The scene within White Tiger Lin Qing's Spiritual Sea appeared.
The shrunken Sky Dream Ice Silkworm stared solemnly at White Tiger Lin Qing's consciousness avatar with its icy-blue eyes.
"Ice Empress, one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North. A ferocious beast over three hundred thousand years old, immensely powerful, and her personality... well, rather fiery."
As Sky Dream Ice Silkworm introduced her, there seemed to be a faint, almost imperceptible hint of guilt in his tone.
"But her attribute is Ultimate Ice, and she is a top-tier ice-element soul beast with enormous potential."
"If she can successfully sacrifice herself and become your Second Martial Soul, your future will truly hold limitless possibilities!"
"Then my God-Making Plan will be more than halfway complete."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's eyes gleamed, as though he could already see that glorious future.
By the campfire in reality, Lin Qing's heart stirred at this.
As expected, it's coming.
He had long guessed what Sky Dream Ice Silkworm would say next.
"The Far North, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, Ice Empress."
This was the most crucial link in Huo Yuhao's original path, and one of the core pieces of Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's "God-Making Plan."
As a million-year intelligent Soul Ring, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had no Soul Bone, but he could grant his host an ice-element Second Martial Soul.
Clearly, White Tiger Lin Qing would be taking this path as well.
This was not difficult to understand.
The Ultimate Ice represented by Ice Empress was itself one of the most supreme attributes on Douluo Continent.
It combined offense and defense, with boundless potential.
More importantly, with Sky Dream Ice Silkworm acting as both intermediary and persuader, the odds of succeeding on this path were extremely high.
For White Tiger Lin Qing, who wanted only to grow stronger and would stop at nothing to obtain power, this was practically the best choice placed right before him. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.
[Such a heaven-sent opportunity delivered straight to my door, I naturally can't refuse it.]
[But the problem is... my current circumstances are completely different from those of the inconspicuous Huo Yuhao in the original story, who had just joined Shrek Academy and drew little attention.]
The narration calmly analyzed the predicament before him.
Back then, Huo Yuhao had only just reached Rank 20, and his first Soul Ring had merely appeared as a white ten-year Soul Ring.
It could be said that no one in all of Shrek Academy had worse apparent talent than Huo Yuhao.
Other than those close to him, probably no one cared whether Huo Yuhao lived or died.
Thus, when Huo Yuhao went alone to the dangerous Far North during a holiday, no one paid it any mind.
But White Tiger Lin Qing was different.
[I'm in the Sun Moon Empire, within Mingde Hall, and I'm also a student of Sun Moon Royal Academy. Moreover, I'm a talented defector under Jing Hongchen's special scrutiny and surveillance.]
[Someone is secretly watching my every move. It's nearly impossible for me to leave the Sun Moon Empire alone and travel all the way to the distant Far North.]
The scene shifted to White Tiger Lin Qing's dormitory room.
He sat at his desk, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop unconsciously.
His brows were faintly furrowed, clearly considering a solution.
Jing Hongchen would not easily let him leave, especially not for somewhere as dangerous as the Far North.
He needed a reason persuasive enough to avoid arousing excessive suspicion.
[After much thought, I decided—I'd take a gamble!]
"A gamble?"
Lin Qing was somewhat curious about how he intended to gamble.
[I'll go to Jing Hongchen myself and tell him directly that I need to go to the Far North.]
"???"
Lin Qing froze.
What the hell?
That direct?!
The dean's office.
Jing Hongchen sat behind a broad desk, idly turning an exquisite Level 8 Soul Tool core in his hand.
Upon hearing White Tiger Lin Qing's words, his movements paused slightly.
He raised his head.
Those eyes, always filled with scrutiny and calculation, fixed sharply upon the youth standing before his desk.
"The Far North?"
Jing Hongchen's voice remained steady, giving away no emotion.
Yet his slightly furrowed brows revealed his attitude.
"That place is a forbidden zone for humans. The environment is extremely harsh, and it is a den for ferocious beasts. What are you going there for?"
"For my Second Martial Soul," White Tiger Lin Qing said gravely.
"A Second Martial Soul?"
Jing Hongchen frowned sharply, placing the Soul Tool core in his hand back onto the desk.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze landing on White Tiger Lin Qing's face with almost tangible force.
"Explain yourself. What Second Martial Soul? Why have I never heard you mention it? Neither the physical examination nor Spiritual Detection found anything abnormal."
"It... hasn't fully awakened."
White Tiger Lin Qing had prepared this explanation long ago, and his words now flowed without the slightest hesitation.
"It's a vague sensation, something that exists deep within my bloodline. It's faint, but it is real."
"I can sense that my Second Martial Soul needs the stimulation of an extremely cold environment and the aura of some powerful ice-element soul beast before it can truly awaken."
He paused, then added, "It is a talent I was born with, and perhaps my only chance. If I miss it, it may never awaken."
A perfectly measured trace of a young man's desire for power and determination entered his voice.
"..."
Jing Hongchen fell silent.
A Second Martial Soul that had not fully awakened—this was the first time he had heard of such a thing.
He leaned back in his chair.
His fingers lightly tapped against the smooth desktop, producing a rhythmic knocking sound.
Twin Martial Souls—even merely latent, unawakened Twin Martial Souls—were of extraordinary significance.
If what the youth before him said was true, then his value would soar once again.
But what if it was false?
Was it an excuse? Or did he have some other scheme?
Jing Hongchen stared into White Tiger Lin Qing's eyes, trying to find even the slightest trace of deception in those overly calm pupils.
But he failed.
The youth's gaze was clear and open.
There was only a desire for power and persistence toward this opportunity within it. There was no guilt, no evasiveness.
And this was indeed White Tiger Lin Qing's truest state of mind.
After a long while.
Jing Hongchen finally relented.
"The Far North is extremely dangerous. Not only is its climate extreme, but it is also home to soul beasts over a hundred thousand years old, even the legendary ferocious beasts."
"I know."
White Tiger Lin Qing nodded, his eyes not wavering in the slightest.
"That is why I need the academy's help and protection. This is of vital importance to me."
"..."
Another stretch of silence followed.
The only sound in the office was Jing Hongchen's fingers tapping on the desk.
At last, he stopped moving and made his decision.
"Fine."
Jing Hongchen rose to his feet.
"I will take you there personally."
His gaze fell upon White Tiger Lin Qing again, carrying an authority that brooked no refusal.
"But I need to remind you, Lin Qing. This is the academy's greatest investment and trust in you."
"Do not disappoint me, or the academy."
Lin Qing raised his brows high, an expression of "just as expected" mixed with a hint of amusement appearing on his face.
"Jing Hongchen is personally leading the team. That's quite the show of importance."
The master of Mingde Hall, one of the foremost figures in the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Engineer world, a Title Douluo-level powerhouse, was personally helping a student obtain a "Second Martial Soul."
Even the princes of the Sun Moon Empire might not receive such treatment.
However, this also meant that White Tiger Lin Qing's next actions would be carried out under the close surveillance of a Title Douluo.
Before you continue