Far North Ice Cavern, Million-Year Soul Beast Tian Meng

At dawn the next day, the sky had only just begun to brighten.

Huo Chen rose early and woke the sleeping Huo Yuhao.

"Awake? Get yourself ready. We're leaving."

Huo Yuhao rolled out of bed in one swift motion, quickly washed up and dressed, then followed closely behind Huo Chen out through the manor gates.

"Uncle, where are we going to meet that old friend of yours?" The boy was bursting with curiosity and kept asking along the way.

"The vast mountain range on the outskirts of the Extreme North, bordering human territory."

Huo Chen took his small hand and leaped into the air, soaring northward. "That fellow is hidden extremely well. Ordinary soul masters and soul beasts alike cannot detect it. Only I know where it is."

The two rode the wind, racing north at high speed.

Along the way, Huo Yuhao's curiosity never waned. He fired off question after question. "Uncle, what kind of soul beast is it exactly? Is it very powerful? Why is it specifically waiting for me?"

Faced with this string of questions, Huo Chen merely smiled without answering, telling him only to wait for the answers to be revealed.

After flying through the air for a full two hours, they entered a boundless mountain range that stretched for thousands of miles.

The temperature here plummeted, far colder and harsher than the inland regions of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Snow covered the towering peaks year-round, blanketing the mountains in white. The crisp, frigid air was pure and biting, carrying strands of chill that brushed against them.

Huo Chen slowly descended and landed at the entrance to a concealed valley. Sheer cliffs surrounded it on all sides, while the valley floor was buried beneath thick snow. Untrodden by human feet, it was silent and desolate.

"We're here."

He released Huo Yuhao's hand and looked toward a dark cave at the very depths of the valley. "It's inside."

Huo Yuhao followed his gaze. The cave mouth was deep and pitch-black, its interior impossible to see. Glittering icicles hung from the rocky walls around the entrance, and wisps of bone-piercing cold slowly drifted out.

"Uncle, what kind of soul beast is hidden in this cave?" The boy's voice carried both nervousness and anticipation.

Staring into the depths of the cave, Huo Chen calmly spoke four words. "A million-year soul beast."

"A-a million-year soul beast?!"

Huo Yuhao shuddered from head to toe and sharply sucked in a breath. His pupils constricted as disbelief filled his face.

Though his life had been difficult, he still knew the basic common knowledge of soul masters on the continent.

A hundred-thousand-year soul beast was already considered the pinnacle of the world, an existence rarely seen even once in a century and spoken of only in legend. As for million-year soul beasts, they existed solely in ancient myths. Everyone believed they had long since vanished from the continent!

"Uncle, you're not joking, are you?" Huo Yuhao's voice trembled slightly, unable to believe it even now.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Huo Chen smiled faintly and took his hand again. "Come on. Let's go in and meet it. It has already sensed our presence."

The two entered the dark cave side by side.

The cave extended deep underground, growing wider and more spacious the farther they went. The walls were coated in thick millennia-old ice that gave off a dim, icy blue glow in the darkness. The cold was piercing.

Thanks to the flawless body forged by the Samsara Divine Pill, Huo Yuhao's physique far surpassed that of an ordinary person. This level of cold had no effect on him whatsoever.

After walking for a quarter of an hour, the narrow passage abruptly opened up, revealing an immense underground ice cavern before them.

The dome of the cavern rose dozens of zhang high. Countless enormous, crystal-clear ice crystals hung from its ceiling in an elegant scattered arrangement, glimmering faintly in a breathtaking display.

At the very center of the ice cavern lay a massive white creature curled up in silence. A soft, holy white radiance surrounded its body, driving away the darkness of the cavern.

It was an insect-type soul beast.

Its body was unimaginably enormous, a full hundred meters long. Snow-white and flawless from head to tail, its plump body was divided into stacked segments. It looked somewhat comical, yet it carried a vast, ancient aura.

On its enormous head was a single giant eye, tightly shut at the moment, as if it had fallen into a long slumber.

Sensing the arrival of the two, the tightly closed giant eye slowly opened.

"Mmm... someone finally came?"

A lazy, hoarse voice rang through the vast ice cavern, carrying the groggy confusion of one who had just awakened and echoing without end.

"Heavenly Dream, long time no see."

Huo Chen spoke first, his tone casual and familiar, as though chatting with an old friend.

Heavenly Dream Iceworm blinked its enormous eye slightly. It remained stunned for a long while before finally shaking off its drowsiness, its expression filled with shock.

"Holy shit?! Huo Chen?! You actually came here? And you even found my hiding place!"

Its voice suddenly rose, full of astonishment and disbelief. Then its gaze abruptly locked onto Huo Yuhao beside him, light flickering in its single eye.

"Wait, who's this little fellow beside you?"

Heavenly Dream Iceworm's spiritual sense instantly spread out, enveloping Huo Yuhao's entire body. Its tone abruptly turned doubtful. "Something's not right... How can this child's spiritual power be so pure and abundant?"

Its words stopped abruptly as turmoil churned within its heart.

It had lived for a million years and seen countless geniuses across the continent, yet it had never encountered a child with such exceptional spiritual power talent. What shook it even more was the natural resonance of perfect compatibility between itself and the boy before it, as if the boy had been born to bear it.

"Huo Chen, this is..." Heavenly Dream Iceworm's tone suddenly became solemn.

"A host I found specifically for you." Huo Chen spoke bluntly, his tone certain.

"You have lain dormant for a million years, always seeking a compatible human soul master with whom to form a contract and leave this frozen land. This is my nephew, Huo Yuhao. His martial soul is the Spiritual Eyes, an ultimate spiritual-type martial soul. He is perfectly compatible with you."

Heavenly Dream Iceworm fell silent for a long time. Its giant eye stared intently at Huo Yuhao, examining him over and over without speaking.

Held beneath the unwavering gaze of a million-year soul beast, Huo Yuhao felt slightly nervous and instinctively clenched the hem of his clothes.

Only after a long while did the Heavenly Dream Iceworm slowly let out a sigh, its tone full of admiration. "Perfect... simply the most perfect spiritual-type host in the world!"

"This child's spiritual talent is unmatched throughout history, and this immaculate body of his... Huo Chen, what heaven-defying treasure did you feed him?!"

"Just a Samsara Divine Pill," Huo Chen answered calmly.

"No wonder! No wonder his physique, foundation, and talent are all flawless!" The Heavenly Dream Iceworm suddenly understood, then looked at Huo Yuhao, its tone turning solemn.

"Little fellow, do you know who I am?"

"Uncle said you're a million-year soul beast," Huo Yuhao answered honestly.

"That's right! I am the sole ruler of the Far North, the continent's only million-year spiritual-type soul beast—the Heavenly Dream Iceworm!"

The Heavenly Dream Iceworm was instantly full of confidence, its voice carrying a trace of proud arrogance. "Across the entire Douluo Continent, there is only one of me. There is no second!"

"Enough bragging." Huo Chen helplessly cut off its self-satisfaction and went straight to the point. "Tell me plainly. Are you willing to form a contract with my nephew and become his soul ring partner?"

"Willing! One hundred percent willing!"

The Heavenly Dream Iceworm answered without the slightest hesitation, utterly thrilled. "If I let a perfect host like this, one that comes once in a thousand years, slip away, then I'd truly be an idiot!"

It turned to Huo Yuhao, putting away all teasing from its voice as its tone became incomparably solemn. "Little fellow, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

Huo Yuhao immediately straightened up and nodded seriously.

"I, the Heavenly Dream Iceworm, a million-year spiritual-type soul beast, willingly enter into an equal symbiotic contract with you and become your soul ring."

"I am completely different from ordinary soul rings. I will not merely grant you a single soul skill. I will become your constant companion, travel the continent with you, accompany you as you grow throughout your life, and offer my full support whenever you cultivate or face danger."

"In return, you must help me fulfill one wish."

"What wish?" Huo Yuhao asked sincerely.

"I have been trapped in this Far North Ice Cavern for a million years, frozen every day and asleep every year. I have long since grown tired of these endless fields of snow."

The Heavenly Dream Iceworm's voice carried boundless longing and melancholy. "I want to borrow your eyes to leave this icy plain, to see the vast world beyond, to witness mountains and rivers stretching for thousands of miles, and the warmth of mortal life."

Huo Yuhao's heart stirred. He turned to look at Huo Chen and, seeing his uncle nod with a smile, immediately answered solemnly, "I promise you!"

The Heavenly Dream Iceworm's enormous body trembled slightly, as though it were laughing joyfully. Though its insect form had no expression, its overwhelming delight could still be felt clearly.

"Then let us form the contract at once!"

As its words fell, an incomparably dazzling pure white light erupted from the Heavenly Dream Iceworm's body, instantly illuminating the entire ice cavern and driving away all chill.

Vast, boundless pure spiritual power transformed into a towering tide, gently enveloping Huo Yuhao's body before pouring into his sea of consciousness.

Countless sealed fragments of memory, insights gained from a million years of cultivation, and the profound principles behind using spiritual power all surged into Huo Yuhao's mind, remolding the foundation of his spirit.

At the same time, an immense amount of exceptionally pure soul power slowly flowed into his limbs and bones, gently washing through his meridians and acupoints as it propelled his cultivation upward at a furious pace.

Level eleven!

Level twelve!

Level thirteen!

His soul power soared without resistance, like a force shattering through bamboo, only gradually halting when it reached the level-twenty bottleneck.

Two dazzling golden soul rings rose beneath Huo Yuhao's feet, slowly revolving around his body, sacred and awe-inspiring.

Dual million-year soul rings!

If any soul master from the outside world witnessed this sight, they would surely be horrified beyond measure and lose their minds on the spot. Yet to Huo Chen and the Heavenly Dream Iceworm, it was only natural—nothing more than expected.

"How do you feel?" The Heavenly Dream Iceworm's exhausted yet excited voice sounded within Huo Yuhao's sea of consciousness.

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright. The world before him had become completely new.

His senses had been infinitely amplified. Within a hundred meters, the tiny insects lurking beneath the ice, the droplets flowing through cracks in the rocks, and the fine dust floating in the air—every movement was clearly reflected in his perception, leaving nothing hidden.

Boundless spiritual power transformed into a fine, dense web that blanketed the surroundings, bringing everything around him under his control.

"Great. Better than ever before!"

Huo Yuhao clenched his fists, feeling the surging, abundant power within his body, his eyes shining brightly.

"Of course!" the Heavenly Dream Iceworm laughed proudly. "Across all of Douluo, you are the first soul master in history to possess dual million-year soul rings!"

Warmth surged through Huo Yuhao's heart. He turned toward Huo Chen beside him, his eyes full of sincere gratitude. "Uncle, thank you."

"Silly child." Huo Chen stepped forward and rubbed the top of his head, smiling gently. "You are my nephew. Naturally, I will protect you completely and give you the very best of everything."

He raised his eyes toward the vast sky beyond the ice cavern, a trace of deeper meaning flashing through his gaze.

"Our business here is finished. We will set out at once for the deepest part of the Far North."

Huo Yuhao was full of curiosity. "Uncle, what are we going to do in the depths of the Far North?"

The corners of Huo Chen's lips lifted into a meaningful smile.

"To pick up two... future aunts."

Huo Yuhao's face was blank, his mind filled with question marks. He was completely stunned.