At dawn, Oscar and Dugu Yan packed their belongings and set off together with Gai Yue, heading toward the far north of the continent—a land known as the Extreme North, a forbidden zone for humans.
The Extreme North was called humanity's forbidden zone for a reason. Its climate was unimaginably cold, so much so that ordinary humans or animals could not survive there. Only powerful soul beasts could endure the land's brutal chill.
In most people's eyes, the Extreme North was no less dangerous than the Star Dou Great Forest, and indeed, that was the truth. Its territory and the sheer number of soul beasts were not inferior to Star Dou at all. The only difference was that ninety-nine point nine percent of the beasts here were of water or ice attributes. Only a tiny fraction of rare variants deviated from this rule.
The reason Oscar had chosen such a harsh land for his fourth spirit ring was entirely his own decision. His target was a unique kind of soul beast that existed only within the Extreme North.
Dugu Yan followed along because her soul power had already reached the peak of level 39, only a step away from level 40. She could very well break through within a month. If so, she could simply find a suitable soul beast along the way and obtain her own ring.
The beast Oscar needed was considered one of the finest attributes in the Extreme North, and finding it might require more than luck.
Oscar had already prepared himself for a long stay there. However, after he revealed his target beast to Gai Yue, the latter seemed to know something about its whereabouts.
Before coming to Shrek Academy, Gai Yue had lived in seclusion, cultivating in the Extreme North itself.
His Frostmoon Sword was of pure ice attribute, and the Extreme North was perfect for his training—a natural environment tailored for his martial soul.
Gai Yue had stayed there for decades, and thus, he was well-acquainted with the terrain and beasts. Thanks to his guidance, the three encountered no major delays or accidents, reaching the outskirts of the Extreme North in just half a month.
Soon after, Gai Yue led them directly to his old place of seclusion.
His residence lay in the inner regions of the Extreme North, at the borderland where thousand-year and ten-thousand-year beasts overlapped. To survive there, one needed at least Soul King-level strength. To live there long-term and ensure safety, a Soul Emperor's cultivation was the bare minimum.
After all, in this environment, ice-attribute soul beasts received natural battlefield amplification, making them far stronger than soul masters of the same level—unless the soul master's own attribute matched the environment.
Gai Yue's dwelling was carved into the side of an icy mountain, halfway up its slope. It was a beautiful courtyard-like retreat. Though he had been away for more than three years, the place remained untouched save for layers of fresh snow. Not a single weed grew within.
A small wooden cabin stood there, undisturbed by beasts. It was truly a natural hermit's paradise.
Upon arriving, Oscar did not rush to seek his fourth ring. Instead, he produced a special treasure he had long prepared: the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
Yes—this was the legendary Emperor of Immortal Herbs. Back in Shrek Academy, Oscar had deliberately not shown it to Dugu Yan, since he had not given Dai Mubai or Zhu Zhuqing any immortal herbs, not even a Nine-Rank Hunyuan Pill.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he had simply kept it hidden.
Besides, at that time, Dugu Yan had only just started purging the toxins from her body and was still in the nurturing stage. It wasn't suitable for her to take such a potent elixir yet.
Now, however, her body was fully restored, and consuming an immortal herb posed no problem.
The moment Dugu Yan saw Oscar take out the herb, she instantly recalled the touching love story Oscar had once told her about it.
It was said that long ago, there was a peerless youth who loved flowers more than anything. His garden brimmed with lotus and peonies, and he delighted in reciting poetry among them. When blossoms withered and fell, his sorrow was endless; he would carefully collect the petals, bury them, and weep over them.
His love of flowers touched a celestial Flower Fairy, who secretly descended to the mortal realm to marry him. The two lived in bliss.
But the gods discovered this union and were enraged. They decreed that mortals and immortals must not mingle, and the Flower Fairy was summoned back to the divine realm. The youth, devastated, lost all spirit, abandoned his flowers, and the once vibrant garden fell into ruin.
One day, a white-haired old man appeared and told him that the white peony in his garden was his wife's reincarnated body. If he destroyed the flower, she would lose her divine form and fall back to the mortal world. But he must never abandon his love for the other flowers.
The youth repented. Though he loved his wife deeply, he could not bring himself to destroy the peony. Instead, he tended to all his flowers more carefully, but his grief consumed him. At his death, he bled upon the peony, giving rise to a miraculous bloom—the Lovesick Heartbreak Red.
Though the tale sounded fantastical, it was undeniably moving. The herb's title as the Emperor of Immortal Herbs was well-earned.
In the original story, Xiao Wu's sacrifice would have left her as a mindless rabbit forever if not for this very herb. Eating it gave her the chance to revive.
Now, Oscar stood before Dugu Yan, holding the herb. It looked like an ordinary white peony, palm-sized, rooted into a pitch-black stone. Its petals bore streaks of blood-red, stunning and eerie.
"This is the Lovesick Heartbreak Red," Oscar explained. "Among immortal herbs, it is the sovereign treasure."
Dugu Yan's eyes shone brightly. She knew this was the most precious herb Oscar had reserved just for her.
"The method, I've already told you," Oscar continued. "To pluck it, you must think of your beloved sincerely and spit blood upon the petals. If your heart wavers, even if you die bleeding, the flower will not be yours."
"Once taken, as long as you remain with the one you love, the herb will never wither."
"The black stone beneath it is called Wu Jue. If it is destroyed, the herb's power will vanish completely. That's why I've kept it safe until now."
"And if consumed… it grants strength bordering on immortality. At minimum, your soul power will increase by more than ten levels, and your body will undergo a complete transformation."
Even Gai Yue couldn't help but marvel. He had experienced the power of immortal herbs himself—without the Black Jade Divine Bamboo Pill Oscar once gave him, he would never have reached level 88 nor evolved his martial soul.
Dugu Yan's gaze softened with emotion as she accepted the herb. Then, resolutely, she spat a mouthful of blood upon it.
The flower burst with dazzling red light. As it shook free of the black stone, the stone crumbled into dust, as though all its energy had been poured into the bloom.
The Lovesick Heartbreak Red floated between Oscar and Dugu Yan, glowing as the two lovers kissed under its radiance.
Gai Yue blinked at the sudden scene, muttered nothing, and quietly left the courtyard.
After a long while, their lips parted. Dugu Yan held the herb carefully and whispered:
"Xiao Ao… that story was real, wasn't it?"
Oscar nodded softly. "Our love doesn't need a flower to prove it, but this herb truly symbolizes it."
"Eat it," he urged. "It will help you, so you can always stand by my side. We'll grow together."
But Dugu Yan shook her head gently. "No, Xiao Ao. How could anyone bear to consume such a treasure? You said it will never wither once bonded. I want to keep it with me… to cherish it."
Oscar was momentarily stunned—then realized: wasn't this the same thing Xiao Wu once said to Tang San in the original? Could it be the herb itself carried a strange charm for those who plucked it?
Regardless, he would not let Dugu Yan waste such a treasure. "In this world, only strength can protect what we cherish. Without power, we'll lose everything. This herb will let you absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring. It might even evolve your martial soul. Its true value lies in consuming it, not preserving it."
Moved by his sincerity, Dugu Yan hesitated, then finally nodded. "You're right. I won't be willful."
Oscar smiled softly. "Go, take it. I'll protect you while you absorb it. Afterward, we'll find you the perfect fourth ring."
With determination, Dugu Yan entered the wooden cabin to begin.
Oscar watched her go, anticipation rising. Just how much would the Emperor of Herbs transform her?
Then he turned to ask Gai Yue about the Mirror Shadow Beast—but realized his teacher had vanished.
Yes, Oscar's fourth soul ring had long been set: it would come from the Mirror Shadow Beast. In the original story, this was the beast that transformed him from a simple food-type support master into a versatile, all-around soul master.
Now, with his physique and spirit power already at the level of a Soul Emperor, he could even handle a thirty-thousand-year soul ring. The Mirror Shadow Beast was his ultimate target.
Glancing around, he muttered, "Where's my teacher? How can such a big teacher just disappear like that?"Finding no trace of Gai Yue, Oscar sighed and sat down to protect Dugu Yan as she cultivated. In the inner regions of the Extreme North, danger could appear at any moment.