It took half an hour for Dugu Yan to stabilize her emotions.
During this time, her tears fell like beans that cost nothing, and Shen Hanyu couldn't help but sigh inwardly: women really are made of water~
However, Shen Hanyu was somewhat puzzled by Dugu Yan's crying from beginning to end.
We didn't do anything; we just told a few truths, yet this girl's reaction was so intense—it was truly intriguing...
Dugu Bo was indeed a top-tier granddaughter-obsessed old man, anxious like an ant on a hot pot, and the resentful look he gave Shen Hanyu was beyond words.
Shen Hanyu ignored it all. During this time, he wasn't idle either; he slowly chewed two not-so-precious herbs, absorbing all their essence and transforming it into the purest energy for his body to absorb. Part of it also turned into soul power, slowly increasing his soul power cultivation.
Generally speaking, once a normal soul master reaches level 50, they enter their prime years, and their cultivation speed slows down but remains considerable.
Shen Hanyu, at thirteen years old, was in the golden age for rapid soul power growth, with ample resources to support him, so his cultivation speed should not be slow.
But the problem lay exactly here: his body, tempered and grown through countless trials since childhood, now possessed heaven-defying strength.
The result of such a powerful body was extraordinarily broad meridians and hardened bones, which could naturally hold more soul power. The soul power gained from cultivation was evenly distributed, making the growth of his cultivation level slower in silence.
However, even at his current speed, it was already quite impressive.
The ice attribute of the Cold Sky Spear was nearing the ultimate level, only lacking one final barrier to break through.
In the Douluo period, human soul masters didn't have much understanding of ultimate attributes, but they knew it represented the peak of a martial soul and an element. The so-called ultimate was said to be one in a million—at this time, unlike the prosperous era tens of thousands of years later.
In this era, Titled Douluo was the pinnacle! It also meant the highest peak human soul masters could reach...
When Shen Hanyu came back to his senses, he found that Dugu Yan had unknowingly begun absorbing the Narcissus Jade Flesh and Bone, her body continuously emitting a gentle aura, and her soul power rapidly rising.
Dugu Bo stood not far away, gazing softly at Dugu Yan.
Seeming to notice Shen Hanyu's gaze, Dugu Bo turned his head and said:
"Yanyan's mind isn't mature enough yet; she couldn't withstand your words for a moment, and only improved slightly not long ago. That's why I had her absorb this immortal herb according to the method you taught."
Shen Hanyu nodded and said:
"Dugu Yan had too good a childhood; her personality is arrogant and overbearing. It's normal for her to have issues after being stimulated."
"Old poison, let me say something unpleasant: you've spoiled her too much."
"But have you ever thought that you can't protect her forever? If her personality stays like this her whole life, the people she'll offend won't just be one or two."
"Alright, this is your family matter; as an outsider, I don't want to get too involved. You're a Titled Douluo; you have your own sense of propriety..."
Dugu Bo sighed, and after a long pause, he spoke:
"What was originally a small matter has unexpectedly dragged in so many things that it's quite troublesome."
Shen Hanyu nodded, glanced at Dugu Yan, who was still absorbing the immortal herb on the ground, and finally said:
"I might have to leave Tiandou Imperial City for a while. Old poison, everything afterward is up to you..."
Dugu Bo was somewhat puzzled and asked in confusion:
"Where are you going, kid?"
Shen Hanyu's gaze fell toward the north, as if he could once again see the endless world of ice and snow there, feeling a bit nostalgic.
"Planning to make a trip back to the Far North. My cultivation isn't stable enough; I need to go back and consolidate it. And it just so happens that I remembered some matters to handle there, so I might as well go back in one trip."
Dugu Bo was silent for a moment, then nodded, only saying:
"Don't go off and die out there, kid."
Shen Hanyu nodded and slowly walked toward the outside.
......
Five days later.
In the snowy ground near the ocean in the Far North, Shen Hanyu's figure slowly appeared amid the blizzard.
Facing the biting cold wind, Shen Hanyu exhaled a breath of hot air, which quickly froze in the air and vanished in the blink of an eye.
The snowfields around here weren't as thick as in the inland areas; the snow here was soft, the wind heavy. The cold wind blowing from the ocean swept wildly, the snow it carried almost making it impossible to open one's eyes. Exposed skin stung from the scraping, and not even the most basic signs of life could be seen around, truly a forbidden zone for life.
Not far away was the surging ocean, with the faint sounds of waves crashing against cliffs occasionally heard, buried under the howling wind and snow until they disappeared.
After leaving the warm Tiandou City, Shen Hanyu didn't take the main road he had come by but instead traveled all the way to the coastal area, setting out toward the Far North from here.
The ocean has always been the cradle of life; even with such a harsh climate here, there were still quite a few living and existing.
For example, the sea demon clans inhabiting the endless abyss below, the cold sea whale groups wandering the ocean surface, and the ice silkworm clans are almost ubiquitous in the Far North...
Life hid under any ice and snow; though small, it was the only warmth here.
Shen Hanyu trudged forward against the cold wind. In this freezing atmosphere, the soul power in his body circulated rapidly, constantly maintaining his body temperature while consuming a great amount of soul power.
Shen Hanyu came here with only one purpose: the Heaven Dream Ice Silkworm!
At this time, the Heaven Dream Ice Silkworm was either still wandering in some coastal area of the Far North or had already drifted to the Star Dou Great Forest.
The distance between the Far North and the Star Dou Great Forest was unimaginably vast, spanning nearly half the continent.
For that thing to drift to the Star Dou Great Forest under the interference of countless ocean currents was lucky indeed; otherwise, it would have long been sucked dry by some terrifying existence in the sea...
Shen Hanyu's purpose in finding it was simple: its soul ring and soul bone. The Heaven Dream itself possessed immense mental power, and what Shen Hanyu planned to do was have it become his seventh soul ring when breaking through to Soul Sage, providing him with a 990,000-year mental attribute skull bone. This way, he could perfectly inherit the Heaven Dream Ice Silkworm's vast mental power, and the nearly million-year seventh soul ring would grant him an unprecedented boost.
(In the original, it was sucked until it was kidney-deficient and couldn't even condense a soul bone) (laugh)
As for some Huo Yuhao, sorry, not familiar~
Holding only a sliver of luck, Shen Hanyu didn't dare slack off. This area was already the calmest for ocean waves in the Far North; other places were either extremely harsh in climate or territories of powerful soul beasts. He was betting that, given the Heaven Dream Ice Silkworm's timid and cautious nature, it wouldn't dare go to those dangerous places and would only come near here...
As for whether he could find it, that was another matter. His fundamental goal was to detour from here into the Frozen Forest, then head from the Frozen Forest toward Element City...