I wasn't sure how many paragraphs there were.

It was broad daylight.

"What?"

Mu Rong rubbed his hands together and grinned, having already come up with a plan.

"Just act like you're taking a casual soak in a hot spring, like you do every day."

Even if using the Soul Bone to provoke such a huge reaction were possible, killing him wouldn't make it appear.

"Y-you mean..."

The two men looked at each other in disbelief.

"Exactly."

Mu Rong answered with certainty.

"So, I have absolutely no problem with a nine-hundred-year-old limit."

If he weren't afraid the Demon Blade's aura would be too conspicuous and draw the attention of certain people who might want to use him for research, he really wanted to try absorbing a thousand-year Soul Fragment.

A nine-hundred-year limit was already the choice most likely to avoid trouble and preserve his life.

Hearing this, King Ying fell into deep thought.

He looked at Zhou the Old Axe.

"Old Zhou, what do you think?"

Zhou the Old Axe was still digesting the fact that ordinary people could absorb Soul Fragments. He only managed a hesitant nod.

King Ying slowly analyzed the situation.

"I have to admit, Mu Rong is right. Before you can absorb a Soul Fragment, you have to consider how limited your body's potential is."

For such a small fellow to survive absorbing a hundred-year Soul Fragment under those conditions was proof that his body was far stronger than I'd ever imagined."

Mu Rong said nothing, merely nodding.

Zhou the Old Axe also fell silent.

King Ying finally gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

He turned back to Mu Rong. The forced smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a wild, eager look.

"Fine! You little brat, since you're asking for it, I'll go wild with you today!"

"If you succeed, then Old Zhou and I will have lived up to our names. We'll have to see with our own eyes the first person in the Soul Master world to break through the limits of their body!"

"If you fail... well, given how carefully you've prepared, it probably won't be too bad. At worst, we'll waste some time and try again!"

"Fine! Thank you both for trusting me!"

Mu Rong cupped his hands and bowed.

The preparations were complete.

In the days that followed, the three of them officially ventured into this world of ice and snow.

The frozen forest was far more vast than they had imagined. According to the ancient records, Ice Crystal Dragons loved the cold and usually lived in ice caves on glaciers or in underground ice chambers. They were rarely seen elsewhere.

Relying on the Soul Sect's vitality, the three of them spent nearly a month exploring the vast, frozen wasteland.

Over the course of that month, they weathered dozens of Soul Beast attacks, endured decades of freezing cold, and even survived hundreds of years' worth of blizzards. Both Soul Sect elders guided them through it all.

Mu Rong also took advantage of the opportunity to observe various ice-type Soul Beasts that could be absorbed by Soul Masters.

Then, on the twenty-eighth day, a massive crevasse opened beneath a towering glacier.

The cold at the bottom of the valley was bone-chilling, and the temperature was dozens of degrees below the outside. Even the unusual chirping of insects could be heard.

"We found it!"

King Ying's eyes lit up.

The three of them braced themselves against the steep ice walls and carefully descended into the valley.

When they reached the bottom, all three stopped breathing at the sight before them.

In the narrow valley, a whole colony of Soul Fragments was gathering.

These Soul Fragments were roughly three feet tall and shaped like lizards, but their bodies were covered in a layer of ice-blue scales. Around their necks was an especially conspicuous ring of white ice crystals, which glowed faintly in the dark valley.

Ice Crystal Dragons!

There were at least twenty or thirty of them.

"Kid, don't go more than a hundred meters away from us!"

Zhou the Old Axe's voice suddenly turned stern.

"The Ice Crystal Dragon pack is too dangerous. If you get too close, they could freeze you solid in an instant! This could cost you your life!"

"Fine! You two be careful, too. If anything feels off, we'll call it off!"

Mu Rong's eyes glinted. He finished speaking, then quickly flew toward the direction they had come from.

With the Ice Crystal Dragon pack's threat already clear, even he knew his limits.

As Mu Rong ran off, King Ying and Zhou the Old Axe exchanged a glance and simultaneously fixed their sights on the largest Ice Crystal Dragon in the pack.

That Ice Crystal Dragon was more than four meters long. The icy-blue scales on its body were the darkest, and the white ice crystals around its neck were the thickest and brightest. The Soul power radiating from it was clearly that of a creature more than nine hundred years old!

That was the one!

"Old Zhou, I'll draw its attention. You hold it off!"

"Fine!"

The next second, the two released their martial souls at the same time.

"Martial Soul Possession!"

King Ying's body grew even more compact. Four Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—rose beneath his feet, and his hands transformed into sharp claws. His whole body shot forward like an arrow, charging straight toward the target!

Zhou the Old Axe let out a furious roar. His muscles swelled, and he transformed into a mighty black bear. Four Soul Rings—two yellow and two purple—rose around him, and a terrifying aura surged out!

One focused on offense, the other on speed. Together, the two Soul Sect elders formed a flawless partnership!

But they had underestimated just how frightening this pack of Ice Crystal Dragons was.

Just as the two charged into the center of the group, the twenty or thirty Ice Crystal Dragons moved as one, raising their heads in unison!

Hiss—

A streak of ice-blue light suddenly shot out from the white crystal rings around their necks. It fused together in midair, forming an enormous ice spear that filled the entire valley!

The ice spear tore through the air, its force overwhelming!

King Ying and Zhou the Old Axe were charging at full speed. They had no time to react before the enormous ice spear slammed into them!

Boom!

The two men's bodies froze in midair. They held their charging poses as they became two human-shaped blocks of ice!

"What?!"

Nearly a hundred meters away, Mu Rong had just hidden behind a pile of massive ice rocks. Seeing the scene unfold before him, his jaw dropped.

So strong?!

The two Soul Sect elders had been frozen solid in one move?

This was bad!

Roar—!

From within the pack, an enormous Ice Crystal Dragon, nearly seven meters long—the leader of the group—let out a furious roar.

Its body swelled, its huge frame rising high into the air. Its thick tail whipped through the air with a whoosh as it lunged viciously at King Ying, who was frozen in midair!

Crack!

With a deafening crash, ice fragments flew everywhere.

The thick ice around King Ying shattered, and the force of the tail flung him away. He slammed heavily into the ice wall.

At the same time, the other Ice Crystal Dragons attacked. Ice spears and ice needles shot toward Zhou the Old Axe, who was also frozen in midair!

"Damn it!"

At this critical moment, Zhou the Old Axe unleashed all his Soul power and let out a furious roar. The thick ice encasing his body suddenly cracked apart!

He swung his bear paws, smashing most of the ice needles, but several ice spears still pierced his defenses. They left deep, visible wounds across his sturdy body.

Blood instantly stained the ice.

The battle had barely lasted a few seconds, but the two Soul Sect elders, who had been brimming with confidence, were now like helpless prey, unable to fight back!