Extreme North

Upon leaving Shrek City, Huo Yuhao prepared to head north.

"Brother Sky Dream, do we really have to go to the Extreme North?" Huo Yuhao was still somewhat hesitant.

She knew of the Extreme North's fearsome reputation. Its brutal cold, coupled with its powerful soul beasts, made it a place nearly impossible to explore.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had already made plans. They definitely had to go, though their objective could be adjusted slightly.

"Yu Tong, you know that I, uh, am a million-year soul beast. I came from the Extreme North, and the martial soul I gave you is an ice-attributed martial soul. This trip to the Extreme North is to help you obtain a powerful martial soul."

That was their main objective. While they were at it, they could also obtain the Spirit Eye's second Soul Ring.

"What martial soul are we going to obtain?" Huo Yutong did not know Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's plans, but she trusted Tian Meng's decision.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fell silent. It was a long silence.

"Brother Sky Dream?"

"Yu Tong, you know how powerful Ji Siyuan's martial soul is, right?" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm did not answer her question. Instead, he asked Huo Yutong one.

She tightly gripped the Lotus Seed Ji Siyuan had given her. Feeling Ji Siyuan's power, she said, "I know. It's incredibly, incredibly powerful. It can surpass Innate Full Soul Power, and you said yourself that you had never seen Siyuan's martial soul before. But his flames are definitely Ultimate Fire." Her voice shifted from pride to slight inferiority.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "After all those years in the Star Dou Great Forest, I had never seen any soul beast whose flames were that terrifying. Even among ultimate attributes, his flames were king."

Both of them fell silent. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm continued, "There are two choices now. The first is to steadily obtain an Ultimate Ice martial soul. The second is to take a gamble—gamble on obtaining one of the strongest Ultimate Ices I have ever seen. But it carries great risk. Even so, the strongest ice I have seen still cannot compare to his flames."

Both fell short, but the latter still carried a sliver of possibility.

She placed the Lotus Seed against her chest, closest to her heart. "Siyuan told me I might be in danger this time, which is why he gave me this Lotus Seed. If I do not even have the courage to try, how can I live up to his trust? I want to try for that strongest ice!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm swam through her Sea of Consciousness. "I had given up on this plan before, but if you want to go, Yu Tong, then I'll go with you. Our target is not some other soul beast. It is one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North—the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, ranked seventh among the Ten Great Beast Kings: the Ice Empress!"

This time, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had not deceived her. He had allowed Huo Yutong to make her own choice.

And Huo Yutong had chosen the Ice Empress!

It would be difficult, but as long as there was a chance, she had to try.

She prepared supplies and rations, then set out for the Extreme North.

The Life-Generating Fruit, Whale Rubber, two Mystic Water Pills, and that ten-thousand-year Earth Dragon Meat meal had all improved her physique and strengthened her body considerably.

Casting aside every distracting thought, she raced north.

"Siyuan, you..." She touched the warm Lotus Seed at her chest. He isn't here. He can't come with me. But I can do this alone.

She was alone on the road to the Extreme North. Aside from exhaustion, loneliness was her strongest feeling.

Whenever that happened, she would feel that warmth. The warm aura spread through her body, and she no longer felt so tired.

She used Soul Power to speed up. When tired, she would walk slowly to recover her stamina and Soul Power before setting out again.

Traveling day and night was not advisable. She still needed to maintain a good mental state, so she rested properly at night as well.

The days stretched on. Sometimes, she entered cities in the Heaven Dou Empire to replenish her supplies.

Ji Siyuan had given her part of the gold coins he had won in the exhibition match, so she did not need to be too frugal.

Thick clothing and sufficient rations were the essentials for entering the Extreme North.

She reached the Extreme North earlier than expected. It took her just over six days.

A vast expanse of white lay before her, and the frigid wind slipped through the gaps in her clothing.

Yet the warmth radiating from the Lotus Seed directly enveloped the surface of her body, leaving her unable to feel even the slightest cold.

"So warm. I didn't even need to prepare thick clothes."

Ahead of her, a sign stood at the edge of the Extreme North.

Extreme North: Human Forbidden Zone! Danger! Danger! Danger!

The sign was covered in exclamation marks and danger symbols, all warning people not to enter the Extreme North.

"Brother Sky Dream, we've reached your home ground. Now it's your turn to lead the way."

"Lead the way? I'm not familiar with this place either, so how am I supposed to lead?" Tian Meng had never actually come to this side of the Extreme North within the Heaven Dou Empire during his past life.

"Don't worry. Even if I don't know the way, don't we still have spiritual power? I can use spiritual power to help you avoid those powerful soul beasts."

Huo Yutong looked around. "Then shall we set off?"

"Set off for what? Get ready to change clothes. Do you think that fur coat you bought can help you withstand the cold? Don't forget, we're going after the Ice Empress. How cold do you think it is around her?"

Huo Yutong said, "But Brother Sky Dream, haven't you noticed that I'm not cold at all? I haven't even taken out that fur coat."

The fiery-red Lotus Seed provided her with warmth, making her unafraid of the bitter cold.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "Ji Siyuan's Lotus Seed really is amazing. Not only can it increase the speed at which you gain Soul Power, it can also provide warmth."

With another solution available, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm no longer needed to use his million-year Silkworm Slough to keep Huo Yutong warm.

Huo Yutong entered the Extreme North wearing only light clothing.

Thanks to that warmth, she no longer had to abandon many of her belongings.

"Our next destination is the Core Zone where the Ice Empress resides." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm began introducing the Core Zone to Huo Yutong, making her understand how terrifying it was.

"Brother Sky Dream, should I use Simulation to take the form of a soul beast?"

Although Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had still bestowed four soul skills upon Huo Yutong this time, there was no Mental Interference. Instead, there was Simulation.

It was through Simulation that she could disguise herself as Huo Yuhao and keep others from discovering her.

Otherwise, living among others while disguised as a man would still make her easy to expose.

"No. You are not familiar with the other soul beasts of the Extreme North, so Simulation would be meaningless."

There was only one soul beast Huo Yutong knew that came from the Extreme North: Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

And Ice Silkworms in the Extreme North were more often food than anything else.

Weak Ice Silkworms would instead become targets for other soul beasts.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm attached his spiritual power to Huo Yutong. "You do not need to use Simulation. I'll use spiritual power to simulate for you and make the other soul beasts think you do not exist."

Compared with Huo Yutong, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual power was far stronger.

Even Mental Detection was left to Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

"Leave everything to me. From here on, you must follow my instructions. Your movements must be fast!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sternly told Huo Yutong.

Huo Yutong felt a layer of spiritual power covering her body and knew that Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was prepared.

"Alright, Brother Sky Dream. I'm counting on you."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "Ice Empress, I will definitely help Yu Tong obtain you!"