After saying this, Feng Qingyang withdrew.
Xue Mingqing froze.
He felt that he could control his body again.
"Old Feng? Old Feng? Hey! You really fell asleep? What if that was an Evil Soul Master? Don't leave me here alone, Old Feng!"
Ignoring Xue Mingqing's frantic mental cries, Feng Qingyang completely logged off after returning control of the body to him, once again entering his slumber.
This left Xue Mingqing alone to face the unknown visitor.
Gritting his teeth, Xue Mingqing forced himself to endure the weakness caused by the exhaustion of his Soul Power.
He rolled over and dodged into the bushes beside him, concealing his figure.
It might not be useful, but at least he wasn't simply waiting for death.
After all, any Soul Master capable of flight was at least a Soul Saint. If a Soul Saint truly wanted him dead, hiding anywhere would be useless.
Lying in the cold bushes, Xue Mingqing gasped heavily. The exhaustion of both his Soul Power and physical strength had left him without the slightest ability to resist...
He could only stare wide-eyed at the ice-blue streak of light hurtling toward him.
A moment later—
Accompanied by an extreme chill that made everyone's entire body tremble, the ice-blue streak of light finally landed, revealing the figure within.
A breathtaking fairy-like woman descended slowly. She wore a green gauze dress, her long hair white as snow, her beautiful eyes emerald green, and she held a three-foot Snow Sword.
She was the city lord of nearby Blizzard City. At Rank 82, she was a Soul Douluo named Xue Ningxian.
Half an hour earlier, she had received a distress signal from Wind Snow Village, reporting that an Evil Soul Master had invaded the village.
The moment she received the message, she had put aside everything in hand and rushed over.
But...
She was still one step too late...
When she arrived at Wind Snow Village, all she saw were corpses lying across the ground. Nearly everyone in the village, young and old, was among them—even infants...
Seeing this, how could Xue Ningxian suppress the anger in her heart? She had followed the nauseating aura of the Evil Soul Master all the way here.
That was how she had arrived at this place.
But—
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the Evil Soul Master lying on the ground, his life force already gone.
Her beautiful brows furrowed even more tightly.
How had he died here? Who had killed him?
Countless doubts arose in her heart. Xue Ningxian walked toward the Evil Soul Master, intending to examine the cause of his death.
However, just as she approached him, a weak call came from the bushes nearby.
"City Lord... here... I'm here..."
Hearing the voice, Xue Ningxian raised her brows.
She changed direction, walked toward the bushes, and pushed them aside.
Inside, she saw a young man lying there. He wore plain hemp clothing, his black hair reaching past his neck, and his eyes were the same color. His weak gaze rested on her.
Xue Ningxian's beautiful eyes sharpened. She had already seen that the Soul Power within Xue Mingqing was completely depleted.
Crouching down, she reached out with her fair jade-like hand and grasped Xue Mingqing's wrist. The same ice-element Soul Power flowed from her body into his, actively easing his weakness.
"Who are you, and what happened here?"
With the influx of Soul Power, Xue Mingqing's complexion improved considerably.
"My name is Xue Mingqing. I'm a villager from Wind Snow Village. That man chased me here. I exhausted all the Soul Power in my body resisting him, and then... this happened..."
Hearing this, Xue Ningxian slightly raised her brows. She glanced at the dead Evil Soul Master.
He was only a Soul Elder. Then she looked at Xue Mingqing before her.
He possessed only Rank 5 Soul Power.
"He wasn't killed by me. It seems something went wrong with his martial soul, and he died from martial soul backlash..."
As if she had seen through Xue Ningxian's confusion, Xue Mingqing took the initiative to lie and explain.
After all, he couldn't possibly reveal Feng Qingyang's existence. That was his secret.
Hearing this, Xue Ningxian nodded without suspicion.
She had thought so too.
She reached out and pulled him up from the ground. Her voice was cold and ethereal, carrying a trace of solemnity and sorrow.
She closed her eyes briefly before speaking.
"Child... I'm sorry I arrived too late. You..."
"You're the only survivor left in your village..."
Lowering his gaze, Xue Mingqing couldn't help feeling a few traces of sorrow as well.
He had known long ago that this would most likely be the outcome, but...
Having it confirmed by someone else still made his heart sink even further.
Xue Mingqing exhaled deeply, his eyes dim.
"I was mentally prepared for this long ago... It isn't your fault, City Lord... It's all the fault of those damned Evil Soul Masters."
Seeing the gloom in Xue Mingqing's eyes, Xue Ningxian let out a soft sigh. "Child, tell me, what is your martial soul?"
Xue Mingqing was startled. Then he raised his hand.
A solid, pure-white eight-pointed snowflake appeared in his palm.
Seeing this, Xue Ningxian quietly nodded.
A Snowflake Martial Soul and innate Rank 5 Soul Power. In the Far North, he was indeed a promising child.
Looking at Xue Mingqing, Xue Ningxian's beautiful eyes shifted.
Her martial soul was Blizzard, while Xue Mingqing's martial soul was Snowflake.
Her surname was Xue, and Xue Mingqing's surname was also Xue.
This child seemed fated to have a connection with her. Perhaps...
Having made up her mind, she reached out and gently placed her hand atop Xue Mingqing's head.
"I see that you have no relatives in this world. If you're willing, would you take me as your adoptive mother?"
Hearing this, Xue Mingqing was stunned for a moment. Once he understood what Xue Ningxian meant, he immediately nodded.
"I'm willing! City Lord—no... Thank you for your kindness, Mother..."
Xue Mingqing wasn't foolish. Before he grew strong, relying on another person's power to protect himself while he developed was nothing shameful.
With one word—Mother—he could gain the protection of a Soul Douluo powerhouse. Why wouldn't he?
Xue Ningxian nodded, accepting Xue Mingqing as her child.
Then she closed her eyes briefly and spoke softly.
"Then come back to the village with me first. We'll let them rest in peace..."
Hearing Xue Ningxian's words, Xue Mingqing pressed his lips together, recalling the tragedy that had unfolded in the village...
He lowered his head, and even the joy of gaining a powerful backer was greatly diminished.
"Mm..."
"Let's go..."
This time, Xue Mingqing didn't answer Xue Ningxian again. He silently followed behind her as they left the Frozen Forest...
This was the worst of eras. This was the most bitter of eras.
Evil souls ran rampant, and ordinary people could only become their cultivation materials.
The nobles exploited and oppressed them. Ordinary people had no power to resist and could only become their playthings or sources of support.
Even Shrek, hailed as the upholder of justice, appeared so small and laughable beneath the darkness that shrouded this world.
Reborn in Peerless Tang Sect, which could be called Douluo's most difficult dungeon, Xue Mingqing didn't complain in the slightest.
On the contrary, he was grateful. Grateful that he had been born beneath Blizzard City, and grateful that Blizzard City sent Soul Masters out every year to awaken martial souls for commoners free of charge.
With the ever-changing Snowflake Martial Soul in his possession, Xue Mingqing finally had a sliver of confidence and capital with which to contend against the entire world.
Kneeling before the shared grave of his parents and the villagers, he braced both hands against the ground.
Bang, bang, bang—
He kowtowed three times, each thud steady yet forceful.
He gazed at the simple stone tablet Xue Ningxian had carved and made.
Grave of the People of Wind Snow Village.
A smile lifted the corners of his mouth, yet it was unbearably bitter.
"Father, Mother, everyone in the village... Rest in peace..."
"I, Xue Mingqing, swear here that if I accomplish anything, I will wipe out every Evil Soul in this world and restore peace to all under heaven..."
After speaking, Xue Mingqing bowed his head again.
Bang, bang, bang—
Then he stood up, and that gentle, unchanging smile once again appeared on his face.
"Mother, let's... go..."
Hearing this, Xue Ningxian, who stood behind Xue Mingqing and had quietly watched him finish everything, nodded.
She grabbed Xue Mingqing by the shoulder and took him with her, transforming into an ice-blue streak of light wrapped in cold air as they shot toward Blizzard City.
The village was left behind, devoid of human life. Only the stone tablet standing unshaken in the wind and snow remained to bear witness to the youth's grand resolve...
And this was only his beginning...
Before you continue