To Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei and Tang Ya were no more than a brief interlude.
After parting with the two, Huo Yuhao headed north, passing through many important cities of the Heaven Dou Empire along the way.
He stayed longest in Heaven Dou City, paying particular attention to news of the Body Sect, but the results left him somewhat disappointed.
Ever since the Body Sect had triggered a beast tide three thousand years ago and left Shrek Academy to wipe its backside, this sect of Soul Masters, almost all of them reckless brutes, had vanished from the Douluo Continent without a trace.
Had the Martial Scripture not pointed out that the Body Sect was the guardian sect of the Heaven Dou Empire, Huo Yuhao really would have been groping in the dark, with no idea where to look for it.
He might not even have known the Body Sect's name.
Yet although the Martial Scripture described almost everyone in the Body Sect as a reckless brute, Huo Yuhao felt drawn to it.
Aside from the factor of his Spirit Eyes, the most important reason was that the Body Sect's atmosphere struck him as rather similar to that of the Tianxuan Continent.
"Body combat techniques, Tianxuan martial arts." Huo Yuhao closed the History of the Heaven Soul Empire in the Heaven Soul Library, an unnoticed gleam of clear light flashing through his Spirit Eyes. "The Body Sect is practically tailor-made for me as I am now."
"Especially their secret second awakening method. Once I master it, I should be able to begin cultivating the Great Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger and the Desolate Demon Eye ahead of time."
"And as long as I have enough dragon-type Soul Beasts and Soul Bones, I could even begin cultivating the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art."
He turned his gaze toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
When it came to dragon-type Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent, the most famous was probably none other than Beast God Di Tian, hailed as the foremost ferocious beast.
"Brother Hao, what are you looking over there for?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm followed Huo Yuhao's gaze, only to see a blur of figures. "Is someone you know there?"
"No. I was just working out how much longer it would take to reach the Far North." Huo Yuhao rose, borrowed a copy of Secrets of the Far North from a shelf, and began leafing through it.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's interest was instantly piqued.
"Brother Hao, you'd be better off asking me than reading that."
He said, "I'm a Soul Beast native to the Far North. If the Ice Silkworm's innate foundation weren't so weak, there wouldn't be any Beast God Di Tian now. There would only be Beast God Tian Meng, towering over the world."
Without raising his head, Huo Yuhao asked in return, "How long has it been since you left the Far North? Can you guarantee all your information is up to date?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm flicked his tail awkwardly.
"Look at this."
Huo Yuhao pointed to a Soul Beast listed in the book:
"Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad, a venomous ice-type Soul Beast. After the former Sun Moon Continent collided with the Douluo Continent, it migrated from the Sun Moon Continent to the Far North. Its territory lies where the outskirts of the Far North border the human world, and it is known as the king of the cracks."
"Was this Soul Beast there when you left the Far North?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm grew even more embarrassed. "No."
Huo Yuhao turned another page.
He pointed out four or five Soul Beasts in succession that had migrated from the former Sun Moon Continent to the Far North. "Do you know all of these?"
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm felt his face burning bright red as he stammered in reply, "No."
"You don't even know these Soul Beasts," Huo Yuhao said. "If we head foolishly into the Far North without learning about it beforehand, we could very well run into mortal danger."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said no more, instead fixing his spiritual power firmly on Secrets of the Far North.
As a million-year Soul Beast from the Far North, not even knowing which new Soul Beasts had appeared there was simply too humiliating.
"Secrets of the Far North? Are you an ice-type Soul Master?"
Just as Huo Yuhao and the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm were carefully reading Secrets of the Far North, a cool, clear voice, like fragments of jade striking a spring, suddenly sounded beside his ear.
Huo Yuhao looked up and saw a woman in a white, wide-sleeved dress gazing down at the book in his hands.
She looked eighteen or nineteen, her long, snow-white hair falling loose naturally. Her skin was as translucent as ice and snow, her nose straight, and her features exquisite. Her appearance was as cool and aloof as her voice.
Although she had taken the initiative to speak to Huo Yuhao, her face held no expression, making her seem rather distant.
Huo Yuhao nodded and said, "Yes, I'm an ice-type Soul Master. I plan to go soul hunting in the Far North in a few days."
The woman gave an "Oh," then continued, "This book was published a hundred years ago and contains quite a few errors. For instance, the Snowstorm Cloud marked on page thirty-six has long since shifted position. Following its directions will only send you on a needless detour."
"Also, the Snowfield Ice Wolves mentioned in the Soul Beast section have moved their habitat more than five thousand li southwest because of a ten-thousand-year Vermilion-Eyed Ice Toad. You should shift your attention to that ten-thousand-year Soul Beast."
Huo Yuhao closed the book, rose, and cupped his fist in thanks.
"No need to thank me." She smoothed her hair. "You're the first ice-type Soul Master I've met inland, and you're quite young. It's only right to offer you a little guidance."
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Su Tong, and I'm from Northern Plains City."
"My name is Huo Yuhao. I'm from the Star Luo Empire," Huo Yuhao replied.
A trace of surprise flashed through Su Tong's ice-blue eyes. "The Star Luo Empire? I didn't expect an ice-type Soul Master to come from there."
Huo Yuhao merely smiled, offering no further explanation.
Su Tong asked no more.
She reached for a sheet of white paper nearby, marked down all the errors in Secrets of the Far North, and handed it to Huo Yuhao.
"That's about it. The rest are minor issues that won't do any harm," Su Tong said.
Huo Yuhao accepted the sheet with both hands, then solemnly thanked her.
"Thank you for your guidance. If you ever need anything in the future, I, Huo Yuhao, will spare no effort to help."
A rare smile blossomed on Su Tong's face. "You want to help me? Then you'll have to work hard at cultivating from now on."
"Because I generally don't run into trouble, and when I do, it isn't the sort an ordinary person can resolve."
After the two exchanged a few more words, Huo Yuhao rose, cupped his fist, and bowed to Su Tong. Then he left the Heaven Soul Library and continued toward the Far North.
As she watched Huo Yuhao's retreating figure, Su Tong's face once again took on an expression that warned strangers away.
How strange, she wondered inwardly. Why do I keep feeling an aura of the Far North on him?
Were it not for that peculiar feeling, Su Tong's cool, aloof disposition would never have allowed her to strike up a conversation with a stranger.
Even an ice-type Soul Master from inland would have been no exception.
For his Martial Soul to feel familiar to the Heavenly Snow Woman Martial Soul, it must belong to a Soul Beast species from the Far North. It might even be a Soul Beast from the core region.
Judging by his accent, he really is from the Star Luo Empire. But the climate there is hot, and fire-type Soul Masters are more common. How could a Soul Beast Martial Soul from the Far North emerge there? The chances are practically nonexistent.
Su Tong carefully recalled the Soul Beasts of the Far North's core region, but no matter how she tried, she could not think of a single kind that matched the feeling Huo Yuhao gave her.