Lan's vision blurred.
The next moment, Ice Empress was clinging to him like an octopus, arms and legs wrapped around him.
He couldn't move a muscle.
A petite body rubbed against him without a care, as if she wanted to press herself right into him.
"Waaah... Don't go..."
Before long,
Lan felt warm tears rapidly soaking through his chest.
Ice Empress buried her face against him, her voice thick with sobs and reluctance.
"Can't you stay in the Far North? What's so good about the human world?"
Soul Beasts' emotions were always so simple and sincere, without a trace of disguise.
Lan fell silent.
He wasn't good at handling situations like this, nor was he good at expressing his feelings.
All he could do was raise a hand and awkwardly pat Ice Empress, who was clinging to him.
"Aunt Bing."
Only after hearing him speak did Ice Empress lift her head a little. Her beautiful jade-green eyes were red from crying, and crystal-clear tears still clung to their corners.
She sniffled and asked,
"Y-you're leaving when?"
Lan answered without the slightest hesitation.
"In three days."
Ice Empress's lips puckered. It looked as though she was about to unleash another flood of tears.
Snow Empress's cool voice rang out at just the right moment.
"All right, Bing'er."
"He's not a child anymore."
Only then did Ice Empress slide down from Lan, though she still clutched his arm tightly, as if afraid he would vanish the very next second.
She turned to Snow Empress and argued her case.
"But, Sister Snow, the human world is too dangerous!"
"Those human Soul Masters are all so cunning! Little Lan is so innocent, he'll definitely be deceived!"
Snow Empress looked at her protectively fussing over him, a trace of fondness in her eyes.
She pondered for a moment, her gaze shifting between Ice Empress and Lan.
"You have a point."
"The human world is indeed complicated. I'm not at ease with Lan going alone."
Snow Empress looked at Ice Empress and calmly made her decision.
"In that case, Bing'er, you'll take human form and go with him."
Ice Empress froze.
Snow Empress continued,
"As it happens, I'm going to the Core Ice Eye to protect A-Tai and help it survive its two-hundred-thousand-year tribulation."
"With you by Lan's side, I can rest easy."
"Take good care of him."
After Snow Empress finished speaking, the scene fell quiet for a moment.
Ice Empress, who had been on the verge of tears just a second earlier, froze.
Her beautiful emerald-green eyes blinked. It seemed she still hadn't recovered from the sudden emotional upheaval.
"Take human form... and go with Little Lan?"
She murmured to herself, as if making sure she'd heard correctly.
The next moment, a joy more intense than the sorrow she'd felt before burst forth from the depths of her heart.
"Waaah! Sister Snow, you're the best!"
Ice Empress let out a cheer. She turned into a streak of green and sprang away from Lan, only to cling to Snow Empress instead, happily rubbing against her.
Watching the scene before him, Lan silently took a step back, putting a little distance between himself and the pair.
He was naturally touched by Ice Empress's reluctance to part with him.
But he still found it difficult to get used to such an impassioned way of expressing it.
"Aunt Xue, Aunt Bing."
Lan spoke calmly.
"I'll head back to my room first."
With that, he didn't wait for either of them to respond. He turned and headed deeper into the palace, toward his room.
Lan's Chamber.
That was the name Ice Empress and Snow Empress had given it—simple and direct.
The room wasn't large. It had been carved out of a single enormous block of ten-thousand-year-old ice.
It was bare inside. Other than a bed carved from ice, there was nothing else.
It suited Lan's personality.
He returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the icy bed.
With a thought, his consciousness sank into the system space.
A Soul Ring glowing with a mysterious, seven-colored radiance floated quietly within.
A God-given Soul Ring.
It was the reward the system had given him for completing the "Far North Cleanup" mission.
This item could grant a Soul Ring without requiring the user to hunt a Soul Beast.
Furthermore, it could generate a Soul Ring at a level corresponding to the limit the Soul Master could withstand.
The Soul Skill it granted not only perfectly suited the Soul Master, but was also far more powerful than those of the same level.
It was incomparably precious.
Lan's gaze grew focused and keen.
Without the slightest hesitation, he chose to absorb it.
His target: one hundred thousand years.
He walked to the center of the room and began removing his clothes.
As his garments fell away, they revealed a sturdy body—not overly bulky, but defined, every inch of muscle seemingly tempered through countless trials and imbued with explosive strength.
Surviving and hunting in the harsh environment of the Far North for years had long since tempered his body to an astonishing degree.
He sat cross-legged and drew in the God-given Soul Ring.
Boom!
An invisible, terrifying pressure descended with a crash, as if it would crush his soul and body alike.
How terrifying was the energy of a hundred thousand years!
The violent, vast energy surged into his limbs and bones like a dam bursting, battering every one of his meridians.
Lan's body trembled ever so slightly, then stood firm as a rock.
Not a trace of pain appeared on his calm face.
After an unknown length of time, the seven-colored light fully receded. A dazzling crimson Soul Ring slowly rose from beneath his feet and settled around him.
He had successfully absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Lan slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within him.
Shadow Abyss Shark True Form.
After activating this form, all his attributes would increase fivefold, and the effects of all his skills would be amplified threefold.
Furthermore, fifty percent of the damage he inflicted on targets marked as "prey" would be directly converted into his own health.
In addition, it came with two extremely powerful Soul Skills.
First Soul Skill: Abyssal Shark Hunt.
Upon activation, Lan would transform into a Shark Spirit, instantly removing all negative effects on himself and becoming immune to all control effects for ten seconds.
During that time, each slash he launched at a target with his Shark Blade would ignore all of the target's defenses and deal True Damage.
All enemies within range would have their movement speed reduced by fifty percent. If the target was marked as prey and its health fell below fifteen percent, Lan could execute it instantly.
Second Soul Skill: Tidal Surge Return to Void.
Lan hurled his Shark Blade. At the designated location, it would transform into a huge Cang Shark vortex that continuously pulled in nearby enemies and dealt damage to them.
While the vortex persisted, Lan could absorb his enemies' blood and Soul Power to create a special item called Soul Blood Wine. Drinking it would put him into a "Blood-Drunk" state.
In the Blood-Drunk state, his body would transform into water, and he would move like a fleeting shadow, evading all physical damage.
Excellent. Powerful.
The corner of Lan's mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible smile, betraying his delight.
But soon, the smile disappeared.
His gaze swept over his naked body, and he paused.
He'd better get dressed first.
Before you continue