The blizzard raged more violently as time wore on. The dense curtain of snow severely hampered the trio's ability to observe their surroundings. Despite the protection of the ice crystal gifted by Shu Yan, the weakest among them, Xu Jiujiu, could barely keep her eyes open against the ferocious winds. It was only under the shielding aura of Nebula Douluo that she managed to stay safe.
Standing unshaken amidst the storm, Fragment Star Douluo remained unaffected. Gazing out at the breathtaking, indescribable scene before him, he couldn't help but remark with genuine awe:
"A cursed place like the Extreme North... aside from those thick-skinned soul beasts, only humans with powerful cultivation or inherently compatible martial spirits could survive here long-term. 'Forbidden land for humans' is no exaggeration."
"A blizzard of this scale could easily disorient even a Soul King without proper preparation. And let's not forget the countless soul beasts lurking within, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Ironically, the storm is both a hindrance and a blessing it's shielding us just as much as it's obscuring everything else."
Nebula Douluo, still guarding Xu Jiujiu, nodded in agreement, a faint smile emerging on her weathered face.
"Yes. This storm is dulling the perception of both humans and soul beasts. In a way, it's become a natural barrier."
Xu Jiujiu panted lightly. The temperature was plummeting rapidly. Even with the protective ice crystal, she could still feel the biting cold. Her eyes drifted to Shu Yan, completely unaffected by the environment. She couldn't help but marvel at the innate strength and adaptability of the Ice Snow Maiden Martial Spirit in this frozen land.
The Ice Snow Maiden—an elemental spirit born of the purest ice attribute energy from the heart of the Extreme North. It was a being of pure, natural essence—the daughter of this land itself. Here, its power reached the level of commanding even the forces of nature. Of course, only the Snow Empress had achieved such a feat so far.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, a surge of icy-blue soul power suddenly spread out like crashing waves. All three turned their eyes to Shu Yan. Where once there had been three purple soul rings, a fourth, pitch-black, ten-thousand-year soul ring now floated steadily in place—his absorption had completed.
Yet, even as they waited, Shu Yan did not open his eyes. Before any of them could make sense of the situation, a sudden outburst of icy-blue soul power erupted from within him, followed by a terrifying aura. Delicate ice patterns began to crawl across his exposed skin, and his soul power grew wildly unstable, as though something was trying to burst out of his body. The cold surged from beneath him, freezing even the falling snow mid-air.
Nebula Douluo and Xu Jiujiu's pupils contracted sharply—they both thought of the same possibility.
One had watched Shu Yan grow up, and the other had grown up alongside him. If anyone knew him best, it was them. This same phenomenon had happened once before—during Shu Yan's Martial Spirit awakening five years ago.
Very few living people knew what had occurred during that ceremony. And two of those rare individuals were here now.
Nebula Douluo's expression turned grave as she said in a low voice:
"This is the sign of a Domain being fully awakened. Back then, Shu Yan already showed signs of a domain during his martial spirit awakening—but only a few of us knew. Now, judging from the current state, his innate domain is about to awaken completely."
Fragment Star Douluo couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
He had interacted with Shu Yan many times but had never suspected such a secret lay hidden in the boy. In hindsight, the Emperor must have gone to great lengths to protect this information—so much so that even he, a seasoned minister of the Star Luo Empire, had detected nothing.
To a soul master, a Domain was no less valuable than a hundred-thousand-year soul ring or soul bone. A Domain that matched one's martial spirit or attributes could significantly amplify one's power. A strong enough Domain could even allow a soul master to fight opponents at higher tiers. In the long history of the Douluo Continent, those who had awakened Domains were all dazzling geniuses. Even some Limit Douluo, unmatched in their time, had never grasped a Domain due to limited insight.
Innate Domains were the rarest of all—either requiring a profoundly unique or overwhelmingly powerful martial spirit. They also demanded exceptional temperament and comprehension from the soul master.
Simply put, any soul master who could awaken an innate Domain before reaching the rank of Title Douluo was almost certain to become a mighty figure who could dominate an entire region—so long as they lived long enough.
(Well... except for Tang Yuehua from ten thousand years ago.)
Returning to the present, Fragment Star Douluo observed the increasingly violent elemental energy around Shu Yan. He cautiously gestured for the others to step back.
"Everyone, fall back. Don't interfere with Shu Yan. His soul power is on the verge of erupting—any slight disturbance could ruin everything. Whether he pulls through or not is entirely up to him. If we try to help, we might only make things worse."
At this critical moment, ensuring Shu Yan wasn't disturbed was Fragment Star Douluo's top priority.
Nebula Douluo and Xu Jiujiu sensibly stepped back as well. No matter how worried they were for Shu Yan, this was something only he could face alone. One misstep could lead to disaster.
As time passed, the temperature around Shu Yan dropped to terrifying levels. Frost crept over his skin as waves of cold radiated from his body. Within him, a powerful aura continued building—pushing against the final barrier.
Then suddenly, a thin membrane of icy-blue energy burst outward from Shu Yan's body, spreading out in a fifty-meter radius. Extreme cold descended. Snowflakes froze mid-air. The ice crystal in Xu Jiujiu's hand shattered without warning. A bone-deep chill surged into her senses. Her body temperature plummeted. Her limbs stiffened.
And then—she collapsed without warning.
Nebula Douluo's face changed, just as she prepared to catch Xu Jiujiu—
Someone beat her to it.
A familiar yet unfamiliar figure caught Xu Jiujiu before she hit the ground.
As the icy-blue Domain slowly faded, Xu Jiujiu coughed twice before opening her eyes.
She blinked at the face before her—familiar, yet different—and hesitantly asked:
"Y-Yan?"
Shu Yan gave a small nod, though his expression shifted as he furrowed his brows, his tone turning anxious.
"The awakening of my martial spirit's core essence changed my appearance a bit. But now isn't the time to talk about that."
Lifting Xu Jiujiu to her feet, he quickly explained:
"When my innate Domain fully awakened just now, it also triggered the latent Ice Snow Maiden bloodline in my body. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal. But here—in the heart of the Extreme North there's someone who likely sensed it. We can't stay here any longer. Fragment Star senior, I need your help. Please get us out of here fast."
Fragment Star Douluo paused for a moment, a look of deep apprehension flashing in his eyes. He cast a wary glance toward the depths of the Extreme North, then summoned his nine soul rings again. A brilliant violet light flared as the light of Fragment Star exploded forth. A deep purple vortex opened before them.
He stepped forward and said:
"Let's talk once we're out of here. If what you said is true... we've stirred up serious trouble."
Without waiting for a response, Fragment Star Douluo stepped into the vortex.
Shu Yan hesitated for just a second before taking Xu Jiujiu with him. Nebula Douluo followed close behind.
Once all four figures vanished, the vortex dissipated.
The traces of human presence were soon erased by the falling snow leaving only the shattered remains of three soul beasts as silent evidence of what had transpired here...
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