Shark's Hunting Blade, Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Ring!

Lan felt his vision blur for a moment.

The next instant, Ice Empress was already clinging to him like an octopus, her limbs wrapped tightly around his body.

He found himself completely unable to move.

A petite, exquisite figure rubbed against him in his arms with unreasonable force, as if she wanted to knead him into her own body.

"Wuwuwu... you aren't allowed to leave..."

Before long.

Lan felt his chest being rapidly soaked by a patch of warm tears.

Ice Empress buried her head against his chest, her voice thick with heavy sobs and reluctance.

"Can't you just stay in the Far North? What is so good about the human world?"

The emotions of soul beasts were always so simple, so sincere, and devoid of any pretense.

Lan fell silent.

He was not adept at handling such situations, nor was he good at expressing his own feelings.

He could only reach out and pat the Ice Empress, who was still hanging off him, with some stiffness.

"Aunt Bing."

Hearing him speak, Ice Empress finally lifted her head slightly; her beautiful emerald eyes were red from crying, with crystalline teardrops still hanging from the corners.

She sniffled and asked.

"When... when are you setting off?"

Lan's answer came without the slightest hesitation.

"In three days."

Ice Empress's mouth puckered, looking as if she were about to unleash another flood of tears.

Snow Empress's cold, clear voice rang out at just the right moment.

"That is enough, Bing'er."

"He is no longer a child."

Ice Empress slid down from Lan's body, though she still gripped his arm tightly, as if afraid he might vanish the very next second.

She turned to Snow Empress, arguing her case.

"But Sister Xue, the human world is too dangerous!"

"Those human soul masters are all incredibly cunning! Little Lan is so innocent, he will definitely be deceived!"

Watching her act like a mother hen protecting her chick, a hint of indulgence flickered in Snow Empress's eyes.

She pondered for a moment, her gaze shifting between Ice Empress and Lan.

"What you say also makes sense."

"The human world is indeed complex; I am not at ease with Lan going alone."

Snow Empress looked at Ice Empress, her tone calm as she made her decision.

"In that case, Bing'er, you shall take human form and accompany him."

Ice Empress was stunned.

Snow Empress continued.

"It just so happens that I must head to the Core Ice Eye to protect A-Tai and assist it in overcoming its two-hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation."

"With you by Lan's side, I can rest easy."

"Take good care of him."

As Snow Empress's voice faded, the scene fell into a momentary silence.

Ice Empress, who a second ago had been teary-eyed and on the verge of sobbing, was struck dumb.

Her beautiful emerald eyes blinked, as if she had yet to recover from the massive emotional swing.

"Take human form... and go with Little Lan?"

She murmured to herself, as if confirming she hadn't misheard.

The next moment, a joy even more intense than the previous sorrow erupted from the depths of her heart.

"Wuwa! Sister Xue, you are the best!"

With a cheer, Ice Empress transformed into a green blur, springing away from Lan's side to hang onto Snow Empress instead, rubbing against her happily.

Watching this scene, Lan silently took a step back, putting a little distance between them.

He was naturally moved by Ice Empress's reluctance to see him go.

But he still found it difficult to adapt to such overly fervent expressions of affection.

"Aunt Xue, Aunt Bing."

Lan spoke calmly.

"I am returning to my room."

With that, he did not wait for a response from the two, turning and walking toward his room deep within the palace.

Lan's Chamber.

This was the name Ice Empress and Snow Empress had chosen for him; simple and direct.

The room was not large, carved forcibly out of a single, massive block of ten-thousand-year cold ice.

It was empty and desolate, containing nothing but an ice bed also sculpted from cold ice.

This suited Lan's personality perfectly.

He returned to the room and sat cross-legged on the ice bed.

With a thought, his consciousness sank into the system space.

A soul ring radiating a mysterious, seven-colored halo floated silently within.

God-Bestowed Soul Ring.

This was the reward granted by the system after he completed the "Far North Cleanup" mission.

This item allowed one to obtain a soul ring directly without the need to hunt soul beasts.

Furthermore, it could generate a soul ring of a level corresponding to the soul master's own limit of endurance.

The soul skills bestowed were not only perfectly adapted to the soul master, but their power also far exceeded those of the same rank.

It was incomparably precious.

Lan's gaze became focused and sharp.

Without the slightest hesitation, he chose to absorb it.

The target: one hundred thousand years.

He walked to the center of the room and began to remove his clothing.

As his clothes slid away, they revealed a robust physique that, while not exaggerated, was clearly defined, with every inch of muscle appearing tempered through thousands of trials and containing explosive power.

Living and hunting in the harsh environment of the Far North for years had long since tempered his physical body to an unimaginable state.

He sat cross-legged and triggered the God-Bestowed Soul Ring.

Boom!

An invisible, terrifying pressure descended abruptly, as if it intended to crush his soul and body together.

How terrifying was the energy of one hundred thousand years!

Violent, vast energy, like a bursting flood, surged instantly into his limbs and bones, battering every one of his meridians.

Lan's body merely trembled slightly before remaining as steady as a rock.

On that composed face, not a trace of pain was revealed.

It was unknown how much time had passed before the seven-colored light was entirely internalized, and a brilliant, dazzling crimson soul ring rose slowly from beneath his feet, finally settling around him.

One-hundred-thousand-year soul ring, absorption successful.

Lan slowly opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within his body.

Shadow Abyss Shark True Form.

Upon activating this True Form, all his attributes would increase fivefold, and the effects of all skills would be amplified threefold.

Furthermore, fifty percent of the damage dealt to targets he marked as "prey" would be directly converted into his own health points.

In addition, it came with two extremely powerful soul skills.

First Soul Skill: Abyssal Shark Hunt.

When activated, Lan transforms into a shark spirit, instantly clearing all negative effects from himself and becoming immune to all crowd control for ten seconds.

During this period, the slashes he initiates against targets with his Shark Blade ignore all defenses, with each strike dealing additional true damage.

All enemies within range have their movement speed reduced by fifty percent. If the target attacked is a marked prey and their health is below fifteen percent, they can be executed directly.

Second Soul Skill: Tidal Surge Return to Void.

Lan throws his Shark Blade, which transforms into a massive shark vortex at the designated location, continuously pulling in nearby enemies and dealing damage to them.

While the vortex persists, Lan can absorb the blood and soul power of enemies to create a special product called "Soul Blood Wine"; after drinking it, he enters the "Blood Drunk" state.

In the Blood Drunk state, his body becomes water-elemental, his form like a flowing shadow, evading all physical damage.

Very good, very powerful.

The corners of Lan's mouth curled into an almost imperceptible arc, revealing the joy in his heart at this moment.

But soon, this arc vanished.

His gaze swept over his naked body, and he paused slightly.

Better put my clothes on first.