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They pressed deeper into the Frozen Forest.

The hard ice and snow that had once covered the ground were now showing signs of melting. The snow beneath their feet had become incredibly soft, and every step sank in, greatly slowing the group's pace.

Compared to ordinary environments, such conditions placed an enormous drain on both stamina and Soul Power, severely testing one's mentality.

Within the group of four, Shen Hanyu and Shen Liuyu walked at the front and rear respectively, protecting the two with weaker Soul Power, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, in the middle.

This was also the standard formation commonly used by teams hunting Soul Beasts. It provided considerable protection against Soul Beast attacks.

The information sent back by Skywater Academy's scouts was far too limited. They only knew that the Silver Emperor Sky Falcon had appeared in this area, but no one knew where its nest was.

However, this kind of Soul Beast usually would not leave a fifty-kilometer radius around its territory to hunt. As long as they spent some time searching, there was a high chance they would find it.

As for Shen Liuyu, her third Soul Ring only needed to come from a Powerful Soul Beast. There were not so many strict requirements, which was one advantage of her crocodile-type Martial Soul.

Shui Bing'er was fine, relying on the powerful physique granted by her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul. However, Shui Yue'er, whose Soul Power Level was the lowest and whose Martial Soul was merely a high-grade Martial Soul, was finding it difficult to endure.

The Jadeite Dolphin was an agility-attack Martial Soul and did not enhance the body as greatly as the others' Martial Souls. The long journey and heavy Soul Power expenditure had already left her panting for breath, with fine beads of sweat even appearing on her forehead.

Shui Bing'er had actually told her not to come, but Shui Yue'er had acted cute and spoiled until she persuaded her sister to let her tag along for fun. Shui Bing'er had no choice but to indulge her.

"Let's rest for a while. Yue'er can barely hold on."

Shui Bing'er worriedly patted Shui Yue'er's back. Seeing her little face and hands reddened by the cold, her eyes were full of distress.

Shen Hanyu nodded, cleared an open patch of snow beneath a tree, then gathered plenty of dry firewood from the nearby low shrubs and efficiently started a fire.

Shen Liuyu also took out some clean water from her Soul Tool. Using branches to set up a simple stand, she began heating it.

Holding Shui Yue'er, Shui Bing'er gave the two of them a grateful look.

With the fire and hot water, Shui Yue'er's complexion soon improved considerably. Shen Hanyu also took out several pieces of dried meat and handed them to everyone.

"This is dried meat made from a Twenty Thousand Years Sword Thorn Cod. Don't mind the fishy smell. Eat some and replenish your strength. We still have to keep searching for Soul Beasts later."

When Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er smelled the fishiness, their expressions visibly stiffened. But feeling the hunger in their stomachs, they still accepted it and began chewing in small bites.

Every now and then, a few Soul Beasts darted past in the distance, but none posed much of a threat. Most were small Soul Beasts like Snow Rabbits and Snow Ferrets, probably the weakest predators in this area.

Shen Hanyu, whose perception and Mental Power were the strongest, even sensed a Snow Void Leopard with a thousand years of cultivation. It was a rare Ice Attribute Soul Beast that also possessed the Space Attribute. At that moment, it was carrying a Snow Rabbit in its mouth and moving at astonishing speed. It had two innate soul skills, both related to space. It was said to be a close relative of the Void Demonic Leopard.

Shen Hanyu silently memorized the location where this Soul Beast had appeared. Such Soul Beasts generally possessed an extremely strong sense of territory and would not stray too far from it.

Once Shui Yue'er broke through to Soul Grandmaster, this Soul Beast would undoubtedly make the most perfect second Soul Ring for her.

After resting briefly for over two hours, the group set out once more.

The farther inward they traveled, the taller the trees became. The small trees had long since withered away, unable to receive enough sunlight or absorb sufficient nutrients.

The low shrubs on the ground grew increasingly lush. Shen Hanyu narrowed his eyes as his Mental Power swept through the surroundings. The information it returned brought an involuntary flicker of joy to his face.

"We're close. It should be somewhere in this area. We just need to search nearby now."

A trace of joy also appeared in Shui Bing'er's eyes. The longer they spent in a place like this, the greater the pressure and danger they had to endure. No one wanted to remain in a dangerous environment any longer than necessary. Every living creature had the instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm.

"Can you determine the general direction?"

Holding Shui Yue'er's hand, Shui Bing'er asked softly.

Shen Hanyu closed his eyes and sensed the area. In reality, he was notifying Tian Meng to begin the search.

A moment later, Shen Hanyu said, "Ten kilometers east of here."

Shui Bing'er nodded lightly. Ten kilometers was not particularly far under ordinary circumstances, but here there were too many things to guard against. Covering ten kilometers would take at least two or three hours.

This was not an exaggeration at all. No one could guarantee absolute safety. Trading some speed for greater security was also the shared understanding of the four of them.

Shen Hanyu gave a calm hum, looked at the sky, and said, "We'll travel a little farther, then set up camp for the night. Our vision will be obstructed at night, and many carnivorous Soul Beasts will come out to hunt. For the safety of you three, we'll investigate tomorrow. Any objections?"

Shen Liuyu nodded first. After walking all day, she had long been exhausted. Now that her annoying brother said they could rest, she naturally agreed a hundred percent.

Shui Bing'er nodded as well. Leaning against Shui Bing'er's shoulder, Shui Yue'er also nodded weakly.

Seeing that no one objected, Shen Hanyu led them onward for a while before they began setting up camp.

Shui Bing'er and the other two were girls, so they shared one large tent. The other, smaller tent was reserved for Shen Hanyu alone.

Shen Hanyu also took out two blankets made from Fire Attribute Soul Beast pelts and gave them to the three girls. He was nearly unaffected by the surrounding cold and had no use for them, so he simply left them to the girls.

Night came late here. After they had finished setting up the tents and everything else, they lit a campfire and sat around it, chatting.

Shen Hanyu went out for about two minutes before returning with two plump Snow Rabbits. He skillfully skinned and beheaded them, found two moist branches to skewer them with, and placed them directly over the blazing fire to roast.

Watching the rabbit meat sizzle and drip with oil, Shui Yue'er and Shen Liuyu, both little gluttons, swallowed first. Shui Bing'er also lightly pressed her lips together.

Shen Hanyu secretly found it amusing. His grilling skills were not bad. In his previous life, he had often gone fishing by the lake with friends and cooked what they caught to save money on meals. His barbecue skills had gradually been honed through experience and could stand up to scrutiny.

Seeing how impatient the three girls had become, Shen Hanyu smiled helplessly. He took out the final soul of the dish—the seasoning—and evenly drizzled it over the meat. A rich fragrance swiftly spread through the air, drifting into the distance on the Gentle Breeze...

P.S. Every day in Shandong was filled with fish and meat. Life was so comfortable that all I wanted to do was sleep myself to death.