Shu Yan, Journey to the Extreme North

Everything that followed was, in truth, inexplicably cliché.

Shu Yan: a Super Martial Soul, the Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul; Extreme Ice attribute; Innate Full Soul Power; a clean background; a reserved and gentle temperament. This was all the information Xu Jiujiu and Xu Jiawei had obtained at first.

These impressive qualifications had made Xu Jiawei applaud repeatedly. Combined with the good image Shu Yan had maintained at the welfare institution, Xu Jiawei had once considered inviting the most mysterious Great Enshrined One from the Star Luo Imperial Family's Hall of Worship to take Shu Yan as a disciple. Yet for unknown reasons, the matter was eventually dropped.

Among all the Titled Douluo affiliated with the Star Luo Empire, none possessed an Ice Attribute Martial Soul. Who should teach Shu Yan thus became a major problem for Xu Jiawei.

Xu Jiawei agonized over this issue for a long time. He had even considered having Shu Yan conceal his identity and study at Star Luo National Academy, but he soon abandoned the idea.

The Extreme Ice Martial Soul Shu Yan possessed was already the only one of its kind among humans in the present age. Not to mention that this Extreme Ice Martial Soul was the Heavenly Snow Woman, the ruler of the Extreme North Land. If this news were exposed, it would certainly cause a huge stir. Countless forces would move at the slightest hint of it, and by then, Shu Yan's ultimate fate would truly be uncertain...

This was clearly not a situation Xu Jiawei wished to see. What he wanted was an unrivaled genius loyal to the Star Luo Empire and hidden in the shadows. When necessary, Shu Yan could become the sharpest sword concealed by the Star Luo Empire, dealing fatal blows to its enemies. Exposing Shu Yan too early was by no means a rational decision.

It was then that Xu Jiujiu proposed a solution.

The plan was simple: Shu Yan would study under her. As the Star Luo Princess, Xu Jiujiu had numerous attendants by her side, and she did not need to attend the Royal Academy. With the knowledgeable senior Nebula Douluo at her side, no teacher in the Star Luo National Academy could compare to him.

Xu Jiujiu herself was exceptionally skilled at socializing and winning people over. As long as they spent enough time together and formed a deep friendship, it would be far more reliable than brainwashing or anything of the sort. Naturally, there would also be fewer troubles and difficulties to face.

Of course, Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu had both imagined things beautifully. Yet their original friendship gradually changed amid the innocent companionship of childhood sweethearts, and the reason it changed was that Xu Jiujiu had developed feelings while playing at raising him...

Everything that followed naturally fell into place. Though he had practically given away a sister, Xu Jiawei had at least achieved his goal...

It could be called killing two birds with one stone!

Xu Jiujiu had not lied this time. The next day, Shattered Star Douluo appeared and found Shu Yan. This Level 95 Super Douluo possessed formidable strength and held an extremely lofty position in the Star Luo Empire, serving as a stabilizing pillar of the empire. Yet even such a mighty veteran powerhouse was now helplessly taking on the minor task of leading a junior to hunt Soul Rings.

Shattered Star Douluo himself had no complaints. Befriending a young genius like Shu Yan, whose future was boundless, would bring him no small benefit... Besides, given his status in the Star Luo Empire, he knew more or less about some hidden truths...

Ahem, that was almost off topic.

By now, all other preparations and arrangements were in place. Only the original personnel arrangement had changed slightly.

Originally, only Shu Yan, Shattered Star Douluo, and Nebula Douluo were meant to go out and hunt Soul Beasts. Yet in the end, Xu Jiujiu was added to the group.

Shu Yan did not know how she had convinced Xu Jiawei to let her leave Star Luo City. He only knew that the girl had probably been scolded by Xu Jiawei quite a bit for this trip...

In terms of achievements and the state of the nation during his reign, Xu Jiawei was undoubtedly a qualified ruler. At the same time, he was certainly a qualified elder brother. He was rational and dignified, yet possessed the decisiveness and foresight a ruler should have. However, when it came to Xu Jiujiu's safety, he was indeed overly concerned at times. From another perspective, though, this undoubtedly showed just how much he valued her.

The imperial family was naturally coldhearted, but these siblings were exceptions. That made sense as well.

The journey to the Extreme North Land was exceedingly long, and they would have to pass through the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire along the way. Whenever they passed large cities, the four of them needed to detour in order to avoid being noticed by Tianhun powerhouses and causing trouble.

Shu Yan had already traveled this route once before, so it was naturally not unfamiliar to him.

Shattered Star Douluo was equally calm. As a Super Douluo, he was not particularly unfamiliar with any of the four great empires. When Shu Yan had hunted his third Soul Ring before, it had also been Shattered Star Douluo who led him to the Extreme North Land to obtain it.

To be honest, suitable Soul Beasts for Shu Yan could also be found in the Star Dou Great Forest. Yet Xu Jiawei would rather have a Super Douluo take Shu Yan thousands of miles to the Extreme North Land to hunt one. There had to be a reason for that.

On one hand, the Extreme North Land contained numerous Ice Attribute Soul Beasts, and their quality far surpassed those in the Star Dou Great Forest. It was a paradise for Ice Attribute Soul Masters.

On the other hand, Xu Jiawei had concerns that few others knew about. The Heavenly Snow Woman was a Super Martial Soul that had never appeared in a human before, and it even possessed an Extreme Attribute. This was extraordinarily rare throughout the entire history of human Soul Masters. Xu Jiawei feared that Shu Yan might be a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had reincarnated in human form.

After all, humans still could not explore what lay within the core region of the Extreme North Land. Xu Jiawei believed that proper vigilance was necessary at all times, even if Shu Yan was someone he had watched grow up and who had ultimately become lovers with his younger sister...

The four hurried along day and night, and naturally could only sleep in the open and eat wherever they could. They would only stop occasionally to rest when passing through villages or towns.

Shattered Star Douluo and Nebula Douluo naturally felt nothing, but Xu Jiujiu and Shu Yan were still considered low-level Soul Masters. Although neither had poor physical constitutions, such intense travel still left them looking noticeably worse for wear.

Even so, Xu Jiujiu remained in high spirits. From time to time, she would pull Shu Yan along to admire the scenery by the roadside. This was an exceedingly rare experience for her. Being able to gaze upon all the world's beauty with the person she had chosen as her beloved made Xu Jiujiu feel romantic without even realizing it.

Shu Yan merely stayed quietly by Xu Jiujiu's side. As time passed, and under the influence of his Martial Soul, his temperament became increasingly reserved and tranquil. Perhaps Xu Jiujiu, who had spent so much time with him, had not noticed it, but Nebula Douluo, who traveled with them, had many thoughts on the matter.

Their Princess and Shu Yan were nearly the same age, yet their personalities strangely suited each other. Both were also rare cultivation geniuses. Though Nebula Douluo was usually stern and old-fashioned, he thought very highly of their relationship.

After traveling day and night for three days, the group finally arrived at the outskirts of the Extreme North Land.

Over thousands of years of development, the gap in strength between humans and Soul Beasts had gradually narrowed, while humanity's encroachment upon the Extreme North Land had become increasingly apparent.

At least half of what had once been the outer region of the Extreme North Land had become human territory. In recent years, humans had continued to slowly push deeper inward. Naturally, they were extremely cautious in the process, terrified that one misstep would trigger a Beast Tide. If that happened, the consequences would be irreversible.

Such was human nature. Before plundering, they already anticipated the outcome, yet they still could not control the greed in their hearts. Causing a great disaster was only a matter of time.

Wind and snow howled. This was also Xu Jiujiu's first time leaving Star Luo City and traveling so far away. The shrieking snowstorm made even her, protected by Soul Power at the Soul Elder level, feel somewhat cold. Not to mention that the deeper one traveled into the Extreme North Land, the harsher the environment became and the lower the temperature fell. That was the true forbidden zone for humans.

Here, the phrase "freezing to death" was no longer an exclamation or a complaint, but the most realistic description of the regions encompassed by the Extreme North Land...

Extreme cold was fatal to low-level Soul Masters. Yet Shu Yan wore only a casual white summer robe. Unlike ordinary people, he did not feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, he found the biting cold wind rushing against him rather pleasant. The Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul's immunity to frigid temperatures was undoubtedly top-tier, and it showed itself vividly in him.

At the side, the two Titled Douluo possessed deep Soul Power and were naturally unaffected. The only one suffering was Xu Jiujiu, who was traveling far from home for the first time.

Xu Jiujiu was fourteen this year, two years older than Shu Yan. Her Soul Power Level had reached Level 34, making her a Soul Elder and already a rare genius. Yet the strength of a Soul Elder was still somewhat inadequate against the wind and snow of the Extreme North Land, especially since they had encountered a blizzard rarely seen in a hundred years.

Just as Nebula Douluo was about to protect her, Shu Yan placed a pale blue crystal in Xu Jiujiu's hand. The bone-piercing chill immediately faded considerably, replaced by a trace of warmth.

This was a special Ice Crystal condensed from the origin Soul Power of the Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul. Other effects aside, its ability to ward off the cold when carried on one's person could indeed be considered half a divine skill for low-level Soul Masters in the Extreme North Land.

Xu Jiujiu froze for a moment, then gave Shu Yan a clear, gentle smile.

Shu Yan smiled and shook his head. He then turned and continued walking into the wind and snow.