After leaving the core region of the Far North, the group slowed their pace somewhat on the journey back.
On one hand, they needed to recover from the toll of continuous fighting and travel. On the other, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin had not forgotten that Zhu Zhuqing still needed her fifth Soul Ring.
As they passed through an icy forest surrounded by glaciers, where underground hot springs had fostered a unique ecosystem, they discovered a group of Phantom Ice Minks renowned for their speed and stealth.
The mink king leading them was around fifty thousand years old. Its traits—extreme speed, razor-sharp attacks, and Ice-type assaults with Mental Interference—were an excellent match for Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Civet Martial Soul. Especially after taking the Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, her physical strength and speed potential had greatly increased. She needed just such a Soul Ring to draw out those qualities even further.
With three Super Douluo, including an auxiliary one, standing guard, hunting this fifty-thousand-year-old Phantom Ice Mink King posed little risk.
Chen Xin cut off its escape route with a single sword strike, Gu Rong's bone domain restricted its movements, and Lin Yi used the pressure of his Ice Dragon to intimidate it. Finally, Zhu Zhuqing faced it herself, relying on her newly enhanced physique and Soul Power as she used Soul Skills like Hell Stab and Hell Hundred Claws. After a dangerous but manageable struggle, she successfully killed it.
Although absorbing this fifty-thousand-year Soul Ring put some strain on Zhu Zhuqing, whose constitution had greatly improved, it was still within her limits. After spending most of the day at it, she successfully advanced to level fifty-one, becoming a Soul King. She also gained a rather useful Soul Skill—"Hell Phantom Strike"—which left deceptive Ice-type afterimages as she moved at high speed.