"Wasn't I just reminding you, Father?"
"I have to go over every matter at home, big or small, every time, so I know a little about it."
Gu Wuchen chuckled.
"Son, don't be like your mother when we're out here. Your father will hunt you a Soul Beast right now!"
With that, Gu Linchuan bent a finger and flicked it.
A flash of cold light streaked through the air and pierced straight through the Northern Ice Spirit Fox.
Bright red blood splashed onto the white snow, a startling sight.
Gu Wuchen gripped the Dustless Sword and planted it in the thick snow. Taking a deep breath, he guided the Thousand-Year Soul Ring to float above his head.
He immediately sat cross-legged and began absorbing it.
With the physical foundation laid by the Whale Rubber, and the Soul Power reserves his parents' bloodlines had given him, he finished absorbing his First Soul Ring in just one hour.
Soul Power flowed smoothly around him, and the icy edge of the Dustless Sword grew sharper still.
He immediately unleashed his First Soul Skill: Dustless Blade.
It coated the Dustless Sword in a clear blade of ice and dust, greatly increasing the sharpness and base power of its slashes. On hitting a target, it left a [Wuchen Mark] that purified one layer of buff from the target, while inflicting the icy cold of the Far North, reducing the target's movement speed and Soul Power circulation speed by 20% for three seconds.
After learning the Soul Skill's effects, he put away the Dustless Sword.
Gu Linchuan smiled and patted Gu Wuchen on the shoulder. "Not bad, kid. You're even faster than your father was back then. Come on, let's go home and have a feast."
"Father, I was a lot faster, all right?"
"You're the star today, so I won't argue with you."
The moment the two turned around, a cool female voice suddenly rang out, piercing through the swirling wind and snow and falling directly on their ears:
"You can't take him away, at least not now."
Gu Linchuan's expression changed drastically, and he instantly shielded Gu Wuchen behind him.
His Martial Soul possessed him in an instant. Jade-green scales rapidly covered his entire body, and a pair of Ice Xuan Jade Qilin horns grew from his head.
Nine Soul Rings-yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, and red-rose from beneath his feet. The presence of a level 96 Titled Douluo erupted without restraint, scattering the wind and snow across the entire area.
But in the next second, the snowflakes dancing through the sky abruptly froze in place.
Even the pressure he had unleashed as a Titled Douluo seemed to be frozen in midair by an invisible force.
A woman in a long ice-blue dress walked slowly out of the wind and snow.
Her beauty was peerless. Not a trace of Soul Power radiated from her, yet the wind and snow across the entire ice plain revolved around her.
Her feet left not a single footprint in the snow, as though she were part of the Far North Ice Plains itself.
Gu Linchuan's pupils contracted sharply. His hand tightened slightly around the ice blade formed from Soul Power, and his voice sank as low as it could go:
"Heavenly Snow Woman? Snow Empress?"
He had never imagined that the absolute ruler of the Far North, a six-hundred-and-ninety-thousand-year-old Ultimate Ice Soul Beast, would personally appear in the outer region and stand in the way of father and son.
The Snow Empress's gaze passed over Gu Linchuan and settled on Gu Wuchen behind him.
A trace of surprise flashed through her cool eyes, and she gently raised a fingertip.
The Dustless Sword in Gu Wuchen's hand instantly trembled beyond his control, letting out a clear sword cry. The cold gleam along its blade flared, resonating perfectly with the surrounding ice plain's presence.
"Ultimate Ice, and Immaculate Sword Intent capable of purifying all things."
The Snow Empress's voice was level, yet carried unquestionable authority. "The presence that alarmed the entire Far North Ice Plains earlier came from you."
Gu Linchuan instinctively stepped half a pace forward, blocking his son behind him.
"Snow Empress, my wife and I have made our home in Ice Arrival City for many years. We have never crossed the boundary to intrude on the Far North's core region, much less slaughtered its Soul Beasts indiscriminately. Today we only came to hunt for his First Soul Ring. May I ask why you have come here?"
He knew full well that the strength of the woman before him was unfathomable.
Even as a level 96 Titled Douluo, he was simply no match for this ruler of the Far North.
If she truly chose to attack, neither he nor his son would make it out of these ice plains.
But just then, Gu Wuchen gently pushed his father's arm aside and stepped out from behind him.
The hand holding Gu Wuchen's Dustless Sword did not tremble in the slightest. There was no fear on his face, and his tone was calm and composed as he asked directly:
"Snow Empress, why did you say just now that you couldn't let my father take me away?"
The Snow Empress looked at the six-year-old child before her, a rare hint of interest appearing in her cool eyes.
Ordinary Soul Masters, even Titled Douluo, could not help feeling awe when they saw her.
Yet this child, who had only just awakened his Martial Soul, was not afraid and even dared to speak to her first. His eyes were clear and calm, just like the Dustless Sword in his hand, without a trace of distracting thoughts.
"I'm not trying to stop you."
The Snow Empress spoke slowly and flicked a fingertip. A translucent blue bead of ice appeared out of thin air and drifted slowly in front of Gu Wuchen.
"It's just that this child's Sword Intent and power have an affinity with me, and they also possess the power to purify filth. I want to see whether he can accept the gift of the Far North's origin."
As soon as the ice bead appeared, the surrounding temperature plunged once more.
Gu Linchuan's expression changed drastically.
"Far North Origin Ice Marrow? Snow Empress, Wuchen has only just finished absorbing his First Soul Ring. There's no way he can withstand such immense power of ultimate ice and cold!"
Far North Origin Ice Marrow was the core essence accumulated by the Far North Ice Plains over tens of millions of years. Even he, a level 96 Power Attack System Titled Douluo, did not dare refine it directly, much less a six-year-old child.
One mistake, and he would be frozen into an ice sculpture, unable even to preserve his soul.
"He can withstand it."
The Snow Empress cut him off, her gaze settling on Gu Wuchen.
"The moment your sword awakened, it stirred the power of ice and cold across the entire Far North. That means you can refine it. Refine it,
and only then will your foundation of ultimate ice and cold be truly secure. You won't be hindered when absorbing ice-attribute Soul Rings in the future, and it can also strengthen your body."
Gu Wuchen looked at the ice marrow before him, his heart giving a sudden leap.
He could sense that this thing was highly compatible with him.
It was something that surpassed Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Ice Marrow.
Gu Wuchen did not immediately reach out to take it. Instead, he looked at the Snow Empress and asked calmly:
"Snow Empress, you're giving me something so precious for nothing. There must be a condition, right?"
Pies didn't just fall from the sky.
The corners of the Snow Empress's lips turned up slightly.
Very few people could keep such a clear head under her pressure.
"It's simple. I've taken a liking to you."
Her cool words fell.
Gu Wuchen thought he had misheard. When he finally processed her words, he could hardly believe them.
"Huh? What?"
"You're not joking, are you? I'm still a child!"
Gu Linchuan was equally dumbfounded. What did she mean, she had taken a liking to Wuchen?
"I'm not joking. There's something about Gu Wuchen that I like, so once he's grown stronger, remember to come find me. I want his help with something!"
The Snow Empress stood where she was and spoke calmly.
"So that's it!" Gu Linchuan suddenly understood. For a moment, he had thought his son was about to be carried off.
"Little one, hurry and absorb it. Once you're done, you can leave!" the Snow Empress urged.