After a few breaths, he raised his hand and pointed to the right. "Over there... Something seems to be calling to my Martial Soul."
Luo Shang followed his finger. There was a dense thicket of bushes, and beyond it, the faint sound of running water.
"Your Martial Soul's sensing something?"
Luo Yun nodded, an indescribable light in his eyes.
Luo Shang pondered for a moment, released his grip on the sword hilt, and started toward the thicket. "Come on. Let's take a look."
They pushed through the bushes and followed the sound of water for about two hundred steps. The view suddenly opened up before them.
A clear little river wound through the forest. It wasn't deep, and they could see the pebbles on its bed beneath its sparkling surface.
Luo Yun was about to step forward when Luo Shang suddenly reached out to stop him.
"Shh."
His gaze fixed on a patch of grass by the riverbank.
Luo Yun followed his line of sight.
It was a deer.
No—not an ordinary deer.
Its coat was pure white, without a single stray hair. It had an elegant, slender build, and its four delicate legs looked as though they'd stepped out of a painting.
Its antlers were especially striking, crystal-clear and glowing with a faint golden light.
Several emerald-green leaves hung from them, each shining with a soft green luster.
The deer lowered its head to drink, moving with unhurried grace. An indescribably sacred aura emanated from it, and even the plants around it seemed especially verdant in its presence.
Luo Yun stared in amazement.
The phantom of the Sun Corona Sword appeared behind him against his will. Its golden-green light mingled with the radiance around the deer, as if answering its call.
"Holy Leaf Spirit Deer." Luo Shang's voice was barely above a whisper, but his tone held unmistakable surprise.
Luo Yun came to his senses and asked softly, "What kind of deer?"
"The Holy Leaf Spirit Deer. An extremely rare kind of Soul Beast." Luo Shang kept his eyes fixed on the white deer. "The holy light and life aura around it are a perfect match for your Sun Corona Sword. This is the first time I've ever seen one with my own eyes. Before now, I'd only read about them in ancient texts."
Luo Yun's eyes lit up. "Could it become my Soul Ring?"
"Millennium level, probably between fifteen hundred and two thousand years old." Luo Shang made a quick estimate. "That should be just right for what your body can handle."
Father and son exchanged a glance, ready to act.
Suddenly, Luo Shang furrowed his brow, his expression turning cold in an instant.
"Someone's here."
As soon as the words left his mouth, someone pushed aside the bushes across from them, and three figures emerged.
The one in front was a young man, around fifteen or sixteen. He wore a gold-and-white brocade robe, and his hair was fastened with a jade crown. His features were handsome and refined, and he carried himself with the gentle grace of jade.
His eyes were bright, and he had the innate air of nobility.
Two people followed behind him. One was tall and lean, with a stern face and eyes as sharp as an eagle's. The other was a red-haired, burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist. Clad in golden armor, he looked like a formidable fighter.
The three first glanced at the Holy Leaf Spirit Deer by the river, then noticed Luo Shang and Luo Yun on the other side.
The two groups met each other's gaze.
The air fell silent, broken only by the river's soft murmur.
The Holy Leaf Spirit Deer seemed to sense something. It raised its head and warily scanned its surroundings, but didn't flee at once. It stayed where it was, ears twitching gently.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
Luo Shang's hand left the sword hilt and dropped to his side, but he turned his body slightly, ready to draw at any moment.
The tall, lean man across from him twitched his fingers too.
Neither side made the first move. They simply sized each other up.
Luo Yun stood behind Luo Shang, poking half his head out to curiously watch the three strangers.
The standoff lasted about a minute.
The young man across from them spoke first, his voice gentle and his smile perfectly measured. "Are you two here for the Holy Leaf Spirit Deer as well?"
Luo Shang didn't answer, only gave a slight nod.
The young man smiled. His gaze swept over Luo Shang's clothes and bearing, then shifted to Luo Yun behind him, as though trying to figure something out.
A moment later, he cupped his hands and spoke with neither deference nor arrogance. "I am Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. I've brought my men into the Star Dou Great Forest to find a Soul Beast with a suitable attribute. This Holy Leaf Spirit Deer is a perfect match."
He paused, his smile deepening slightly. "May I ask you two to give way?"
Luo Shang's eyes shifted slightly.
Xue Qinghe? Someone from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family?
He knew that name, of course.
The eldest son of Emperor Xue Ye of the Heaven Dou Empire, he'd been Crown Prince for many years. The public held him in high regard for his gentleness and refinement, as well as his willingness to treat talented people with courtesy. He was an excellent candidate for the throne.
Normally, Luo Shang would have shown him some respect.
But not today.
"King Frost Extreme, Luo Shang." Luo Shang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried great weight.
Xue Qinghe's smile froze for a moment.
The two men behind him also furrowed their brows.
"King Frost Extreme?" Xue Qinghe repeated, the smile fading from his voice as a serious scrutiny replaced it. "The guardian of the Northern Territory, Heaven Dou's only prince of a different surname... Luo Shang?"
"That's right."
Xue Qinghe fell silent for a few breaths, then looked past Luo Shang to the little boy peeking out from behind him.
The child had probably only awakened his Martial Soul recently. This Holy Leaf Spirit Deer was at least a thousand years old. How could it possibly become the boy's Soul Ring?
Unless...
Xue Qinghe shook his head. The thought was too far-fetched.
Even he, with his Innate Level 20 Soul Power, wouldn't dare absorb a millennium-level beast for his First Soul Ring.
There had to be some secret behind this.
Luo Shang said nothing more.
But he moved.
A long sword slowly emerged from his palm. Its entire length was a lustrous white, as though it had been forged from ten thousand years of ice. Pale blue patterns ran along its spine, and its blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, reflecting a chilling glint.
The moment the sword appeared, the temperature plunged by more than ten degrees. A thin layer of ice formed over the river, and even the air seemed ready to crack with cold.
"The Frost Cold Sword!"
Luo Yun's eyes widened.
This was the first time he'd seen his father's Martial Soul.
It wasn't as if he'd never seen his father fight. But before, his father had always sent him flying with a slap and never used his Martial Soul.
Now the ice-blue sword hovered beside Luo Shang, and the chill radiating from it made Luo Yun shiver involuntarily.
"So powerful!"
Even standing behind his father, he felt the biting cold rush over him, as though it would freeze the marrow in his bones.
Then the Soul Rings appeared.
One after another, they rose from beneath Luo Shang's feet and slowly circled him.
Yellow. Yellow. Purple. Purple. Black. Black. Black. Black. Red.
Nine Soul Rings: two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red.
They revolved slowly around him,
radiating immense pressure!
Luo Yun's mouth fell open into a perfect circle.
That red one was...
"A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring?!" Luo Yun's voice cracked.
Before you continue