Heading to the Far North (please keep reading)

Seeing that Huo Yuhao had reached rank twenty and his physical condition was already up to the mark, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm naturally could not wait another moment. He wished he could go see the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion right away.

When Huo Yuhao heard the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's wild idea, eagerness lit up his face as well.

Thanks to Tian Meng's explanations, he had also learned about the soul beasts of this world. With his humble background, he had never encountered knowledge of the Soul Master World beyond soul power rank ten, so he naturally knew nothing about these powerful soul beasts.

He had never expected so many powerful soul beasts to emerge on the Douluo Continent after a mere ten thousand years.

The Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, whose cultivation reached eight hundred and thirty thousand years, was the sovereign of the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest and the most powerful being on the entire Douluo Star.

Ranked second was the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler, the Evil Emperor from the Sun Moon Continent. His cultivation reached seven hundred and ninety thousand years, and he was about to face his eighth heavenly tribulation.

In Tang San's world, there had been no concept of a Far North. He had only known of a gathering place for ice-attribute soul beasts.

Yet now, the powerful ice-attribute faction of the Far North had appeared, complete with the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North: the Snow Empress, with six hundred and ninety thousand years of cultivation; the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, with three hundred and ninety thousand years; and the Titan Snow Demon King, with two hundred and ninety thousand years.

He had never even heard of these soul beasts in Tang San's world, where the rulers of the Star Dou Great Forest had merely been the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape. He truly had no idea where so many powerful soul beasts had sprung from. Only ten thousand years had passed, so they could not have appeared out of thin air. That meant they had all existed ten thousand years ago.

Yet no one had known about them, so they must have been hiding somewhere. But why had they hidden themselves? And where had they gone?

Countless questions filled Huo Yuhao's mind.

For now, however, the most pressing matter was the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's wild plan. The second martial soul he had prepared for Huo Yuhao was actually the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, the second of the Far North's Three Great Heavenly Kings, a being with three hundred and ninety thousand years of cultivation.

Although the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm kept assuring him there was no danger, Huo Yuhao clearly did not believe him. Still, as the saying went, riches and honor were won amid peril. Every opportunity came with great risks.

With Phantom Body at his disposal, such danger was what he feared least, so he had no reason to reject the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's plan.

He had never seen a soul beast over three hundred thousand years old before! He would secure a three-hundred-and-ninety-thousand-year soul beast as his martial soul and obtain a three-hundred-and-ninety-thousand-year soul master's soul ring and soul bone.

If he succeeded, Huo Yuhao dared not imagine how much he would improve. This was undoubtedly the best shortcut to ascend to the heavens in a single step.

He certainly could not let it slip by.

"Huo Yuhao, think this through carefully. There is some risk involved, and I won't force you."

After saying this, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm wore a calm expression, but Huo Yuhao could tell he was pretending. His eyes kept darting around, stealing glances at him.

"Don't worry. I like doing things that challenge me. I'm getting that Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul."

With those words from Huo Yuhao, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's anxious heart finally settled, and joy followed in its wake.

Soon, he would be able to see the Ice Empress he had yearned for day and night. He had been thinking about her for nearly three thousand years.

In truth, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm did not know whether this was love. It was simply that, through those three thousand years of torment, thoughts of the Ice Empress had kept him going. To him, she was more like an obsession.

Shrek Academy, the Sea God Pavilion's inner court.

The disciples of Shrek Academy's inner court all wore red school uniforms. At that moment, an exquisite figure stood by the shore of Sea God Lake, gazing into the distance.

She had long, snow-white hair and a face so beautiful that no adjective could capture it. Her bearing was noble, like a beauty carved from an iceberg.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out, making that exquisite figure tremble slightly.

"Luochen, your little brother's here?"

"What?"

"It's true. He's waiting for you at the outer court's academy gates! I just came back from there, so I brought you the news."

At those words, a smile immediately appeared on the beautiful woman's icy face. After thanking the senior female student who had brought her the news, Ling Luochеn hurried toward the gates.

Shrek Academy's inner court was on Sea God Island in the center of Sea God Lake. Water surrounded it on all sides, and boats were needed to come and go. Yet Ling Luochеn leaped straight off the island and landed steadily on the lake's surface without sinking.

The water beneath her feet instantly froze, supporting her slender body. Then Ling Luochеn began running across the lake as though it were level ground.

This masterful display of ice control drew repeated glances from many inner court disciples. Some of the male disciples were also deeply captivated by Ling Luochеn's beauty.

But Ling Luochеn was thinking of nothing else at that moment. She only wanted to see her little brother. In her heart, no one mattered more than he did.

A short while later, at Shrek Academy's gates.

"Sis, over here, over here..."

"Ling Xiao!"

Ling Luochеn spotted Ling Xiao in the crowd at once and walked over excitedly. Since she had come to study at the academy, the siblings had not seen each other for a long time.

"Sis, I've broken through to Soul Elder, and I need to go to the Far North to hunt a thousand-year soul beast. You promised you'd go with me..."

Ling Luochеn's younger brother was named Ling Xiao. Six years her junior, he was twelve this year and a cultivation genius as well. He had just broken through to Soul Elder.

Barring any surprises, he would come to enroll at Shrek Academy in a few days and study alongside Ling Luochеn at this foremost academy under heaven.

"Really? Little Xiao, you're amazing."

Reaching Soul Elder at twelve was much faster than she had managed. She did indeed remember her promise to her brother: once Ling Xiao reached Soul Elder, she would personally take him to the Far North to hunt a soul beast.

Though she was strong, she was still only a Soul King. However, powerful members of their family would accompany Ling Xiao, so Ling Luochеn naturally agreed gladly.

"Of course I'll keep my promise to you. Don't worry, I'll go request leave right now."

"Long live Sis!"

(P.S. In the original, Ling Luochеn does have a younger brother, six years younger than her, who is said to have died. This is a year and a half earlier, so it should be quite reasonable for him to die around now. But since he has appeared here, I won't write him to death. He is the little brother-in-law, after all.

Also, I don't know whether it was Third Young Master's twisted sense of humor, but I've changed the plot point about her unrequited love for her own younger brother. It was just too disgusting. I've changed it to her doting on her little brother instead-simply affection between siblings.)