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Golden Fortress. This was Jing Hongchen's fourth soul skill.
The martial soul development of the Hongchen family typically leaned towards fortification, turning them into living artillery. Xiao Hongchen was like this, and so was Jing Hongchen. Meng Hongchen, however, was a special case.
For the family, the Amethyst Dragon Beast was an exceptional soul ring, not something everyone could acquire. Jing Hongchen was lucky enough to come across one. Unfortunately, when he encountered the Amethyst Dragon Beast, it was during his fourth ring, and the one he found was only five thousand years old.
If Xiao Hongchen had reached Jing Hongchen's level, with his soul engineer skills at the same level, he might've been able to instantly transform into a metallic fortress and deploy several Grade 7 soul cannons. But Jing Hongchen needed some time to prepare.
Luckily, the Titan Snow Demon King hesitated, granting Jing Hongchen the time he needed.
A war fortress was formed. Layers of metal covered the enormous toad's real body, with numerous soul cannons embedded between the plates.
The Titan Snow Demon King roared, "Human, are you courting death?!"
He never intended to let Jing Hongchen's group go, and this provocation only further fueled his rage.
"Damn, does this Titan Snow Demon King really want to kill us?" Jing Hongchen was preparing even as he muttered to himself. Inside his metallic fortress, several soul cannons were set up and ready to fire at any moment.
Suddenly, an intense cold surged through the Titan Snow Demon King's body, rushing straight to his head. A feeling of fear overwhelmed him. At that moment, he realized that the enemy now had the power to kill him.
What's going on? What just happened?
While both sides were locked in a standoff, outside the core area of the Extreme North, a young boy was shivering violently from the cold.
"Tianmeng, are we there yet?"
"Yuhao, we're almost at the core of the Extreme North, just a little more," Skydream Ice silkworm muttered. "You're in luck this time. The Titan Snow Demon King has wandered out for some reason, giving you a perfect chance to fuse with your second martial soul without any interference."
The Titan Snow Demon King was one of the three rulers of the Extreme North, and the most active among them. Having just overcome his 200,000-year tribulation, he had nothing to worry about.
In simple terms, he was idle, making him the biggest wild card in the situation.
"Yuhao, I'll need to use my husk soon, so you'll have to endure the cold on your own."
"I'll do my best, Tianmeng!"
After being lured to the edge of the Extreme North's core by Skydream Ice silkworm, Huo Yuhao had no choice but to press forward.
"Yuhao, you have to hold on!"
With those words of encouragement, Skydream Ice silkworm unleashed his power. A terrifying surge of spiritual energy erupted from him, radiating outward. His invisible aura expanded, overwhelming the area.
In the dark sky, the sound of rolling thunder echoed ominously.
"Ice Empress, I know you can sense me. I, Skydream Ice silkworm, have returned for revenge. Do you dare come to meet me?"
"Ice Empress, do you dare come to meet me?!"
Skydream Ice silkworm's spiritual energy spread far and wide, deliberately concentrating it on the core of the Extreme North. Yet, the oppressive spiritual force of the million-year-old soul beast resonated throughout the entire region.
"That bug again?" Su Yu heard Electrolux's voice in his mind.
"The boy is there too, and the hatred within him has grown stronger."
"Alas..."
Electrolux sensed something familiar in Huo Yuhao's presence, especially the feeling of being toyed with by fate.
"Su Yu, if you can, lend that boy a hand. Don't let hatred blind him."
Though Electrolux had no direct connection to Huo Yuhao, he instinctively wished to prevent anyone from repeating his own tragic mistakes.
Destroying the world or saving it—it all came down to a single thought. Once one's fate spun out of control, the consequences could be catastrophic.
"Alright," Su Yu agreed, though he didn't make any promises. He understood what Electrolux had been through and why he felt that way.
If there was anything he could do, he certainly wouldn't mind lending a hand. If time was running short, it would be better to eliminate the threat quickly to prevent further suffering.
The Titan Snow Demon King fixed his gaze on the core area, his eyes flickering.
Jing Hongchen was also shaken inside.
What a terrifying level of spiritual power.
Was there really such a fearsome presence in the Extreme North? The most powerful entities there were the three rulers, right? The Snow Emperor, the Ice Emperor, and this Titan Snow Demon King.
Who was Tianmeng?
"Indeed, the Extreme North is a land of hidden talents."
The Extreme North spanned vast, boundless territory. Although soul beasts were rare, their generally high cultivation levels stemmed from the harsh environment and the scarcity of soul masters in the area.
Unexpectedly, aside from the three rulers, there were also these hidden, terrifying beings.
How did this spiritual power compare to the Evil Emperor's?
As Jing Hongchen made this secret comparison, he felt even more astonished.
Because aside from the oppressive negative traits like brutality, the Evil Emperor's pure spiritual power was actually inferior to that of this Tianmeng.
"Skydream Ice silkworm has returned?"
At this moment, the Titan Snow Demon King had lost interest in dragging out a battle with Jing Hongchen.
Skydream Ice silkworm!
A great supplement!
If he could swallow him, his cultivation level would surely rise by at least three hundred thousand years! With that strength, could he possibly be worthy of the Snow Emperor?
Compared to these red-eyed ice toads, the Titan Snow Demon King clearly cared more about his own strength and the Snow Emperor.
"Human, retreat immediately!"
At a disadvantage in distance, if he were also injured, he would truly stand no chance against the Ice Emperor.
The Titan Snow Demon King was growing increasingly agitated.
"How long can Skydream Ice silkworm hold out, that useless worm? Damn it!"
Jing Hongchen remained on high alert.
He cautiously covered Su Yu and the others as they slowly retreated.
The red-eyed ice toads behind the Titan Snow Demon King quickly vanished one by one.
Both sides retreated in unison to avoid a conflict.
Su Yu called out to Electrolux in the Sea of Consciousness.
"Electrolux, please help me mark that thousand-year-old red-eyed ice toad."
"Not a problem."
Half an hour later.
Once he could no longer sense the Titan Snow Demon King's presence, Jing Hongchen finally sighed in relief.
"Fortunately, a battle didn't break out."
"Yeah," Meng Hongchen replied, still feeling a lingering dread. She hadn't expected to encounter the Titan Snow Demon King while hunting for a fifth soul ring.
Her brows knitted in worry.
The red-eyed ice toads were actually related to the Titan Snow Demon King.
How could they hunt the red-eyed ice toads from now on?
"Hall Master, did the Titan Snow Demon King leave?"
"The recent spiritual pressure seemed to have piqued the Titan Snow Demon King's interest. He has already headed toward the core area. Perhaps that was a summoning order from the true ruler of the Extreme North."
Su Yu's lips twitched.
"The red-eyed ice toads won't follow the Titan Snow Demon King back to the core area.
Among the red-eyed ice toads we just encountered, I noticed one whose age was just right."
Jing Hongchen looked at Su Yu in surprise.
In such a dangerous situation, you were still observing their age?
You really have a lot of nerve.
"They've already hidden away, and they know the environment better than we do, so it will be difficult to find them."
"Don't worry, Hall Master. I've already marked it."
"Hmm?"
Jing Hongchen gazed at Su Yu, utterly confused.
How did you mark it?
First, I want to mention the rewards: for those planning to give rewards next week, you can do so after midnight. This way, I can boost my new book rankings—it's the last week, so let's see how high I can get.
It's fine if you don't reward me; your continued support is already enough.
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Alright, now let's discuss some setting issues.
Some readers have mentioned that the Titan Snow Demon isn't the ultimate ice. I couldn't find specific information, so let's clarify: the Titan Snow Demon King is undoubtedly the ultimate ice. The regular individuals within its group possess near-ultimate attributes, and both ice and power are at near-ultimate levels.
One thing I found is that, in terms of overall group strength, the Titan Snow Demon is indeed stronger than the Ice Blue Scorpion. The advantage in numbers is one factor, and the individual strength can't be too far off, so it should definitely possess near-ultimate power.
If there are any other questions, feel free to discuss them.
(End of Chapter)