"It's been a long time since someone dared to ambush me."
"You're only the second."
As the glint of the blade slashed toward him, Chen Xiaoming didn't even spare it a glance. Instead, he acknowledged his attacker's courage with a hint of admiration.
The last person who had dared to ambush him was back when he was still a century-old Azurewood Tree. At that time, he had been surrounded by a group of Soul Masters, and one had attempted a sneak attack from behind.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Back then, Chen Xiaoming had been much more merciful. He had simply handed the attacker a one-way ticket to the afterlife, ensuring a painless and peaceful departure.
Nine years had passed since then. He had assumed no one would dare try again, yet here in the Extreme North, someone with such audacity had appeared once more.
"ROAR!"
A furious bellow echoed. Chen Xiaoming looked forward, displeased.
From the distance, a towering Extreme Ice Snow Bear King, standing over seven meters tall, charged out. Its entire body was covered in pristine white fur, and its brown eyes burned with rage. Just one glance at Chen Xiaoming was enough for it to launch forward at full speed.
With a thunderous lift of its massive paw, it struck down toward Chen Xiaoming.
"This Extreme North truly is a wild place. Not only are the Soul Masters this bold, but even the Soul Beasts are the same."
Shaking his head slightly, Chen Xiaoming spoke indifferently. A vast surge of soul power erupted from his body. The snow-covered ground trembled slightly before numerous roots and vines burst forth, rushing toward both the incoming blade and the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King.
The second slash from the Soul Emperor was effortlessly shattered by a single sweeping branch. The remaining vines coiled toward the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King, attempting to ensnare it.
As the azure-hued vines stretched out, faint crimson patterns shimmered across their surface.
The Extreme Ice Snow Bear King remained fearless. With its seventy-thousand-year cultivation, it had reigned supreme over this Icebound Forest—no one had ever been able to threaten it.
Unless it was a Titled Douluo, even a Soul Douluo would not be enough to make it flinch.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."
Countless vines shot forth like lightning, binding the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King tightly in place.
"ROAARR..."
It let out furious bellows as intense cold surged around its body. Under the freezing aura, its form swelled even larger. Its powerful frame struggled against the bindings, but the more it resisted, the tighter the vines constricted.
In mere moments, it was rendered completely immobile.
The once-mighty Extreme Ice Snow Bear King, its eyes wide with disbelief, instantly lost its previous ferocity.
It finally realized—this man before it was undoubtedly a Titled Douluo of terrifying power.
Doubt clouded its bear mind. It had only come out to chase a few people—how had its luck been so terrible that it ran into a Titled Douluo?!
"I'll deal with the other one first, then I'll handle you."
With the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King now under control, Chen Xiaoming tapped his foot lightly against the ground and vanished, chasing after the fleeing individuals.
Had they simply passed through, he wouldn't have cared. But that last strike from the man? The malice behind it was something he could not ignore.
Elsewhere...
"Let go! How could you do this?!"
The Soul Emperor woman forcefully shook off the man's grasp, glaring at him as she shouted.
She had seen his final slash. Luring the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King toward that man was already heartless enough, yet he had gone further—severing that man's last chance of survival. It was simply too cruel.
Anxiousness flashed in the man's eyes. A seventy-thousand-year-old Extreme Ice Snow Bear King was an unstoppable force within this Icebound Forest.
That Soul King—if uninjured—would have immediately fled upon seeing the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King. At that point, he alone would have been too small of a target. The real focus of the beast's attack would still have been their group.
He couldn't afford to take that risk. Between their lives and an injured Soul King, he was certain the Extreme Ice Snow Bear King would make the right choice.
In the outside world, Soul Masters did not survive by being merciful. They survived by ensuring they lived.
"Enough! Stop arguing! That man won't last long—we need to leave, now."
His gaze constantly scanned the surroundings, his tone urging haste.
He had been pursuing this Soul Emperor woman for years, yet she had never accepted him. They had come to the Icebound Forest this time for the sake of obtaining a soul ring for one of the triplet sisters behind her.
With their cultivation levels, the Icebound Forest shouldn't have been too dangerous. After all, high-level Soul Beasts were rare here.
But their luck had been terrible. Deep within the forest, they had encountered a seventy-thousand-year-old Extreme Ice Snow Bear King—an opponent far beyond their capabilities. They had no choice but to flee.
"I can't just leave someone to die while we escape like this."
After a long internal struggle, the Soul Emperor woman gritted her teeth and made her decision.
"You're insane! Going back is suicide!"
The Soul Emperor man's expression turned grim. He had once admired her innocence, her lack of the scheming nature that older Soul Masters possessed.
But now, it wasn't innocence—it was pure stupidity.
"What about you all?"
Understanding her nature, the man didn't try to persuade her any further. Instead, he turned to the triplet sisters.
After exchanging glances, the three looked at the Soul Emperor woman.
"Fine, fine! Good luck to you all."
Seeing a group of fools rush toward their deaths, he certainly wasn't about to follow.
At thirty-something years old, he had already reached Rank 63 Soul Emperor—he still had hopes of reaching Soul Douluo.
Throwing his life away here? Not a chance.
Just as he turned to flee—
Step.
A single step.
A white-robed figure suddenly appeared ahead of him, approaching slowly.
The man's expression changed drastically.
Crunch, crunch...
The sound of footsteps in the snow echoed softly. A trail of footprints formed behind the approaching figure—Chen Xiaoming—who walked toward him as if he were an ordinary person.
Yet an invisible force weighed down upon him, freezing him in place.
He couldn't move.
Terror filled his eyes as the young-looking man walked closer.
This was no ordinary Soul Master. This was an ancient monster, at least a Soul Douluo—perhaps even a Titled Douluo.
The frigid air of the Icebound Forest felt suffocating. Despite the cold, beads of sweat formed on the man's forehead. His body trembled.
His mind went blank.
Behind him, the Soul Emperor woman and the triplet sisters were equally stunned, staring in shock at the figure before them.
The woman instinctively took a step forward, shielding the sisters behind her.
She had already realized the truth.
And with it—came despair.
"Senior! Please, let me explain, I—"
Desperation filled the man's voice, but before he could finish—
Chen Xiaoming raised a single finger to his lips.
"Shh."
"Don't speak. Just watch."
With a sigh, he pointed downward.
The man looked down—
A single crimson vine had already pierced through his chest.
As his vision blurred, he realized…
His Soul Douluo dream would never come true.
The vine continued to grow, sprouting branches, blooming, bearing fruit—only to wither and freeze over in an instant, leaving behind a frost-covered husk.
By the time the Soul Emperor woman and the triplets recovered from their shock, Chen Xiaoming had already vanished.
All that remained—was a lifelike ice sculpture, and a lingering voice.
"This place is far too empty. Another ice statue should help."
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