Snow Empress had been busy for quite a while but couldn't inflict any harm on Su Yu.
Su Yu, still smiling mischievously, radiated a cheeky, roguish vibe.
"Just wait until I grow up. Let's see how I deal with you then," Snow Empress puffed her cheeks in frustration.
Su Yu chuckled, "Oh, I'm so scared~"
She shot him a glare, her face turning serious, clearly upset. Su Yu, however, continued smiling and gently poked her soft little cheeks, which only made her more annoyed.
At that moment, the Ice Bear King lumbered over from the distance.
It plopped itself down in front of the glacier, scratching its head with a pitiful look on its face.
"Mother, he stopped playing with me halfway through," Xiao Bai said, its tone akin to a child complaining.
It was almost unimaginable to see such a massive bear whining and acting coy.
Snow Empress froze for a moment before glancing at Su Yu. She quickly grasped his reasoning.
"He's not refusing to play with you; he's just worried about hurting you."
Being the mother figure to the bear, Snow Empress understood Xiao Bai's straightforward nature better than anyone.
And after two years of constant interaction, she also gained some insight into Su Yu's personality.
How should she put it? Su Yu was the kind of person who, if you tried to outsmart him, would take you down with a grin. But when it came to honest and good-natured individuals, he was uncharacteristically kind and gentle.
Su Yu had stopped because he noticed the wound on Xiao Bai's chest and didn't want to continue. Snow Empress could see that.
At moments like this, Su Yu had qualities that were, admittedly, commendable.
"It didn't hurt me! Not even a little!" Xiao Bai patted its chest boldly, speaking in its usual carefree manner.
Snow Empress couldn't help but smile. What a simple-minded creature.
Su Yu also chuckled at the Ice Bear King's innocence. It was surprisingly endearing.
"How long are we staying here?" Su Yu turned to Snow Empress and asked.
Her ice-blue eyes sparkled as she replied, "Why, are you thinking of leaving already?"
Su Yu smiled. "I haven't been back to the Star Dou Forest in three years. I'd like to visit."
Three years.
He had been away for three whole years.
In that time, he had advanced from a 36th-level Soul Elder to a 57th-level Soul King—quite an impressive pace. After all, he was an Ultimate Ice soul master and cultivated the Supreme Divine Art.
The quality of his Ultimate Ice soul power already far surpassed that of other soul masters, and the Supreme Divine Art only elevated it further. Under these conditions, he was quite satisfied with his progress.
He had just turned fourteen and believed he could reach the Soul Emperor level within the same year.
As for soul tools, while he hadn't officially undergone assessment, he was confident in his ability to craft a seventh-level soul tool.
In both soul master skills and soul tool development, he had achieved significant progress.
His three years away had been far from wasted.
Still, he hadn't returned to the Star Dou Forest in all that time. Truthfully, he missed Di Mingli and the others quite a bit.
He imagined how Di Mingli had likely endured three years of eating coarse grains. She had grown accustomed to finer foods, so how could she bear it?
Just thinking about it made him feel sorry.
Snow Empress's sparkling eyes blinked at his words. "I see…"
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Let's stay here for a few more days. I want to linger a little longer."
She reached out to catch a snowflake, gazing at the vast, desolate, icy expanse of the Extreme North.
It seemed barren and lifeless, but for her, it was a place etched into the deepest corners of her memory.
Noticing the uncharacteristic hint of melancholy on her delicate, porcelain-like face, Su Yu's heart softened.
"Alright."
...
Half a month later.
A lone figure stepped out of the Extreme North.
Su Yu had spent the past two weeks with Snow Empress in the icy lands.
He could tell that Snow Empress had a deep attachment to this frozen world. No matter how dazzling the outside world was, it could never compare to the land where she was born and raised.
Although Su Yu spent most of his time teasing the little Snow Empress, he had always been quietly attuned to her emotions.
While he wouldn't claim to be overly perceptive, he did notice certain things.
After staying for half a month, the two finally decided to leave.
Beyond the Extreme North lay the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Unlike his hurried journey to the Extreme North, Su Yu now chose to travel on foot, walking during the day and resting at night.
Sometimes, this in itself was a form of training.
About a week later, Su Yu left the northern border and entered the heartland of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Here, the surroundings were far more opulent.
Traveling while exploring, Su Yu gathered quite a bit of information along the way—such as news about the Xuanwu Sect.
The news of the Xuanwu Sect Master's death had ultimately leaked.
Though it had occurred in a secret chamber, no matter how well it was hidden, over a year had passed, and it was bound to be discovered.
The revelation of the sect master's death caused considerable unrest. However, thanks to the Shrek Academy's prior controversial actions, the public discourse across the three empires was already overwhelmed with various topics.
While the death of the Xuanwu Sect Master had some impact, it wasn't earth-shattering.
The only ones truly affected were the Xuanwu Sect itself.
The loss of their sect master, a Titled Douluo, dealt a devastating blow to them.
As a sect that was not among the top tier, the Xuanwu Sect could hardly withstand the loss of such a powerful figure.
Their influence took a significant hit, and their control over their territories weakened substantially.
Far away at Shrek Academy, Xu Sanshi was devastated upon hearing the news, to the point of coughing up blood and fainting.
His father was gone. How could he possibly remain calm?
Upon waking, Xu Sanshi immediately pleaded for Shrek Academy's assistance.
However, Shrek Academy, already struggling with its issues, was in no position to take on such trouble.
To kill a Titled Douluo in a secret chamber without alerting anyone else indicated an enormous gap in power. The sect master had likely been unable to even send out a warning before his death.
Such an assassin was undoubtedly at least a Super Douluo, possibly even at the level of 96 or 97.
Shrek Academy had no desire to provoke such a powerhouse.
Moreover, Xu Sanshi's value had significantly diminished. His Xuanwu bloodline had been crippled, and he was no longer as important as he once was.
Yan Shaozhe offered polite words of comfort and gently refused Xu Sanshi's request, hoping he would understand.
And what could Xu Sanshi do? Would he dare go against Yan Shaozhe?
Of course not. Disappointed and dejected, he had no choice but to leave.
Naturally, Su Yu was unaware of the conflicts between Xu Sanshi and Shrek Academy.
Such matters had not been spread externally.
All Su Yu knew was that the Xuanwu Sect had suffered a significant blow and that its position was now unstable.
As for Xu Sanshi, Su Yu didn't need to think much to know his situation wouldn't be good.
To that, Su Yu could only say: Fantastic.
When it came to his enemies, he delighted in their misfortune. Yes, he was petty like that.
Traveling leisurely, Su Yu spent over half a month on his journey until he finally entered the Star Dou Forest from the Heavenly Soul Empire.
The moment he set foot in the forest, a pair of violet eyes slowly opened at the bottom of the Lake of Life.
A melodious voice echoed softly, "That little troublemaker came back?"
The owner of the voice hesitated for a moment, and her massive form began to shift. As silver light flickered, a stunning figure appeared...
As Su Yu stepped into the Star Dou Forest, a refreshing coolness greeted him.
The sight of vibrant greenery, flourishing trees, and blooming flowers met his gaze.
The forest felt noticeably more humid than the outside world. The soil underfoot was slightly damp and rich, with a reddish-black hue that exuded fertility.
The trees, perpetually lush and thriving, brimmed with vitality.
Returning here, Su Yu felt an innate sense of relaxation and comfort.
If the Extreme North was Snow Empress's home, then this place was undoubtedly his.
His happiest childhood memories were all tied to this forest.
"Ah… that familiar feeling!"
Stretching lazily, Su Yu swaggered deeper into the Star Dou Forest.
Here, he could afford to be a little arrogant.
Generally, those who dared attack him posed no threat. And those capable of threatening him wouldn't dare try.
To Su Yu, there was no safer place than this forest.
Perhaps fueled by excitement, Su Yu quickened his pace.
He covered the outer perimeter's 20-kilometer expanse in under half an hour, moving into the mixed area.
Here, the soul beasts were significantly stronger.
Thousand-year soul beasts were common, and ten-thousand-year soul beasts were not rare.
Humming a cheerful tune, Su Yu strode confidently forward.
After another half hour, he reached the deeper parts of the mixed area.
The mixed zone spanned roughly 40 kilometers, and Su Yu had already covered most of it.
Munching on a fruit as he walked, he felt utterly at ease.
Suddenly, Su Yu's brows furrowed, and he halted.
He had the distinct sensation of being watched.
A soul beast in the Star Dou Forest daring to eye him?
Narrowing his eyes, he resolved to see just which creature was so reckless.
Walking a few hundred meters further, he spotted movement in the forest ahead.
A massive black tiger leaped out, pouncing straight at him.
The tiger's body spanned five meters in length, its fur pitch black with white spots, and a distinctive "king" character on its forehead.
This was a Demon Tiger, a soul beast ranked in the upper-middle tier.
While it couldn't compare to the strongest apex predators, as a member of the tiger family, it was naturally formidable.
This Demon Tiger was a genuine ten-thousand-year soul beast, measuring five meters in length. Its cultivation had already reached approximately 25,000 years.
For a Demon Tiger, attacking other creatures was as ordinary as eating and drinking.
But this time, it picked the wrong target.
As it leaped through the air, pouncing toward Su Yu, he remained utterly unflustered. With a simple lift of his hand, he delivered a slap.
The slap landed squarely on the Demon Tiger's face, sending it flying and leaving it thoroughly stunned.
The tiger rolled twice across the ground before managing to get back up. Shaking its head, it felt the impact of that slap—Su Yu hadn't held back.
But Su Yu wasn't about to let it off so easily. In a flash, he appeared before the tiger. As it stared at him in astonishment, he grabbed its massive head and yanked it forcefully to the ground.
The colossal beast was pulled down as if it weighed nothing.
"Take a good look at this face!"
"You dare attack me?"
"Are you trying to rebel or something?"
Su Yu pointed at his face with his right hand, then delivered another resounding slap to the tiger's head, making it see stars.
At last, the Demon Tiger got a clear look at Su Yu's face. Its fur stood on end as it quivered in terror.
"Recognize me now? Huh?"
Su Yu let go of the tiger, sneering coldly.
The Demon Tiger nodded its massive head repeatedly before bolting at full speed.
In the blink of an eye, it had dashed over a hundred meters away.
As it ran, it roared at the top of its lungs:
"Roar, roar, roar, roar!"
(The little tyrant is back!)
"Roar, roar, roar, roar!"
(Too terrifying!)
The Demon Tiger fled with incredible speed and nearby ten-thousand-year soul beasts that heard its roars scattered in all directions.
The little tyrant had returned.
Nothing could frighten them more.
They feared that if they ran even a moment too slow, they'd meet the same fate.
All the soul beasts over ten thousand years in the area knew Su Yu. Even those who hadn't seen him in person had heard of his ferocity.
"You've got the nerve to run?"
Su Yu was livid and immediately gave chase.
No matter how fast the Demon Tiger was, it couldn't outrun Su Yu's Wind God Legs.
Even though he started the chase after it, Su Yu quickly caught up to the fleeing tiger.