Parting, Entering the Far North Snowfields

After folding his down quilt, Wang Dong turned his head to look at Li Qingming.

"Li Qingming, I'm about to break through to three rings. When we meet again next year, I definitely won't be weaker than you."

As Wang Dong spoke, he looked at Li Qingming. There was no pride or provocation in his eyes, only anticipation, as though he hoped Li Qingming would encourage him.

Meeting his gaze, Li Qingming turned to look at him as well, a rare smile on his face.

"Then I'll look forward to Wang Dong's performance next semester."

Hearing Li Qingming's somewhat gentle words, Wang Dong froze for a moment. His pink-blue eyes gradually softened as well.

He gazed at Li Qingming in silence for a second, then took two steps forward and slowly opened his arms.

"We're about to part ways. Before we do, can we have a hug?"

Wang Dong spoke very seriously, but as he looked at Li Qingming, there was unmistakable caution in his eyes.

Meeting Wang Dong's gaze, Li Qingming's body paused for a second. Still, he silently stepped forward and hugged Wang Dong.

After they separated, Wang Dong picked up the luggage he had prepared, gave Li Qingming a deep look, then left first.

Li Qingming, meanwhile, sat there quietly. He did not intend to leave on the first day and needed to wait another two days.

Ma Xiaotao's evil fire could no longer be suppressed, so before leaving, he needed to help her suppress it once more.

Time passed second by second. About two hours later, the door opened, and Ma Xiaotao entered, breathing lightly.

The moment she opened the door, she saw Li Qingming, who had already packed his things.

Seeing the youth sitting there with everything prepared, Ma Xiaotao's face carried a trace of apology.

"I'm sorry, Li Qingming. I delayed you. Dean Yan had something to discuss with me just now, so I came late. My apologies."

As Ma Xiaotao spoke, her face was filled with deep remorse.

Li Qingming merely shook his head at her, then extended his hand.

"Come on. Once this is done, I may be leaving as well."

After Li Qingming spoke, Ma Xiaotao paused for a second before placing her hand in his.

Immediately afterward, a terrifying force of evil fire surged over.

Feeling that evil fire pour into his body, Li Qingming's expression did not change in the slightest.

Behind him, the ultimate sacred power of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul descended, completely suppressing Ma Xiaotao's evil fire in an instant.

After Li Qingming's suppression during this period, Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire Phoenix had begun transforming into a Light Phoenix as well.

Or rather, it should be called a Holy Phoenix.

It was an entirely new Martial Soul, different from the Evil Fire Phoenix. Both Ma Xiaotao and Yan Shaozhe had sensed this.

That was also why Yan Shaozhe had previously sent over the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Fruit.

Besides Li Qingming himself, the more important reason was the help Li Qingming had given Ma Xiaotao.

As long as Li Qingming was there, in at most another half year, Ma Xiaotao's Martial Soul would completely evolve into an entirely new Martial Soul and no longer suffer from the corruption of evil power.

Feeling that somewhat pleasant sensation, feeling her body embraced by sunlight once again, Ma Xiaotao gazed at Li Qingming with misty eyes.

She wanted to reach out and touch the youth's face, but seeing his calm, unruffled features, she did not dare extend her hand.

As time continued to pass, more than an hour went by. When Li Qingming opened his eyes again, Ma Xiaotao had already quietly left.

Li Qingming quietly looked at his own hand.

During this period, Ma Xiaotao's evil fire power had clashed with the ultimate power within his body.

Aside from making his ice physique even stronger, it had also enhanced the strength of his physical body.

In terms of his current physical strength, he was already stronger than ordinary four-ring Soul Masters and even five-ring Soul Masters.

This offered great advantages in battles between Soul Masters. Both his resistance to strikes and his defenses against soul skills had improved greatly.

With that thought, Li Qingming slowly opened his eyes.

With a flick of his fingers, he stored his luggage inside his storage ring.

Then he took a step forward, his entire body heading directly toward the Far North.

Shrek Academy was not far from the Far North.

After changing between carriages and various other modes of transportation, Li Qingming reached the edge of the Far North in just a few days.

Looking at the Far North, blanketed by endless snowfields, Li Qingming's expression became extremely tense.

He did not have any Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow with him now.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow carried a trace of the Ice Empress's aura. That was why he had been able to come here so easily at the age of ten last time.

But now that he no longer had the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow, entering the Far North was extremely dangerous.

Although he had come to find the Snow Empress this time, his first destination was not her territory, but the Ice Empress's.

The reason was actually simple.

Before coming to the Far North and having the Snow Empress completely seal him away, he had actually met the Ice Empress beforehand.

Or rather, the Ice Empress had sensed the aura of the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Marrow and thus did not kill him, instead taking him to find the Snow Empress.

That was how he received the Snow Empress's grace and was frozen for ten thousand years through her immense power.

Now that Li Qingming had awakened, the Snow Empress had likely encountered danger in advance.

Li Qingming had long considered this possibility, which was why he had always hidden his Ice Coffin Jade Marrow in the deepest part of the Far North snowfields.

With the extreme low temperatures and ice there, the Ice Coffin Jade Marrow would not melt.

Even if the Snow Empress was gone, it could not possibly melt.

That was what left Li Qingming both speechless and curious. He did not understand why he had ended up here.

Because even if something had happened to the Snow Empress, after the Titan Snow Demon King took over the Far North, he would not do anything to the Snow Empress's residence.

And Li Qingming had been hidden in the deepest part of the Snow Empress's residence. Other than those trusted by the Snow Empress—or rather, those able to enter her residence—no one could find him.

Though he had his suspicions, he ultimately did not want to think in that direction.

Still, Li Qingming's pace was indeed not slow.

After entering the Far North, guided by his understanding of the map from before, he continued deeper into one particular region.

Although the Ice Empress also lived within the Far North, where she resided differed from the ordinary regions of the Far North.

Her home lay within a boundless glacier rather than a normal area.

Finding a glacier deep within the Far North was certainly difficult, but not impossibly so.

As Li Qingming drew closer, several terrifying auras spread out.

He even saw several kinds of creatures destroyed before his eyes, and he encountered a group of walking Titan Snow Demons.

Those enormous Titan Snow Demons strode across the land, dozens of meters tall, like massive mountains rumbling toward the distance.

Naturally, Li Qingming did not dare collide with them.

After carefully hiding and spending another two or three days on the road, he finally reached a settlement.

There lay a boundless glacier.

Upon it, a jade-green scorpion rested quietly.

The scorpion was white and green all over, and its green portions resembled the most beautiful crystals, flawless and translucent.

Seeing this, Li Qingming's eyes lit up with joy.