Somewhere in the Extreme North, at the foot of a snow-capped mountain.
A conical purple light barrier shielded the area from the biting wind and snow. Two figures sat cross-legged on the ground, deep in discussion about their next move.
One of the men, whose presence was as imposing as a mountain, nudged the thin middle-aged man beside him with his shoulder. His eyes betrayed a hint of helplessness as he spoke, "Xu Guanzheng, the big opportunity you're talking about… it's not that stupid bear, is it?"
Xu Guanzheng shot him a cold glance and replied, "Hu Hao, are you an idiot? With the strength of the two of us, do you think we're here to feed it? That big guy might not be one of the Three Kings of the Extreme North according to the intelligence, but in my opinion, its strength is definitely on par with them."
Hu Hao snorted, "Hmph! This won't work, that won't work either. So, what are we here for? A vacation in the Extreme North?" He stood up, his bulging muscles radiating an intense, fierce energy.
"Patience, Hu Hao. We've waited for a month already. There's not much time left," Xu Guanzheng said as he also rose to his feet. The tall, slender man patted Hu Hao on the shoulder and continued, "You know our family's talent for divination sometimes works wonders. Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky this time."
"Damn it, if I'd known better, I wouldn't have come with you. What a waste of time," Hu Hao spat, regret evident in his voice.
In truth, he shouldn't have accepted Xu Guanzheng's commission.
The two of them had ventured deep into the Extreme North primarily to find a suitable ninth soul ring for Xu Guanzheng—preferably a ten-thousand-year one.
Although Xu Guanzheng was an Class 8 soul engineer, breaking through to Titled Douluo with the help of pills was already a miracle. Absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring? That was nothing but a pipe dream.
Sensing Hu Hao's disdain, Xu Guanzheng rolled his eyes. "Even if you don't believe in my mediocre martial soul talent, you should at least trust the judgment and vision of a Class 9 soul engineer. You won't regret this, believe me!"
Hu Hao wasn't one to hold back. "You? A class 8 soul engineer? Aren't you just an class 8 soul engineer with a class 9 soul tool, the God-Conferring Platform? What good is that?"
"I'm already a Titled Douluo now. Breaking through to the class 9 as a soul engineer is just a matter of time. Think about it—if we pull this off, you'll have the friendship of a future class 9 soul engineer. Isn't that worth something?"
Hu Hao chuckled dryly. "Haha, the future class 9 soul engineer will have to work hard. Uncle, I'll trust you one more time."
Though Hu Hao wasn't a soul engineer himself, he understood how difficult it was to break through to the Class 9. Still, as Xu Guanzheng's senior, he didn't feel like arguing further with the shameless braggart.
Not long ago, after Xu Guanzheng absorbed his ninth soul ring, he had settled in this snowy peak area, claiming that his martial soul had guided him to a great opportunity—a once-in-a-lifetime chance that came with his breakthrough to Titled Douluo.
As a native Titled Douluo of the Star Luo Empire, Hu Hao knew that the Xingguan family possessed a unique divination talent that could be used to hunt for treasures. However, for a soul master of his level, even thousand-year soul bones obtained through treasure hunting were of little use.
Yet, under Xu Guanzheng's persistent persuasion, Hu Hao had endured the harsh conditions of this inhospitable place, waiting for the so-called "big opportunity."
And that wait had lasted an entire month.
During that time, they had even encountered a hundred-thousand-year Arctic Ice Bear. If not for their quick escape, they might have met their end.
Perhaps noticing Hu Hao's growing impatience, Xu Guanzheng pointed to a snow-capped mountain about a thousand meters away. "Based on the patrol patterns of the big ice bear, I've analyzed its territory. There's a lotus pond on that mountain."
"Anything good there?" Hu Hao asked lazily, lying on the cold snow.
"According to the aura analysis from my soul tool, there must be a Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus there!" Xu Guanzheng dropped the bombshell.
Hu Hao's eyes lit up. "That's the treasure you found? Why didn't you say so earlier? Let's go grab it!"
Seeing Hu Hao roll up his sleeves, ready to charge in, Xu Guanzheng quickly grabbed him. "Are you out of your mind? The snow lotus's aura has already disappeared. It's too late now!"
Hu Hao glared at him. "You! Why didn't you tell me sooner? A Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus, gone just like that?"
Xu Guanzheng shook his head. "At first, I thought the Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus was the treasure I sensed. But later, I realized this opportunity might be far greater than I imagined."
"Stop speaking in riddles and get to the point!"
Hu Hao was already numb to Xu Guanzheng's antics. This junior had no respect for him whatsoever. Back in the day, he used to call him "Uncle Hu," but now he was being addressed by name, almost to the point of being scolded.
It was a shame that Hu Hao had ventured deep into the core area to find a suitable seventy-thousand-year soul beast for Xu Guanzheng. If the situation hadn't been so precarious, Hu Hao would have taught Xu Guanzheng a lesson about respecting his elders.
Xu Guanzheng remained calm. "Do you know about the transformation of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts? I suspect this lotus pond is the place chosen by the hundred-thousand-year ice bear for its descendants to undergo their transformation."
"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast? Transforming and rebuilding?" Hu Hao's eyes widened in shock.
Xu Guanzheng's eyes gleamed with a sinister light. "Our family's records mention that Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotuses can help hundred-thousand-year soul beasts successfully rebuild their bodies. We just need to wait for the right moment to capture the soul beast during its transformation!"
He sighed. "Unfortunately, our soul rings are already full. But if we sell the hundred-thousand-year soul beast to the Star Luo royal family, it'll be worth hundreds of millions of gold soul coins!"
Hu Hao's excitement grew. "A hundred-thousand-year soul beast embryo would guarantee a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone. This is unprecedented! Good job, kid. I misjudged you."
Xu Guanzheng smiled faintly. "Uncle Hu, when the time comes, I'll take sixty percent, and you'll get forty. We'll never have to worry about money again."
Hu Hao hesitated. "Isn't forty percent a bit too much for me?"
"That's what you deserve, Uncle Hu. I need you to lure away that stupid bear so I can approach the snow mountain and use the God-Conferring Platform," Xu Guanzheng explained.
"Me? Lure that ice bear away? Are you serious?" Hu Hao pointed at himself, his face a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"Afraid?"
Xu Guanzheng shook his head. "Uncle Hu, we've endured the extreme cold of the Extreme North's core for over a month. The opportunity to change our destiny is right in front of us. Are you willing to give up now?"
"This chance won't come again. I'm counting on you, Uncle Hu. After all, I'm the only one who knows how to operate the God-Conferring Platform." Xu Guanzheng's voice was persuasive. "This is a fortune worth hundreds of millions. One big score, and we'll live in luxury for the rest of our lives!"
"...Alright! I'll trust you one more time. I'll risk it all."
Tempted by the promise of wealth, Hu Hao finally agreed. The two of them hid once more within the Class 8 soul tool barrier, waiting for the right moment.
…
"Boom!"
Just as Huo Yuhao arrived in the snowy peak area, a terrifying aura erupted, accompanied by howling winds and endless snowfall.
A dazzling white light illuminated the area, and the thousand-year-old ice clouds in the sky above the Extreme North's core collapsed, revealing the quiet moonlight. The temperature, already freezing, dropped even further.
Although the terrifying aura lasted only a few seconds, the ice empress immediately sensed the snow empress's presence.
"This is Snowy Dance of Ultimate Ice (Empress' Chill)! It really is the snow empress! She's truly embarked on the path of transformation," the ice empress murmured, momentarily distracted.
Originally, she had considered joining snow empress in the God-making Project, following Huo Yuhao's footsteps. But now, it seemed that chance was slipping away.
For soul beasts, transforming into a human and rebuilding their body was a path to godhood, but it was also a life-or-death gamble.
Skydream sighed. "Who would have thought the three of us would face such a fate? Is this the destiny of soul beasts? It's a pity. If we could gain the snow empress's help, our chances of achieving godhood would increase significantly."
"Don't dwell on it. I have a bad feeling about this," Huo Yuhao said as he recalled the two spirits into his body and sped toward the snow peak's lotus pond.
Using the Light Rainbow Gu and Power Doubler Gu, his speed quadrupled. In an instant, Huo Yuhao's flying speed reached that of a Titled Douluo, creating sonic booms as he raced forward.
As Huo Yuhao approached, the ice empress and Skydream, sharing his mental detection, realized the gravity of the situation.
The Ice Bear King, who was protecting the snow empress, was being held back by a Titled Douluo. Meanwhile, another soul master with an equally powerful aura was approaching the snow empress's transformation site with a concealed soul tool.
Two Titled Douluo had appeared in the Extreme North's core, a place rarely visited by humans. The timing couldn't have been worse.
The ice empress's expression darkened. "At the critical moment of the snow empress's transformation, human soul masters are lurking nearby? And they're Titled Douluo?"
"How did they time this so perfectly?" Skydream wondered aloud.
No matter how powerful a soul beast was, once it began its transformation, it would abandon its cultivation and become a human child, starting over.
Although the snow empress's situation was unique—as a seven-hundred-thousand-year-old ferocious beast, she had a Ten Thousand Year Snow Lotus to aid her rebirth—she still had to seal her origin, leaving her vulnerable.
Before her transformation, the snow empress could easily handle two Titled Douluo. In the early stages of her transformation, she still retained some offensive capabilities, and with the Ice Bear King's protection, she was virtually untouchable.
But now, during the most critical stage of her transformation, the two Titled Douluo had caught her at her weakest. At this moment, the snow empress had almost no means of defense. The only way to defeat the intruders would be to detonate her origin power.
Listening to the ice empress and Skydream's conversation in his spiritual sea, Huo Yuhao added, "Not only that, the soul tool the approaching soul master is carrying is a class 9 God-Conferring Platform—a sealing-type soul tool. If the snow empress isn't careful, she'll definitely be captured."
"What!?" Skydream and the ice empress exclaimed in unison.
The God-Conferring Platform was inlaid with over a hundred gems carved from rare metals, designed specifically to capture the snow empress's embryo. Even with the Ice Bear King's protection, it seemed the snow empress couldn't escape her fate.
As Xu Guanzheng approached with a sinister expression, the snow empress's embryo, a white mist-like form, slowly descended into the lotus pond, unaware of the impending danger.
Huo Yuhao stopped urging the Gu worms and used his imitation soul skills to conceal himself, quietly preparing the Three-Turn Tianyuan Baolian (Tianyuan Treasure Lotus Gu).
**[Tianyuan Treasure Lotus Gu = A third-level Gu worm that accelerates a soul master's soul power recovery and generates Yuanshi, which speeds up cultivation.]**
"The Three-Turn Tianyuan Baolian is starting to fall behind my current strength," Huo Yuhao sighed, silently gathering his power.
He had used the combination of Power doubler Gu and Tianyuan Baolian before, but even the lowest level of amplification came with drawbacks.
"Will the snow empress be okay?" Skydream asked nervously.
"Yuhao, I trust your judgment!" the ice empress said without hesitation.
Though both Skydream and the ice empress were anxious about the snow empress's predicament, they were powerless to intervene. Both of them had become part of Huo Yuhao's soul, and the ice empress had no intention of pressuring him.
Trust.
She was now part of Huo Yuhao, and she couldn't afford to act recklessly.
"Don't worry, I've got this under control!"
Huo Yuhao didn't disappoint their trust. With the advantage of the terrain and a sneak attack, he could easily defeat a Titled Douluo who had only recently broken through with the help of pills.
Although waiting for the opponent to activate the God-Conferring Platform would make it easier to obtain a new soul, Huo Yuhao had no intention of doing so.
He could still become a god without the snow empress's soul.
Moreover, the Eye of Life in his Second Sea of Consciousness was urging him to act immediately—it was the best course of action.
Huo Yuhao chose to follow his instincts.
The first to strike was the Fifth-Rank Mind-Grabbing Gu!
"Killing move—Soul Shock Explosion—activate!"
…
Second Sea of Consciousness.
Sensing the impending confrontation in the outside world, Electrolux had no intention of intervening. With the help of the strange Gu worm, dealing with a soul master with a weak soul would be easy.
"But..."
The gray round bead rolled quietly.
"This little guy, Yuhao, still has a trace of the power of destiny within him."
"But why is there a mixture of three conflicting forces in this power of destiny? When did he get infected?"
One of the forces was familiar to Electrolux—it was the power of the Gu worm. But the other two were more enigmatic.
…
If you'd like to support me and gain access to advanced chapters, you can follow the link:
patreon.com/DarkLord621