On the wide loess road, Huo Yuhao, dressed in white, was running with sweat streaming down his face. Every step he took landed heavily on the ground, stirring up clouds of dust.
On his back was the Mysterious Heavy Ruler given to him by Yao Lao. The ruler's length almost exceeded his height, making for a peculiar combination that drew curious glances from the occasional passersby.
After running a few more hundred meters, Huo Yuhao finally couldn't hold on any longer. He panted heavily like a windmill, dragging his legs, which felt as heavy as lead, toward the shade of a large tree by the roadside.
Reaching the tree, Huo Yuhao collapsed on the cool grass, letting the sweat on his forehead flow like a stream.
"Young Master, are you alright?" Yu Tao asked with some concern.
He had previously felt the weight of the Mysterious Heavy Ruler himself and understood its suppressive effect on cultivation.
What astonished him was that Huo Yuhao, with just a one-ring Soul Master's cultivation, could carry this thing and run alongside him for an entire hour. It was simply insane!
Huo Yuhao weakly waved his hand, indicating he was fine. Seeing this, Yu Tao didn't say much more and went to a nearby stall to buy some tea.
"Teacher, this Mysterious Heavy Ruler is too terrifying. When I carry it, my soul power circulation slows down, and I can't fully activate the Tian Luo Jue. Plus, this thing is ridiculously heavy! What should have taken just one day has now taken two, and we're still not there!" Huo Yuhao said, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.
"Hehe, did you think Earth-level combat skills would be easy to cultivate? This isn't just a casual stroll. Since it's called a tough training vacation, be prepared for the harshest treatment. The comfortable life in Shrek City is far behind you now," Yao Lao replied, gloating.
Huo Yuhao smiled wryly and shook his head. Carrying the Mysterious Heavy Ruler had compressed his cultivation to less than that of a one-ring Soul Master.
His Tian Luo Jue, which he had cultivated to the eighth level, could only exert about a third of its power, making him much slower than before.
The ruler's immense weight almost caused his back to break even when he was using his soul power at full capacity.
The Extreme Northern Icefield was eight thousand miles away from Shrek City, but Huo Yuhao could have reached it in five or six days with his original speed.
However, at his current pace, it would take about ten days. During these ten days, Huo Yuhao would truly understand the meaning of exhaustion.
"Yuhao, you're the most relentless cultivator I've ever seen. If I had been as driven as you back then, those beasts in the core area would've been in big trouble," Tian Meng laughed in his spiritual sea.
Smiling bitterly, Huo Yuhao took the tea Yu Tao handed him and drank it in large gulps.
After resting for a while, he stood up, patted the sturdy body of the Mysterious Heavy Ruler with both love and hate, and once again set off towards the distant horizon.
The Extreme Northern Icefield, located at the northernmost point of the Douluo Continent, was covered in perpetual snow and extremely cold, home to countless ice-type soul beasts.
The core area of the Extreme North was as dangerous as the core area of the Star Dou Forest. The danger of the Star Dou Forest lay in its powerful soul beasts, while the Extreme North was perilous because its environment was a death trap for humans.
The air here was incredibly dry, and the biting cold wind, carrying large snowflakes, sliced through everything on the ground like blades, leaving no grass alive.
Even titled Douluo-level soul masters found it hard to survive here for long. The extreme cold constantly drained their soul power. Once exhausted, their fate would be eternal slumber on this land, becoming either food for soul beasts or a permanent landmark.
Furthermore, ice-type soul masters were rare on the continent, so few soul masters came here to hunt soul beasts. The number of soul beasts in the Extreme Northern Icefield had been increasing due to the lack of human intervention, making them a match for the Star Dou Forest in overall strength.
After eight days of traveling, Huo Yuhao and Yu Tao finally reached the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire. Here, the map in his hand turned blank.
Stopping to catch his breath, white mist puffed out from his mouth and nose, instantly crystallizing into ice shards in the air.
His eyes glowed with colorful light, and the flame power of his Flame God Eyes spread throughout his body, making him feel no cold.
Carefully examining the map, he noted that just north of their current position was a vast emptiness, with a small annotation on the map:
"Extreme North, Forbidden Zone for Humans. Soul Beasts Sighted, Danger, Danger, Danger!"
The three "danger" warnings were in red, indicating the mapmaker's dread of the harsh environment in the Extreme Northern Icefield.
"Tian Meng, wake up, we've arrived," Huo Yuhao called out to Tian Meng Iceworm in his spiritual sea.
"Guide? Guide what? I don't know this place either. Just follow my spiritual power to find our target. Oh, and take off your clothes so I can keep you warm. While your martial spirit can resist the cold here, it's not a long-term solution," Tian Meng responded groggily.
"No need for that," Yao Lao's voice suddenly echoed in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea. A wisp of white flame emerged from a black ancient ring, forming a thin membrane that wrapped around Huo Yuhao's skin.
When Huo Yuhao tried to retract his martial spirit, he still didn't feel any cold. Meanwhile, Yu Tao's eyebrows were already frosted.
"What about this human?" Tian Meng asked. "We can't take him with us; he'll only mess things up."
Huo Yuhao grinned and said to Tian Meng, "Don't worry, teacher and I have already made arrangements. Tian Meng, you lead the way, and I'll handle things when the time comes."
"Alright, keep heading north, into the core of the Extreme North. Do you have enough food? We'll need at least ten days here, and there's no food, only water," Tian Meng said.
"Don't worry, I'm well-prepared," Huo Yuhao replied.
Setting off again, Huo Yuhao and Yu Tao headed further into the northern icefield. Though the bitter cold wind was no longer a threat to Huo Yuhao, the accumulating ice and snow still slowed his progress.
The further north they went, the colder it became. Even Yu Tao struggled to keep going, needing frequent breaks.
Two more days passed, and Huo Yuhao was deep within the desolate Extreme North. They encountered some soul beasts, but with Tian Meng's guidance, none posed a threat.
Suddenly, Tian Meng's urgent voice sounded in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea.
"Quick, lie down and bury yourself in the snow. Don't move, no matter what touches you."
Huo Yuhao's eyes flashed with a hint of light. Looking at Yu Tao beside him, he smiled.
"Sorry, buddy!"