After awakening his Ice Dragon King Martial Soul, Cao Longyan didn't hurry to leave the Extreme North. Under the guidance of Ice Empress and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, he began searching for suitable first three Soul Rings for his third Martial Soul.
Ice Empress and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm knew the Extreme North like the backs of their hands. Before long, they had helped him choose three Soul Beasts, each around twenty thousand years old.
With Ice Empress and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm assisting him, Cao Longyan absorbed the Soul Rings with exceptional ease and speed.
After absorbing all three, Cao Longyan's Soul Power Level shot straight up to thirty-seven!
He felt that the Ten Halls of Yama and the fireball in his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness had grown brighter. He believed he would be able to restore them completely before long!
"Elder Yi, sorry to trouble you, but could you conceal my aura again?"
"Longyan, don't worry. Leave it to me."
Electrolux's voice sounded in his sea of consciousness. A faint gray Undead Aura quietly spread, enveloping Cao Longyan from head to toe.
Once everything was ready, Cao Longyan turned and headed for the outskirts of the Extreme North, on his way back to Shrek.
He thought about it. It was nearly time for the new students to start at Shrek, so he could enroll now...
But just after he left the central region of the Extreme North, the sounds of a fierce fight reached his ears, accompanied by the low growls of a wolf pack.
Cao Longyan's gaze sharpened. He quickened his pace toward the noise, and after rounding a massive Ice Rock, he stopped short at the sight before him.
A girl around his age was surrounded by a pack of Snowfield Wolves. Her right leg was clearly injured, her trouser leg soaked with blood. Her face was pale, and she was obviously about to collapse.
Cao Longyan's gaze fell on her clothes, and he frowned.
Her clothes... Was she from the Sun Moon Empire? Could she be the person surrounded by that Sun Moon Empire group he had seen on the outskirts earlier? What was she doing here alone?
He didn't know that the girl trapped in this desperate situation was none other than Meng Hongchen, the Sun Moon Empire's darling of heaven.
By now, Meng Hongchen had exhausted her Soul Power. Her injured right leg could no longer support her, and she stumbled and fell into the snow.
Grimacing through the pain, she shakily pulled out a Defensive Soul Tool. With her Soul Power gone, she summoned every last ounce of strength to activate it. A transparent barrier sprang up around her, shielding her.
It was a level-six Defensive Soul Tool, the last card she had to play. Now, it could only serve as her final desperate defense.
Dozens of thousand-year-old Snowfield Wolves formed a pack under the command of a ten-thousand-year-old Snowfield Wolf King. They charged the barrier savagely, their sharp fangs biting into its surface with an earsplitting scrape.
The level-six Defensive Soul Tool was powerful, but the sustained assault of dozens of thousand-year-old Snowfield Wolves and a ten-thousand-year-old Snowfield Wolf King was too much. Cracks gradually appeared in the barrier, its light growing dimmer and dimmer. It was on the verge of collapse.
Meng Hongchen closed her eyes, tears welling at their corners.
She couldn't accept this...
If she hadn't been separated from the elders by Xue Beng, and if she hadn't been injured in several battles before encountering the wolf pack, how could she, already in possession of her fifth Soul Ring, have ended up in such a predicament?
Was... was there no one who could save her?
Seeing this, Cao Longyan felt a stir in his heart and instinctively started forward to save her.
But just then, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice rang out urgently in his sea of consciousness, stopping him.
"My lord, don't go! There's no need to meddle in a stranger's business when there are so many unknown factors! What if she's bait for an enemy, or brings other trouble down on us? It wouldn't be worth it!"
Hearing this, Cao Longyan's lips curved slightly, and a hint of recklessness flashed in his eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he leaped into action and called out as he charged.
"Tian Meng, you might not know this, but I love meddling in this kind of business. I've loved it since I was a kid!"
His words left Sky Dream Ice Silkworm utterly speechless. He sat there in his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness for ages, unable to come up with a single retort.
Ice Empress and Electrolux, meanwhile, felt even more warmly toward Cao Longyan.
They really hadn't misjudged him!
Seeing that even Ice Empress wouldn't back him up, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm immediately grew aggrieved. He found a dark corner behind an Ice Rock, curled up in a ball, and wallowed in misery. As he drew circles in the snow with his little claws, he muttered under his breath.
"Waaah, my lord doesn't love me, and my darling Bingbing won't back me up either. I'm so heartbroken..."
Just as Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was feeling sorry for himself, Meng Hongchen's barrier shattered with a sharp crack. Several agile Snowfield Wolves took the chance to leap at her, their sharp fangs glinting as they lunged.
At this critical moment, Cao Longyan flashed in front of Meng Hongchen like a streak of icy blue lightning.
His long blue hair fluttered in the wind. His blue eyes fixed on the wolves, and he immediately unleashed his Extreme Cold Domain. Ice mist swirled around him as he shielded Meng Hongchen behind his back.
"First Soul Skill, Ice Dragon King Storm!"
Cao Longyan barked the words and thrust out a hand. He manipulated his icy blue Soul Power into a raging storm that swept forward, blasting away all the Snowfield Wolves lunging at him. They crashed heavily into the snow, howling in pain.
"Second Soul Skill, Ice Dragon King Roar!"
An icy blue sound wave, carrying the Ultimate Ice, spread out. The wolves were rocked by it, their heads spinning and their steps stumbling. Fear flashed in their eyes, and they no longer dared approach. They could only stay where they were, glaring at Cao Longyan and Meng Hongchen.
Cao Longyan's icy gaze swept across the pack. All the thousand-year-old Snowfield Wolves, except the ten-thousand-year-old Wolf King, instinctively shrank back.
The Wolf King watched its pack tremble before a human, a look of scorn and unwillingness flashing through its eyes. It let out a low, rumbling roar and sprang into the air, charging at Cao Longyan with a savage aura, its sharp fangs aimed at his throat.
Cao Longyan's gaze turned cold. He wasn't about to indulge it; a mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"Fool, you're asking for death."
Before the words had left his mouth, a brilliant icy blue glow appeared in Cao Longyan's left hand. The power of his four-hundred-thousand-year Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion torso bone erupted instantly.
"Third Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Mile Ice Seal!"
Cao Longyan gathered all his energy into the index finger of his left hand and fired a blue ray infused with the Ultimate Ice. The Wolf King had only just leaped into the air when it was frozen solid, becoming an ice sculpture. It crashed heavily into the snow, without even a chance to struggle.
Seeing this, the other Snowfield Wolves, already scared out of their wits, fled in every direction without a moment's hesitation, disappearing into the vast icy wilderness in the blink of an eye.
Just then, Ice Empress's voice reached Cao Longyan through their mental link.
"My lord, spare its life. Let it go..."
Cao Longyan nodded and waved a hand. A gentle stream of icy power dispersed, and the ice encasing the Wolf King slowly melted.
Freed at last, the Wolf King didn't dare linger for a second. Tail tucked between its legs, it scrambled away in a panic and soon vanished from sight.
After dealing with the wolf pack, Cao Longyan slowly turned to look at Meng Hongchen.
Meng Hongchen stared blankly at him, her own icy blue eyes wide with shock and confusion. Clearly, she still hadn't recovered from the desperate situation or the sudden rescue.
Seeing her like that, Cao Longyan smiled faintly. His blue hair fell over his shoulders, and his icy blue eyes were warm and bright, striking Meng Hongchen straight in the heart.
A blush spread across Meng Hongchen's cheeks, and her heart began to race. Even her breathing grew a little uneven.
A girl's blush was worth more than a thousand words...
But Cao Longyan didn't understand!
He thought she wasn't feeling well...
Seeing her like this, Cao Longyan waved a hand in front of her and asked softly,
"Hey, are you all right?"
At the sound of Cao Longyan's voice, Meng Hongchen snapped back to her senses. She quickly lowered her head, her cheeks so red they looked ready to drip blood. Her voice was barely audible.
"I... I'm fine. Thank you."
Watching this from the Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm instantly forgot his grievance and crowed proudly,
"See, see? I told you! My lord's got such charm. He just jumped into action, and he's already won another beauty's heart! Unlike me—I'm brimming with talent, but Bingbing still won't look my way..."
As he spoke, he sneaked a glance at Ice Empress. In response, he got another vicious, merciless tail-slap that left him reeling.
Ice Empress glared at Sky Dream Ice Silkworm in annoyance, her voice edged with disdain.
"Shut up, Tian Meng. Stop making a fool of yourself."
Then she turned her gaze to Cao Longyan.
My lord, his comprehension and adaptability are truly incredible!
Hearing the commotion in his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness, Cao Longyan smiled to himself but said nothing.
He continued, speaking softly to Meng Hongchen.
"What are you doing here alone? Where are your companions?"
Before you continue