessed with extraordinary talent, being a natural being from the Extreme North, that you have such powerful cultivation through cultivation and the accumulation of time?"

The Snow Empress gently shook her head and said, "I can indeed be called the Daughter of Ice and Snow, and I am certainly loved by the Extreme North, but even with that, it would be difficult for me to survive so many Heavenly Tribulation."

"Then why...?"

"Because deep within the Extreme North Core Zone lies an Extreme Cold Snow Dragon that has been dead for countless years. Its cultivation level in life was at least above the Limit Douluo."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huan's eyes narrowed. "God-level? Deity?"

The Snow Empress replied, "I don't know, perhaps. In fact, I don't know exactly what kind of Soul Beast it is, but its enormous skeleton is clearly dragon-shaped and possesses extreme cold, which is why I call it the Extreme Cold Snow Dragon."

How could such a thing exist in the Extreme North?

Indeed, there are still many unknown things in the Douluo Continent, far more complex than what Zhou Huan learned from the book.

Looks like I'll have to be more careful from now on, play it safe, and not be reckless.

But what does this have to do with my Soul Ring and Snow Empress's Heavenly Tribulation?

Therefore, Zhou Huan asked, "So my seventh Soul Ring is related to Him?"

The Snow Empress nodded slightly. "It's relevant, because what He left behind was not only a skeleton containing immense energy, but also an Extreme Cold Snow Dragon Pill, which even contained a remnant soul. Therefore, He can become your seventh Soul Ring."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huan's throat tightened, but he still cautiously asked, "A remnant soul? A god-level remnant soul? Can we handle it?"

The Snow Empress, however, replied nonchalantly, "Have you forgotten what I just said? Of course, one of the reasons I was able to survive so many Heavenly Tribulation was because I used that Extreme Cold Snow Dragon Pill to withstand the lightning."

Zhou Huan: "..." Snow Empress, you, you're fucking incredibly clever! You did a fantastic job!

Ignoring Zhou Huan's strange expression, the Snow Empress continued, "Unfortunately, after multiple Heavenly Tribulation, that remnant soul has been cleaved into oblivion and is on the verge of death, no longer capable of shielding me from the great calamity of seven hundred thousand years. However, its Life is indeed tenacious; in any case, it hadn't completely dissipated before I left the Extreme North, so it's highly likely still alive."

Truly worthy of being called the Snow Empress!

He's ruthless!

First they used that person's remnant soul to undergo tribulation and withstand lightning, and now they've brought people to completely reclaim that remnant soul.

What could Zhou Huan say?

All I can say is that he admires Snow Empress) for this.

Indeed, I'm still the kindest person!

Afterwards, Zhou Huan continued his journey into the Core Circle of Extreme North while discussing the matter of the Extreme Cold Snow Dragon with the Snow Empress.

The wind and snow grew heavier and heavier until they completely obscured Zhou Huan's figure.

Please add to your favorites, recommend, and vote with monthly tickets.

Thank you to all the readers for your strong support.

Both chapters will be posted together today, but there won't be any more this afternoon.