"Have you heard? Our Grandmaster has been confronted by parents again," one teacher remarked bluntly to those around him.
This immediately caught the attention of several others, who perked up their ears. "What happened? Tell us quickly!"
"It's the same old story—he keeps recommending useless Soul Beasts for students to absorb..."
"Serves him right. Does he still think this is Heavenly Dou? I can't imagine how foolish the people of Heavenly Dou must be to hail this waste as a Grandmaster. If war ever breaks out between our two nations, I dread to think how weak Heavenly Dou's army would be."
"..."
The surrounding mockery was loud and unrestrained, with no regard for who might hear. Affected by the chatter, many cast peculiar glances at Yu Xiaogang, curious to see if he would offer any rebuttal.
But Yu Xiaogang seemed accustomed to such treatment. He showed no change in expression in the face of accusations, doubts, or ridicule.
Hmph! Fools.
Deep down, Yu Xiaogang looked down on these low-level teachers. Not only were their Soul Power levels pitifully weak, but their knowledge was also shallow. They couldn't even grasp the Ten Core Competencies of Soul Spirits—all they were fit for was teaching newly awakened children.
Arguing or debating with foolish people was a complete waste of time.
Yu Xiaogang gathered his materials and returned to his dormitory.
It had been some time since he fled here after the Blue Lightning Tyrant School was destroyed by Heavenly Dou in alliance with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
He had once wallowed in grief and despair, but he quickly pulled himself together.
Hatred is the breeding ground for strength. However, due to his innate limitations, he couldn't use this driving force to break through his own barriers. Even the level 8 Soul Power that had been devoured by Tang San had only barely been restored to level 7—he still needed more time to reach level 29.
But he had anticipated this. After all, what he relied on was never his Soul Power level, but his vast reservoir of knowledge.
And Li Xun's Soul Ring System and Martial Soul Mutation had become his research focus during this period.
The fact that Li Xun could suppress Tang San—a possessor of Twin Spirits—with just a single Martial Soul baffled Yu Xiaogang, but it also piqued his interest.
Yu Xiaogang believed that once he fully deciphered Li Xun's secrets and presented his research findings to the Star Luo Emperor, given the current tensions between the two nations, his revenge against Heavenly Dou and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School would not be far off.
However, two major challenges troubled him: first, there was too little data on Mutated Spirits, and second, he lacked a suitable candidate to test his theories.
Yu Xiaogang laid out his materials one by one on the desk and began organizing them with his pen.
Suddenly, he felt a piercing cold that sent an involuntary shiver down his spine.
"What's going on? Am I catching a cold?" He crumpled the paper he had accidentally scribbled on into a ball, tightened his collar, and frowned in confusion.
The northern part of Douluo was known as the Far North Land, similar to Earth's polar regions. Here, sunlight was scarce year-round, and the entire area was blanketed in snow, with coldness as its only defining feature.
But compared to the extreme cold, the Soul Beasts were even more dangerous.
As one of the three forbidden zones for humans, the harsh environment meant few human footprints, so the Soul Beasts living here were rarely disturbed. As a result, they tended to be exceptionally powerful.
However, this region had one drawback: very few Soul Beasts could adapt to such conditions, and the area's energy was not as abundant as places like the Star Dou Great Forest. This led to an overall lower population of Soul Beasts compared to other regions.
[Far North Land, Human Forbidden Zone, Dangerous]
Looking at the large red characters at the top of the map, Li Xun put away this useless item with an indifferent expression.
Compared to ten thousand years later, human exploration of the Far North Land during this period was even more limited. Even those living in this region would only follow the safe paths discovered by their ancestors at the cost of their lives to hunt some weak Soul Beasts.
Those with better family conditions would take their children inland to hunt Soul Beasts for Spirit Rings before returning to this place to enjoy a comfortable life.
"Skydream, are you awake? If you are, come and give me directions." Li Xun sank into his Spiritual Sea of Consciousness and nudged the big bug sleeping sprawled out.
"What do you need from me?" Skydream rubbed his eyes, looking confusedly at Li Xun. He remembered that just a couple of days ago, Li Xun had found him too noisy and blocked him out.
"Take a look outside." After saying this, Li Xun withdrew from the Spiritual Sea of Consciousness.
Skydream quickly extended his spiritual power outward and, sensing the environment, immediately brightened up: "You've come to the Far North Land!!"
"My target this time is the Titan Snow Devil King. Do you know where he is?" Li Xun communicated with Skydream using his spiritual power while walking aimlessly forward with Sword Douluo and the others.
The group had all changed into new outfits. Although they were powerful, far stronger than when Huo Yuhao had come, protective measures against the extreme weather of the Far North Land were still essential.
Skydream's small eyes darted around: "Why go through all that trouble? Didn't I tell you before about the Ice Empress? Let's just go find her instead—she has three hundred thousand years of cultivation."
"My goal for this trip is the Eighth Soul Ring for my first Martial Soul. It would be a waste to attach the Ice Empress to it."
Li Xun shook his head: "The Ice Empress would likely grant me an Ultimate Attribute. It would be far more beneficial if paired with my second Martial Soul."
"Same difference. Since we're already here, why not take both?" Skydream scurried around anxiously in the Spiritual Sea of Consciousness.
Li Xun didn't agree immediately but instead raised a second issue: "Skydream, haven't you noticed that my second Martial Soul provides almost no Amplification to my Soul Power? This is because the Spirit Rings attached to my first Martial Soul far surpass those of the second."
"If I continue to add more Spirit Rings now, I'll lose a method of rapid improvement once I reach level ninety."
Pausing for a moment, Li Xun added: "However, this is a good opportunity to communicate with the Ice Empress and give her some time to think, saving us trouble later."
"Alright, but when we meet the Ice Empress, can you let me talk to her?" Skydream hesitated before making his request.
"No problem." Li Xun chuckled.
But clearly, Li Xun had agreed too soon. Skydream, that good-for-nothing, didn't know the way at all. Throughout his cultivation journey, he had either hidden in ice crevices or drifted across the seas, knowing virtually nothing about the Far North Land.
The only thing he could confirm was that heading north would eventually lead to the core region of the Far North Land, where the Three Great Heavenly Kings resided.
The harsh environment and relentless blizzard, while not posing a threat to Li Xun and his group, significantly slowed their progress as they concealed their cultivation auras. They also had to remain vigilant against Soul Beasts lurking deep within the snow, ready to launch sudden attacks.
As the snow grew deeper, the group arrived at the heart of the Far North Land, where even ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts were no longer a common sight.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura descended. Though not directed at Li Xun and his companions, its overwhelming pressure put the entire group on high alert.
Yet, the aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared, almost as if it had never noticed them at all.
(End of Chapter)