The Utmost North, Dragon Emperor's Advent!

The Far North.

Inside the Ice Crystal Palace, constructed from ten-thousand-year profound ice, the bone-chilling cold was permeated by a rare sense of warmth.

The massive Titan Snow Demon Bear, Xiao Bai, lay sprawled across the mirror-like ice floor; though he had shrunk his form, he remained gargantuan.

He deliberately restrained his fierce aura, his large bear eyes now filled with gentleness as they stared unblinkingly at the small human figure in the center of the hall.

The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, Ice Emperor—who in human form appeared as a delicate yet sharp-auraed girl with green hair—stood with her arms crossed, a smile of curiosity and anticipation playing on her lips.

Standing at the very center was the true sovereign of this Far North, the Ice Sky Snow Maiden, Snow Emperor.

Her blue hair cascaded like a waterfall, her beauty was peerless, and she was surrounded by a coldness that made the very heavens solemn; yet, as she looked at the child before her, her ice-blue eyes held only an unfathomable tenderness.

The one being watched by the three monarchs of the Far North was a human child of about six years old, named Xue Chen.

Today was the day of his martial soul awakening.

Snow Emperor's voice, ethereal and warm, broke the silence of the palace:

"Chen'er, remember not to be nervous when your martial soul awakens in a moment."

Ice Emperor chimed in, her tone carrying her characteristic crisp, delicate charm:

"That's right, little Chen, relax.

I'm quite curious myself to see what kind of martial soul you, having grown up in our Far North, will awaken."

She was deeply intrigued by what kind of mark this environment, nurtured by the world's ultimate cold, would leave upon the child.

Xiao Bai's voice was thick and deep, carrying an unquestionable firmness:

"That's right, little Chen!

No matter what martial soul you awaken, you are still that same Xue Chen, still my little brother, Xiao Bai's brother—that will never change!"

Hearing the concerned words of everyone, Xue Chen looked up at Snow Emperor, who was like a mother to him, at Aunt Ice Emperor, who was sharp-tongued but kind-hearted, and at the honest and reliable Xiao Bai.

He took a deep breath of the frigid air, his initial nervousness easing significantly, and nodded obediently.

Today was the sixth year since Xue Chen had transmigrated to the Douluo Continent, and it was the day of his martial soul awakening.

From the moment he gained consciousness, he had been raised by Snow Emperor, whom he called Mother.

He did not know his specific origins, nor did he know who his parents were; he only heard Snow Emperor mention that he had fallen from the sky onto this Ice and Snow Wasteland.

Seeing that he was ready, Snow Emperor spoke no more, saying softly:

"Begin, Chen'er. Extend your right hand."

Xue Chen complied, slowly raising his small right hand, palm upward, waiting for the fateful moment that would decide his future path to arrive.

Snow Emperor tapped her jade finger lightly, and a wisp of pure, ultimate cold soul power, carrying an irresistible and majestic will, slowly flowed into Xue Chen's meridians.

The moment this external soul power entered, Xue Chen did not feel the bone-piercing cold he had expected; instead, he felt a warm, gentle energy instantly flow through his limbs and bones, leaving his entire body feeling toasty.

He could clearly feel that, under the guidance of this external force, something that had been sleeping deep within his body was being awakened, gently yet firmly.

Just then, an anomaly occurred!

On Xue Chen's smooth forehead, a complex and profound blue pattern appeared without warning; the pattern looked like a dragon yet not, winding and coiling, flickering with a faint, shimmering light.

At the same time, tiny blue arcs of electricity, like mischievous little snakes, began to crackle and dance around his body.

"Hm?"

Snow Emperor's gaze narrowed; she did not change the speed at which she injected her soul power, but she focused even more intently on observing every subtle change within Xue Chen.

"ROAR!!!"

A low yet incredibly piercing dragon roar erupted directly from within Xue Chen, echoing through the silent ice palace.

As the roar reached their ears, Ice Emperor, who had been standing with her arms crossed and looking on with ease, saw her expression change abruptly, her delicate body tensing instinctively.

She felt an invisible pressure originating from the very source of her bloodline, causing her, a 400,000-year-cultivation Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, to feel a sudden, impulsive urge to bow down!

"Bloodline suppression?"

Ice Emperor gasped, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief:

"How is this possible? What is little Chen's origin? His martial soul is actually exerting bloodline suppression over me!"

This completely subverted her understanding.

Could the martial soul awakened by a human child truly transcend the bloodline of a top-tier soul beast like herself?

Xiao Bai, lying to the side, also jerked his massive bear head up, his thick voice filled with the same shock and agitation:

"I felt it clearly, too!

The Titan Snow Demon Bear bloodline within me is trembling... This feeling... it can only mean that the quality of little Chen's martial soul bloodline is far superior to ours!"

In his gentle bear eyes, only horror remained.

Ice Emperor suddenly recalled the scene from six years ago, her tone carrying unprecedented gravity:

"When Snow Emperor and I first found little Chen, we felt it was strange—a human infant unaffected by the erosion of the Far North's winter! Now it seems..."

Her gaze locked tightly onto Xue Chen, as if trying to see right through him. "Little Chen, what exactly is your origin?"

Just as the two were overcome with surging emotions, the Snow Emperor had already completed the final guidance of her soul power.

Following the gentle pull of her soul power, the blue dragon mark on Xue Chen's forehead suddenly flared with intense blue light, becoming incredibly distinct, like a living brand!

Immediately after, a torrential force of blue lightning surged from within Xue Chen's body, gathering and taking shape frantically in the void behind him!

In the blink of an eye, a massive blue dragon shadow coalesced, coiling above Xue Chen.

It was not a physical entity, yet it radiated a suffocating pressure.

The dragon's body was outlined by countless leaping blue bolts of lightning, its scales sharp and ominous, containing a destructive power.

The dragon's head was majestic, its eyes like two miniature suns of lightning, coldly overlooking everything below.

The extreme cold and the violent lightning fused strangely upon this dragon shadow, forming an imperial aura that stood supreme over heaven and earth!

Under this complete dragon might, the Ice Emperor and Xiao Bai found their breathing involuntarily hitch.

The Ice Emperor's emerald eyes were fixed tightly on the dragon shadow behind Xue Chen as she spoke with a hint of uncertainty:

"Is this... the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon from the human world, known as a top-tier beast martial soul?"

She had heard of this martial soul's reputation, but it seemed somewhat different from the sensation before her, which even made her heart palpitate.

The Snow Emperor had already slowly withdrawn her soul power. She gazed at the circling giant dragon, her beautiful face carrying a trace of recollection and comparison, before she shook her head gently, her tone certain:

"No, it is not the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Years ago, a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul master ventured deep into the Far North, and I sensed the aura of his martial soul.

It was sufficiently domineering and fierce, but the essence of its dragon might and the quality contained within its bloodline are far inferior to the martial soul Chen'er is displaying right now."

Her words carried unquestionable authority; as the ruler of the Far North, her perception of energy and bloodlines far exceeded that of ordinary beings.

Hearing this, the Ice Emperor became even more puzzled, her willow brows furrowing slightly: "If it is not the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, then what martial soul is this?

Such a powerful dragon-type martial soul—I have never seen it, nor have I ever heard of it."