Ice Venom Toad

"How interesting..."

Meng Hongchen let out a gasp of admiration when she saw the metal shield. Xiao Hongchen withdrew his Soul Power and revealed a satisfied smile. He was quite pleased with this soul skill.

Jing Hongchen stood nearby, watching Xiao Hongchen with satisfaction in his eyes.

"Alright, Xiao's Soul Ring issue has been resolved. Next are Little Meng and junior brother."

He took out the soul beast distribution map again and glanced toward the depths of the mountains. "There's also an ice lake in Jingyang Mountain, where ice-attribute soul beasts gather. Let's go. We should try to get there before nightfall."

Jing Hongchen lifted a foot and set off.

Meng Hongchen jogged after him. After putting away his short blade, Xiao Hongchen tugged at the collar of his white shirt before following as well. Xu Tianming brought up the rear, glanced at the corpse of the Golden-Pattern Iron Rhino on the ground, and shook his head.

"Several hundred years of bitter cultivation, only to become someone else's Soul Ring in the end."

He sighed softly.

"Being a soul beast isn't an easy life either."

The mountain wind carried the scent of metallic ore as the four of them followed Jing Hongchen deeper into the Jingyang Mountain Range.

The group walked along an old mountain path.

The terrain of the Jingyang Mountain Range was exceptionally complex. Mist often gathered between the peaks, and ordinary soul masters could easily lose their way if they entered carelessly.

However, Jing Hongchen possessed a soul beast distribution map drawn by the empire and had left numerous markers along the way, so their pace was never affected.

Their objective was clear.

Several hours later, they passed through a low mountain forest, and the view suddenly opened up. An ice lake lay within the valley, its surface covered by a thick layer of ice. Yet water flowed slowly beneath it, and from time to time, several silvery-white fish could be seen swimming under the ice.

Many ice-blue aquatic plants grew along the shore, their leaves edged with frost. Cold, damp vapor filled the air, and Xiao Hongchen shivered the moment he entered the valley.

"The chill here is intense."

"The ice lake region of the Jingyang Mountain Range has absorbed the power of underground cold veins for many years, so most ice-attribute soul beasts gather here."

Jing Hongchen took out the soul beast distribution map and compared it with the markings around the lake.

"According to the records, several soul beasts suitable for your martial soul live here. Among them is an Ice Venom Toad, between seven hundred and nine hundred years old."

Meng Hongchen's eyes lit up.

"An Ice Venom Toad?"

"It has both ice and poison attributes, making it an excellent match for your Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad."

Jing Hongchen nodded in agreement.

"After absorbing its Soul Ring, your second soul skill will very likely gain an effect that combines ice and poison. It may even produce a poison field capable of continuously affecting your opponent."

Meng Hongchen nodded vigorously.

"Then let's find it."

Jing Hongchen did not answer immediately. Instead, he raised a hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

The lake surface was utterly still—too still.

Xu Tianming stood at the edge of the ice lake. The cold seeping through his boots from the ice beneath his feet was biting. Looking down, he saw a deep blue expanse under the ice. Aquatic plants swayed in the dark current, while several black shadows slowly swam toward them from the lake bottom.

"It's here."

The moment Jing Hongchen spoke, a mass of ice shards exploded from the center of the lake. A white shadow shot out of the water, kicking up a broad cloud of freezing mist as it lunged at Meng Hongchen.

It was a toad-type soul beast, roughly the size of a water buffalo. Its entire body was covered in ice-blue lumps, and a row of translucent ice spikes grew along its back.

Its eyes were scarlet, while a faint blue glow shone from its belly. Whenever its limbs touched the ground, ice rapidly spread outward across the surface.

Most unpleasant of all was the freezing mist it spat from its mouth.

The mist was pale cyan and mixed with countless tiny ice crystals. When those crystals landed on the ground, they made sizzling sounds. Even hard rock was corroded with countless tiny holes.

"An Ice Venom Toad of around eight hundred years."

Jing Hongchen recognized it at a glance.

The Ice Venom Toad gave them no time to prepare. Its hind legs kicked off, tracing an arc through the air as its long tongue, laden with freezing poison, lashed toward Meng Hongchen.

Meng Hongchen instinctively retreated, wanting to dodge.

"Hold your ground."

Jing Hongchen raised his right hand, and invisible Soul Power followed.

The Ice Venom Toad abruptly froze in midair, its tongue still extended. It desperately twisted its limbs as ice-blue poisonous mist continuously erupted from its body, but it still could not break free of the Soul Power's restraints.

Jing Hongchen did not attack immediately. Instead, he said to Meng Hongchen, "Watch carefully. Whenever it releases freezing poison, its abdomen glows blue first. That is where the poison and ice-attribute Soul Power converge."

Meng Hongchen carefully observed the Ice Venom Toad.

"If I attack there, will it suffer greater damage?"

"Correct."

Jing Hongchen said, "But this soul beast is nearly eight hundred years old, and its abdomen is also its strongest point of defense. You need to find a way to get close. Don't let its freezing poison touch you."

Meng Hongchen clenched her fist.

"Understood."

She walked before the Ice Venom Toad and extended her hand. Ice-blue light swiftly gathered.

A longsword of ice appeared in her hand. Its blade was crystal-clear, its edges gleaming with cold light. As the aura of her Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad martial soul spread outward, faint red patterns appeared along the blade. The powers of ice and fire slowly flowed within it.

This was an ice sword condensed from her Soul Power.

After Jing Hongchen relaxed his suppression slightly, the Ice Venom Toad began moving again. Just as it was about to spray freezing mist, Meng Hongchen had already dashed forward across the ice.

Her figure swept over the lake surface. Her ice sword slashed upward from below, avoiding the freezing mist spewed by the Ice Venom Toad before accurately piercing the source of blue light in its abdomen.

"Pfft!"

The ice sword pierced flesh.

The Ice Venom Toad's body convulsed violently, and the blue glow in its abdomen went out. Large amounts of icy mist poured from the wound. Grasping the hilt, Meng Hongchen sent her own ice-attribute Soul Power into its body as well.

After struggling once, the Ice Venom Toad collapsed. Meng Hongchen withdrew her ice sword and stepped aside. A pale yellow Soul Ring rose from the Ice Venom Toad's corpse and slowly floated above the lake.

"Go on."

Jing Hongchen withdrew his Soul Power.

Meng Hongchen sat cross-legged on the ground and drew the Soul Ring toward herself.

The pale yellow Soul Ring gradually shrank before merging into her body. Ice-blue and dark-red light alternated in flickers. As the phantom of the Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad appeared behind her, ripples spread across the surrounding lake water.

The chill grew increasingly intense.

Meng Hongchen frowned, her hands unconsciously curling into fists. After the Ice Venom Toad's Soul Power entered her meridians, its freezing poison continuously assaulted her body. Fortunately, her martial soul itself possessed terrifying freezing poison, so there was no major rejection during the absorption process.