Snow Monster

The surface soil of the Extreme North was a mixture of gravel and ice shards, hard yet loose. It often collapsed after being dug out, so Bai Cai had no choice but to use the clean drinking water she had stored to reinforce the shelter.

Ralts drove the shovel to dig out the shelter, precisely controlling her Confusion to support the soil and snow overhead. Bai Cai took out a water barrel, quickly opened it, and splashed water over the loose soil inside the shelter.

The cold swept in, and the clean water seeping into the gaps between the gravel and soil froze in an instant, forming a kind of concrete. After using more than a dozen barrels of clean drinking water, the loose soil had become hard as iron, and the shelter was finally complete.

The storage space in Wang Dong's Sea-Blue Bracelet was dozens of cubic meters at most. Aside from piles of Gold Soul Coins, it was packed with water barrels, dry rations, and smoked meat. The clean drinking water used to reinforce the shelter had taken up only a third of all the barrels.

Ralts used her Confusion to smooth out the disordered snow and seal the shelter's entrance. Bai Cai took out an iron pot and a heating Soul Tool, set up a makeshift stove, then added smoked meat and clean water to simmer.

Fuel was scarce in the Extreme North, and fresh vegetables and meat didn't keep well. The Sea-Blue Bracelet had no preservation function, so boiled rations and stewed smoked meat were the best meals Bai Cai could manage.

Through the long, endless night, Bai Cai slept soundly wrapped in a thick quilt. Her padded coat covered the curled-up Ralts.

At noon the next day, the sun warmed the land, and the temperature rose slightly. Bai Cai and Ralts left the shelter.

Generally speaking, Soul Masters who awakened Beast Martial Souls continuously consumed Soul Power while in Martial Soul Possession.

However, Ralts's presence not only didn't consume her Soul Power; it could even replenish it.

The Cold Pine Forest swayed faintly. Snow piled on the treetops suddenly slid down, and Ralts controlled her Confusion to form an invisible shield, blocking the falling snow.

The ground wasn't safe either. Bai Cai's thoughts shifted, and Ralts understood at once. She wrapped Bai Cai in invisible Confusion, forming a streamlined shield, and the two slowly rose into the air.

Judging by the Mirror Shadow Beast's appearance, the Ice-Sealed Forest wasn't its habitat.

The Ice-Sealed Forest lay in the frigid zone, bordering the Extreme North. It had an extremely low biomass, with few medium or large Soul Beasts. A century-old Mirror Shadow Beast was over two meters long and ate a great deal; the two facts didn't add up.

Few medium or large Soul Beasts, yet dense forests... A nursery for Mirror Shadow Beasts!

No, not just a nursery for Mirror Shadow Beasts. The Mirror Shadow Beast's predators and other unusual Soul Beasts of the same level would also come to the Ice-Sealed Forest to breed. That was why Dean Yan Shaozhe had said the Ice-Sealed Forest was a hunting ground for high-level Soul Masters.

"This is trouble."

Gazing at the towering Snow Mountain in the distance, Bai Cai's eyes gradually grew determined.

No one knew when Mirror Shadow Beasts bred or how long it took. Finding a Mirror Shadow Beast with a low enough age for its Soul Ring in the Ice-Sealed Forest would be extremely difficult.

Apart from the Ice-Sealed Forest, Mirror Shadow Beasts appeared only in Snow Mountain and Ice Plain regions.

Dean Yan Shaozhe had said the Ice Plain lay beyond the Snow Mountain. Clearly, to find a Mirror Shadow Beast of a suitable age, they would have to search the Snow Mountain and Ice Plain regions.

Ralts propelled their streamlined Psychic Shield, carrying herself and Bai Cai over the endless Ice-Sealed Forest. Before long, the towering Snow Mountain came into view.

The Snow Mountain's natural environment was perilous. Thick snow covered deep-blue glaciers, and fierce winds swept across the foothills. Coarse gravel mixed with fist-sized hail and sharp-edged ice shards pelted the Psychic Shield.

With no other choice, Bai Cai and Ralts landed on a slope. Loose gravel piled up like mountains, massive chunks of broken ice littered the ground, and dark gray rocks rose like they had been hewn by knives and axes. Climbing was incredibly difficult.

After dozens of missteps, Bai Cai finally reached the mountainside. Looking back below her, she saw the deep-blue glacier descending almost vertically along the mountain, like an impassable chasm. The clouds seemed close enough to touch.

"Ralts!"

Careful! Ralts cried anxiously.

A massive boulder crashed into the Psychic Shield. Bai Cai raised her hand to brace against it, while Ralts tilted the shield with all her strength. The boulder veered slightly, then crashed into the mountainside, sending gravel and broken ice flying in every direction.

"Hooh! Hoh!"

A shrill cry rang out. In a spot high above where the snow lay deep, a monster glared down with blood-red eyes, flailing its arms and pounding its chest. It seemed furious that it hadn't killed Bai Cai with a single blow.

The monster above resembled a giant ape and stood about three or four meters tall. Long white fur covered its entire body, including its face. Its eyes were blood-red, and the corners were strangely narrow and elongated.

The Snow Monster was a Soul Beast unique to the Extreme North. It often lived deep in the Snow Mountain, possessed immense strength, and liked to eat fresh flesh.

The Snow Mountain was the Snow Monster's home turf, and their position was disadvantageous. Bai Cai planned to retreat for now and come back to explore another day.

"Ralts, Ralts."

The glacier above was full of fissures where they could hide temporarily, Ralts suggested cautiously, keeping her eyes fixed on the Snow Monster.

"If we go back to the shelter, all our effort will have been for nothing."

Bai Cai slowly backed away. "But we don't have to risk going forward. The Snow Mountain's natural environment is treacherous. If anything goes wrong, the dean might not be able to rescue us in time..."

Before she could finish, a dazzling beam pierced the Snow Monster's chest, charring its flesh.

Above them on the glacier, an old man in a white robe lowered a cannon-shaped Soul Tool and stared coldly at the metal badge on Bai Cai's shirt. "A little brat from Shrek?"

The Snow Mountain's fierce winds were bone-chilling. Bai Cai was nearly at death's door.

The powerful figures of the three empires—Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling—either came from Shrek Academy, were connected to it, or feared its formidable reputation. They wouldn't use insulting language to refer to its students.

"Mingde Hall?"

Warm light shone over Bai Cai, dispelling the gloom and fear. Yan Shaozhe transformed into a Radiant Phoenix, blocking the white-robed old man's line of sight.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red—nine Soul Rings that shook the heart revolved around the Radiant Phoenix.

Yan Shaozhe's aura was so powerful that the white-robed old man's pupils contracted. "Super Douluo! Who are you?"

A Super Douluo was a pillar of the three empires, a powerhouse of Shrek Academy's elder rank. Why had one ventured alone into the Extreme North? Could it be for that little brat?

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—light shimmered across nine Soul Rings. The white-robed old man gave a cruel smile. "What a pity, what a pity. If not for that little brat from Shrek, I would almost have lost my life here."

A genius student personally protected by a Super Douluo, a future leader of Shrek. If there was no way out, he might as well kill the little brat from Shrek.

A bone-chilling killing intent gradually spread around them. Yan Shaozhe's expression turned grave as he sent a secret message. "Bai Cai, do you remember yesterday?"

"When we parted, I sealed a surge of Soul Power inside you. Once it erupts, it'll be enough to get you out of the battle in an instant."

"Whatever you do, don't look back."

The black Seventh Soul Ring lit up at once. The Radiant Phoenix grew several times larger, and its scorching radiance melted the deep-blue glacier. The Radiant Phoenix's true form flashed before the white-robed old man's murky eyes.

An unfamiliar, warm surge of Soul Power erupted, shielding Bai Cai from head to toe. Light blazed, and a streak of radiance shot across the azure sky.