First Soul Ring Selection (Please Follow, Vote, and Bookmark)

Under Xue Qinglan's control, the Frost Phoenix flew exceptionally smoothly, without the slightest bump.

The barrier shut out the biting wind, leaving only the dreamlike light refracted by ice crystals flowing around them. Rather than traveling, it felt more like Xue Qinglan was deliberately creating a safe, comfortable "cradle."

Pressed close against that cool softness, Ling Han breathed in the refreshing cold fragrance surrounding him and felt utterly at ease. The "fear" he had put on was long forgotten.

With his little face buried in the fabric on Xue Qinglan's back, he secretly and contentedly took several deep breaths of that premium ice-lotus scent. In his heart, his inner self was already standing with hands on hips and laughing wildly:

Takeoff! This is a total win! Sister Xue's waist is so slender and supple—she feels incredible to hold! Her body temperature is basically a natural air conditioner. Wouldn't it be amazing to sleep hugging her in summer? Hehehe, plan successful! When is Oscar going to make up for that little golden statue he owes me?

He thought his acting was flawless and his little movements incredibly well concealed, unaware that every satisfied breath he took—

Every secretly raised corner of his mouth after getting his way, every tiny unconscious squirm as his body relaxed in comfort, was like a firefly in the night. To Xue Qinglan, a Super Douluo with an ocean-like spiritual power, they were all crystal clear.

Xue Qinglan's face remained as cold as a snowy peak, her ice-blue eyes fixed on the endless icefield ahead as if she were wholly focused on guiding the flight.

Yet she imperceptibly adjusted her sitting position, allowing the "little accessory" on her back to cling more comfortably. The faint blush behind her ears, forcibly suppressed by the cold, seemed to stubbornly emerge again before being covered by an even denser icy aura.

This little rascal... he's enjoying those breaths quite a bit. And he's holding on more and more naturally. Fine. After being blown by the Great North's winds for so long, his cultivation really can't withstand it. I'll just be his human-shaped heater... no, ice heater.

A trace of helpless indulgence quietly spread through the depths of her heart, which had been frozen for ten thousand years.

Time passed amid the steady flight.

At first, Ling Han was immersed in the enormous joy of "successfully taking advantage." Later, wrapped in that cool comfort and security, combined with the strain from his earlier nervousness and performance, drowsiness slowly crept over him.

His little head began to nod against Xue Qinglan's back, and the arms around her waist gradually lost their strength. He was about to slip off.

Just as his arms were about to loosen—

"Mmm..." A sleepy murmur escaped Ling Han's lips. Instinctively, he tightened his embrace again, rubbed his little face against her, and sought a more comfortable position. He unconsciously mumbled vague words, "Sister Xue... smells so nice... cool... comfortable..."

Though his voice was soft, at such close range, Xue Qinglan heard every word clearly.

Xue Qinglan's body paused ever so slightly.

That unconscious dependence and evaluation were like an impossibly light feather, yet they precisely brushed against an unfamiliar corner of her heart. Beneath her icy shell, something seemed to have been gently stirred.

...He fell asleep? This little schemer really has a big heart. I suppose he truly is exhausted. Or... does he feel safe enough beside me?

She lowered her gaze and swept her spiritual power behind her, confirming that the little fellow's breathing was steady and deep. He truly was fast asleep.

That little face, still carrying a hint of baby fat, had lost all its cunning and smugness. Only defenseless tranquility remained. His long lashes cast a small shadow beneath his eyelids, making him look strangely endearing.

An exceedingly gentle expression, one even she herself did not notice, flashed across her ice-sculpted profile. It vanished as quickly as an illusion.

She did not wake him, nor did she push him away.

With a thought, the barrier around them became even more solid, completely shutting out the last trace of cold that might disturb his dreams.

The Frost Phoenix's flight path became still steadier, and its speed quietly slowed by several degrees, as though afraid of disturbing the tiny passenger sleeping on its back.

The matter of the Soul Ring... forget it. Let him sleep a while longer. This defenseless look of his is much more pleasing than that Oscar-worthy act.

Ice-blue streams of light crossed the silent skies of the Great North. No longer racing like lightning, they drifted elegantly through the ice crystals and clouds like a leisurely ribbon.

Their destination remained ahead, but at that moment, time seemed infinitely stretched out, leaving only this quiet little world upon the Frost Phoenix's back.

The tiny "movie emperor" slept sweetly, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curving into a satisfied smile, as if he were still savoring that cool touch and refreshing fragrance in his dreams.

He had no idea that this utterly dependent posture, stripped of every pretense, had left a far deeper impression in the eyes of the powerful guardian behind him than any of his previous "brilliant" performances.

And as Xue Qinglan felt the heavy, warm, real dependence on her back, felt the faint rise and fall of his even breathing through her clothes, the lips that had been frozen for ten thousand years finally formed more than an almost imperceptible curve. They truly, ever so slightly, lifted upward.

A faint smile, as silent as falling snow.

For a certain little fellow, this "high-altitude flight experience" was probably indeed more memorable than the Soul Ring itself.

And for her, this unexpected feeling of flying while being "meticulously schemed against" and yet "completely defenselessly" relied upon by a little rascal... did not seem entirely burdensome either.

The icy winds howled outside the barrier, yet within it was a strange warmth and peace.

But happy moments were always so brief.

As the ice-blue streak tore through the eternally gray skies of the Great North like a falling cold star, it finally descended slowly onto a vast icefield covered in ten-thousand-year Mystic Ice.

With an elegant wave of her hand, Xue Qinglan dispersed the enormous phantom of the Ice Crystal Phoenix into specks of cold light. She landed lightly, like a snow lotus blooming upon the icefield, while Ling Han was gently supported by a stream of Soul Power and steadily placed on the solid ice.

"Brr... so cold! But... it feels amazing!" Though Ling Han shivered as he landed, the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor Spirit within him cheered like a traveler returning home. The extreme cold here was no longer a burden to him. Instead, it became nourishment for his Spirit, wiping away even the discomfort caused by the flight. He greedily inhaled a breath of air that was bitterly cold yet incomparably pure, feeling every cell in his body leap with excitement.

Ding! The host has arrived in the Core Region of the Great North. Mission objective: Hunt and absorb the target Soul Ring. Please explore carefully.

"Understood!" Ling Han perked up, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "Sister Xue, time to get to work! Let's find the most awesome ice-element Soul Beast!"

With a level 96 Super Douluo as his bodyguard, Ling Han's confidence had never been greater. He spread out his spiritual power—though it was still very weak—and, together with the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor Spirit's innate sensitivity to top-tier ice-element bloodlines, began his "Soul Ring shopping trip" under Xue Qinglan's protection.

The process went unexpectedly smoothly.

Perhaps the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor's aura was simply too overbearing, or perhaps the pressure of a Super Douluo that Xue Qinglan deliberately or inadvertently released had driven them away. The powerful ice-element Soul Beasts they encountered along the way, whether ferocious Icefield Demon Bears or packs of Ice Soul Wolves that breathed frost, all avoided them from afar. They only dared to cast wary looks from the shadows of ice peaks and glaciers.

Only half a day later, at the edge of a Cold Pool surrounded by massive ice pillars, Ling Han stopped. His eyes lit up as he stared into the center of the pool.

There lay a giant crocodile over five meters long, its entire body covered in diamond-bright ice crystal scales. It was lazily basking atop a floating chunk of ice. Powerful ice-element energy fluctuations radiated from it, and its aura had clearly reached around 5,000 years! What attracted Ling Han most was its thick, powerful tail and the sword-like ice crystal spikes rising from its back, both brimming with strength.

"That's the one! An Ice Crystal Armored Crocodile! It has an ancient bloodline, incredible defense and strength, and perfectly matches my Extreme Power attribute. Its Ice Element is pure enough too!" Ling Han excitedly pointed at the target. "The age is just right! Sister Xue, hold it down for me!"

Xue Qinglan nodded slightly without even summoning her Spirit. She merely extended a slender finger and pointed remotely toward the center of the Cold Pool.

In an instant, an invisible chill so terrifying it reached the absolute extreme engulfed the entire Cold Pool!

The water froze at a visible rate, and even the air seemed to solidify.

The 5,000-year Ice Crystal Armored Crocodile did not even have time to react before it was completely sealed inside a massive block of transparent Mystic Ice. Even its eyes remained in their previous lazy state, though boundless terror showed in their depths.

Killed in one move!

"Done!" Ling Han cheered. With a thought, the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor Spirit instantly possessed his body!

A layer of dense Ice-blue Dragon Scales rapidly covered his right arm and half his chest. His five fingers turned into sharp Dragon Claws that gleamed with a biting chill.

He let out a low roar, and his dragon-transformed right claw easily tore through the hard Mystic Ice. He drew a deep breath, all traces of playfulness gone from his eyes, leaving only absolute focus and longing.

"First Soul Ring, here I come!"

He sat cross-legged upon the ice, sinking his consciousness into his body as he fully activated the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor Spirit.

An ice-blue dragon phantom appeared behind him and released a low, majestic dragon roar.

He guided his Soul Power and cautiously reached toward the deep-purple Soul Ring that was slowly condensing above the Ice Crystal Armored Crocodile's corpse.

Buzz—!

The instant the Soul Ring settled over his body, incomparably violent energy surged madly into Ling Han's meridians like a burst ice-river flood! At the same time, a fierce, cold will filled with primal savagery slammed violently into his sea of consciousness!

"Hmph!" Ling Han groaned, his body shaking violently. A thin layer of frost instantly spread over his skin, and a trace of blood even seeped from the corner of his mouth. The energy and will of a 5,000-year top-tier Soul Beast far exceeded the limit of an ordinary Soul Master's First Soul Ring!

"Young Master Ling Han, steady your mind! Guide the Soul Power and subdue it!" Xue Qinglan's cool voice rang beside his ear, carrying a reassuring strength. She did not interfere directly. She merely released a thread of gentle spiritual power to protect the core of Ling Han's consciousness and prevent him from being overwhelmed by that violent will.

Ling Han gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. The Ice Hell Dragon Emperor phantom roared behind him as the power of Extreme Ice circulated frantically through his body, resisting the invading cold current. Meanwhile, Extreme Power tightly suppressed that wild force. His will was like a boulder, unmoving amid the raging storm.

"A mere crocodile... you think you can turn the heavens upside down?! Submit... to me!" Ling Han roared within his spiritual world, releasing the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor's dragon might without reservation.

That dragon might, belonging to the apex of the food chain, absolutely suppressed the remnant beast soul of the Ice Crystal Armored Crocodile! The initially violent energy and will seemed to encounter their natural nemesis and instantly became far more docile. Seizing the opportunity, Ling Han fully guided that enormous power to wash through and widen his meridians before finally gathering it in his dantian.

No one knew how long passed. When the final trace of violent energy was tamed, the deep-purple Soul Ring completely stabilized, quietly floating behind Ling Han and radiating a powerful yet restrained glow.

Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully absorbing the First Soul Ring (5,123-year Ice Crystal Armored Crocodile)! Soul Power Level increased to level 22! (The top-tier Soul Beast's source energy was abundant, but the host's body absorbed poorly, resulting in a two-level breakthrough.)

Ding! Mission "First Time in the Great North" completed! Rewards issued:
1. Preliminary activation authority for the Eternal Frost Domain (the host may initially draw upon the Domain's power to freeze a small area of space around the body).

2. One random ice-element Soul Bone (left arm bone)!

3. Summoning Points x1000!

4. One Random Summoning Card (Soul Power Level 50–99)!

"I did it!" Ling Han suddenly opened his eyes, ice-blue vertical pupils blazing with sharp light!

He felt the surging Soul Power within his body, far stronger than before, as well as the sensation that his entire body had been tempered by ice crystals and filled with explosive strength—the Soul Ring's enhancement. Unable to contain himself, he threw back his head and roared. His dragon cry spread far across the empty icefield!

He eagerly attempted his First Soul Skill.

With a thought, the purple Soul Ring suddenly lit up. Accompanied by a low dragon roar, the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor Spirit instantly entered deep possession!

Ice-blue dragon scales spread across his body like living things, instantly covering him from head to toe and forming a savage yet magnificent set of Ice Crystal Dragon Armor!

His frame seemed to grow slightly taller, muscle lines bulging beneath the dragon scales as an incomparably violent sense of power filled his entire body!

"First Soul Skill: Ice Hell Dragon Emperor Body!"

The Soul Skill activated! An ice-blue energy halo erupted from Ling Han's body!

He could clearly feel that, atop the deep dragon-transformation possession of his Spirit, his strength and defense had instantly increased by 200%! His speed had also risen by 100%, like an arrow leaving the bow! At this moment, he felt capable of smashing mountains with one punch and confronting colossal beasts head-on!

"Ha!" Ling Han shouted, driving his fist, covered in ice crystal dragon scales, fiercely into a block of ten-thousand-year Mystic Ice several meters tall beside him!

He used no flashy technique—only the brute force of his dragon-transformed state, amplified by the Soul Skill!

Boom—!!!

The hard ten-thousand-year Mystic Ice shattered into dust filling the sky like fragile glass the instant his fist struck it!

The terrifying shockwave even cracked the surrounding ground! This pure sense of power was precisely the tyrannical nature of the Ice Hell Dragon Emperor Spirit!

"Hahaha! Amazing! This feels incredible! Full-spectrum enhancement, with strength and defense doubled! This is the presence my Ice Hell Dragon Emperor should have!" Ling Han looked at his body, covered in gorgeous dragon scales and brimming with explosive power, overwhelmed with excitement.