October Has Passed, Let the Whole World Tremble

Time slipped away in the blink of an eye.

Across the boundless, snow-covered plains, bone-chilling frost howled through the air.

In a world of endless white, a single black figure trudged slowly against the wind and snow.

Ten months. It had been ten whole months.

Tuoba Xuan had spent exactly three hundred days and nights tempering himself within the Dragon Valley.

Though his appearance remained unchanged, his inner self had undergone a heaven-defying transformation.

His body now felt like a furnace of steel, his heart beating with the steady rhythm of iron!

A faint, earthy-yellow pattern was now etched upon his heart.

It was the gift of the Mountain Dragon King: the Heart of the Mountain Dragon.

Beyond that, Tuoba Xuan's Soul Power had reached level 30.

However, this was only because he currently possessed just two soul rings.

Once he absorbed a third soul ring, his Soul Power would inevitably surge once more.

His first two soul rings, condensed from the essence of dragon souls, were exceptionally unique.

They could grow alongside Tuoba Xuan's strength, and he didn't even need to manifest them to unleash their power.

The timing was quite coincidental; Tuoba Xuan had not forgotten about that competition invitation.

Skywater City appeared even more bustling than when he had first arrived.

The walls, cold as crystal, were draped in red ceremonial ribbons.

A wide red carpet stretched straight from the city gates all the way to the entrance of the City Lord's Mansion.

Yet, behind this grand spectacle, Tuoba Xuan sensed a trace of sorrow.

What a bizarre arrangement.

Tuoba Xuan muttered to himself as he passed the inspection and entered the city.

Walking down the main street of Skywater City, Tuoba Xuan looked around with curiosity.

Many vendors were hawking their wares, and the mouth-watering aroma of soup wafted over from time to time.

It had been ten whole months since Tuoba Xuan had experienced such worldly warmth.

"Boss, one bowl of wontons."

Tuoba Xuan sat at a random stall and began to observe the lively scene.

"Coming right up, sir!"

The steaming bowl of wontons was placed on the table, and Tuoba Xuan took a sip of the hot broth to brush away the lingering cold.

Just as he picked up a wonton, a few gossiping voices drifted from behind him.

"Hey, have you heard? Tian Bingyun of the Tian Clan in Tianbing City is also competing in the Shui Clan's tournament this time."

"Tian Bingyun..."

Tuoba Xuan repeated the name in his mind.

Hmm... never heard of him.

"Actually, the Shui Clan was forced into this. I heard Tian Bingyun wants to forcibly marry Shui Bing'er, which is why the Shui Clan had to hold this competition. The champion will be the future son-in-law of the Shui Clan."

"Pfft!" Tuoba Xuan couldn't help it and nearly spat out the wonton he had just put in his mouth. The generous reward Shui Bing'er mentioned was actually herself?

Tuoba Xuan's strange reaction went unnoticed by the others.

"Is that so? He must have come for Miss Shui Bing'er. It's said that even Spirit Hall will be sending people to watch the match."

"Indeed. But I'm afraid the outcome is already set; they say that Tian Bingyun is already a Soul Ancestor at such a young age..."

He finished the bowl of wontons in a flash, slapped a silver soul coin onto the bottom of the bowl, and quietly took his leave.

Tuoba Xuan had heard every word of their conversation.

The name Tian Bingyun had never appeared in the original story; he was likely just a passerby.

But the fact that the competition was meant to find a husband caught Tuoba Xuan off guard.

Damn it, a woman's mind is truly deep. No wonder she insisted I participate back then.

Tuoba Xuan entered the inn where he had first stayed; the receptionist was no longer Shui Bing'er, but a young woman.

"One single room!"

"Right away!"

Walking into the room, Tuoba Xuan collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.

To be honest, Tuoba Xuan's vision of the future remained somewhat blurred.

As far as he knew, there were four divine inheritances in this era.

They were the Angel God of Spirit Hall...

The Sea God of Sea God Island.

The Asura God of the Capital of Slaughter.

And the Rakshasa God, who was hidden the deepest.

Tuoba Xuan's martial soul was the Mountain Dragon King.

It was an authentic true dragon-type martial soul, possessing the dual attributes of ultimate earth and the laws of the land.

With this, the Sea God was naturally ruled out.

Although Tuoba Xuan did not know how Tang San, with a grass martial soul, had inherited the Sea God position.

But Tuoba Xuan was certain that he himself could never inherit the Sea God.

One had to possess the Angel martial soul to inherit the Angel God.

As for the Asura God, it would be considered an act of kindness if he didn't strike Tuoba Xuan down with a single sword upon seeing his Mountain Dragon King martial soul.

As for the final Rakshasa God, it was simply not within the scope of Tuoba Xuan's considerations.

If he were to become a god...

Tuoba Xuan had to seek out other divine inheritances, or—create a god position!

But then, another problem arose; he had already planted a flag in his sect.

Although his talent had recovered, he was still young and it was not yet time to return to the sect.

Therefore, he had to find a place to stay.

Being with Shui Bing'er was a good choice.

Besides that.

There were also places like Spirit Hall, Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and Shrek that he could go to.

At this moment in time, the true plot had not yet begun.

Tuoba Xuan was confident.

No matter which faction he joined, he could change the future of the continent.

Ultimately, Tuoba Xuan had a plan in mind.

First, participate in the Shui Clan's grand competition to see how things stood.

Then, go and eat the Mandarin Duck Pot; regardless, these things had to be kept in his own hands.

The timing of Tuoba Xuan's emergence from seclusion was indeed very coincidental.

The Shui Clan's grand competition would begin tomorrow, requiring only a night of rest.

The next day.

Tuoba Xuan took his entry letter and walked toward the City Lord's Mansion in Skywater City.

Clearly, the Shui Clan was the true master of Skywater City.

The central street was bustling with people.

Many young disciples were heading in the same direction as Tuoba Xuan.

It seemed they had all come for the sake of Shui Bing'er.

Tuoba Xuan did not walk for long before arriving in front of the City Lord's Mansion.

The City Lord's Mansion appeared even more lively than the city gates.

Countless heads were bobbing, and there were even several squads of soldiers maintaining order.

"Quite impressive!"

Tuoba Xuan remarked casually before walking toward the registration desk.

"Name?"

"Tuoba... uh... Long Xuan..."

"What was that?"

"Long Xuan!"

"Age."

"12."

"Go on in, give the entry token to the people inside."

"Oh!"

Tuoba Xuan took a cold, antique-wood-colored token and walked inside.

To conceal his identity, Tuoba Xuan still intended to use a pseudonym.

After all, as a protagonist, having a few pseudonyms was very important.

Tuoba Xuan walked into the interior of the City Lord's Mansion.

Upon seeing Tuoba Xuan's refined features and the token in his hand, a dainty young girl immediately hurried over to greet him.

"Hello, are you here to participate in the competition?"

The girl bore a slight resemblance to Shui Bing'er.

"Yes, I am." Tuoba Xuan handed the token to the girl.

The girl verified Tuoba Xuan's identity.

"Mm, the token is correct. My name is Shui Yue'er, it's a pleasure to meet you. For now, please head over to the side hall and wait for a moment; the competition will begin shortly."

Shui Yue'er? Shui Bing'er's younger sister?

Tuoba Xuan narrowed his eyes and walked into the side hall.

At this moment, the side hall was already filled with many talented youths.

Unsurprisingly, these people had all come for the sake of Shui Bing'er.

In truth, Shui Yue'er had been sent by Shui Bing'er specifically to wait for Tuoba Xuan.

However, Tuoba Xuan had not told Shui Bing'er his name at the time.

This resulted in Shui Yue'er failing to recognize Tuoba Xuan.

After all, Tuoba Xuan was truly far too young.

Shui Yue'er was Shui Bing'er's younger sister, yet she was still a full five years older than Tuoba Xuan.

As for Shui Bing'er, she was one year older than Shui Yue'er and had just come of age this year!