Deep Into the Far North? A Choice of Two from Four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts?!

Yin Yu was overjoyed.

"Good!

"That gives you even more confidence to withstand the impact of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring!"

Just then, Yin Changqing opened his eyes. The Light Saint Dragon roared behind him.

Yellow, purple, purple, black, black—five Soul Rings pulsed slowly around him.

Dugu Bo stared at the five Soul Rings around Yin Changqing, utterly stunned. He could not help murmuring,

"Twelve years old...

"A level fifty-three Soul King...

"A sixty-five-thousand-year fifth ring...

"If the self-proclaimed geniuses of the great powers found out, their confidence would probably shatter on the spot."

Tuoba Xi hurried over to Yin Changqing and looked his grandson up and down, his eyes brimming with delight and pride.

"Good lad!

"Not a scratch on you!

"Changqing, tell your grandfather: what Spirit Skill did that sixty-five-thousand-year Blizzard Light Dragon give you?

"And how much did your Soul Power rise?"

Yin Changqing withdrew his Martial Soul and smiled.

"Grandfather, my Soul Power broke straight through the bottleneck and settled at the peak of level fifty-three.

"As for my fifth Spirit Skill, it inherited my Martial Soul's traits and became a dual enhancement."

Yin Changqing had no intention of hiding it from Dugu Bo.

For one thing, Dugu Bo had already moved everything he owned to the Holy Dragon Sect.

For another, Yin Changqing understood Dugu Bo's temperament well enough not to worry about betrayal.

But he did not say outright that they were two Spirit Skills.

He deliberately kept it vague, letting Dugu Bo assume they were two effects of a single Spirit Skill.

He could learn the truth in time.

Yin Yu stepped forward, anticipation filling his eyes.

"Oh?

"Which two enhancements?"

Yin Changqing explained,

"The first is called Holy Dragon Radiance.

"It increases the holy burning and purifying damage of all my light-attribute attacks by eighty percent, and grants the same boost to the light-attribute effects of everyone on our side.

"The second is called Holy Dragon Overlord Body.

"It permanently increases my strength by eighty percent, while my physical attacks gain eighty percent penetration and an absolute armor-breaking effect."

The key word was permanently.

At those words, the two Titled Douluo and the Soul Douluo present all drew sharp breaths.

Dugu Bo's mouth twitched, and he gave a wry smile.

"Eighty percent more strength... plus eighty percent penetration and absolute armor breaking?

"Add that to all your earlier percentage boosts, Changqing, and if you threw a punch at full strength now, you'd probably smash an ordinary Soul Sage to pulp, even with their Martial Soul Avatar active—armor and all."

A fierce light flashed in Yin Yu's eyes. He clapped his hands in praise.

"Overwhelming!

"Strength and armor breaking taken to their purest extreme!

"Ordinary Soul Masters have all sorts of flashy Spirit Skills, but against sheer strength and percentage boosts like these, they don't stand a chance!

"With Changqing's current single-target power, he could crush even an assault-type Soul Sage above level seventy-five head-on!"

Tuoba Xi threw back his head and laughed heartily.

"Hahahaha!

"Eight passive percentage boosts!

"Since the Holy Dragon Sect was founded, when have we ever produced a prodigy like this?

"Wonderful!

"Absolutely wonderful!"

Tuoba Tingxue walked to Yin Changqing's side and straightened his collar, her eyes full of warmth and pride.

"You did well, Changqing.

"Now that you've obtained your fifth Soul Ring, the first goal of our journey is complete."

Yin Changqing turned to his mother, his expression serious.

"Mother, next we'll put everything into hunting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast for your ninth ring."

The words "Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring" instantly turned the mood solemn.

Tuoba Xi's smile faded. He looked north of the Broken Dragon Ice Abyss, toward the deeper reaches of the Far North Core Circle where snowstorms blotted out the sky, and spoke gravely.

"The Broken Dragon Ice Abyss only marks the boundary between the inner and core regions.

"Cross the abyss and travel another three hundred li north, and you'll reach the true forbidden zone of the Far North: the Far North Core Circle.

"The cold there can freeze a Soul Sage's blood. Far North Sovereigns a hundred thousand, even several hundred thousand years old, lie dormant there."

Yin Yu tightened his grip on the Demon Dragon Spear, darkness flickering in his eyes.

"Father-in-law and I are both at our peak. Tingxue has fused with an eighty-eight-thousand-year Spirit Bone, Changqing has reached level fifty-three, and Old Poison can control the battlefield and support us.

"Even if we encounter two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, we have what it takes to fight and settle it in one battle."

Dugu Bo took several jade bottles from his robes and handed them around.

"I made these Blazing Sun Cold-Repelling Pills and this Jade Phosphorus Marrow-Transforming Powder from rare medicinal herbs.

"Swallow a pill, and it will greatly resist the extreme cold for twelve double-hours. In a pinch, coat your weapons with the powder. Even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast struck by it will have its Soul Power flow disrupted."

Tuoba Xi swallowed a pill. Feeling warmth rise in his belly, he praised it.

"Old Poison, this medicine came at just the right time."

Yin Changqing spoke up.

"Grandfather, Father, Mother, Senior Dugu—judging by ancient texts and the terrain of the Far North,

"most Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in the depths of the core region gather near Extreme Cold Ice Marrow veins or Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow Pools.

"If we follow the ley line beneath the ice abyss north, we won't go astray."

In this era, almost no one had ventured into the depths of the Far North.

Compared with the era of Douluo II, there were surely just as many Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts there, if not more.

Finding a suitable one for Tuoba Tingxue to hunt would not be as hard as they imagined.

"Good!"

Tuoba Xi sent a surge of Soul Power through his body, tearing a gap in the swirling snow.

"Everyone, steady your breathing. We're heading into the core region!

"We'll claim a Hundred-Thousand-Year ninth ring for Tingxue!"

The five traveled north until they reached a vast frozen lake.

Beyond it stretched an immense snowy plain.

Tuoba Xi stopped and raised a hand to halt the others, surveying the lake and plain ahead.

"The true gateway to the Far North Core Circle lies ahead.

"This lake and the plain beyond it are wide open. Top-tier Soul Beasts, ten thousand or even a hundred thousand years old, could easily be lurking here."

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes and flicked his fingers. Several wisps of ghostly green light slipped into the snow beneath their feet.

A moment later, his expression darkened, and he spoke quietly.

"My snake venom's probing found a terrifying amount of life beneath this lake.

"Something with an immense aura is sleeping amid the currents. It has definitely passed the hundred-thousand-year mark.

"As for the great plain across the lake... the snowstorm is too fierce, and I sensed more than one menacing presence. Most of my probes were torn apart."

Yin Yu held the Demon Dragon Spear, the Dark Demon Dragon behind him radiating a monstrous aura.

"The lake and plain meet at an angle.

"To keep going, we either cross the lake or circle around through the plain.

"Whichever route we take, we'll enter the territory of top-tier Soul Beasts."

Tuoba Tingxue gazed at the ancient frozen lake ahead and said softly,

"The cold radiating from this lake is pure and dense. A water- or Ice Element dragon Soul Beast could well have made its lair here."

As they discussed their route, a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in Yin Changqing's mind!

[Host has reached the gateway to the Far North Core Circle: the border between Heavenly Lake Ice Lake and Permafrost Plain.]

[Host team's intent to hunt detected. Opportunity triggered: "Choose Two of Four Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts."]