There were two caves in the Cold Spring. One was filled with Ice Extreme God Crystals, a companion product of the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Cave.
This was a rare ice-attribute metal, born in an environment of extreme cold. It was a coveted treasure for ice-attribute Spirit Masters and anyone who crafted top-tier Soul Tools.
The other cave held the prize they had come for: Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow.
There were as many as forty-five pieces of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow in the cave, each one tremendously beneficial to ice-attribute Soul Beasts.
"There's so much!"
Though there were fewer than in the cave where Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had once lived, this was still a considerable number.
"If we told Bingbing about this..."
Gu Yuena poured cold water on Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's excitement.
"The Bingbing you mean is Ice Empress, one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, right? Having her absorb the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow would indeed be good. It could stabilize her foundation and increase her cultivation. But if her cultivation rises too quickly, she might not be able to face the Heaven's Tribulation that comes next."
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sobered up at once.
Bingbing was nearing 390,000 years of cultivation. For all they knew, the Heaven's Tribulation would be bearing down on her the moment she finished absorbing a single piece of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had never faced a lightning tribulation, but that didn't stop him from knowing how terrifying one was.
Were Soul Beasts over 100,000 years old so rare in the Douluo World because the others lacked talent or didn't work hard enough?
Of course not!
Soul Beasts that reached 100,000 years of cultivation either got blasted to smithereens by lightning during their tribulation or knew they couldn't survive the Heaven's Tribulation and chose to transform into humans to evade it.
Soul Beasts with weaker bodies usually chose the second option.
The Soul Beast Clan really had it rough.
Whether it was the cultivation system of this world or the Dragon God's reckless decision to prevent Soul Beasts from becoming gods, it all pushed the Soul Beasts toward extinction.
"I only need to absorb one of these. Yuhao, do you want to store the rest of the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow?"
Tian Meng wrapped himself around an ice pillar, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Huo Yuhao thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Let's leave it here. We know where it is now, so we can come back for more if we need it."
If he took all the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow now, wouldn't there be nothing left in a thousand years?
It might look as if he'd gained forty-four pieces of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, but in reality, he'd lost forty-four pieces!
The Ice Extreme God Crystals in the other cave were the same.
"Then absorb it here," Gu Yuena reminded him. "I don't know why you haven't faced a Heaven's Tribulation before, but once you reach a million years, this time there will definitely be one."
If Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had really promised to give Huo Yuhao a Million-Year Soul Ring just to escape Lake of Life, then even if Gu Yuena didn't act herself, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wouldn't escape death.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nodded as fast as he could.
With the cultivation he'd gained by eating, he'd probably be nearly dead after the first bolt of lightning.
This time, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was truly putting in the effort. Before long, he had absorbed half of the piece of Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, which was only half his size.
The Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow could strengthen one's foundation, but Sky Dream Ice Silkworm chose to use all of it to increase his strength.
By the time he had nearly finished absorbing the piece, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had fully entered the million-year level.
He didn't even think about consolidating his cultivation. The moment he realized his age had reached the mark, he rushed over to Huo Yuhao, eyes shining.
"Your big brother's cultivation is high enough now. Hurry up and let your big brother in!"
Huo Yuhao: "..."
At that moment, Huo Yuhao spoke to Electrolux in his Sea of Spirit. "Elder Yi, sorry for the trouble, but could you study Tian Meng's sacrificial process?"
The Soul Spirit System had many flaws, and its appearance hadn't changed the Soul Beast Clan's circumstances.
But it depended on who the system was for.
For Soul Beasts facing an imminent Heaven's Tribulation and lacking confidence in surviving it, the Soul Spirit System was indeed their best option.
It wasn't suitable for Soul Beasts with fewer years of cultivation.
After all, they would be giving up their physical bodies and continuing to exist as Soul Spirits.
"Don't worry, Yuhao. I've been studying it all this time. After I witness the big bug's sacrifice firsthand, I'll be able to fully complete the Soul Spirit System."
Huo Yuhao thanked Electrolux sincerely.
As expected of a research genius. He was definitely the most reliable person in the entire Douluo World. No exceptions!
"I'm ready. Let's do this."
Huo Yuhao sat cross-legged on the ground while Sky Dream Ice Silkworm came before him, their foreheads touching.
A thousand years ago, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hadn't formally studied Wisdom Spirit Rings. He was simply doing what his future self had told him to do.
They were the same silkworm, so of course they thought alike.
His future self had only needed to say one thing for him to figure out the rest.
Beyond the Cold Spring, the sky suddenly darkened, and a rumble rang out high above.
This was the remote Far North, blanketed by a raging blizzard. Such a change didn't attract much attention.
In the core area of the Far North, Snow Empress suddenly opened her eyes as she meditated.
"That aura... Is some Soul Beast undergoing a tribulation?"
The pressure was so overwhelming that this Soul Beast's cultivation might even surpass hers.
When had such a powerful Soul Beast appeared in the Far North?
After several rumbles, the thunder suddenly fell silent, as if it had never sounded at all.
Snow Empress flew toward the direction of the thunder at top speed.
Could this Soul Beast have decided it couldn't survive the lightning tribulation and chosen to take human form and cultivate again?
A petite, doll-like girl caught up. The moment she saw Snow Empress, her eyes lit up, and she rushed over.
"Snow Empress! Did you come because you heard the thunder too?"
Snow Empress, with her long white hair and peerless beauty, nodded.
"There haven't been any Soul Beasts in the Far North that were about to undergo a tribulation in recent years."
As the foremost of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, Snow Empress knew quite a bit about the talents of the Soul Beasts under her command.
She wasn't afraid of those Soul Beasts undergoing tribulations. She was only concerned that this unknown Soul Beast might bring harm to the Far North.
As Snow Empress and Ice Empress hurried toward the area, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's sacrifice had already reached its end.
Gu Yuena watched the sacrificial process without blinking. It was different from the sacrifices she knew.
Was this a trait of the Ice Silkworm Clan, or a special case unique to million-year Soul Beasts?
As Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fully merged with him, a golden Soul Ring appeared around Huo Yuhao.
It revolved around him, pulsing repeatedly, then finally settled into black.
Yet along the edge of the black Soul Ring ran a golden pattern.
Huo Yuhao's Soul Power kept rising. To Gu Yuena's surprise, another platinum-colored Soul Ring appeared on him.
Just like the first, the second Soul Ring stabilized and turned into a black, ten-thousand-year Soul Ring.
This Soul Ring also had a golden pattern.
Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit had expanded considerably.
Inside it, apart from Electrolux, who had fallen into thought, there was only Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, who seemed to have fallen asleep.
Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. This finally solved the problem of the level he showed to others.
A million-year Soul Beast had made his Soul Power surge by ten levels. That was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
The Sky Dream of a thousand years ago had also given him four Soul Skills this time.
Just as Sky Dream had said, one of those Soul Skills would indeed be very useful to him.
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