Into the Depths of the Extreme North!

The howling cold wind ravaged the outskirts of a city, while walls of crystallized ice covered its fortifications.

"Phew! We've finally reached the last human city in the Extreme North: Dragon City!" Huo Yuhao let out a heavy breath, his gaze fixed resolutely on the city before him. After a week of travel, they had finally arrived at this northernmost city!

"Dragon City is a city of the Heavenly Soul Empire, as well as the northernmost city on the continent." Zhu Lu looked at the map in her hands, her face flushed red from the cold wind.

"Let's go in and rest for a while first," Huo Yuhao said softly. Taking Zhu Lu's hand, the two of them walked into the city together.

Compared to those prosperous cities, Dragon City seemed rather desolate. However, that was because it had placed its focus on military defenses. Its towering walls were lined with massive Soul Tool cannons aimed at the pale ice fields.

The two arrived at an inn and rented a room. Once they entered the room with its heating stove, their bodies, stiff from the cold, finally began to recover somewhat.

"Xiao Lu, I'll be heading deeper into the Extreme North alone. You'll wait here for me, understand?" As the two discussed their upcoming plans, Huo Yuhao revealed that he intended to enter the depths of the Extreme North by himself.

Zhu Lu immediately voiced her opposition. Although Soul Beast sightings in the Extreme North were relatively scarce, the Soul Beasts that did appear were of extremely high quality. Not to mention that the depths were home to the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North.

"Don't worry. Teacher will be there too, so nothing will happen." Huo Yuhao sat beside Zhu Lu and held her trembling hands, soothing her fearful and worried heart.

"Little girl, don't worry. How about this old man guarantees that I'll return Yuhao to you in one piece?" Elex appeared before them with a broad smile.

"Teacher!" Huo Yuhao bowed slightly.

Zhu Lu, meanwhile, blushed at Elex's teasing. She buried her face against Yuhao's neck, too embarrassed to look at anyone.

"Little girl, are you willing to take this old man as your master? I am the Holy Necromancer of the Undead. Your Netherworld Spirit Cat is quite suited to learning undead and death-type magic."

Hearing that this existence, one capable of standing against the Dragon God Douluo, was actually willing to accept her as a disciple, Zhu Lu was stunned. She looked at Huo Yuhao beside her and saw the encouragement in his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped before Elex. "Zhu Lu greets Teacher!"

"Hahaha! Good! These are some basic spells related to the undead. You may try learning them." Elex extended his right hand, and two secret scrolls appeared in his palm.

They slowly floated toward Zhu Lu. Zhu Lu received them with both hands. Looking at the scrolls in her hands, her heart surged with excitement. She bowed deeply to Elex, thanking him for his teachings.

"Remember, little girl, magic relies on spiritual power. Soul power can supplement it, but only to a limited extent. During this time, you must properly train your spiritual power, understand?"

Like a proper teacher, Elex explained the details and requirements of magic to Zhu Lu, while also giving her a cultivation method specifically for training spiritual power.

Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up at the sight. He needed that cultivation method as well; his spiritual power also needed improvement.

"Don't worry, this is for both of you little ones. You are companions who have faced life and death together. In that noble estate where a single wrong step could mean death, the bond between you cannot be described merely as childhood sweethearts!"

"This spiritual power cultivation method can improve the resilience and strength of your spiritual power. This old man will explain it to you next. You can try cultivating it for one night. Yuhao, you can try it later. You're heading into the Extreme North tomorrow, so you must not exhaust yourself excessively!"

Huo Yuhao, who had originally planned to cultivate, nodded at Elex's words. He went to the bedside, sat cross-legged, and circulated the Nine Turns to Unity Technique to meditate and recover his spiritual power.

Meanwhile, under Elex's guidance, Zhu Lu began attempting spiritual power cultivation step by step.

The next morning arrived.

"Remember, safety comes first. Don't push yourself too hard!" Zhu Lu and Huo Yuhao stood at the doorway, reminding him of this like an old married couple.

"Don't worry. I'll definitely come back safely." Huo Yuhao gave her a firm look, rubbed her head, then set off toward the depths of the Extreme North.

"You have to come back safely!" Zhu Lu clutched her chest, her hopeful gaze fixed on his receding figure as it disappeared into the snow and ice.

An hour had passed since Huo Yuhao set out. He walked across an ice field buried beneath a foot of snow, and everywhere he looked was an endless expanse of ice and snow.

"Phew! I'm finally home! It's been so long since I came back!" Tian Meng flew out from Huo Yuhao's Spirit Sea. Looking at the familiar land and familiar temperature, he felt utterly delighted in both body and mind.

"Alright, big worm. We're truly entering the core region now, so bring out all your methods!" Elex's figure appeared, and Wei Qing also emerged beside Huo Yuhao, acting as his guard.

"Hehe, don't worry! Yuhao, take out the remains I left behind when I sacrificed myself to you!" Tian Meng said smugly. Huo Yuhao nodded and took a broad Ice Silkworm skin from his storage Soul Tool.

As soon as he draped the Ice Silkworm skin over himself, the previously biting cold instantly ceased to affect him. "What a perfect use of resources. Tian Meng, your body can actually be used like this too!"

Tian Meng looked immensely pleased with himself, prompting Elex beside him to retreat a step away in disgust.

With the aid of Tian Meng's remains, Huo Yuhao finally reached the core region of the Extreme North. Unlike the icy wasteland outside, there were no terrifying blizzards here, only an expanse of ice plains.

Even so, Elex easily sensed the dense ice elements in the air. This place truly was a blessed land for all ice-attribute Soul Masters and Soul Beasts!

"Alright, big worm. Begin your method!" Elex looked calm. To him, an Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion was nothing more than a little scorpion!

Tian Meng nodded, and terrifying soul power spread from his body, blasting toward the depths of the Extreme North. His declaration resounded between heaven and earth: "Ice Empress, I'm back! It's time to settle the score between us!"

As Tian Meng's energy spread outward, Elex also raised a hand and released a measure of pressure, intimidating the lesser creatures and preventing them from coming to interfere with their negotiations.

About a minute after Tian Meng's words fell, a jade-green radiance enveloped the entire area. Huo Yuhao stared curiously at the sky, which looked as though it were made of gemstones.

The next instant, a cold female voice rang out. "Tian Meng? You actually didn't die outside! But that's fine. You can come help me survive my heavenly tribulation!"

The ground shook violently. A gigantic scorpion, as tall as a city wall, appeared before them. Its massive pincers seemed capable of crushing everything, while the hook of its tail gleamed with a chilling light as it locked onto its prey!

The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, whose entire body seemed set with gemstones, appeared before them. She was one of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North—the Ice Empress, with three hundred and ninety thousand years of cultivation, the second strongest being in the Extreme North!