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"Nom, nom~"
Wu Feng angrily chewed on her snow pig meat, glaring "fiercely" at Su Wen from time to time. He, however, was engrossed in his conversation with Ning Tian, occasionally flashing Wu Feng a "provocative" smile.
"He says he's not interested in the young lady? Hmph! He's no different from those other guys in the sect!" Wu Feng muttered bitterly to herself.
In her eyes, Su Wen looked more and more like a cunning fox—charming the young lady into fits of laughter, making her lower her guard, then waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Yes, that must be it! But when the time comes, the young lady's most loyal knight will surely appear at the critical moment to expose this scoundrel's plot, and then...
Just as Wu Feng was foolishly daydreaming about making a heroic entrance and the young lady falling for her...
Su Wen kindly handed her a wet napkin and turned to Ning Tian with a smile. "It must be tough for you, Young Lady, having to travel with an idiot like this."
Ning Tian covered her face in embarrassment. Seeing Wu Feng's drool nearly dripping onto the table, she stared at her and gritted her teeth: "Wu Feng!!!"
"Uh, Young Lady, he's trying to deceive you!" Wu Feng quickly wiped her mouth, speaking with earnest sincerity.
"Pfft~" Su Wen couldn't hold back his laughter.
As the loyal maid by the heroine's side, this one sure played the fool convincingly.
"Wu Feng!!!"
"If you spout any more nonsense, you can go outside!" Ning Tian clenched her fists, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger.
"…Oh."
Like a defeated rooster, Wu Feng hung her head low and dejectedly stuffed snow pig meat into her mouth.
"Judging by your age, you're about the same as us, right?" Ning Tian took a deep breath, managing to regain a sliver of her ladylike composure, and asked with a polite smile.
"Eight," Su Wen nodded.
"So, are you also here in the Far North with a senior for a tour?" Ning Tian tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, asking with interest.
"No, to obtain a soul ring," Su Wen smiled lightly.
"To obtain a soul ring?"
Ning Tian blinked, stunned.
She was also eight, but thanks to her innate level-nine soul power, she had reached her first bottleneck just three months after awakening her martial soul—when she was around six.
Still, she didn't feel any disdain for Su Wen.
She just felt a little regretful. His talent seemed rather mediocre. After all, even Wu Feng, who was born with innate level-seven soul power, had acquired her first soul ring last year.
"Ahahaha, listening to you talk, anyone would think you were born with full innate soul power! Turns out you're just a weakling." Wu Feng finally found a weakness to latch onto and puffed up with smug pride.
In this world, strength was everything.
Soul power and combat prowess were the ultimate measure of a person's status. Without strength, words were meaningless.
"A fool's fortune is a blessing in itself. That's good enough," Su Wen said without explaining further, his gaze toward Wu Feng carrying a hint of indulgence.
"You—you damn…" Wu Feng's face flushed crimson.
"Well, what a coincidence, you're all here..." Yan Shaozhe appeared at their table. Seeing the kids bantering, he smiled gently. "Shall I make the introductions?"
"No need, Uncle Yan." Su Wen nodded.
"Capturing a soul beast is the priority. I don't have time to fool around with this silly girl."
"Haha, so you must be Xiao Wen. I've heard so much about you," another figure, a slender old man in a white robe, chuckled softly.
"Grandpa Zhu!" Ning Tian's red lips parted, her eyes wide with astonishment.
She clearly hadn't expected Su Wen's so-called senior to be the Dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department!
This was a man whom even Grandpa Zhu had to treat with respect, and he was personally accompanying a child to the Far North for a soul ring?!!
Something isn't right!
But it didn't seem like Su Wen would lie to her. An eight-year-old just now getting his first soul ring... was he just well-connected? Or was his martial soul special?
Could it be for his second soul ring?
Impossible! As the daughter of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master, blessed with endless resources and hailed as a once-in-a-millennium talent within her sect, she had only just broken through to level sixteen yesterday...
Ning Tian shook her head, dismissing the ridiculous thought.
…
The Far North.
Snow and wind raged across the landscape.
The group moved forward, their feet crunching on the snow.
Strangely, although gales howled around them, they remained completely unaffected. Their clothes were spotless, as if an invisible shield enveloped them, insulating them from the harsh environment.
The temperature was negative ninety degrees Celsius.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this a forbidden zone for humans.
No wonder so few humans ventured into the Far North, preferring the Star Dou Great Forest instead. This extreme climate could significantly affect even a Soul Sage.
"The Ice Jade Scorpion? Is your martial soul ice-type?" Ning Tian asked, her curiosity growing stronger.
"No." Su Wen smiled and shook his head.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had come with a large party of over a dozen people. They were supposedly here on business, to discuss a deal on Cold Crystal Mines with the Lord of Anyang City. This part of the trip was a field survey.
The slender elder leading their group, however, had split off and was now conversing with Yan Shaozhe.
He had left the rest of his team to proceed to the mining site with the Anyang City Lord's people…
Ning Tian was puzzled.
A soul ring from an ice-type soul beast gave special bonuses to Soul Masters with ice-attribute martial souls, but for others, it was practically useless.
Wu Feng crossed her arms and let out a cold "hmph." If a powerful figure like Yan Shaozhe wasn't present, she would have certainly thrown in a few more taunts.
"Movement up ahead."
Yan Shaozhe suddenly stopped.
A pleased look appeared in his eyes as he glanced at Su Wen. "What luck. I didn't expect to run into a pack of Ice Jade Scorpions on the outskirts of the Far North. There are only a few dozen, but they're all at the hundred-year or thousand-year level—perfect for your second choice."
"Let's go see!" Su Wen's eyes lit up.
Without another word, Yan Shaozhe grabbed Su Wen and vanished in a flash.
When Su Wen opened his eyes again, he saw a series of tracks left in the vast white snow. At the end of the trail, a large group of jade-green, crystal-like scorpions was marching across the ground.
[Ice Jade Scorpion]
[Cultivation: 134 years]
[Attribute: Ultimate Ice]
[Potential: None]
…
[Cultivation: 534 years]
[Attribute: Ultimate Ice]
[Potential: 1]
Su Wen scanned them with a single glance.
A flicker of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.
As expected of the Ice Jade Scorpion clan—among these few dozen, he had already found three whose potential was not "None." Although their potential was only 1, that ratio was already terrifying.
He recalled that in the Star Dou Great Forest, finding a soul beast with any potential below the ten-thousand-year level was a one-in-a-thousand chance.
Of course, the yellow Spirit Ball meant he could capture any hundred-year soul beast, even one at 999 years. But that didn't matter much to him; at most, it widened his selection pool. After all, even a ten-thousand-year beast would have its power synchronized to his level once it was bound to him…
"Let's keep going."
Su Wen shook his head.
"These Ice Jade Scorpions have too little potential."
"Right!"
Yan Shaozhe didn't waste time. His Spiritual Power, originating from a Super Douluo, spread out, searching for the next group of Ice Jade Scorpions.
(End of Chapter)