Everyone had been able to understand Wang Yan's first words, but some of them became somewhat confused when he started talking about a class advancement test. What was a class advancement test?
Wang Yan indifferently continued, "Every single class acts as a whole body. As such, if that whole body can't advance to Year 2, what use would there be in the students advancing? From another standpoint, the class advancement test is a test for Teacher Zhou Yi and I. During the class advancement test, we'll choose three to seven students to participate in a special test.
The advancement level of our class will be determined by how well we do in this assessment. If we complete this assessment perfectly, then 100% of Class 1 will advance; every single student that can pass the individual assessment will be able to continue their studies in Year 2. However, if we can't complete it perfectly, we'll have to expel a percentage of students from Class 1, despite them passing their individual tests. In other words, even if every single one of you passes the individual assessment, if we only end up getting 90% on the class advancement test, the last 10% of students in the Class 1's assessment ranking will be expelled."
Once he'd finished his explanation, the entire class immediately understood what he meant, which in turn caused them to be dumbstruck. The students that had thought they could relax and take a short break during the holidays were astonished to the point that their mouths were wide open. This was especially true for those who had higher cultivations, as they'd thought that they could breeze through the advancement test. They'd never expected the possibility of there being a class advancement test.
Wang Yan smiled. Though it seemed warm, it actually contained an ominous feeling. "I think that, if any of the students who've been chosen to participate in the class assessment make a mistake that causes the evaluation of the class to drop, the entire class will remember that person.���
"I'm also a student who's graduated from Shrek Academy, so I'll tell you about what my experience was like. Realistically, the period of time after you pass your advancement test and begin your studies again is actually the happiest and most exciting time you'll experience in Shrek Academy. Contrarily, the holidays are hell for an overwhelming majority of students. Unless you're unwilling to continue studying here, you should know what you all have to do once you get home."
"That's all I have to say. Class is dismissed, you can head back and pack up your things." Wang Yan waved his hand as he dismissed the class.
The students of Class 1 were dumbstruck; their original excitement and enthusiasm had vanished from the face of the earth. Was it really possible for a two-ringed student to take on a hundred year soul beast by themselves? Although a large majority of them possessed hundred year soul rings, how many of them had actually been the one to hunt the soul beast that they'd obtained their soul ring from? Not to mention the class advancement test that they'd have to pass afterwards.
Wang Dong had a bitter smile on his face as he asked Huo Yuhao, "Say, do you think that I'll be chosen for the class test?"
Huo Yuhao glanced at him. "What do you think, class monitor Wang?"
Depressed, Wang Dong stood up. "Whatever, there's no use talking to you! Let's head back to our room and cultivate. An extra day of cultivating is still an extra day. Since we've only got one month, I'll try to reach Rank 30 as quickly as possible, even if it means that I have to eat pills everyday."
Huo Yuhao smiled. "If you can manage to reach Rank 30 before we take the advancement test, I strongly believe that it will be much easier for you. Don't worry, I'll volunteer to participate in the class assessment so that I can be a strong support for you."
"Wang Dong, Huo Yuhao. You two stay behind for a bit." Zhou Yi's cold voice rang out.
The two of them hurriedly paused their footsteps. After the other students had left, Wang Yan and Zhou Yi had called the two of them over to the stage.
"What are your thoughts on the class assessment that Teacher Wang mentioned?" Zhou Yi asked.
Helpless, Wang Dong replied, "What can I say? The two of us will just have to go together. Oh yeah, we'll have to get Xiao Xiao as well." Xiao Xiao had already fused with the soul bone she'd received, causing her strength to increase dramatically. Moreover, she was someone that possessed twin martial souls. Even though her soul power cultivation speed wasn't as fast as Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao's, she was still one of the quickest within Class 1.
Wang Yan nodded. "The two of you definitely have to participate together when the time comes. We don't know the specifics of the assessment, but you'll still have to work hard during the next month. Yuhao, are there any problems regarding your second ring?"
Huo Yuhao immediately shook his head. "There aren't any." He was still afraid of Wang Yan questioning him, as that would expose his lie. Fortunately, Wang Yan didn't follow up with any further questions. He'd clearly been reassured by Huo Yuhao.
Zhou Yi said, "Your studies here will be even more intense next year. I won't bother talking too much about other things, as you two should head back early. As class monitors, I hope that the two of you can come back somewhat earlier. The earlier you come back, the better, as Teacher Wang and I will be informed of the contents of the assessment around ten days or so before we begin school. Following this, you two will be able to prepare for it if you come back early."
"Yes." Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong nodded simultaneously.
Zhou Yi replied, "Go on."
"Teacher Zhou, Teacher Wang, goodbye." Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong respectfully said goodbye to the two teachers. Although they were about to begin their holidays, they were still somewhat unwilling to leave the academy.
In the end, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's original plans—to make the most of their time to cultivate—didn't succeed, as Xiao Xiao, along with Bei Bei and Tang Ya, were waiting for them outside. Thus, the words that Huo Yuhao had said last night became a reality; he ended up roasting some fish for everyone.
Their meal wasn't just limited to the five of them, as Huo Yuhao also called over his senior brother, He Caitou. After the six of them had gathered, it became rather lively; they continued messing around like crazy until it was night time. Huo Yuhao didn't tell anyone where he was going to obtain his soul ring, and in the end, his white lie wasn't exposed.
Another morning began.
Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong walked across the Sea God's Lake's lakeside path. Since they had storage-type soul tools, they naturally didn't need to carry a backpack with them. The two of them remained silent as they slowly walked forwards.
Mist proceeded to slowly cover the Sea God's Lake, while the damp air blown by the lakeside wind battered their bodies, causing their uniforms to become somewhat moist.
Though the lakeside path was rather long, it still had an end. As the morning sun slowly rose, the water vapor surrounding them gradually evaporated.
"I'm leaving now, but I'll come back early. See me off." Wang Dong said as he turned towards Huo Yuhao. When Huo Yuhao saw Wang Dong, he could clearly see the trace of liquid sparkling at the corners of his eyes.
During the past eleven months, the two of them had practically been together all the time, cultivating day and night. Though they weren't inseparable, they'd become best friends. Just as they were about to separate from each other, a strong feeling of reluctance seemed to clog up their throats. Though this feeling didn't last long, it caused them to feel the pain of separation temporarily.
Afterwards, Wang Dong ran out of the academy like he was escaping from Huo Yuhao. He didn't turn around, but he couldn't help the tears in his eyes from flowing uncontrollably. He muttered to himself inwardly, Huo Yuhao, you big dummy!
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but rub his eyes as he watched Wang Dong's slender figure gradually disappear. Afterwards, he turned towards the doorplate of Shrek Academy.
Teacher Xiao Ya, elder senior brother, senior brother He, Teacher Zhou, Teacher Fan Yu, Teacher Wang… I'm leaving now. I'll definitely give you all a big surprise when I get back. I've never forgotten the oath I made back then; I'll definitely make those that looked down on my white soul ring feel terrified whenever they see the color white in the future. I'll come back as soon as possible.
After taking a deep breath to calm his surging emotions, Huo Yuhao made sure that he was headed in the right direction as he left the academy. In the blink of an eye, he'd vanished as he ran along Shrek City's official road to the north.
To the twelve-year-old Huo Yuhao, the melancholy that he felt from separation was still very easy for him to control. After madly running for two hours beneath the caress of the cool breeze, he opened his mind and felt an indescribable sense of delight.
A year ago, he'd been a beggar-like youth who'd just left the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
One year later, today, he was a control-type soul master that only needed to obtain a soul ring in order to advance to the level of a Soul Grandmaster. Furthermore, he was even a Class 2 soul engineer. At the same time, he simply had too much information inside of his mind right now.
Huo Yuhao might not have improved the most out of the students within Shrek Academy this year, but he had definitely transformed the most. It had only been year, but it seemed like he'd shed his mortal body and bones. This was something that nobody could deny.
"Brother Skydream, how far to the north do we need to head?" In the past, the Skydream Iceworm had been very fond of sleeping. In fract, It wouldn't be uncommon for it to not speak to Huo Yuhao for over a month. Only after Huo Yuhao's soul power broke through to Rank 20 did it finally awaken from its dreams. Somewhat unexpectedly, the elder that had previously appeared had been abnormally silent. The gray pearl was exceptionally silent, and other than the ripples it had made last time, it hadn't changed in the slightest. The Skydream Iceworm had even maliciously said that its strand of divine sense must've been thoroughly destroyed.
However, Huo Yuhao didn't know that, if its strand of divine sense truly had disappeared, the gray pearl definitely wouldn't have remained inside of his Spiritual Sea.
The Skydream Iceworm's lazy voice rang out, "Just keep heading north, you'll definitely be on the right track. This road is quite long. Didn't you constantly practice running around with a heavy load on your back in the academy? This time, you don't even have to carry a heavy load. Based on your current speed, it'll take at least ten days to reach where we're headed."
"Ah? Ten days?" Huo Yuhao asked, flabbergasted. "Brother Skydream, where are we headed? Why do we have to travel so far north? My current speed isn't slow at all! If I go all-out and run forwards for a full day, even if I don't manage to cross a thousand miles, I'll hit 800 miles at least! If I were to run for ten days, that's eight thousand miles!"
"Yep! That's about how far it is from here. We're heading to my old home—the Douluo Continent's Extreme North," The Skydream Iceworm said in a tone that seemed completely natural. "Don't forget, that's the place that I'm most familiar with."
Puzzled, Huo Yuhao asked, "Brother Skydream, isn't that too far? I still have to participate in the advancement test once I get back. Won't it be too late for me to get back in time? Is this the only place you know of that has a spiritual-type soul beast?"
The Skydream Iceworm replied, "My home's not the only place with spiritual-type soul beasts; the Great Star Dou Forest definitely has some as well. The problem is, you're not getting something as simple as a soul ring. The most important thing you need to do is awaken your second martial soul, and to do that, you'll have to get your second soul ring from the Extreme North. I've already planned it all out for you. If you have the energy to talk nonsense, why don't you speed up a little bit more? The earlier we get there, the more time you'll have. If everything goes smoothly, it won't be a problem for us to get back to Shrek Academy in a month."
Huo Yuhao, who'd originally thought that he had an ample amount of time to obtain his soul ring, suddenly felt a pressing sense of urgency. Afraid of wasting any more time, he hurriedly sped up. As he adjusted his breathing, he continued taking large strides towards the north.
He'd asked the canteen for two days worth of food the day beforehand. As such, he didn't need to worry about food for the next two days. Fan Yu had also given him a hundred gold soul coins which, combined with his original savings, should be enough for his journey.
A year of bitter cultivation had formed Huo Yuhao's unyielding personality. Being able to cultivate in a solitary environment was definitely not something that just any soul master could do. Huo Yuhao calmed down and discarded any distracting thoughts in his mind as he wholeheartedly rushed towards the north. After running for between four and six hours, he'd stop to take a break, as he'd drained nearly all of his soul power. The instant he recovered his soul power, he'd start running again.
Considering the situation he was in, he ran without any restraints on his speed. Perhaps even a three or four-ringed expert might not be able to run as far as he had in a single day.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. Huo Yuhao was already able to sense the air around him getting colder and colder. However, the frigid cold didn't slow him down at all. He entered a city, bought a thick set of clothes, and replenished his supplies. Most importantly of all however, he bought a map.
He was currently within the Heavenly Soul Empire. As long as he continued to head north, he'd reach the northern borders of the Heavenly Soul Empire; at that time, he'd have reached his destination. Shrek Academy lay on the southeastern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire. Thus, Huo Yuhao's journey would take him from the southernmost part of the Heavenly Soul Empire to the northernmost part. From this alone, the exhaustion he'd suffer throughout his journey could be imagined.
However, Huo Yuhao didn't feel tired in the least. On the contrary, he treated it as experience for the future. Other than the first city he'd entered, he didn't enter any other cities before reaching the northern border; he rested in the wilderness. Of the many things he'd purchased, one them had been a small, foldable tent made of leather. The tent itself wasn't large; it was roughly 2 meters long and 1.2 meters wide. However, it was enough for him to rest in. This, added to the warm sleeping bag he'd brought, gave Huo Yuhao a good rest. Moreover, he'd always cover himself with his sleeping bag when he entered a meditative state, making it so that he didn't even need to lie down or sleep.
Huo Yuhao had lived in the Duke's Mansion his entire life, prior to entering Shrek Academy. Thus, he'd never experienced a harsh winter before. However, the one year of bitter cultivation he'd endured had caused him to gain an extremely sturdy physique. After adapting to it for a few days, he was much more comfortable in the cold. For the sake of saving money, he chose not to buy a fur cloak; he only bought a heavy cotton shirt.
After running at his top speed for eight days, Huo Yuhao finally neared the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Upon reaching this point, his location on the map had simply become a patch of white.
Pausing his footsteps, Huo Yuhao stopped to take a small breather. The white mist that left from his nose instantly turned into fragments of ice that dispersed into the air.
Huo Yuhao pulled his hood over his head to block the frigid wind from digging into his face. However, the freezing air still managed to pierce into his body like miniscule daggers via the small holes in his clothes.
Water would instantly freeze into icicles where he was now. As if to prove this point, a layer of frost had already covered Huo Yuhao's eyebrows.
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel somewhat depressed as he carefully looked at his map. Based on his current position on the map, he'd reach an empty void if he continued to head northwards. There was a small warning above that void:
"The Extreme North, an area forbidden to humans. Soul beasts roam about freely here. Danger, danger, danger!"
The three 'danger's were written in red.
"Brother Skydream, stop sleeping. We might've reached our destination, thus I'll need you to lead the way from now on." Huo Yuhao inwardly called out to the Skydream Iceworm.
"Lead the way? Lead what way?" The Skydream Iceworm's stuporous voice rang out. After coming to his senses, the only million year soul beast on the Douluo Continent stared blankly for a brief moment, then said, "I don't recognise this place!"
"What?" Huo Yuhao was astonished. "Brother Skydream, please don't joke around here! I followed your instructions and ran north for a full eight days to get here. If you don't recognise this place, what should we do?"
With an extremely innocent voice, the Skydream Iceworm replied, "I really don't recognise this place. I used to live in the northeastern part of the continent, which is still extremely far from here. Later on, I drifted towards the south, before finally reaching the Great Star Dou Forest. This should be the north-central area of the continent, which was originally the northwestern area of the Douluo Continent. How am I supposed to know my way around here?"
Anxious, Huo Yuhao asked, "Then what should we do? Brother Skydream, you…."
The Skydream Iceworm let out a cunning laugh. "I made you worry for a bit. Fine, I won't joke around with you anymore. Even though I don't know what direction we need to head here, you've forgotten just how powerful my spiritual force is! I don't even need to worry about what direction we need to go. As long as we follow my spiritual force, we'll be able to find what we need. Isn't that enough? Right, strip now."
Huo Yuhao was instantly stunned. "You want me to take my clothes off? Brother Skydream, this is a world of ice and snow! You're going to cause me to freeze me to death!"
The Skydream Iceworm grumpily spat, "Quickly do it, else you'll really freeze to death if you don't. And why did you call this a world of ice and snow? In the past, I'd be sweating from such high temperatures. This is still very, very far from the truly cold areas. On the other hand, the thing that we're looking for is located in the very center of the Extreme North. You can't even imagine how cold it is there. Quickly, take off your clothes so that I can help you out a bit. If you don't, you'll be finished in less than two days once we continue heading forward."
At this point in time, Huo Yuhao could only choose to believe in the Skydream Iceworm. He simply didn't have any other choice. Helpless, he removed the thick cotton shirt from his body.
As soon as he did, the biting cold of the freezing northern wind penetrated his entire body. This feeling was akin to him suddenly eating ten popsicles at once. Amidst this world of ice and snow, it was even possible to see steam rising from Huo Yuhao's body.
Clenching his teeth, Huo Yuhao took off the rest of his clothing as quickly as possible, exposing his sturdy muscles. He couldn't help but sway due to the extreme temperatures here. This feeling was definitely so 'relaxing' that he couldn't even relax.
"Take your underwear off as well! Why did you even leave them on? If you don't wanna let me help you out for a bit, don't blame me when your little brother freezes to death." The Skydream Iceworm let out a devilish laugh.
Huo Yuhao angrily replied, "Do it quickly, else it's going to freeze to death right now!" His voice was currently trembling. Ignoring the Skydream Iceworm, he quickly took off his underpants.
As the bitingly cold wind slammed into his body, Huo Yuhao's body turned bright red, causing him to resemble a boiled shrimp.
However, the Skydream Iceworm didn't utter a word. Even though Huo Yuhao repeatedly called out to it, it didn't respond at all.
Feeling that he was about to freeze to death, Huo Yuhao immediately prepared to jump towards his clothes. However, his surroundings suddenly transformed as a layer of pale gold light slowly spread out from his head. As the golden light dispersed, it expelled the cold from his body. Immediately, a warm feeling began to spread throughout his entire body.
"Ah—" Huo Yuhao couldn't help but let out a groan from the pleasure. He even nearly began to cry. This feeling was simply too stimulating…
Afterwards, a gentle lump of white light suddenly shot out from his chest. To Huo Yuhao's surprise, he discovered that the lump of light seemed to be more like a lump of flesh that had grown from his chest. The light began to quickly expand in midair, until it had become as large as Huo Yuhao. Afterwards, it slowly began to spread itself over his body.
As the white light slowly glued itself to Huo Yuhao's body, he felt as if a layer of film had been applied to his skin. The white light gradually vanished along with the warm feeling. However, the frigid cold he'd felt didn't come back despite the disappearance of the warm feeling. As the bitingly cold wind swirled around him, it seemed to simply glide past him. Though he still felt the impact of the wind hitting his body, it didn't feel cold in the slightest.
"Brother Skydream, this…" Huo Yuhao had a look of astonishment on his face. Everything that had just occurred had undoubtedly exceeded the range of his understanding.
The Skydream Iceworm's lazy voice rang out, "This is my shedded skin from my original body that you saw previously. Previously, didn't it stick to your chest? I've made it cover your entire body now. Since I grew up in such a place, how could I be scared of the cold? The skin I shed is extremely good at ventilation, and can resist the elements. In addition to that, it can also hide your aura. Otherwise, rashly entering the Extreme North with your measly bit of strength would just be courting death. Now then, quickly put on some clothes. Do you think that you look good naked?"
Huo Yuhao was left speechless. He inwardly thought to himself, You're the one who made me strip naked! However, he had to admit that the Skydream Iceworm was being considerate. After putting his clothes back on, he no longer felt cold at all. Moreover, the layer of shedded skin from the Skydream Iceworm didn't feel like it was there at all. Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel somewhat more confident in entering the Extreme North with the aid of this mystical ability.
At this moment, the Skydream Iceworm suddenly spoke with an extremely serious tone, "Yuhao, you have to listen to my commands at all times from now on. You can't make any careless mistakes. If you don't listen to me, not only will you have to stay in the Extreme North forever, you'll cause me to get into trouble as well."
"Okay." Huo Yuhao nodded. He'd naturally listen to the Skydream Iceworm's instructions. If he didn't, he'd be groping around in the dark.
"Continue heading northwards. We'll talk once you reach the central area of the Extreme North. Did you make sure to bring enough food? I reckon that we'll have to stay here for over ten days, as this place doesn't have any water or food for you to eat or drink."
Huo Yuhao patted the Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges on his waist and replied, "No problem, I'm all prepared." After saying that, he equipped the few soul tools that he'd previously created. Since the cold had disappeared, he was able to keep himself in peak condition.
Huo Yuhao set out once again, headed towards the north. Though the biting cold wind no longer posed a threat to him, the frost that had gradually accumulated on his body still managed to slow him down. As he continued to travel northwards, the advantage that his Spiritual Detection gave him became more and more pronounced: Whenever he encountered an unfamiliar area, he could simply use his Spiritual Detection to continue travelling and avoid any possible dangers.
As Huo Yuhao travelled, the Skydream Iceworm stayed awake, which was an extremely rare thing for him to do. The reason he'd stayed awake was so that he could make sure to tell Huo Yuhao when to change directions. As he continued to travel northwards, Huo Yuhao was able to faintly sense that the Skydream Iceworm had been releasing some of its spiritual power in front of him. Compared to the Skydream Iceworm's terrifying spiritual power, he was like a grain of rice adrift in an ocean. However, despite being able to sense it, he didn't know what the Skydream Iceworm was looking for.
In the blink of an eye, two days had passed. By this time, Huo Yuhao had already fully entered the desolate and uninhabited Extreme North. He'd encountered a few soul beasts, but due to the guidance of the Skydream Iceworm, he'd yet to meet an existence that actually posed a threat to him.
As he continued onwards, the snow became thicker and thicker. Once it was higher than his knees, Huo Yuhao had no choice but to chop down a tree and create two wooden planks, which he tied to bottom of his feet. Though they weren't much, they were able to reduce the stress on his feet. And, whenever he reached a downhill slope, he was able to use them to slide down. In the end, he'd found a pretty decent method to travel through the snow with.
Two days later.
Even though he'd slowed down quite a bit, he was already 400 miles into the Extreme North. The frequency at which the Skydream Iceworm told him to change directions had become much higher as well.
Suddenly, the Skydream Iceworm's voice rang out as he anxiously said, "Quickly lie flat on the ground and bury yourself beneath the snow. Don't move an inch once you've done so. You can't move no matter what—even if something touches you."
Huo Yuhao was shocked when he heard this. Afterwards, he laid down as fast as he could, covered himself with the surrounding snow, and held his breath.
Not even ten breaths of time had passed before Huo Yuhao's body began to shudder uncontrollably. Even though he'd buried himself beneath the snow, he was still aware of his surroundings! By relying on his Spiritual Detection, he was still able to sense the outside world to a certain extent.
He was shuddering because he'd suddenly sensed an incomparably terrifying aura outside. However, the instant that this aura had appeared, the trace of spiritual power he'd left outside had instantly shattered. He hadn't even been able to tell what the newcomer looked like.
From what Huo Yuhao could tell, the newcomer was extraordinarily large, and the terror brought about by its aura had reached the apex. In fact, it seemed like it could wipe him off the face of the earth with a mere breath. Immediately after sensing this, he felt a heavy pressure weigh down on his back and viciously shove him even deeper into the ground.
Originally, he'd been holding his breath. However, the instant this heavy pressure appeared, the oxygen he'd been holding instantly disappeared. Afterwards, his entire body sank so deep into the snow that he reached the soil beneath it.
Huo Yuhao felt a hard shell cover his body the instant the heavy pressure appeared. Even though he'd been forced into the ground, he'd only been shoved in. Other than the suffocating pressure he felt, he hadn't suffered any injuries.
Were it not for the Skydream Iceworm's previous command, Huo Yuhao definitely would've made a noise. Due to the pressure and the command he'd received, he didn't even dare to move at the moment. Instead, he forcefully endured the pain that came along with being suffocated.
The enormous pressure that was weighing down on him suddenly disappeared, while the terrifying aura he'd felt began to move further and further away from him. As he continued to choke, Huo Yuhao felt his chest burning up.
However, he couldn't move before the Skydream Iceworm told him that it was alright. He could only endure. If he didn't, there was a large chance that he'd encounter a calamity that could kill him as easily as breathing.
After another ten or so seconds had passed, the terrifying aura disappeared completely. Once it had, the Skydream Iceworm indicated that he could get back up.
After getting to his feet with difficulty, Huo Yuhao immediately gasped for air. Even though he wasn't afraid of the cold, inhaling the cold air still caused him to instinctively shiver. He hurriedly lowered how much air he was taking in with each breath, but his chest continued to move up and down violently.
Even though he hadn't seen what exactly had crushed him, he was certain that he'd just escaped from the gates of hell! The outer shell that he'd felt suddenly harden had been the Skydream Iceworm's shedded skin. If it hadn't been for that, he would've been squashed into a meat patty.
He continued to inhale and exhale for quite a while before managing to recover somewhat, albeit with difficulty. The moment he stood back up, astonishment involuntarily appeared on his face. The first thing that he'd noticed were the enormous footprints around him, and he was in the middle of one of these footprints.
Each footprint was around five meters long and two meters wide. In contrast, Huo Yuhao's imprint in the ground wasn't even a third of a single footprint. He was able to see the enormous footprints headed towards the distance.
After everything was said and done, Huo Yuhao was still just a kid. After encountering a situation like this, how could he not be scared?
"Brother Skydream, wh-what was that… thing just now? How could its footprints be this big?"
The Skydream Iceworm's somewhat nervous voice rang out, "We nearly gave away our location. That fella's also a spiritual-type, thus he was actually able to block my Spiritual Detection. Fortunately, my spiritual power vastly exceeds his in quality. Because of this, I was able to notice him while he was still a certain distance away from us. You're really lucky, kid. You were actually able to meet the Titan Ice Devil King, one of the Three Emperors of the Extreme North. Luckily, we were able to hide from that fella. If we hadn't, only one thing awaited us: death. Even if it was me when I was at my peak condition I would've died, let alone you."
"The Titan Ice Devil King? What species does it belong to? Is it also a soul beast?" After the anxiety and palpitations in his heart had died down, the curiosity of a young man quickly won over Huo Yuhao's heart.
The Skydream Iceworm replied, "The Three Emperors of the Extreme North are equivalent to the kings in the Great Star Dou Forest. They're the rulers of the Extreme North, as well as the true consummate experts here. They're practically unparalleled existences in a cold environment such as this. In terms of overall strength, those fellas from the Great Star Dou Forest most likely wouldn't be able to beat the soul beasts of my Extreme North, even if they all happened to work together. Only, the Extreme North has too large of an area and range. This, combined with the few soul beasts present, makes it much harder for them to gather."
"The Extreme North has a large number of hundred thousand year soul beasts, so many in fact, that the amount exceeds the amount within the Great Star Dou Forest. After all, the environment here is extremely harsh, and very few humans dare to intrude. In addition to this, the Three Emperors all share a common characteristic—their cultivations all exceed a hundred thousand years.��
Huo Yuhao was stunned. He was no longer the ignorant kid he'd been when he met the Skydream Iceworm. After studying in Shrek Academy for more than a year, his knowledge towards both soul masters and soul beasts had drastically increased.
"Brother Skydream, if I'm not mistaken, soul beasts have no ways of growing after they've cultivated for a hundred thousand years. Once they reach that point, their life force will begin to deteriorate. Your situation is an extremely unique one, such that even our academy's Director Du hasn't ever seen anything like it before. However, not all hundred thousand year soul beasts are able to constantly eat the best heavenly treasures like you were! How did the Three Emperors do it? Are you one of them?"
"Hai… they naturally don't include the likes of me. If I were really one of the Three Emperors of this place, why would I need to go so far as to run away!? At that time, I was forced to run away because of one of the Three Emperors. The lands beneath the heavens are vast, and are filled with extraordinary things; I'm not the only soul beast who's had a lucky encounter. Isn't it possible for someone else to have a lucky encounter as well? Indeed, the Three Emperors are different from me. We Iceworms can only be considered lower ranked soul beasts within the Extreme North. Most of the time we're just considered food. On the other hand, the Three Emperors of the Extreme North all have noble origins; the blood of the Ice God flows through their bodies. To begin with, they belong to the strongest races in this freezing place. As such, their ability to gather heavenly treasures is definitely not weak. Combined with the secrets that they know, it's definitely not impossible for them to have a cultivation breakthrough."
"But now that I think about it, it really is extremely hard to break through the hundred thousand year barrier by solely relying on cultivation. In the million years that I've been alive, the number of soul beasts that I've seen succeed doesn't exceed ten. And of those ten, only three of are still alive. The others all died while trying to make a breakthrough to an even higher cultivation realm. The hurdle that soul beasts have to cross every hundred thousand years is an extremely arduous task."
"That guy who passed by just now was a descendant of the Titan Giant clan, which was supposedly visited by the ancient Ice God. He belongs to the Titan Ice Devil clan. If you want to talk about race alone, they're undoubtedly the strongest race in this freezing place. They currently only have several hundred clansmen left. However, despite this, when they gather together, they become an unparalleled existence. Titan Ice Devils are over ten meters tall at birth, while adult Titan Ice Devils are over fifty meters tall. The Ice Titan Devil King who just passed by was over a hundred meters tall, and he's definitely the largest living creature on the Douluo Continent. Furthermore, we're not talking about a 'one of a kind' thing. Even within the ocean, soul beasts that can compare to it in size alone are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns."
Huo Yuhao was flabbergasted. "A hundred meters tall? That's too scary. Isn't it an unparalleled existence then?"
"Unparalleled?" The Skydream Iceworm snorted disdainfully. "That's obviously not the case. Not to mention the entire continent, it's not even unparalleled in the Extreme North. It's ranked last amongst the Three Emperors. Of course, the chances of a human being able to beat it here in single combat is naturally basically zero."
Astonished, Huo Yuhao said, "It's only ranked third with such a terrifying body? Then the other two Emperors…."
The Skydream Iceworm replied, "Having a larger body isn't always better. Contrarily, there are some times where it's more advantageous to have a smaller body. The other two Emperors aren't nearly as big as that guy, but they're both stronger than him. According to what I know, this Titan Ice Devil King should've only managed to break through the two hundred thousand year bottleneck with quite a bit of difficulty. I reckon that it won't be able to breakthrough to the three hundred thousand year level. One of the other two fellows has already passed the three hundred thousand year bottleneck, while the other has passed the even more terrifying five hundred thousand year bottleneck. Other than myself, it's currently the oldest soul beast on the Douluo Continent. If you were to determine the strongest soul beast on the continent, the leader of the Extreme North's Three Emperors is definitely a powerful contender for that position."