Reality

Shu Yan raised his eyes slightly, unsurprised by anything Luo Qinghan had said.

These Martial Soul Hall Remnants had lived year-round in a backward land of treacherous mountains and foul waters in southern Star Luo. Everything their ancestors had suffered over generations had made them lose all hope in the so-called people of the world.

Over time, an order emerged among them that was little different from the laws of survival in nature: they believed only in the truth that the strong ruled. Regardless of gender or age, the leader among them had to be the most talented and powerful person of that generation, and resources would continuously be tilted toward these chosen leaders. This was one of the changes they had made under the pressure of reality.

If Shu Yan wanted them to submit to him or join him, he had to display talent and confidence capable of completely overwhelming them.

There were still Titled Douluo-level powerhouses within this so-called Southern Alliance; Shu Yan was certain of that. But with the foundation his group possessed now, that was still not enough to amount to much.

How many human powerhouses in the world today could stand against the Snow Empress by his side?

The answer was simple: very, very few.

And the Snow Empress and Shu Yan now stood firmly on the same side. Though Shu Yan had benefited somewhat from the Snow Empress's protection, then again, simply being able to benefit from her protection already put him ahead of ninety-nine percent of outsiders.

As for talent... Shu Yan glanced down at himself. There did not seem to be much suspense there either.

"If you want proof, that is not difficult. Perhaps before proving the confidence I possess in other ways, we can first lay our cards on the table. Miss Luo, what do you think?"

Shu Yan chuckled softly. His eyes were remarkably calm as he looked at Luo Qinghan, like a pool of stagnant water without the slightest emotional ripple. Even Luo Qinghan, who had always remained composed, found it difficult to gauge him. For a moment, she did not know what decision to make.

The expressions in Chen Ming and Wang Lin's eyes shifted slightly as well. They had never seen Luo Qinghan fall into a disadvantage during a contest of wits, but this time, an unexpected turn had truly occurred. The vigilance rising in their hearts added a trace of wariness to their gazes at Shu Yan, as though they were ready to strike at any moment.

Luo Qinghan's gaze turned dark and cold. After another brief silence, she finally spoke in a deep voice.

"Luo Qinghan. Qing Luan Martial Soul. Level forty-nine Assault System and Control System Battle Soul Ancestor."

Chen Ming and Wang Lin were slightly stunned, but after recovering, they spoke immediately without the slightest hesitation.

"Chen Ming. Blazing Lion Martial Soul. Sixteen years old. Level forty-four Assault System Battle Soul Ancestor."

"Wang Lin. Black Tiger Martial Soul. Sixteen years old. Level forty-three Assault System Battle Soul Ancestor."

Shu Yan studied the two with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He had not deliberately investigated their cultivation before, only roughly sensed it. But now, it seemed that they too were exceptionally gifted talents.

Breaking through to the Soul Ancestor realm at sixteen was already an extremely difficult feat. Anyone who could reach this realm was among the foremost geniuses of their sect or faction. Even with the support of the Star Luo Imperial Family, the shortage of cultivation resources remained one of the greatest problems plaguing these Martial Soul Hall Remnants.

After all, following ten thousand years of evolution, aside from the inheritances of the most elite Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls, other ordinary top-tier Martial Souls, such as the Black Tiger and Blazing Lion, had gradually developed sizeable clans through ten thousand years of growth and recovery. They had even begun to show signs of flourishing.

Of course, Shu Yan's surprise lasted only an instant. After recovering, he looked at the three and spoke softly.

"Shu Yan. Thirteen years old. Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul. Level fifty-five Assault System Soul King."

Shu Yan's voice echoed through the hall as he slowly rose to his feet once more. Five black Soul Rings gradually rose around him, while wisps of cold air spread outward from behind him. For a moment, sparkling snowflakes drifted through the hall. Amid that dreamlike ice and snow, a hazy figure somewhat resembling the Snow Empress appeared out of thin air, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

After the hazy figure appeared, the temperature, which had already fallen below freezing, plummeted drastically again. Xu Jiujiu was naturally unharmed under the Snow Empress's secret protection, but Luo Qinghan and the other two opposite them gradually turned pale. Faced with such extreme cold, they truly could not endure it.

Luo Qinghan abruptly lifted her eyes, and Shu Yan caught every trace of the surging shock within them. Chen Ming and Wang Lin behind her were equally astonished. The way they looked at Shu Yan changed sharply, and the two exchanged glances. They had both clearly sensed the powerful pressure of a high-ranking Beast Martial Soul coming from him.

Among Beast Martial Souls, it was not only Martial Souls of the same type and species that could suppress lower-ranked ones. When faced with a Super Martial Soul like the Heavenly Snow Woman, which controlled an Extreme Attribute, even if the other party's Martial Soul was not of the Ice Attribute, as long as its rank did not surpass the Heavenly Snow Woman itself, it would inevitably suffer a special suppression from a high-ranking Beast Martial Soul. The suppression was merely somewhat weaker than that experienced by other Ice Attribute Martial Souls.

Based on his earlier assessment, Shu Yan could basically determine that Luo Qinghan's Qing Luan Martial Soul was definitely no ordinary Qing Luan.

Under normal circumstances, the Qing Luan Martial Soul possessed an exceptionally powerful Wind Attribute. Moreover, imperial historical records showed that Qing Luan Douluo, the third worshiper of Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago, was not only proficient in the Wind Attribute but also highly skilled at using sound waves as a special offensive method.

Sound-wave attacks focused on the spiritual level. They could be considered a relatively special type of Spirit Soul Skill, but they did not count as the Spirit Attribute.

As for even stronger Spirit Soul Skills, they naturally required stronger vessels, such as the Spirit Attribute itself or a Soul Bone possessing the Spirit Attribute. But based on Shu Yan's judgment, the former was more likely.

While the three were still stunned, Shu Yan had already withdrawn his Martial Soul and Soul Rings. The cold air gradually dispersed, and only then did the temperature begin to slowly rise.

When he had released his Martial Soul just now, Shu Yan had deliberately controlled the surrounding temperature and had not allowed the extreme cold surrounding the Heavenly Snow Woman to erupt completely. Otherwise, turning this entire hall into a world of ice and snow in an instant would have been effortless.

"A Super Martial Soul with an Extreme Attribute, and a thirteen-year-old Soul King. I think that should qualify me to conquer you and make you choose to follow me, shouldn't it?"

At this point, Shu Yan shook his head with an amused smile before continuing.

"Also, I need to correct something you said. You were already unstable to begin with. It is fine to say words that comfort yourselves, but if you truly manage to deceive yourselves, that would be the funniest thing of all."

Shu Yan's words plunged all three into silence. They were not fools. They might have found the name Heavenly Snow Woman unfamiliar at first, but once they came to their senses, their hearts were already swept by towering waves.

It was a shock beyond words, and they understood even more clearly what an Extreme Attribute represented. With an Extreme Attribute greatly slowing cultivation speed, reaching the Soul King realm at thirteen was nearly as difficult as asking an ordinary soul master to break through to Soul Douluo at twenty. It was not absolutely impossible, but it was not far from it.

As they thought, the same confusion and helplessness filled all three hearts. Shu Yan was right. If they actually believed the words they used to comfort themselves, then the problem was truly serious...