He paused, then added, "Unless your Soul Power reaches the Titled Douluo level, you can't use Soul Power."
Luo Yun fell silent for a moment.
"What about the power of laws?"
Luo Shang froze.
The power of laws.
He'd almost forgotten about that.
The Law of Destruction and the Law of Life.
Those two kinds of power didn't fall under the category of Soul Power.
Could the rules of Slaughter City restrict the laws?
He didn't know.
The histories recorded no precedent of a Soul Master with the power of laws entering Slaughter City.
Never.
"I'm not sure," Luo Shang answered honestly. "It might be forbidden, or it might not."
Luo Yun nodded and stayed quiet for a long while.
Then he looked up at his father, his gaze resolute.
"Dad, since the God Trial was issued like this, it wouldn't send me to my death for no reason. That means I have a chance of completing it. I know I can do it!"
Luo Shang looked into those eyes, his throat tightening.
It was hard to imagine those words coming from his six-year-old son.
He walked over, sat beside Luo Yun, and put an arm around his shoulders, drawing him closer.
"That's right."
"You can do it."
"But there's no rush."
"You can enter Slaughter City whenever you want. First, work on your swordsmanship and build up your body."
He paused, his voice dropping.
"And... get used to the smell of blood."
Half a month later.
Frost Ridge City.
The snow had stopped, but the drifts on the ground hadn't melted. They crunched beneath their feet.
The gates of Frost Extreme King Mansion stood open. When the guards spotted two figures approaching in the distance, they first gripped their weapons warily. Then they recognized the newcomers and hurriedly dropped to one knee.
"Your Highness!"
"Little Young Master!"
Luo Shang nodded and kept walking, heading straight inside.
Luo Yun followed behind him. He didn't walk quickly, but every step was steady.
His face had grown thinner, his chin sharper, and his eyes seemed more sunken than before. Still, he looked full of energy, his eyes bright as ever.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Yinshuang hurried out from the inner courtyard.
She wore a light purple cotton dress, her hair pinned up casually, and a half-embroidered handkerchief in her hand. She stood beneath the gallery, watching the tall and small figures enter through the moon gate. At first, she froze; then she covered her mouth and laughed.
But as soon as she finished laughing, her eyes grew red.
"You two..." Her voice trembled a little, though her lips still curved into a smile. "Did you go to war or go begging?"
Luo Shang's cloak had several holes in it, his boots were caked with mud, and stubble shadowed his chin. He looked as though he'd rolled around on a battlefield and come straight back.
Luo Yun was hardly any better. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was a bird's nest, and though his little face had been washed, mud still clung to his hands, with black grime under his fingernails.
The dignified King Frost Extreme had actually ended up looking like this.
Luo Shang pursed his lips and tossed the bundle in his hand to a servant. "We didn't bring any attendants on this trip. We had to take care of everything ourselves along the way."
He said it with such confidence, as if it were something to be proud of.
Shen Yinshuang held back a laugh and stepped forward. She crouched and carefully examined Luo Yun's face. She touched his cheek, then his arms, and only relaxed after confirming he hadn't lost any parts.
"You've lost weight," she said. "And you've gotten darker."
"Mother, I want to eat your cooking," Luo Yun said earnestly.
Shen Yinshuang smiled, her eyes faintly red.
"I've already had hot water prepared." She stood and wiped the corner of her eye, then turned to Luo Shang. "Go take a bath first. We'll eat after."
"Okay."
The hot spring was in the back courtyard.
The spring at Frost Extreme King Mansion was natural. Hot water bubbled up from underground with a faint smell of sulfur, steaming all year round.
Luo Shang and Luo Yun undressed and stepped into the pool one after the other. The moment the warm water rose over their chests, they both let out a long, unrestrained sigh.
Luo Yun leaned against the side of the pool, the water up to his chin, leaving only his face above the surface.
He felt the hot spring water envelop every pore of his body.
"Feels good..." he mumbled.
Luo Shang sat on the other side of the pool, his head resting against the edge. He closed his eyes without saying a word.
After soaking for a while, Luo Yun opened his eyes and watched the white mist drift over the water. Then he suddenly spoke.
"Dad."
"Hmm?"
"When does training start?"
Luo Shang opened his eyes and glanced sideways at him..
"Tonight."
Luo Yun said nothing, only nodding.
He didn't ask what they'd be training or where.
It definitely wouldn't be easy.
Luo Shang watched him in silence for a moment, then closed his eyes again.
There were some things he didn't want his son to experience so soon.
But the world wouldn't stay away just because you didn't want it to come.
After their bath, they went to the dining room.
Dinner was lavish.
Shen Yinshuang had cooked it herself. She'd stewed a pot of pork rib soup, braised a fish, stir-fried several side dishes, and steamed a basket of buns.
Luo Yun ate two bowls of rice, three buns, and more than half a bowl of rib soup. He didn't put down his chopsticks until he'd eaten enough to burp.
Watching him eat, Shen Yinshuang looked both heartbroken and amused.
"Slow down. No one's going to steal it from you."
"Your cooking is too good, Mother." Luo Yun was still chewing on a bun, his words muffled.
Shen Yinshuang smiled and gently wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth, her gaze tender.
Luo Shang drank his soup at an unhurried pace beside them, not eating much.
"Xiaoyun, don't eat so much."
"No way! I've eaten so much dry rations and undercooked barbecue lately, I'm about to throw up! I have to make up for it all at once!"
Luo Shang shook his head helplessly, silently sighing to himself.
I hope he doesn't throw it all up later.
Once night had fully fallen, Luo Shang stood up.
"Let's go."
Luo Yun set down his chopsticks and followed Luo Shang out of the dining room.
They passed through corridors, moon gates, and one courtyard after another.
The night in Frost Ridge City was quiet. The wind blew in from the north, carrying the dry chill peculiar to the snowy plains.
Luo Yun followed Luo Shang all the way to the deepest part of the mansion.
Luo Shang stopped in front of an iron door, took a ring of keys from his waist, selected the oldest one, and inserted it into the lock.
It was an old-fashioned brass lock. When he turned the key, it gave a dull click.
The iron door swung open with a low creak.
Beyond it was a flight of stairs leading down. Torches jutted from the walls every few paces, their orange-red flames flickering in the passage and stretching their shadows into long and short shapes.
"Dad, where are we? How come I've never been here before?"
"You'll find out soon."
With that, Luo Shang went down first.
Luo Yun followed close behind.
A damp, rusty smell wafted up from deep within the passage.
They walked for who knew how long.
At the bottom of the stairs stood an even larger iron door.
Two rows of soldiers stood in front of it. They wore Frost Ridge City's standard armor, long sabers at their waists, and held themselves ramrod straight.
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