"Da Bai, Er Ka, Xiao San!"
Yu Tianqing, wearing a white cloak, waved into the distance.
"Woof, woof, woof!"
Three silver-gray wolves came racing over, their tails wagging.
Each was over a meter long. As if they could understand human speech, they circled around Yu Tianqing.
"Are these Far North Ice Plains Wolves?"
Ling Luochеn looked at Nan Shuishui beside her, her eyes full of confusion:
What was with these three Soul Beasts? They were like three little lapdogs!
And their names-why did they sound a little familiar?
"Yes. Tianqing adopted them as Ice Plains Wolf pups when he was little. They've all grown into Ten-Year Soul Beasts now."
"We're hunting a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast this time, so we'll need to venture deep into the Far North. Ice Plains Wolves have an excellent sense of smell and can help us avoid unnecessary trouble."
The group soon left through Dragon City's north gate. To the north lay the boundless Far North Ice Plains, with sky and earth alike stretching out in a vast expanse of white.
Yu Tianqing took a pile of objects out of his Storage Soul Tool and skillfully assembled them. Before long, a sled took shape before everyone's eyes.
He called the three Far North Ice Plains Wolves over and fitted them with leather harnesses, then rubbed their heads.
There were patterns carved into the sled's runners. Curious, Ling Luochеn stepped forward to examine them and asked Yu Tianqing:
"Is this... a Soul Tool?"
Hearing her question, Yu Tianqing looked up at Ling Luochеn and explained:
"I just carved some low-level Soul Tool formations into it, to make it easier for the three Ice Plains Wolves to pull."
"Once you enter the Far North, you have to conserve every bit of Soul Power. Using Soul Beasts to pull the sled only costs a little extra meat in the Storage Soul Tool, so it's the most economical choice."
"Pals are a trainer's best friends."
Behind them, Nan Shuishui watched the two talk. The corners of her mouth lifted in a satisfied smile:
The more she saw of this young woman from Shrek Academy, the more she liked her.
She was pretty and refined, with elegant manners. She looked a hundred times better than Nan Shuishui's own troublesome child.
She felt that Tianqing and the girl were quite well matched.
Nan Shuishui affectionately took Ling Luochеn's hand and led her onto the sled, where they sat down.
Yu Tianqing sat at the front of the sled and gave the reins attached to the three Ice Plains Wolves' harnesses a shake.
The three Ice Plains Wolves took off at a run.
The sled cut through the shallow snow, leaving two faint tracks with the Ice Plains Wolves' paw prints between them. Like an ark on the white snow, it carried the three of them across the boundless Far North Ice Plains.
Yu Tianqing drove the sled at a gallop across the snow, but his attention was on the conversation between the two behind him. The more he listened, the stranger he felt.
Nan Shuishui held Ling Luochеn's hand, her tone warm:
"Luochen, you look about the same age as Tianqing, don't you?"
"Yes, I'm eighteen."
"Then how about calling me Aunt Nan, just like Tianqing does?"
"Hello, Aunt Nan."
"What a good girl. Where does your family live? How many people are there in your family?"
"Near Heaven Dou City. We're a small Soul Master clan."
"Heaven Dou City isn't too far from Dragon City. Remember to come visit Aunt Nan often when you have time."
"I will."
Ling Luochеn lowered her head. She didn't know why the gentle, mature woman before her was so friendly to her, and she wasn't quite used to it.
"An outstanding girl like you must have plenty of admirers at Shrek Academy, right?"
"No... no, I don't."
Ling Luochеn bowed her head even lower. Although she was beautiful and exceptionally gifted at cultivation in the Shrek Inner Court, the influence of her Martial Soul made her icy toward her classmates.
After being given the cold shoulder, her admirers had all given up.
But Sect Master Nan was her elder and knew Dean Cai, so she couldn't very well give her the cold shoulder.
Nan Shuishui glanced at Yu Tianqing in front of them, then at the growing wind and snow, and spoke as if in reflection:
"Luochen, could Aunt Nan ask you a favor?"
"Aunt Nan, just tell me what you need."
"Tianqing cultivates hard, but because of that, he tends to overlook little things in his daily life. You seem like a thoughtful girl, so once he enters the academy, could you help look after him a little? What do you think?"
"That's what I should do as your junior."
Yu Tianqing decided it had to be because the wind was too cold. All he felt was his teeth aching:
So he hadn't even started school yet, and Aunt Nan had already found him a study companion?
The Far North covered a vast area, but its Soul Beast population was much sparser than the Star Dou Great Forest's.
Ling Luochеn's target on this trip was a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. As a core disciple of Shrek Academy, she couldn't settle for a Soul Beast of poor quality. Since her Martial Soul was of the ice element, a Soul Beast with a strong ice attribute was also the most suitable source for her Soul Ring.
That was why, instead of going Soul Hunting in Star Dou, she had traveled all this way to the Far North to ask Nan Shuishui for help.
This was Ling Luochеn's first visit to the Far North. Though its magnificent scenery had awed her a little when they first set out, after half a day of travel, the unchanging landscape around her inevitably stirred a sense of loneliness in her heart.
She glanced at Nan Shuishui beside her and saw Sect Master Nan warily surveying their surroundings, her beautiful phoenix eyes startlingly bright. When she noticed Ling Luochеn looking at her, she gave her a gentle smile:
"What is it, Luochen?"
Ling Luochеn felt the woman's bearing change in an instant, from the Far North's bitter winter to a spring breeze bathing her. She shook her head:
"Nothing. It's just, Aunt Nan, don't you get bored staying in the Far North all the time?"
"Oh, that." Nan Shuishui lowered her head with a smile. "I've lived in the Far North since I was little, so I'm actually used to it by now. You young people might indeed find it a little hard to adjust."
Nan Shuishui's gaze fell on Yu Tianqing's back as he focused on driving up ahead:
"That was also part of why I wanted Tianqing to join Shrek Academy. The Far North is only one corner of the continent, after all. It's time Tianqing went out into the wider world and showed his talent."
"He's a dragon, destined to soar above the nine heavens."
Nan Shuishui spoke softly, her voice filled with certainty and expectation.
Ling Luochеn was momentarily lost in thought and involuntarily looked toward Yu Tianqing.
Just then, Yu Tianqing turned around and pointed into the distance ahead:
"We're getting close to the core region. There's a mountain range there. We might find a suitable Soul Beast."
Ling Luochеn's eyes met Yu Tianqing's. She didn't know why, but she instinctively wanted to look away. Seeing that he was speaking of serious matters, however, she nodded in agreement.
They found a place sheltered from the wind and tossed the three Ice Plains Wolves chunks of meat cooked with electricity. The three got off the sled, and Nan Shuishui pulled Yu Tianqing aside. After glancing at Ling Luochеn, who was sorting their gear, she asked him in a low voice:
"Tianqing, why haven't you spoken to Luochen this whole trip?"
"Huh?" Yu Tianqing was a little taken aback.
Nan Shuishui gave him a look of frustration, as if she hated that iron couldn't be made into steel:
"Aren't you usually quite the smooth talker? I'm very pleased with Luochen. As the boy, you should take the initiative too."
"Aunt Nan, you..."
Nan Shuishui waved a hand:
"Luochen is a little cold, but don't you boys like the iceberg fairy type?"
"Her Martial Soul is ice. While you're at Shrek, you can have her help you suppress your Yang Lightning. That would set my mind more at ease, too."
"Make an effort. When we go Soul Hunting in a bit, Aunt Nan won't step in. You make sure to show what you can do, understood?"
Yu Tianqing wanted to refuse, but when he saw the expectation in Nan Shuishui's phoenix eyes, he hesitated and agreed for the time being:
"I understand, Aunt Nan."