Dugu Yan clenched her teeth and glared at Dai Mubai, showing not the slightest hint of retreat.
"Dream on!"
"If you want to lay a finger on Godwind City, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
The two sides stood on the brink of battle, with a fight ready to erupt at any moment.
At this critical juncture.
High above, the heavens changed once more!
The golden Sky Curtain suddenly took on a layer of icy-blue light.
It was a chill so extreme it seemed capable of freezing the soul.
Then, a line of enormous golden characters slowly appeared.
[Power Ranking, Fifth Place: Far North!]
Everyone was drawn to the sudden change.
Even Dai Mubai, who had been preparing to attack, stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky.
The scene shifted.
Gone were the steep mountains of the Clear Sky Sect. In their place stretched an endless world of ice and snow.
Snow blanketed the land, and glaciers rose everywhere.
The howling wind swept up a storm of snowflakes.
This was a forbidden zone of life, a desolate place no human had ever set foot in.
At the center of the scene, two figures slowly appeared.
The one on the left was petite and delicate, dressed in a long, jade-green gown, with twin ponytails falling behind her. Her features were as exquisite as a porcelain doll's, yet her eyes held an air of domineering majesty that looked down upon all creation.
Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, Ice Empress!
The one on the right was tall and graceful, clad in a snow-white gown whiter than snow itself. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, and her stunning features and cool, noble bearing made her seem like a goddess incarnate in ice and snow.
Heavenly Snow Woman, Snow Empress!
As the two figures appeared, a terrifying aura from primordial times passed through the Sky Curtain and spread across the entire Douluo Continent.
It was a majesty that placed them above all living beings.
[The Far North, a forbidden zone for humans!]
[Commands an army of a million Soul Beasts, with Snow Empress and Ice Empress, two Ferocious Beasts, at its head!]
[Snow Empress, seven hundred thousand years of cultivation!]
[Ice Empress, four hundred thousand years of cultivation!]
[Overall strength: ranked fifth on the Power Ranking!]
This string of revelations struck everyone's minds like a series of massive bombs.
Spirit Hall, Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong shot to her feet, slamming her scepter heavily against the ground.
"The Far North?!"
"There's actually such a terrifying force hidden on this continent?"
Her deep, beautiful eyes brimmed with shock.
Seven hundred thousand years? Four hundred thousand years?
What did that even mean?
The two overlords of the Star Dou Forest, Daming and Erming, were only at the hundred-thousand-year level.
Yet the Far North had two Ferocious Beasts this terrifying?
And the number of Soul Beasts under their command—one million—was enough to make anyone's scalp crawl.
If this force marched south...
Bibi Dong didn't dare think any further.
She drew a deep breath, forcing down the storm raging in her heart.
"It seems this Golden Ranking isn't just about rankings. It's going to expose every secret in the world."
A glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes. The nerves that had been taut from the war grew even more alert.
Fortunately, Xue'er would be back soon.
With two god-level powerhouses at her side, Spirit Hall might not have to fear the Far North.
And besides...
Bibi Dong looked at the Sky Curtain, the corners of her lips curling into a cold smile.
Now that the Far North had been exposed, this fat piece of meat had been laid out for all to see.
Those Soul Rings and Soul Bones that were hundreds of thousands of years old were treasures even god-level powerhouses coveted!
"Wait a little longer."
"I want to see what kind of powers will occupy the top four places!"
Heaven Dou Empire's military camp, Tang Sect encampment.
Tang San sat cross-legged atop a boulder, the Sea God Trident resting across his knees.
When he saw the Far North's introduction on the Sky Curtain, even his usually placid face couldn't help but show a trace of shock.
"Seven hundred thousand years..."
Tang San murmured to himself, an unmistakable greed flashing in his eyes.
Though he had already become a god, his thirst for power had never waned.
If he could obtain the Soul Rings and Soul Bones of Snow Empress and Ice Empress, it would be an enormous boost even for a god.
He might even use them to improve the quality of his Clear Sky Hammer and prepare to challenge the Asura God position in the future.
"The Far North... I've never heard of it."
Tang San turned to look at Xiao Wu, who was grooming her rabbit ears, and asked gently,
"Xiao Wu, you're a Soul Beast who underwent Soul Beast Transformation. Have you ever heard of the Far North?"
Xiao Wu looked up blankly, blinked her big eyes, and shook her head innocently.
"Brother, I don't know."
"I grew up in the Star Dou Forest. I only know Daming and Erming."
"The Far North is too cold. Mom said it's a forbidden place for rabbits. If you go there, you'll freeze into an ice pop."
Watching Xiao Wu's guileless, carefree expression, Tang San's eyes flickered with disappointment, but he quickly hid it.
He reached out and fondly patted Xiao Wu's head.
"It's all right. I was just asking."
"No matter how powerful the Far North is, if it threatens peace on the continent, I, Tang San, will never stand by and do nothing."
He spoke in lofty, righteous-sounding terms, but in his heart, Tang San was already calculating whether he should take a trip to the Far North after dealing with Spirit Hall.
After all, weren't Soul Beasts born to provide Soul Rings for Soul Masters?
It was all for the people of the world. For justice.
Godwind City.
The scene on the Sky Curtain gradually faded, but the shock it had caused lingered.
Still, for the two sides facing off in the street, the conflict in front of them was what mattered most.
Dai Mubai turned his gaze away, his unease growing stronger.
He had to take Godwind City as soon as possible and strengthen his forces. Otherwise, in these chaotic times, even a Titled Douluo wouldn't be safe.
"Finished watching?"
Dai Mubai looked at Dugu Yan, his voice icy.
"Then hurry up and decide."
"Surrender, or die!"
As he spoke, the frenzied White Tiger Soul Power erupted from his body once more, forming the phantom of a giant white tiger that let out a soundless roar at Dugu Yan.
Just then.
"Well, if it isn't that guy."
"What, you become a prince and a Titled Douluo, and now you're picking on women?"
A clear, pleasant voice rang out from above, tinged with a hint of mockery.
Everyone looked up.
Three breathtaking figures stood suspended in midair.
The one on the left wore an icy-blue dress and had a cool, snowy bearing. It was Shui Bing'er.
The one on the right was lively and spirited. It was Shui Yue'er.
And in the middle, with her wings spread behind her, was Bai Chenxiang, who had just returned from the back mountain.
It was Bai Chenxiang who had spoken.
She looked down at Dai Mubai, her eyes full of contempt.
"Bai Chenxiang? Shui Bing'er?"
Dai Mubai frowned slightly at the sight of the three women.
He could sense that none of them had weak auras.
Shui Bing'er in particular gave off such a chill that even the White Tiger Intense Light Wave within him seemed to grow sluggish.
"You've come to die too?"
Dai Mubai sneered.
"Good. I'll settle old and new grudges together!"
"Today, I'll slaughter everyone in Godwind City!"