"Huh, Tian Meng, when did you become so cultured?" the Ice Empress asked with some curiosity.
"Are you kidding? I'm the only hundred ten-thousand-year soul beast on the Douluo Continent. My breadth of knowledge is beyond your imagination." The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm held his head high, his tone brimming with pride.
Over the past few years, Ning Yuhao had read most of the books in the collections of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and even many from Spirit Hall's collection. Although the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spent most of his time sleeping, he had read quite a few alongside him. His knowledge and education could be said to have undergone a qualitative leap.
"Tch..." The Ice Empress's tone was full of disdain.
Seeing her reaction, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm turned to Ning Yuhao and asked expectantly, "Xiao Hao, what do you think of the title I came up with?"
Ning Yuhao nodded. "I think it's pretty good. It suits Senior Ice Empress's bearing, too."
"All right, since even Yuhao says so, I suppose I'll reluctantly agree."
Ning Yuhao did not linger long in Dragon City before setting off for the Star Dou Great Forest.
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "With your three martial souls perfected this time, and after absorbing Bingbing's soul bone, your body has become even stronger. I've now raised your first soul ring to ten thousand years. As for your second soul ring, I haven't raised it yet. As you know, I can only raise ten of your soul rings to a hundred thousand years, while you'll be adding at least twenty-five soul rings, so we still need to be cautious."
"So this time, we're mainly looking for ten-thousand-year soul beasts, too. I'll need you both to act when the time comes," Ning Yuhao said frankly.
"Relax. Mere ten-thousand-year soul beasts will be too cowed to move once we release our presence," the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said proudly.
"If you really were that impressive, you wouldn't have been sucked dry like a blood bag for so long," the Ice Empress exposed him mercilessly.
As though she had touched a sore spot, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm retorted, "What do you know? My physical body was holding me prisoner back then. This is my strongest form! With just a little move from me, that whole bunch of ten-thousand-year soul beasts will become idiots!"
This time, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm really was not wrong, though it was not because he had lost his physical body. Rather, while reading, Ning Yuhao had also sought out many books on spiritual power. The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had gained considerable inspiration from them and could now be called an expert in applying spiritual power.
Heading south all the way, Ning Yuhao was in no particular hurry, partly to better consolidate his cultivation. At the same time, he pondered what kind of soul beast would be most suitable for him. Only after nearly twenty days did he reach Sword City near the Star Dou Great Forest. He rested there for two nights and replenished his essential supplies before entering the Star Dou Great Forest alone.
After entering the Star Dou Great Forest, Ning Yuhao kept walking, golden light swirling in his eyes. He was seeking a ten-thousand-year soul beast's soul ring, so he needed to venture deeper.
The Star Dou Great Forest was divided into four regions: the fringe, the outer zone, the mixed zone, and the core zone. However, the fringe and the outer zone were generally lumped together. After all, to soul masters of somewhat higher ranks, they posed no threat-not even as much as a speed bump.
Thus, in the soul master world, people generally spoke of only three regions: the outer zone, the mixed zone, and the core zone. Ning Yuhao's destination was the mixed zone, where large numbers of thousand-year and ten-thousand-year soul beasts gathered.
With the help of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual power and his Wicked Lord Shingan martial soul, Ning Yuhao avoided all the low-ranked soul beasts and other soul masters to prevent unnecessary trouble, while also steering clear of many hidden soul beasts.
"A Mandala Snake? Two thousand years old. Looks like I've entered the mixed zone." Combining the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual power with the Wicked Lord Shingan's ability to assess soul power, Ning Yuhao could easily discover soul beasts like this lurking in the shadows and determine their age.
After avoiding the Mandala Snake, Ning Yuhao kept walking until noon before slowing his steps. "I've covered nearly eighty li now, and I've reached the middle of the mixed zone. Let's search around here first."
There were some ten-thousand-year soul beasts here, so even the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm dared not release his spiritual power too recklessly. He maintained it within roughly a hundred meters to avoid unnecessary trouble. Besides, that distance was enough for Ning Yuhao to react. After all, his Wicked Lord Shingan martial soul had yet to have any soul rings added to it, and its detection range was only about fifteen meters in radius.
They discovered six or seven kinds of ten-thousand-year soul beasts in succession, but none quite met Ning Yuhao's requirements. They were either defense types or creatures they currently had little confidence in hunting down.
As the sky gradually darkened, Ning Yuhao had no choice but to turn back. He certainly would not camp in the mixed zone. After all, he was only rank thirty, and the danger was too great.
After all, back then, it was precisely because his Wicked Lord Shingan had not reached major completion, yet he had acted rashly, that he had lost to Zang Maxiong. How could he make the same mistake this time? The Tyrant's Eye Wielder's feet would not step into the same river twice.
Ning Yuhao returned to the outer zone, took out the tent he had prepared, and pitched it before lighting a fire to cook. He was no pampered young master or lady whose fingers had never touched the spring water of household chores. He was very capable of looking after himself; otherwise, Ning Fengzhi would not have readily agreed to his request to travel.
Once he had eaten his fill, Ning Yuhao had the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm slip his shed husk over him before contentedly entering the tent.
The night passed uneventfully. After waking, Ning Yuhao packed everything into his soul tool before entering the mixed zone again. This time, he was much earlier, returning to roughly the same area as before at around nine.
"Let's go a little farther in. We'll still encounter plenty of eight- or nine-thousand-year soul beasts in this area, which will affect our efficiency," Ning Yuhao suggested.
Neither the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm nor the Ice Empress objected. After all, they had the advantage of acting first. If they encountered something they could not fight, they could make a strategic retreat in advance.
"Hey! Yuhao, there's a Scarlet Flame Demon Bear to the east. It should have reached ten thousand years," the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm alerted him, though there was a hint of gritted teeth in his tone.
"All right." Ning Yuhao carefully crept in that direction as he spoke. "Brother Sky Dream, what's wrong? Do you know him?"
"No, but I think I know his father!" The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's tone was full of indignation.
"Huh?!!"
"Do you still remember what I told you before? A group of soul beasts surrounded me, then absorbed my heaven and earth origin power to cultivate."
Naturally, Ning Yuhao remembered. Had the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm not escaped successfully, he would never have obtained this million-year first soul ring, let alone his three utterly unique martial souls.