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Kong Deming had been gone for quite some time now. Su Yu was starting to miss him.
Although the technique of simplifying the core formation patterns in a level-four soul tool wasn't difficult to understand, many of the specific techniques were still tedious to explore.
It was like solving a complex math problem. Su Yu could work through it, but the process wasted a lot of time. It would have been much faster if his teacher had guided him through it.
Moreover, many of the issues Su Yu was encountering were beyond the explanations provided by level-four soul tool theory.
The progress of refining the Condense and Gather runes had also hit a bottleneck, which was one of the reasons he began constructing new runes.
"Kong Lao should be back soon," Jing Hongchen said.
Jing Hongchen hadn't seen Kong Deming in a long time either. If not for the occasional message from Kong asking him to monitor Su Yu's progress, he might have feared that something had happened to him.
Su Yu nodded, feeling a bit concerned as well.
Kong Deming's safety was one thing. After all, he was the Sun Moon Empire's stabilizing force. If something truly happened to him, the balance of power across the Douluo Continent could shift dramatically.
Aside from that, there was the upcoming Soul Master Tournament.
Shrek Academy's team leader was a Supreme Elder of the Holy Spirit Church, and Su Yu was deeply wary of him.
If things got out of hand on the arena, that despicable man wouldn't hesitate to act.
No, it wasn't just about being heavy-handed.
If, because of Su Yu's actions, Shrek were to lose, and their millennia of glory were shattered, that old man might lash out in fury.
Having someone capable of ensuring his safety during the tournament was something Su Yu needed to plan for.
Naturally, his first choice would be his teacher.
Though not an Ultimate Douluo, or even a Super Douluo, his teacher was half a step into becoming a level-ten soul engineer, making him just as dangerous as an Ultimate Douluo.
If Kong Deming didn't return in time, Su Yu would have to explain the pros and cons to Jing Hongchen and ask him to oversee things personally.
"Kong Lao has told me that if you run into any issues with soul tools, you can always come to me," Jing Hongchen offered, assuming that Su Yu was stuck on a soul tool issue.
"We'll have plenty of time on our way to the Extreme North. It's a long journey, and I'll help answer any questions you have along the way."
Su Yu wasn't the type to be overly polite, so he nodded in agreement.
The sooner his cultivation techniques and rune constructions were perfected, the sooner he could reap the benefits.
"We have no idea how much time this will take."
Last time, it had taken Su Yu and Xiao Hongchen nearly two months to find a suitable soul beast, and that was just in the Jingyang Mountain Range.
The trip to the Extreme North might take more than half a month just for travel, and the soul beasts there were even harder to find.
This journey could easily take longer than the previous one.
"There are still three months until the Soul Master Tournament. The academy just started the new semester a few days ago, and soon they'll be selecting the contestants.
I've already secured spots for both Su Yu and Meng, so you don't need to worry about that," Jing Hongchen said to Xiao Hongchen.
"The only thing to keep in mind is that if we're delayed, we'll head directly to Star Luo City afterward."
After giving these instructions, Jing Hongchen, Su Yu, and Meng Hongchen left the academy.
Thanks to their flying soul tools, they reached a small town on the edge of the Extreme North in just five days.
"Beyond this point, we won't be able to use flying soul tools," Jing Hongchen reminded them.
The environment in the Extreme North was too harsh for flying soul tools to be effective.
The three of them removed their flying tools and equipped their warming soul tools before continuing their journey deeper into the region.
Another three days passed.
"We are currently on the outskirts of the Extreme North," Jing Hongchen said.
"Meng's Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad has both ice and fire attributes, which makes finding a soul beast with similar attributes quite difficult. So, for now, our target remains the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad itself."
"The Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad lives in the outer regions of the Extreme North, and through the information I gathered from Sun-Moon Hall, I've pinpointed a few areas where ten-thousand-year-old Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toads have been spotted."
Jing Hongchen pulled out a map and marked several locations that would serve as their destinations.
"There isn't much information about the Extreme North. The only reason we know about the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toads is that they live in the outer areas and we've made a specific effort to collect this data.
From here on out, the two of you must stay within my line of sight at all times. Be prepared to summon your martial spirits for combat at any moment."
The biting cold winds of the Extreme North swept through the air, carrying snowflakes in their wake. Everything was blanketed in white. If they stood still for just a minute, snow would already begin to cover them. In such an environment, there could be soul beasts hidden anywhere.
The most dangerous aspect was that this was the Extreme North.
Many soul beasts here kept their life signs at extremely low levels, almost in a hibernation state. Even their soul power was difficult to detect.
So, it wouldn't be surprising if a soul beast was sleeping right under their feet without them noticing.
"I constantly keep my spiritual power covering a range of about a hundred meters around us. It shouldn't come to such an extreme situation, but it's always better to be cautious," Jing Hongchen reassured.
As a Title Douluo, Jing Hongchen was able to withstand the harsh climate.
Meng Hongchen's martial spirit, the Scarlet-Eyed Ice Toad, made things relatively easy for her as well.
As for Su Yu, thanks to the nine-petal snow lotus he had consumed, he was able to move normally in the cold.
Xiao Hongchen, on the other hand, would likely have been a burden in this environment, which is why he wasn't brought along this time.
"Grandfather, are you sure you're talking about soul tools?" Meng Hongchen asked, confused by the discussion between Su Yu and Jing Hongchen.
What were they even talking about?
Although Su Yu's questions were framed as being about soul tools, at the core, they were really focused on the construction of runes.
His rune techniques were similar to a form of void inscription, which didn't require engraving on rare metals. It was far more complex and had fewer constraints, delving into an area Meng Hongchen didn't fully understand.
Though some of the terms and names of formations were familiar from basic soul tool theory, the ways they were combined and the underlying concepts were beyond her comprehension.
Moreover, Su Yu's rune techniques differed significantly from the core formations of soul tools.
The essence of rune techniques lay in the overall integrity and stability of the final rune. Each pattern drawn in the void was interconnected, ensuring stability as long as spiritual power flowed through it.
This was the foundation of Su Yu's rune method.
As Jing Hongchen answered Su Yu's questions, he gradually began to grasp a vague understanding of what Su Yu was studying. Since Su Yu's inquiries mainly involved formations related to spiritual power, Jing Hongchen was able to conclude that Su Yu was attempting to use core soul tool formations to assist with spiritual power cultivation.
After all, even the idea of fusion soul tool technology had been inspired by Su Yu.
Su Yu made no attempt to hide this.
Seeing Jing Hongchen's realization, Su Yu didn't bother to conceal anything further.
"A genius idea," Jing Hongchen remarked, both astonished at the depth of Su Yu's spiritual power and impressed by his rune techniques.
"This rune technique of yours, while demanding, seems to have almost limitless potential for further cultivation."
"Could others practice it as well?" Jing Hongchen asked after a moment of thought.
The significance of this technique was too great, especially for soul engineers.
"With many hands, the fire burns brighter. But for now, I think it's not suitable for widespread dissemination," Su Yu replied.
(End of chapter.)