"Just like that?"
Jiang Feixin raised an eyebrow. Huo Yuhao nodded. "Yes, just like that!"
At that moment, Xuan Ziwen called out again: "Yuhao, come over for a moment! There's something here I need your help with…"
"Coming, Teacher!"
Huo Yuhao responded, said goodbye to Jiang Feixin, and threw himself back into soul tool research. Jiang Feixin didn't leave; she simply sat to the side, watching him work busily.
When everything finally wrapped up, Huo Yuhao noticed Jiang Feixin still sitting there and said in surprise, "You've been sitting here this whole time?"
"Waiting for you," Jiang Feixin replied with a nod.
Waiting for him?
Huo Yuhao scratched his head in confusion. Before he could ask, Jiang Feixin immediately answered, "Of course to properly repay you! I'm not someone who forgets kindness. You've done me a great favor!"
"T-This… isn't really necessary, right?" Huo Yuhao looked a bit embarrassed. He wasn't used to this kind of situation.
Seeing his uneasiness, Jiang Feixin lifted her head toward Xuan Ziwen and asked, "Mr. Xuan, I'll be taking him with me, all right?"
Busy as ever, Xuan Ziwen glanced up at the two, his gaze moving between them before he nodded. "Ah—yes! Go ahead, Yuhao. Take your time, no need to rush back!"
As soon as Xuan Ziwen finished, Jiang Feixin pointed outside. "Let's go, Huo Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao looked at the slightly haughty Jiang Feixin, bid farewell to Xuan Ziwen, and followed her out of Mingde Hall.
Jiang Shengyu and the Snow Emperor headed northward, soon entering the territory of the Extreme North. In the region Huo Yuhao had mentioned, they saw the Heaven Dou Empire soldiers' constructed defensive lines.
Within fifty li of the core encampment, soul tool detectors were arranged everywhere. They weren't very advanced, but functional. The two concealed their auras and observed through the wind and snow.
"Cai Mei'er and Xian Lin'er don't have the Sea God's protection on them — they're of no concern. Only that Ma Xiaotao carries divine power. She's a variable."
Jiang Shengyu examined the area calmly as he spoke to the Snow Emperor.
Although gods cannot interfere in the mortal world at will — even when their own successors are involved — Tang San had already broken precedent. And who could guarantee that the others would still uphold the laws of the Divine Realm?
The power of gods was still far too overwhelming for the current Douluo Continent.
The Snow Emperor, however, showed no concern. "Don't forget — this is the Extreme North, the territory of us soul beasts! In this land of ice and snow, we are the invincible ones."
As long as a god didn't descend personally, there was nothing to fear. And with the laws linking the Douluo plane and the Divine Realm still intact, a god's true body couldn't descend easily anyway.
"Come, let's find Xiaobai first." Having made up her mind, the Snow Emperor flew deeper into the Extreme North. Jiang Shengyu followed closely behind.
Just as the two took off, a familiar figure emerged from the swirling snow not far ahead — someone both of them recognized: Ling Luochen.
Wrapped in a heavy coat, Ling Luochen's expression was solemn, as if deep in thought. Since Jiang Shengyu and the Snow Emperor were flying overhead, she didn't detect them.
But as they swept past above, a sudden intuition welled up in her heart. She turned and called softly, "Is… that you, Jiang?"
Hearing her voice, Jiang Shengyu frowned and halted. He looked back at Ling Luochen. In this vast storm, they could see her, but she could not see them.
The wind and snow still raged, but Ling Luochen clearly felt something unusual before her. She lowered her voice and said, "Jiang… can we talk? Don't worry, I won't tell Dean Cai or the others anything about you!"
Jiang Shengyu and the Snow Emperor exchanged a glance. After a moment of silence, he raised a hand and swept aside the snow concealing him, appearing before Ling Luochen. "What do you want to talk about?"
Seeing that it really was him, Ling Luochen's heart lifted. She quickly asked, "I have a question… You and Qingtong — are you really 'evil'?"
"That's Shrek Academy's propaganda, isn't it?"
Jiang Shengyu chuckled at her question. "People carry their own judgment in their hearts. A few words from me won't change that. As for what I've done… I think you should know from the times we experienced together."
After he finished, Ling Luochen bit her lip lightly and asked softly, "Are Jiang Nannan and Xiao Xiao doing well?"
"They're doing very well. They've already become inner courtyard students of the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, and they're also Soul Hall deacons." Jiang Shengyu nodded.
Ling Luochen's gaze flickered. Suddenly she asked, "Then… can I become like them too?"
Her question startled Jiang Shengyu. In truth, the moment she was able to speak calmly with him like this, Ling Luochen had already made her decision.
Compared with her increasing marginalization in Shrek Academy, and the way Cai Mei'er and the others had treated the Heaven Dou soldiers with such arrogance… Jiang Shengyu had never changed. His character remained the same as always.
Seeing her nervous expression — as if afraid he would refuse — Jiang Shengyu smiled. "If that's what you want, of course it's possible. If you're serious about this, go directly to the Sun and Moon Empire's border. Someone will make contact with you. I still have things to do, so I'll take my leave."
With that, he and the Snow Emperor departed, flying deeper into the Extreme North.
Watching them disappear, Ling Luochen steadied her emotions and returned to the encampment.
When she arrived, Cai Mei'er asked, "Well? Any abnormalities in the area?"
Ling Luochen shook her head. "No, everything's normal."
Seeing that she looked tired, Xian Lin'er comforted her, "You're exhausted. Go get some rest. Your Ling family has contributed a lot. The Academy and the Heaven Dou Empire won't forget your efforts."
The Ling family's ice-element martial soul made them far more suited to travel in the Extreme North, so all patrol missions had fallen to Ling Luochen and her clansmen.
Ling Luochen murmured an acknowledgment and sat down to rest.
In the core region of the Extreme North, as the Snow Emperor and Jiang Shengyu arrived, the ground rumbled. The massive Titan Snow Demon King and the Ice Bear King charged toward them from different directions, stirring up overwhelming snowstorms.
"Snow Emperor! You've finally returned!"
Xiaobai skidded to a halt on the ice, her enormous bear body shaking the ground as she looked at the Snow Emperor with excitement.
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