Dragon City (Please Vote)

"Ultimate Ice..."

Huo Yuhao instinctively recalled the scene during the Freshman Assessment when Qin Yue had rampaged across the stage and knocked all three of them off one after another. He swallowed hard in disbelief. "I can do that too? Fight like Brother Qin?"

"Uh..." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm froze for a moment. It had never expected Huo Yuhao to ask that and hurriedly patched things up. "Different attributes have different focuses. Even among Ultimate Attribute Martial Souls, Ultimate Lightning and Ultimate Ice develop in completely different directions."

As Sky Dream Ice Silkworm reassured Huo Yuhao, it inwardly grumbled, Yuhao, you absolutely must not compare yourself to Qin Yue. That guy is clearly abnormal. Ultimate Martial Souls are powerful, but his is absurdly powerful.

Filled with anticipation for his second Martial Soul, Huo Yuhao calmed himself, cast aside all distracting thoughts, and raced north with complete focus. Other than stopping to recover Soul Power, he did not rest at all.

Unlike Huo Yuhao, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm looked deeply worried. It did not know why, but the closer it got to the Far North, the more uneasy it became, as though its plan had already been declared a failure before it had even begun.

"Could it be that Bingbing got lucky and found some Heavenly Treasure while I was gone, building up her foundation and crossing the Four Hundred Thousand Year Tribulation in one fell swoop?!"

The more Sky Dream Ice Silkworm thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Its entire body curled into a ball, looking especially dejected.

It was not as though other Ice Jade Scorpions could not serve as Huo Yuhao's second Martial Soul, and he would still gain the Ultimate Ice attribute. But Bingbing was the goddess it had yearned for day and night. How could any other Ice Jade Scorpion compare to her?

Moreover, if its plan succeeded, Yuhao would surely ascend to the God Realm someday. Then it could stay with Bingbing in the God Realm forever, and over time, there would be a very good chance that it could win her heart and see its dream come true.

But if Bingbing had truly crossed the Four Hundred Thousand Year Tribulation, then without the pressure of a life-or-death crisis, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had no confidence it could persuade her to sacrifice herself to Huo Yuhao. All the wonderful things it had imagined would shatter like a dream bubble.

"Ahh~ Why is my life so miserable~"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed inwardly. The increasingly intense unease in its heart made it ever more certain of its guess. Realizing that this journey was unlikely to persuade its goddess, it had already begun carefully recalling which Ice Jade Scorpions in the Far North had decent talent.

It would not treat those little scorpions that had not even reached a hundred thousand years the same way it treated Bingbing. Once it found a good opportunity when one of them was alone, it would directly help Yuhao seize it and refine it in an instant.

Once it was done, they would immediately flee far away. Even if Bingbing later noticed that a member of her clan had gone missing, it would not matter, because she would never find out who had done it. Naturally, she would have no way to follow the trail to their door. It was not as if she and Yuhao would run into Bingbing after returning to the academy, right?

Still, a goddess was a goddess. The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion still held some weight in Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's heart. It planned to meet Bingbing after reaching the Far North, and only capture another Ice Jade Scorpion after confirming that there truly was no hope.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Qin Yue's journey went exceptionally smoothly. Although Scarlet King had restrained most of its aura to avoid exposing its identity, leaving only the intimidation of an eighty- or ninety-thousand-year Soul Beast, it still easily scared every Soul Beast they encountered on the road out of its wits. From far away, they could often see Soul Beasts already fleeing for their lives.

Without stray cats and dogs bothering them, and with Scarlet King's remarkable speed, they traveled much faster than Qin Yue had anticipated. Thus, although he had spent some time meeting up with Scarlet King, he still arrived considerably earlier than planned.

Just over two hours later, Qin Yue could already see the outline of Dragon City in the distance. He patted Scarlet King, signaling it to stop.

Scarlet King, which had been charging at high speed, instantly slowed down and came to a steady halt atop a small hill. It snorted, flicked its body, and threw Qin Yue off. Then it lay on the ground without even looking at him. "Stop dawdling."

Having set foot on solid ground, Qin Yue nodded at Scarlet King before turning and walking toward Dragon City, several dozen li away.

As one of the largest cities in the northeastern Heaven Dou Empire, Dragon City had a huge population and bustling commerce. Moreover, it was close to the Far North. Even setting aside the Title Douluo sect master of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, there had to be a Guardian Douluo of the Heaven Dou Empire stationed within Dragon City, guarding against Beast Tides that could erupt at any time, as well as the increasingly undisguised ambitions of the Sun Moon Empire.

That was why Qin Yue had Scarlet King stop here, lest it alert Dragon City's defensive forces and create unnecessary complications.

As for how he would enter the city, it was currently peacetime, and Dragon City was an open commercial hub frequented by caravans and Soul Masters from across the continent.

Even after the Sun Moon Empire occupied this place in the future, Huo Yuhao had been able to stroll right in openly. Clearly, as long as one was not holding a Fixed Soul Guidance Shell and looking like they intended to send everyone to meet their ancestors, they could pass inspection and enter the city.

Several dozen li was merely a warm-up for Qin Yue. It did not take him long to reach the city gate.

Dragon City's security check was indeed as Qin Yue expected. Seeing that he was alone and looked young, the guards simply waved him through without inspecting him at all.

Qin Yue was in no hurry. He completely ignored Scarlet King's urging, leisurely taking in the city's distinctive local sights as he slowly made his way toward the northern part of the city.

Half an hour later, having gained some understanding of Dragon City's customs and character, Qin Yue stopped and looked toward a sprawling compound in the distance. Above its gates hung a plaque bearing three bold characters: Earth Dragon Sect.

This was the reason he had entered Dragon City. To persuade the Ice Empress, merely making empty promises would be far from enough. He had to present something tangible to convince her.

One person stood proudly on each side of the Earth Dragon Sect's entrance. Seeing Qin Yue walk directly toward them, they noted that although he carried himself exceptionally well, he was unfamiliar. The guard on the left stepped forward and cupped his fists. "This is the Earth Dragon Sect. May I ask what business you have here?"

Qin Yue returned the gesture with a smile. "I am Qin Yue, from Shrek City. I wish to discuss a business deal with Sect Master Nan. I would trouble you two to announce me."

Hearing that Qin Yue had come from Shrek City, thousands of li away, the two gate guards grew much more serious. Footsteps sounded from behind the gate, moving farther away. The guard who had spoken to Qin Yue turned sideways and raised a hand with a smile. "Please come in, sir. Someone has already gone to inform them. Please wait a moment."

Qin Yue stepped forward and, led by the gate guard, entered the Earth Dragon Sect and headed toward the reception hall.