Ultimate Ice? Is it stronger than the True Self Martial Soul? (Please keep reading)

"I've already picked out the soul beast for your second martial soul. It's the Ice Empress, second among the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North and seventh in the Ferocious Beast Rankings, with nearly four hundred thousand years of cultivation! The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion!"

As the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke of the Ice Empress, a trace of reminiscence flashed through his two pale-gold eyes, as though he were remembering how she had chased him everywhere, trying to kill him.

Seeing the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's lovestruck expression, Chen An almost failed to suppress a twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Chen An actually wasn't all that eager to acquire the Ice Empress. Though the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion was powerful as an ultimate martial soul, it came with a major drawback.

Once his soul power reached level 30, his cultivation speed would slow dramatically, and that would continue until level 70.

Chen An had always politely declined anything that slowed his cultivation. His only fear was that he wouldn't cultivate fast enough, so how could he possibly saddle himself with a debuff that reduced his cultivation speed?

Most importantly, the Ice Empress's Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion might not even be stronger than his true self martial soul.

Since the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion wasn't as strong as Chen An's true self martial soul and also came with such a massive side effect,

Chen An naturally didn't want to absorb the Ice Empress's soul ring and turn the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion into his martial soul before level 70.

Of course, after level 70, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion would still be very tempting. After all, she was a ferocious beast with nearly four hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Absorbing her soul ring and soul bone would certainly raise his soul power by several levels.

On top of that, his second martial soul had nine soul ring slots. Even if he treated every slot as a treasure for increasing his soul power, disregarding attributes and compatibility and pursuing only the age of the soul beasts he killed and how much soul power they granted, that would still be a wonderful thing.

It would undoubtedly accelerate Chen An's climb to the pinnacle of soul masters and his attainment of the rank of Level 99 Limit Douluo.

Though those were his thoughts, Chen An knew the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was utterly devoted to the Ice Empress, licking her boots with all his heart.

So he didn't interrupt the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, merely nodding and murmuring his agreement. Of course, nodding was one thing; when the time came, he would still do whatever he intended. At worst, he could find an excuse to fool him~

Chen An: *ヾ(ΦωΦ)ツ Too early is no good.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "Little Chen An, hurry and improve your cultivation. Once you reach the Soul Grandmaster realm, I'll take you to the Far North."

Then Chen An and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm ended their conversation.

Since they were in the Sea of Consciousness, Chen An and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had communicated through mental intent.

This method was much faster than speaking aloud, so even though they had discussed quite a lot, little time had passed in the outside world.

When Chen An's consciousness returned to his body, he felt as though the whole world had slowed down. He could even see every speck of dust with perfect clarity.

The increase in his thinking speed and every other aspect brought about by his soaring spiritual power left Chen An feeling refreshed and clearheaded, so light he could have floated away like an immortal.

Immediately afterward, a pale-gold membrane turned into a streak of light with a whoosh and appeared beside Chen An.

This pale-gold membrane was the shed husk left by the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's million years of cultivation. It could truly be called a supreme treasure, powerful enough to easily bind the Ice Empress despite her nearly four hundred thousand years of cultivation.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's shed husk took on the appearance of skin and adhered tightly to Chen An's chest. It looked just like his skin, with no visible change from the outside.

Chen An surveyed his surroundings but found no sign of the Holy Necromancer, the Undead Disaster, Electrolux.

Chen An couldn't help sighing. His presence, like a little butterfly, had seriously disrupted the original plot.

First, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had appeared in the Mixed Zone six years early, and now Electrolux was nowhere to be found.

In fact, with events happening six years early, it was uncertain whether Electrolux was even in the Star Dou Great Forest at this point.

Chen An felt somewhat dejected about this, but he soon recovered.

His gaze grew resolute. Dejection was an emotion he could not afford. Besides, obtaining the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, a million-year soul beast, for nothing was already as lucky as he could possibly get.

As for Electrolux, perhaps the time hadn't yet come and he wasn't in the Star Dou Great Forest, or perhaps some other reason had kept Chen An from finding him.

Having settled his emotions, Chen An immediately looked around.

As the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm merged into Chen An's body, the mental shock that had left every living creature within a hundred kilometers of the Mixed Zone dazed and unable to think consciously dissipated as well.

Qian Renxue and Zhang Lexuan instantly regained their senses.

Zhang Lexuan's eyes were somewhat dazed, and she swayed on her feet.

What just happened? I think I lost consciousness.

Qian Renxue's spiritual cultivation was considerably weaker than Zhang Lexuan's, yet, surprisingly, her reaction was less pronounced.

Qian Renxue shook her head and returned to her usual state. Her golden eyes swept her surroundings, and she discovered that an enormous area around them had fallen utterly silent.

This was simply unimaginable in the dangerous Star Dou Great Forest, and Qian Renxue immediately grew wary.

Qian Renxue thought, What exactly happened just now? What powerful being acted, to strip the consciousness from every living creature across such a vast area?

If someone that powerful had harbored ill intent, every living creature in this area would probably have died.

Already suffering from an extreme lack of security after traveling ten thousand years into the future, Qian Renxue instantly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Just then, dozens of enormous hundred-thousand-year soul beasts with terrifying auras dispersed from the core of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Within the reach of those hundred-thousand-year soul beasts' auras, countless soul beasts began moving under the pressure of their terrifying soul power and bloodlines.

Inside Chen An's Sea of Consciousness, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm saw this through Chen An's eyes and inwardly cried that things had gone wrong.

"Little Chen An, run! Get out of the Star Dou Great Forest! Those ferocious beasts discovered I was missing, and now they're sending soul beasts to search for me.

"A beast tide might erupt in the Star Dou Great Forest! If that happens, every human in the entire forest will die."

Before Chen An could speak, Zhang Lexuan, who had already realized the severity of the situation, wasted no words. She grabbed Chen An with one hand and Qian Renxue with the other.

Carrying them like little chicks, she fled swiftly toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

But by then, the Star Dou Great Forest seemed to have erupted in revolt. Soul beasts in the Mixed Zone kept pursuing Zhang Lexuan, surrounding her and blocking her path.

Though Zhang Lexuan was powerful enough that ordinary ten-thousand-year soul beasts couldn't withstand a single move from her, her speed inevitably dropped.

And once she slowed down, even more soul beasts naturally surrounded her.

Compared to the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest where Huo Yuhao had been in the original story, the Mixed Zone where Chen An now stood was simply too close to the forest's core...