Chapter 284: The Appearance of a Nearly Million-Year-Old Soul Beast
Seven days quietly passed by.
Morning.
Two carriages departed from the gate of Heaven Dou Imperial City, blending into the stream of other vehicles before eventually heading north.
Tang San knew that there might be spies or informants within the empire. Therefore, after leaving the imperial city, he didn't immediately head north. Instead, he spent some time using his spiritual power to ensure there were no spies following them. Once certain, he felt secure enough to proceed to the Extreme North.
The Extreme North is located at the northernmost part of the continent.
Humans call it a forbidden zone, indicative of its dangers.
Besides Tang San and Yang Wudi, most of the travelers were students from Tianshui Academy.
They all possessed high-quality ice attribute martial souls.
Especially Shui Bing'er, who had the top-tier ice attribute beast martial soul, the Ice Phoenix.
"The higher the quality of your martial soul, the stronger your perception of corresponding attribute treasures."
"I will teach you a method to enhance your perception."
Inside the carriage, Tang San explained to the Tianshui Academy students while teaching them a method he had secretly learned from the Tang Sect.
It wasn't until Tang San left that the girls began chattering again.
"What an impressive self-created soul skill. I didn't expect Tang San to be so powerful."
"We were sent out to help the empire search for ice attribute treasures. Naturally, he has his reasons for bringing us along."
"But I've heard the Extreme North is extremely dangerous. We must stick close to Tang San and Senior Yang."
"Sister Bing'er, I heard that Tang San, though about the same age as us, is already at the Title Douluo level. Is he really that strong?" a girl asked the quiet Shui Bing'er beside her.
As the team leader of this Tianshui Academy outing, Shui Bing'er nodded, "Tang San is qualified to become a god, so naturally, he is beyond our comparison."
"Hiss—"
"It's such a pity that someone so powerful has such a..."
The girl abruptly stopped talking, seemingly afraid Tang San in the neighboring carriage might hear her.
Shui Bing'er said, "I heard Tang San's appearance was normal initially, but it changed due to an anomaly when his martial soul awakened."
The girls nodded in understanding.
"This time, the academy leaders have given us strict orders to follow Tang San and Senior Yang's commands, or face severe consequences upon our return."
"So, during this period, you all need to behave," Shui Bing'er reminded her companions in the carriage.
"Don't worry, Sister Bing'er."
...
As the carriages delved deeper into the Extreme North, Tang San and his group noticed the surrounding temperature becoming increasingly cold.
The initially vibrant soul beast life around them grew increasingly sparse.
It was evident that soul beasts were scarce in the Extreme North.
Moreover, Tang San noticed that his perception was significantly weakened in this area.
"Xiao San, how do you plan to find the Xuan Ice Marrow?" Yang Wudi asked.
Tang San replied, "Generally, heavenly treasures are guarded by fierce beasts, even in the Extreme North."
"The Xuan Ice Marrow is highly treasured by many soul beasts in the Extreme North, but finding it is difficult."
"That's why I needed to gather many ice attribute soul masters."
With that, Tang San and Yang Wudi entered the carriage with Shui Bing'er and the others.
"Next, I need your assistance. I will use your attribute powers for perception, which might greatly deplete your spiritual energy. Be prepared." Tang San's serious expression made the soul masters focus intently.
Everyone sat cross-legged, taking their designated positions as instructed by Tang San.
"Buzz!"
As Tang San felt the ice power within him surging, he began expanding his spiritual perception wildly!
With the assistance of the Purple Demon Eye and two divine inheritances, Tang San's spiritual power was incredibly strong.
Instantly, Tang San felt his spiritual power covering a few kilometers around him!
"Not enough!"
Even with the secret method, it wasn't sufficient.
Gritting his teeth, Tang San commanded, "Continue!"
The Tianshui Academy students felt their ice attribute power depleting rapidly, crazily being drawn by Tang San.
Tang San used this power to further expand his perception.
At this moment.
Beneath a certain ice layer.
An ice silkworm, one meter in diameter and seven meters long, was happily swallowing the Xuan Ice Marrow nearby.
Just as it planned to sleep again, its expression suddenly changed, sensing it had been discovered!
"What's going on?"
"Whose spiritual power is this?!"
"How can they suddenly lock onto me?!"
The ice silkworm wriggled, shocked by the sudden spiritual power!
"Is it an accident, or is this spiritual power specifically targeting me?"
Confused, the ice silkworm felt the spiritual power lock onto it again!
"Are they probing me?"
Looking at the Xuan Ice Marrow beside it, the ice silkworm's eyes gleamed, "No, I can't let the owner of this spiritual power find me."
Though its soul power level was high, the ice silkworm knew it was weak in combat.
With a flash of inspiration, it thought, "Hmph! Let me reflect it back!"
With that, the ice silkworm closed its eyes and simulated an identical spiritual power, shooting it back towards the original direction!
Far away, hundreds of miles.
Tang San had detected a heavenly treasure and a fierce beast nearby. However, the location seemed distant, possibly deep underground, with faint fluctuations.
Thus, Tang San released his spiritual power madly to lock onto the location.
Suddenly, without his continued release, Tang San felt a spiritual power lock onto him!
"This is... reflecting my spiritual power?" Tang San immediately recognized the spiritual power as identical to his own!
Despite the great distance, the strength of the spiritual power was reduced but still recognizable.
"So far away, yet it can reflect such strong spiritual power..."
Excitement flashed in Tang San's eyes!
This indicated the fierce beast's strength!
The stronger the beast, the more excited Tang San became!
Because this meant the heavenly treasure beside the beast was incredibly valuable!
While thinking, Tang San felt his strength rapidly depleting.
Confused, he noticed the Tianshui Academy students around him had collapsed from exhaustion.
He realized that his method had greatly drained the ice attribute soul masters.
Finding that fierce beast would have to wait a bit longer.
"Rest for now. We'll try again in seven days." Tang San left this instruction before departing the carriage with Yang Wudi.
Returning to their carriage.
Yang Wudi immediately asked, "Xiao San, how was it? Any gains?"
Tang San smiled and nodded, "Of course."
He then shared his recent perceptions and thoughts.
Hearing this, Yang Wudi slightly nodded, agreeing with Tang San's theory.
"However, Xiao San, knowing the strength of that fierce beast, we must be well-prepared."
"To avoid being detected by the Spirit Empire, only you and I are capable of fighting here."
"Most of the Tianshui Academy girls are not even at the Soul Emperor level."
"If we venture deep into the Extreme North, not only will the soul beasts be powerful, but the environment will be harsher."
"Your strength is indeed formidable on the continent, but in the Extreme North, there might be soul beasts over a hundred thousand years old!"
"At that time, if we engage in battle with that fierce beast, we might not be able to take care of ourselves."
Yang Wudi pointed to the Tianshui Academy students in the carriage and whispered, "We might not be able to ensure their safety."
"This..."
"We can only do our best."
Tang San paused and said, "For the empire's future, sacrifices are necessary. I have discussed this with the Tianshui Academy's headmaster."
"When we defeat the Spirit Empire, I will personally compensate them."
A future god's compensation is undoubtedly sufficient for an academy!
After all, while potential talents might be many, a future god is unique to the Heaven Dou Empire—only Tang San!
Yang Wudi agreed with Tang San and simply glanced at the adjacent carriage before falling silent.
For the empire's final victory, this group of students must be sacrificed.
In the following days, Tang San took out some restorative treasures from his soul guide for the Tianshui Academy students, aiding their recovery.
...
Meanwhile.
The ice silkworm, after sensing the sudden disappearance of the spiritual force, was convinced that its spiritual simulation technique had worked wonders.
"Hehe, fortunately, I have this soul skill. That guy must have been fooled by me. Haha, I'm such a genius!" The ice silkworm chuckled, believing Tang San had been deceived.
After all, it had no combat power.
For hundreds of thousands of years, it had survived by eating the Xuan Ice Marrow, sleeping and eating in turn.
It had great soul power but no combat ability!
Its only asset was the awakened spiritual simulation skill.
In a face-to-face encounter, this skill would be entirely ineffective.
But the ice silkworm knew the spiritual force locking onto it had weakened slightly, likely due to a special method used over a long distance.
Thus, its skill had proven effective.
"Forget it, I'll go back to sleep."
"Maybe when I wake up, I'll become the first million-year soul beast on the continent."
"By then, I might even become the first soul beast to become a god!"
Just as the ice silkworm prepared to sleep, it sensed a presence approaching!
"Hmm?"
Looking around, it realized the presence seemed to have fallen through a crack in the ice, just as it had.
"Tsk, tsk... this presence feels human, and... their soul power seems low." Out of curiosity, the ice silkworm used its soul power to help the newcomer avoid falling to their death.
Oscar felt unlucky.
His divine test required him to go to the Extreme North and find a hundred-thousand-year soul beast for his soul ring.
Even with the divine test's power, he was only a fifty-ninth level Soul King.
Getting a hundred-thousand-year soul beast's ring as his sixth ring was no easy task.
How could a soul beast offer itself to him for a sacrifice?
Knowing it was unlikely, Oscar still ventured to the Extreme North to fulfill his promise to Ning Fengzhi.
Using his perseverance and martial soul, he struggled through the Extreme North, encountering some local soul masters along the way, eventually reaching this place.
But he accidentally stepped into a crack in the ice.
"Huh? Why am I not dead?"
Oscar thought he would fall to his death, but he realized he was being gently held by a force.
As he wondered, he suddenly saw a huge shadow like a giant snake before him!
"Snake, snake, snake... silkworm?!" Oscar first screamed, then realized it was an enormous silkworm.
"Yo? After so many years, I finally see a human soul master weaker than me? Come on, kid, dance and sing for me." The ice silkworm, usually a weak existence on many soul beasts' menus in the Extreme North, finally found someone weaker.
It hadn't seen many living people in its hundreds of thousands of years.
Naturally, it wouldn't miss this chance for amusement.
"You can talk?"
"Are you a hundred-thousand-year soul beast?!" Oscar was shocked!
He didn't expect to encounter a hundred-thousand-year soul beast after falling into a crack.
What luck is this?
"Hahaha! A hundred-thousand-year soul beast? Human kid, you underestimate your Brother Tianmeng." The ice silkworm laughed.
"Brother Tianmeng?" Oscar was puzzled.
"Yes, that's the name I gave myself—Tianmeng Ice Silkworm!"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm proudly introduced itself, seemingly proud of its naming skills.
Then it continued, "I'm not just a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. I'm the legendary nine hundred ninety-nine-thousand-year soul beast about to break through to a million years!"
"Nine hundred ninety-nine-thousand years?!" Oscar's eyes widened, thinking he misheard.
(Chapter ends here)