Three Months, Journey to the Far North

"What did you say? Meng's Martial Soul has risen to the Ultimate Ice level?!"

Inside the dean's office, the moment Jing Hongchen heard Xiao Hongchen say that Meng Hongchen's Martial Soul had somehow become Ultimate Ice, he instantly lost the composure expected of the dean of the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and master of Mingde Hall. Unable to contain himself, he sprang to his feet.

Despite his rather bloated appearance, he rushed before Meng Hongchen in an instant, staring at her with wide eyes. His face was already filled with shock and disbelief.

He truly could not believe that something so miraculous had happened.

Jing Hongchen's lips trembled with excitement as he stared at Meng Hongchen and asked in a shaking voice.

"Meng, is what Xiao said true? Has your Jade Sunny Ice Toad truly reached the Ultimate Ice level?"

This was Ultimate Ice!

As a Rank Nine Soul Engineer and a level 94 Titled Douluo, few people understood better than Jing Hongchen what an ultimate-attribute Martial Soul truly meant!

Under Jing Hongchen's gaze, Meng Hongchen smiled and nodded with certainty.

"It's true! If you don't believe me, Grandpa, I can demonstrate it for you."

As she spoke, Meng Hongchen could not help glancing toward Xiao Hongchen beside her.

The moment Xiao Hongchen sensed Meng Hongchen's intentions, he leaped backward to the doorway and shrieked at her.

"Meng! What are you trying to do? Do you want to turn me into an ice sculpture again? I'm telling you, no way! Let Grandpa experience your Ultimate Ice himself and spare me!"

Jing Hongchen froze for a moment before smacking Xiao Hongchen on the head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"You little brat, watch how you speak."

Looking aggrieved beyond measure, Xiao Hongchen pointed at Meng Hongchen and frantically complained.

"Grandpa, you don't know! When we took Yuhao to hunt for a Soul Ring before, this girl actually used me as a test subject and froze me into an ice sculpture with her Ultimate Ice! It took me ages to fully recover!"

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen's pupils contracted slightly as he repeatedly asked.

"Huo Yuhao reached level twenty?"

Before Xiao Hongchen could answer, Meng Hongchen rushed to reply.

"That's right! We helped Yuhao obtain his Second Soul Ring from a Millennial Silver Moon Wolf. He gained a Soul Skill called Mental Confusion, and he's already a Soul Grandmaster now. Besides, Yuhao's physical condition has become even better than Xiao's and mine. We originally planned to find him a hundred-year Soul Beast, but he actually managed to absorb a millennium Soul Ring!"

"And according to Yuhao, he didn't finish all those pills. He only took the two pills you gave him that could improve one's innate talent, and he successfully broke through to level twenty."

"Oh, right, Grandpa. My Martial Soul mutation was actually caused by Yuhao! Ever since I met him, I noticed that whenever I spent time around him, my Martial Soul would subtly change. Then yesterday, my Martial Soul suddenly underwent this mutation. Not only did it reach the Ultimate Ice level, but even its poison attribute didn't disappear!"

Jing Hongchen was left numb by this string of explosive news.

He had vaguely felt that Huo Yuhao was a genius who had nearly been buried by the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, but no matter what, he had never expected Huo Yuhao's talent to be this terrifying!

He had clearly only become a Soul Master not long ago, yet he had become a Soul Grandmaster in the blink of an eye?

If things were truly as Meng Hongchen said, and Huo Yuhao had not forcefully raised his Soul Power entirely through pills, then it meant that his body had long accumulated tremendous potential. Those two pills had merely drawn out Huo Yuhao's hidden potential.

With years of buildup finally bursting forth, he had directly broken through to the Soul Grandmaster level!

However, based on Jing Hongchen's guess, Huo Yuhao had most likely encountered some other fortuitous opportunity. Otherwise, with the physical condition he had developed from his experiences in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, it would have been absolutely impossible for his Second Soul Ring to be millennium-level!

In Jing Hongchen's experience, only legendary items such as Immortal Herbs had a chance of enabling Huo Yuhao to achieve something like this. The pills he had given Huo Yuhao had most likely awakened the effects of such an item, ultimately causing Huo Yuhao's Soul Power to soar!

Most absurd of all, spending more time in contact with Huo Yuhao might even improve one's Martial Soul?

Could it be that Huo Yuhao possessed that illusory thing called luck? Was that why he had soared straight to the heavens after leaving the White Tiger Duke's Mansion?

If this old man did the same, could my Martial Soul also rise to the ultimate level?

The instant this thought surfaced in Jing Hongchen's mind, he heard Xiao Hongchen complain resentfully beside him.

"Obviously, I'm the one who has spent the most time around Yuhao, so why hasn't my Martial Soul shown even the slightest reaction? Is it discriminating against me?"

Hearing that, Jing Hongchen instantly abandoned that utterly wishful thought. After casually comforting Xiao Hongchen, he looked at Meng Hongchen with a beaming smile.

"Meng, make sure to tell Grandpa if you ever lack anything. Xiao is hopeless, but you will definitely become the pride of our Hongchen Family in the future! Don't slack off, understand?"

Xiao Hongchen immediately widened his eyes at those words. Jing Hongchen had always said that he was the greatest genius in the history of the Sun Moon Empire, yet Meng Hongchen's Martial Soul had only just reached the Ultimate Ice level, and now he was saying Xiao was hopeless? What kind of logic was that?

However, neither Jing Hongchen nor Meng Hongchen paid any attention to Xiao Hongchen's protest. Grandfather and granddaughter presented a warm and harmonious scene, completely excluding Xiao Hongchen.

After Jing Hongchen cheerfully sent the two out of his office and shut the door, he finally could no longer suppress his emotions and burst into loud laughter.

"Huo Yuhao, Huo Yuhao, you're simply a lucky star! It would have been enough if you were a genius yourself, but you even raised Meng's Martial Soul to Ultimate Ice! No, whenever I get the chance in the future, I must personally thank White Tiger Duke Dai Hao!"

After obtaining his Second Soul Ring, Huo Yuhao was summoned by Jing Hongchen once to explain the situation. Following the story he had prepared beforehand, he said that while he was in the Star Dou Great Forest, he had been so hungry that he ate a blade of grass that radiated rich life energy and appeared to emit a holy glow.

Ever since then, his body had been slowly changing, and his cultivation speed had become much faster. After taking the pills Jing Hongchen had sent through Xiao Hongchen, his Soul Power had risen rapidly, only stopping once it reached level twenty due to the restriction of his Soul Ring.

Jing Hongchen did not doubt this explanation in the slightest. Instead, it convinced him even more firmly that Huo Yuhao had been fortunate enough to consume a legendary Immortal Herb capable of allowing even an ordinary person to soar into greatness.

From then on, aside from attending classes in peace each day and constantly absorbing knowledge about Soul Tools, Huo Yuhao would occasionally use the number of completed Diary Copy requirements to tease those beautiful girls for amusement.

Three months passed in such a life. As a short holiday approached, Huo Yuhao finally invited Gu Yuena to travel with him to the Far North. Just as he had expected, Gu Yuena did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately agreed.

Huo Yuhao wasted no more time and directly set out for the Far North with Gu Yuena. He had been looking forward to his Ultimate Ice-attribute Second Martial Soul for a long time!