Another Way to Use the Panel

After finishing two Level 8 Soul Tools, Jiang Che didn't rush to stop.

The prompt on the panel, [Level 8 Soul Master (Incomplete) 2/3], meant he still had to craft one more Level 8 Soul Tool to complete the task.

This time, Jiang Che planned to make a Level 8 Soul Ray. In the world of Soul Tools, making a Soul Ray was unquestionably "hell-level" difficult.

Just look at Huo Gua, who was so formidable that even he had needed three whole days to finish one. An ordinary Level 8 Soul Master would need several dozen days, and one careless mistake could force them to start over.

The materials had to include top-grade rare metals like Star Gold, Far North Ice Marrow, and Dark Gold Terrorclaw. Ordinary metals couldn't withstand the high energy load of a Level 8 Array.

The purification requirements were strict: impurities had to be removed from the metal down to the finest fraction, and the smelting temperature had to be kept within a range of plus or minus five degrees. The slightest deviation would ruin the material.

The 24 secondary Core Arrays had to be combined into three central main arrays. Each secondary array was far more complex than the central array of a Level 7 Soul Tool.

The core process was "Ice Needle Eighteen Twists": using Soul Power to condense a fine needle and carve into the metal with a single stroke that twisted eighteen times. The required precision was 0.01 millimeters; any deviation would ruin the entire Soul Tool.

Jiang Che also spent three whole days making this Level 8 Soul Ray, just like Huo Gua. But its power far surpassed the one Huo Yuhao had made, after all, this one had the support of the Tian-Shu Carving Knife.

Five days later, Jiang Che went to Sea God Pavilion to bid Mu En farewell.

"Teacher, I'm planning to head to the Far North," Jiang Che said, looking at Mu En.

Inside Sea God Pavilion, sunlight spilled through the colored-glass windows onto the rustic wooden floor. Old Mu sat in the seat of honor, reading something. At the sound of Jiang Che's voice, the old man looked up, a trace of understanding and relief in his eyes.

"Go. Remember to be careful," Old Mu said. He didn't say much, only reminding Jiang Che to take care.

"I'll be careful. You should take care of yourself, too, Teacher." Jiang Che knew Mu En's time was running out. In the original story, Mu En had been gravely wounded after battling Du Bisou of the Body Sect. He had prolonged his life with the Dragon Core and broken through to Level 99, but the Dragon Core still contained the dragon race's violent energy. After it turned on him, he had ended up like this.

If he had the chance, Jiang Che still wanted to save Mu En. But all he knew for now was that the extreme cold of Ultimate Ice could suppress the Bright Holy Dragon's searing, violent energy. It could only treat the symptoms, though, not the root cause—and it couldn't last.

"Teacher, are you really sure I don't need to go with Junior Brother to the Far North?" Yan Shaozhe suddenly appeared inside Sea God Pavilion after Jiang Che left.

"No need. Your junior brother is already at Level 90, and with the life-saving trump cards he has, he can roam anywhere on the Douluo Continent," Mu En said calmly.

After leaving Shrek Academy, Jiang Che stopped holding back and flew north at his normal speed.

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed. Jiang Che could clearly feel the air growing colder and colder.

He entered a city to stock up on supplies, and especially to buy a map. This was his first time going to the Far North, and he had no guide to show him the way. He could only rely on himself.

Jiang Che had now reached the northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire, just two hours away from the Far North.

After all, Shrek Academy was located in the southeast of the Heaven Dou Empire, near its border with the Star Luo Empire.

Jiang Che's journey had taken him across the entire Heaven Dou Empire in just two days, from its southernmost point to its northernmost. One could imagine how fast he had been traveling.

Once he had finished resupplying, Jiang Che didn't linger and continued flying toward the Far North. The icy chill wormed through the gaps in his clothes like tiny knives.

But he didn't feel cold at all. In fact, he found it rather comfortable. This was only the outer reaches of the Far North, while Jiang Che's goal was the core region.

Originally, he'd planned to hunt a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring here and be satisfied. But now that he had a Soul Ring awarded by the system, how could he settle for an ordinary Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring? He had said it himself: "Either I don't want one, or I want the very best."

[Danger! Danger! The host is only a Level 32 Soul Elder. In this dangerous environment, the host won't survive two days. Please leave immediately.]

The panel suddenly popped up and startled Jiang Che. He thought it had gone haywire.

Jiang Che ignored the panel and continued deeper. The farther he went, the more biting the cold became. The air itself seemed to have frozen into solid ice crystals, and breathing them into his lungs brought a piercing pain.

But Jiang Che didn't feel a thing. His Martial Soul was Ultimate Ice, and his affinity with ice far surpassed that of ordinary people. To him, this chill was no more than a passing breeze.

Just as he rounded a stretch of ice-locked stone pillars, a deep wolf howl suddenly split the silence of the snowy plain.

A lithe figure immediately sprang out of a snowdrift. Its ice-blue fur glinted coldly beneath the pale sunlight, ice crusted its sharp fangs, and a pair of amber eyes fixed on Jiang Che, full of wariness and ferocity.

It was an eight-thousand-year-old Polar Snow Wolf. After Jiang Che had concealed his aura, it had mistaken him for an ordinary person and eagerly leaped out.

The wolf was more than three times the size of an ordinary wild wolf, with powerful, sturdy limbs and claws dug deep into the ice. Each time it breathed, white mist poured from its nostrils.

It was clearly the ruler of this area. Sensing the faint trace of human scent on Jiang Che, it immediately took him for prey invading its territory.

[Danger! Danger! The host has encountered an 8,000-year-old Polar Snow Wolf whose strength far surpasses the host's. Please complete one of the following tasks.]

[1. Escape the Polar Snow Wolf's pursuit. 2. Drive the Polar Snow Wolf away. 3. Kill the Polar Snow Wolf.]

Seeing that Jiang Che still dared to stand there daydreaming, the Polar Snow Wolf growled. Its limbs suddenly tensed, and its massive body shot toward Jiang Che like an arrow loosed from a bow. Its claws tore through the air with a shrill whistle.

Jiang Che stood where he was without moving, merely releasing the pressure of his Soul Power onto the wolf.

"Whimper—" The Polar Snow Wolf let out a mournful howl. Only then did it understand how terrifying Jiang Che was, and it begged him to spare its life.

But Jiang Che wasn't about to grant its wish. He raised his hand and clenched it in the air. With a "bang," the Polar Snow Wolf's body exploded.

[Congratulations, host! You fought desperately and killed the Polar Snow Wolf despite the difference in levels, completing Task 3. You have received a 4,000-year increase to your Soul Ring's age.]

"What the hell is this?" Jiang Che was stunned. He'd clearly killed it with a casual clench of his hand. How had that turned into fighting desperately?

"Hmm? Wait a second. I think I've discovered another way to use the panel." Jiang Che suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up. He looked at the panel as if it were an unparalleled beauty, eager to slowly feel out the approach that suited him best.