Ice Venom Toad

Such an interesting soul skill...

Meng Hongchen let out an exclamation of praise upon seeing the metal shield. Xiao Hongchen withdrew his Soul Power, a satisfied smile on his face as he deeply appreciated this soul skill.

Jing Hongchen watched Xiao Hongchen from the side, a look of satisfaction showing in his eyes.

"Alright, Xiao's soul ring problem is already solved. Next is Xiao Meng, and then Junior Brother."

He took out the soul beast distribution map once more and glanced into the depths of the mountain range. "There is also an ice lake in Jingyang Mountain where ice-attribute soul beasts roam. Let's go, head over there before it gets dark if possible."

Jing Hongchen lifted his foot and started walking.

Meng Hongchen trotted to catch up. Xiao Hongchen put away his short blades, adjusted the collar of his white shirt, and followed after them. Xu Tianming walked at the very back, glanced at the corpse of the Golden-Pattern Iron Rhino on the ground, and shook his head.

Centuries of bitter cultivation, turning in the blink of an eye into someone else's soul ring.

He sighed softly.

The soul beast line of work isn't easy either.

The scent of metal ore permeated the mountain wind as the three followed in Jing Hongchen's footsteps deeper into the Jingyang Mountain Range.

The group walked along the old mountain path.

The terrain of the Jingyang Mountain Range was extremely complex, with mist frequently gathering between the peaks. Ordinary soul masters who ventured inside would easily lose their way if they were not careful.

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

Their objective was clear.

Hours later, the group passed through the low mountain forests, and the view suddenly opened up. There was an ice lake in the valley, its surface covered by a thick layer of ice. Beneath the ice, however, water flowed slowly, and silver-white fish could occasionally be seen swimming past beneath the ice layer.

The lakeshore was filled with ice-blue water weeds, frost clinging to the edges of their leaves. The air was thick with cold water vapor, and Xiao Hongchen shivered the moment he entered the valley.

"The chill here is so heavy."

"Because the ice lake region of the Jingyang Mountain Range absorbs the power of underground cold veins over a long period, most ice-attribute soul beasts are concentrated here."

Jing Hongchen took out the soul beast distribution map, comparing it with the markers around the lake's surface.

"According to records, some soul beasts suitable for your martial soul live here, among them an Ice Venom Toad with an age between seven and nine hundred years."

Meng Hongchen's eyes lit up.

"An Ice Venom Toad?"

"Both ice and poison attributes, which match your Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad extremely well."

Jing Hongchen nodded in agreement.

"After absorbing its soul ring, your second soul skill will likely gain an ice-poison stacking effect, and may even generate a poison ring that can continuously affect opponents."

Meng Hongchen nodded vigorously.

"Then let's find it."

Jing Hongchen did not answer immediately, instead raising a hand to signal everyone to stay quiet.

The lake's surface was exceptionally calm, so calm that it felt somewhat overdone.

Xu Tianming stood by the edge of the ice lake, the cold seeping through his boots from the ice layer below feeling bone-chilling. Looking down, he saw an inky blue beneath the ice where water weeds swayed under the current, and several dark shadows were slowly swimming toward this spot from the lake bottom.

"They're coming."

Just as Jing Hongchen's words faded, a large burst of ice chips exploded in the center of the ice lake. A white figure rushed out from the water, kicking up a massive cloud of chilling mist as it lunged toward Meng Hongchen.

It was a toad-like soul beast, about the size of a water buffalo, its entire body covered in ice-blue bumps, with a row of translucent ice thorns growing along its back.

Its eyes were scarlet, its belly emitted a faint blue glow, and the ice surface quickly froze in all directions whenever its limbs touched down.

What felt most unpleasant was the chilling mist it spat from its mouth.

The mist was pale cyan, mixed with many tiny ice crystals. When the ice crystals fell to the ground, they produced a sizzling sound, and even hard rock was corroded into numerous small holes.

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

Jing Hongchen recognized it at a glance.

The Ice Venom Toad did not give the group much time to prepare. Pushing off with its hind legs, it traced an arc through the air, its large tongue lashing toward Meng Hongchen with cold venom.

Meng Hongchen instinctively stepped back, wanting to dodge.

"Hold your ground."

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

The Ice Venom Toad stopped dead in the air the moment it lunged, its tongue still remaining in an extended state. It flailed its limbs frantically, ice-blue venomous mist continuously gushing from the surface of its body, yet it remained unable to break free from the restraint of the Soul Power.

Jing Hongchen did not attack right away, instead saying to Meng Hongchen, "Pay attention. When it releases its cold venom, its belly will flash blue first. That is where the toxin and the ice-attribute Soul Power intersect."

Meng Hongchen observed the Ice Venom Toad intently.

"If I attack that spot, will it suffer greater damage?"

"Yes."

Jing Hongchen said, "But the age of this soul beast is approaching eight hundred years, and its belly is also its heavily armored defense. You must find a way to get close to it without letting its cold venom touch you."

Meng Hongchen clenched her fists.

"Understood."

She walked up to the Ice Venom Toad and extended her hand as ice-blue light quickly gathered.

A long ice sword materialized in her hand, the blade crystal-clear and emitting a cold gleam along its edges. As the aura of the Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad martial soul spread outward, faint red patterns appeared on the blade edge, with the forces of ice and fire slowly flowing within.

This was an ice sword she had condensed using her Soul Power.

Once Jing Hongchen eased some of his suppression, the Ice Venom Toad resumed its movements. Before it could spew its chilling mist, Meng Hongchen had already dashed out across the ice surface.

Her figure flashed across the lake as the ice sword swept upward from below. Dodging the chilling mist spat out by the Ice Venom Toad, she accurately pierced straight into the blue light source on its belly.

Thwack!

The ice sword plunged into flesh.

The Ice Venom Toad's body twitched violently, the blue light on its belly extinguishing as a large amount of icy mist surged from the wound. Holding the sword hilt, Meng Hongchen channeled the ice-attribute Soul Power within her body straight inside along with it.

After struggling for a moment, the Ice Venom Toad collapsed. Meng Hongchen withdrew her ice sword and retreated to the side as a pale yellow soul ring rose from the corpse of the Ice Venom Toad, slowly hovering above the lake surface.

"Go ahead."

Jing Hongchen dismissed his Soul Power.

Meng Hongchen sat cross-legged on the ground, drawing the soul ring toward herself.

The pale yellow soul ring slowly shrank before merging into her body. Ice-blue and dark-red lights alternated between bright and dim, and as the phantom of the Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad manifested behind her, the surrounding lake water rippled.

The chill grew heavier and heavier.

Meng Hongchen frowned, involuntarily clenching her fists. As the Ice Venom Toad's Soul Power entered her meridians, the cold venom continuously battered her body. Fortunately, her own martial soul possessed a terrifying cold venom of its own, so she did not experience severe rejection during the absorption process.