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Frozen Forest
Hao Te reminded them, "Winter is almost here. Some spirit beasts have already entered hibernation, so the forest is relatively desolate. Of course, there are also spirit beasts that don't hibernate—these ones are often extremely powerful. Everyone, stay alert."
Even though they hadn't paid, Hao Te and his team still treated Ning Tianchen's group of four as employers, surrounding them protectively in the center of their formation.
Chen Huayu leaned close to Ning Tianchen and whispered, "Boss, what's that girl's name? Where's she from?"
Ning Tianchen could easily see through his intentions.
Ever since they met, Chen Huayu's eyes hadn't left Hong Xinyue for a second.
The original Chen Huayu would blush just hearing a girl speak. It was hard to believe how much he'd changed in two years.
"Cough, cough." Clearing his throat, Ning Tianchen loudly said, "Hong Xinyue, my brother here has something to ask you."
All eyes immediately turned toward them. Chen Huayu shrank back into his collar, too shy to meet her gaze directly.
Unaware of the situation, Hong Xinyue walked over, puzzled. "What is it?"
"N-nothing," Chen Huayu stammered quietly, tugging at Ning Tianchen's sleeve.
Ning Tianchen chuckled, "Fatty and Xiao Ao are members of the Seven Treasures Team. Don't you want to know how we won the championship? You can ask them about it."
Hong Xinyue's eyes lit up. "Really? Seniors, I'm about to enroll in the Seven Treasures Academy…"
She was filled with anticipation and excitement for her upcoming academy life, bombarding them with questions about the school.
Chen Huayu stumbled over his words due to his shyness, but Oscar calmly answered her questions instead.
Hao Te slowed his pace and waited for Ning Tianchen to catch up. Smiling, he struck up a conversation, "So, you're the captain of the Seven Treasures Team, huh? Never would've guessed that your team members are such young prodigies."
Clearly, Oscar and Chen Huayu's performance had impressed him.
"As long as Fatty and Xiao Ao haven't embarrassed the Seven Treasures Academy, that's all that matters," Ning Tianchen replied with a smile.
On the way to search for spirit beasts, everyone chatted and laughed.
As winter approached, the days grew shorter, and the sky quickly darkened.
The Frozen Forest was perpetually covered in snow, and the moonlight reflected off the white snow, making visibility quite high at night. There was no need to worry about stepping into pitfalls.
"It's so cold," Ning Rongrong shivered, bundled tightly in her thick coat.
Chen Huayu grinned, "Young Miss, you've just arrived in the north. Stay here for a while, and you'll get used to it."
Ning Rongrong nodded.
"Everyone, rest here for now. We'll camp here tonight," Hao Te commanded. The soul-hunting team quickly set up tents and took out dry firewood stored in their spirit tools to build a bonfire for warmth.
Ning Tianchen sat by the fire to warm himself, then asked, "Fatty, Xiao Ao, what are your plans for the winter?"
Oscar smiled, "We joined the team last year. During winter, the team usually heads to the Great Star Dou Forest and continues working as a soul-hunting team."
Chen Huayu added, "Boss, why don't you join us? In a soul-hunting team, danger is always around the corner. For us, learning how to deal with these dangers is part of our training."
Ning Tianchen shook his head.
His journey to the Extreme North served multiple purposes, and he couldn't leave until his tasks were complete.
First, he needed to establish contact with the Snow Mountain Sect and attempt to forge ties between the two sects. Secondly, he planned to venture deeper into the Extreme North and try to initiate the trial of the Asura God.
A perilous place like the Extreme North Ice Plains was highly likely to trigger the content of a godly trial.
Completing the trial sooner would greatly help him navigate the upcoming challenges on the continent.
"No need. Rongrong and I have other plans. By the way, have you discovered any rare treasures in the Extreme North? And regarding Bao Zhen and Huang Wu's situation..."
The two shook their heads dejectedly.
The Frozen Forest was merely the outskirts of the Extreme North Ice Plains. From what they knew, the ice plains stretched far beyond imagination. The Frozen Forest was just the tip of the iceberg.
Venturing deeper into the Extreme North Ice Plains was nearly impossible; no one ever returned once they ventured beyond the forest.
Moreover, the Frozen Forest had long been thoroughly explored by humans. Even newly sprouted rare herbs were uprooted as soon as they were discovered, leaving nothing behind.
Ning Tianchen understood.
The Snow Mountain Sect had deeply explored the Extreme North Ice Plains. If they could enter the ice plains together with them, it wouldn't be a bad idea.
However, during the upcoming winter, the other party might not enter the ice plains.
Without dwelling further, Ning Tianchen retrieved food from his spirit tool and placed it near the fire to heat up.
Silence reigned through the night. Before dawn, everyone set off again.
"I'm so sleepy," Ning Rongrong rubbed her eyes, yawning repeatedly.
Walking in the snow consumed a lot of stamina, and one night of rest wasn't enough.
"It's already approaching dawn, but the days here are short, so it hasn't gotten light yet," Ning Tianchen supported her shoulders, helping her walk alongside him.
Not long after, the sun had barely risen when Hao Te called for everyone to stop.
He pointed to a white expanse ahead and said, "That's a pack of snowfield wolves. Let's go around them."
Hong Xinyue frowned, "A four-thousand-year snowfield wolf matches the soul ring I need. Why not just fight it?"
Hao Te shook his head, "That's a wolf pack. Among them are several ten-thousand-year-old spirit beasts. We can't afford to be careless."
"The spirit beasts are now preparing food for winter, so they're very aggressive. Don't approach them."
Ning Tianchen shouted, "It's too late. They've already caught our scent and are coming."
Their position happened to be upwind, and the cold wind carried their scent forward. The wolf pack downwind had picked up their scent and began to stir.
"To capture the thief, first capture the leader. Kill their alpha, and the pack will scatter and flee," Hong Kui declared gravely.
Everyone immediately activated their martial souls, shielding Hong Xinyue and Ning Rongrong behind them.
As the wolf pack drew closer, they assessed the situation.
The leading wolf king was a thirty-thousand-year-old spirit beast. In the pack, there were also four ten-thousand-year-old spirit beasts and hundreds of thousand-year-old spirit beasts.
"They're here."
Hao Te's martial soul was the Snow Spirit Magic Bear, its body massive.
"Fifth Soul Skill, Giant Spirit Palm!"
A bear paw struck out, its overwhelming presence causing all snowfield wolves below ten thousand years to tremble.
The wolf king turned and growled low, signaling the thousand-year wolves to retreat slightly.
"I'll take on the wolf king. The rest are yours!"
"Fatty, let's team up against one."
After numerous bloody battles, Oscar had grown stronger.
When teaming up with Chen Huayu, his performance was commendable.
Ning Tianchen didn't rush into action, standing aside to watch the battle unfold.
"Brother Tianchen, why aren't you joining in?" Ning Rongrong asked.
Ning Tianchen shrugged nonchalantly, "If everyone's holding back the enemies, there's no need for me to step in, right?"
Ning Rongrong didn't press further. Her Nine-Treasures Glazed Pagoda martial soul appeared in her palm, providing amplification to everyone.
At Level 54, she could boost everyone's strength by sixty percent.
Hao Te, a seventy-sixth-level Soul Sage, gained the upper hand against the thirty-thousand-year-old wolf king thanks to her amplification.
On the other side, Chen Huayu and Oscar struggled but eventually defeated a twenty-thousand-year-old snowfield wolf.
The injured wolf retreated into the pack, and the two collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Ning Tianchen walked over and extended a hand to pull them up. "Fighting in the snow consumes a lot of stamina. Can you two hold on?"
"We're fine," Chen Huayu shook his head and countered, "Boss, why aren't you fighting?"
"You've already taken care of all the opponents. Who am I supposed to fight?" Ning Tianchen feigned innocence.
He certainly wasn't going to charge into the rear of the wolf pack—even someone as powerful as him wouldn't do something so foolish.
After catching his breath, Oscar spoke gravely, "The snowfield wolves are highly intelligent. The wolf king is just the vanguard. Once it wears us down, the pack will swarm us to finish the job."
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ning Tianchen stepped forward, "In that case, let's end this battle."
"Killing God Domain, activate!"
Killing intent radiated outward from his body in all directions.
The wolf pack, enveloped within the domain, howled in fear.
"Evolved Skill of the Killing God Domain: Asura Demon Intimidation."
During the journey, he hadn't idled in the carriage—he'd been practicing his domain continuously.
Domain evolution skills varied from person to person, with multiple possible paths.
The Asura Demon Intimidation that Ning Tianchen had mastered was a mental shock skill.
A powerful mental wave spread out. To the wolves trapped in the domain, Ning Tianchen transformed into a fanged demon from hell.
The overwhelming killing intent chilled them to the bone.
"Hoooooowwwl~" The wolf king let out a roar, disengaging from Hao Te. The entire pack fled in another direction.
"Quick, follow me and intercept the four-thousand-year-old snowfield wolf!" Hao Te shouted.
The Snow Spirit Magic Bear martial soul wasn't suited for speed, so his pursuit was slow.
"Third Soul Skill, Soaring Sword Wings!"
Ning Tianchen locked onto a four-thousand-year-old spirit beast with his spiritual power and directed the Seven Kill Sword to shoot toward it.
The sharp Seven Kill Sword severed the snowfield wolf's hind leg, causing it to collapse in agony. However, the fleeing pack ignored their wounded comrade.
The wolf king, bringing up the rear, wanted to rescue it, but Hao Te and the others were hot on its heels. If it stopped to retrieve the injured wolf, its escape speed would be compromised.
After a brief hesitation, it abandoned the injured snowfield wolf.
When Hao Te and the others caught up, they easily subdued the four-thousand-year-old wolf without much effort.
Hong Xinyue entered the soul ring absorption state, while everyone else gathered around her to protect her during the process.
"Boss, what you just used was a domain, right?" Chen Huayu asked in astonishment.
As one of their own, he had felt his strength enhanced within the Killing God Domain.
Hao Te chuckled, "Soul masters who possess domains are almost always powerful. You're incredibly strong, truly worthy of being called the once-in-a-millennium genius of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
"You flatter me. It's just something I luckily obtained during one of my training sessions," Ning Tianchen said lightly.
Oscar draped an arm over his shoulder and teased, "Then why didn't I have such good luck?"
Ning Tianchen retorted, "What would you even do with a domain? Speed up your sausage production?"
Oscar shut his mouth awkwardly.
Although he had some combat ability, he was ultimately not a battle-type soul master.
The method Ning Tianchen had taught him left him uncertain about what kind of combat soul skill he might gain after absorbing a soul ring. In that sense, having a domain was indeed useless for him—at least for now.
After a pause, Ning Tianchen continued, "Domains can be either innate or acquired. Some extremely powerful martial souls awaken with a domain at the time of their awakening."
Take, for example, the Six-Winged Angel martial soul.
He silently added this thought.
Hao Te and the others shook their heads with a wry smile. "Even the Awakening of the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul doesn't come with a natural domain. Just how powerful must a martial soul be to awaken with a domain?"
Ning Tianchen shrugged and went on, "Most people on the continent who possess domains acquire them later in life. The most common way is through soul rings that provide domain-type soul skills. Of course, this imposes strict requirements on the type of spirit beast involved."
"Secondly, when a soul master obtains their seventh soul ring or breaks through to become a Title Douluo, there are two opportunities to awaken a domain. But this depends on the soul master's talent and their understanding of their martial soul."
After listening, Chen Huayu asked, "Boss, so was the domain you just used awakened by the Seven Kill Sword?"
Ning Tianchen shook his head. "This domain was unexpectedly obtained and isn't related to my martial soul. If my understanding of my martial soul deepens enough, I'll gain another domain exclusive to the Seven Kill Sword when I break through to Level 70."
Everyone couldn't help but sigh bitterly.
Ordinary soul masters find it incredibly difficult to obtain even one domain, yet Ning Tianchen could possess two. Truly, comparing oneself to others could drive one to despair.
The process of absorbing a soul ring always seemed endless.
Ning Tianchen sat by the fire, eating wolf meat, completely at ease.
If circumstances allowed, he might have even built a temporary wooden cabin.
"Fatty, how has your training been these past few years?" Ning Tianchen casually asked.
Chen Huayu sat in front of him. "Over this past year, Big Brother Hao Te has taken great care of Xiao Ao and me."
"When we were hunting our fifth soul ring, we encountered danger and happened to run into Big Brother Hao Te."
More than a year ago, Hao Te had also been alone. After meeting the two of them, he gradually formed this soul-hunting team.
A team led by a Soul Sage attracted many wealthy merchants and nobles who sought safety during soul hunts.
Since the team's formation, they had spent long periods in spirit beast forests, resting only a day or two every six months.
Of course, they earned a lot of gold spirit coins as well.
Hao Te was a kind man and nearly always split the earnings equally with them.
"Big Brother Hao Te has treated us very well. So Xiao Ao and I have decided to continue running the soul-hunting team with him for the next few years," Oscar said seriously.
Ning Rongrong reminded them with a smile, "Don't forget about the five-year agreement. At that time, we'll meet back at the academy."
"Of course we won't forget," Oscar and Chen Huayu assured her.
…
Several hours later, Hong Xinyue finished absorbing her soul ring, and everyone subsequently returned to Snowfield Town.
Hong Kui treated everyone to a feast at a restaurant in the town, drinking and celebrating for an entire day and night.
Early the next morning, Hong Kui took Hong Xinyue and boarded the carriage heading back.
Knowing that Hong Xinyue would study at the Seven Treasures Academy, Chen Huayu felt reassured. By the time of the five-year agreement, he would see her again.
"Boss, what are your plans? We'll soon set off southward with the team toward the Great Star Dou Forest," Chen Huayu asked.
Ning Tianchen replied, "Rongrong and I plan to make contact with the Snow Mountain Sect. Since you've stayed in Snowfield Town for a long time, have you ever encountered them?"
Chen Huayu thought for a moment and shook his head in denial.
Oscar suggested, "Tianchen, let me ask Big Brother Hao Te. He's been in Snowfield Town for a long time, so he might know something."
Soon, they received Hao Te's response.
After seeing the Snow Mountain Sect token in Ning Tianchen's hand, Hao Te mentioned that he had seen similar tokens before but had never heard of the Snow Mountain Sect's name. Moreover, he had never encountered anyone acting under the sect's name.
Ning Rongrong analyzed, "Brother Tianchen, they are, after all, a secluded sect. And according to what they've said, the Snow Mountain Sect's strategic focus lies in the Extreme North. Perhaps they haven't appeared in Snowfield Town?"
Ning Tianchen fell into deep thought.
Time waits for no one, and winter was approaching quickly. Oscar and the others needed to reach the Great Star Dou Forest as soon as possible.
"Boss (Tianchen), we'll take our leave now. See you again at the five-year agreement."
With a brief farewell, the two joined the soul-hunting team and boarded the carriage heading south.
Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong temporarily settled into a hotel in the small town.
Seated in the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel, Ning Tianchen thought for a moment and then hung the Snow Mountain Sect token on his waist.
This approach had its pros and cons.
On the positive side, any disciples of the Snow Mountain Sect passing by would notice him. However, enemies of the sect, upon seeing the token, would feel no hesitation in attacking him.
"Are you guests from the south?" the hotel owner asked as he served them drinks.
Ning Tianchen nodded.
The owner remarked nonchalantly, "Winter is almost here, and no one will come to Snowfield Town anymore. In a few days, the shops in the town will close too. If you have nothing to do, it's best to leave as soon as possible. Once the heavy snow blocks the roads, you'll be stuck here until spring."
Seeing the owner's enthusiasm, Ning Tianchen inquired, "Owner, how much do you know about the Extreme North Ice Plains? To be honest, we came north to purchase medicinal herbs. We couldn't find what we wanted in the city, so we thought we'd try our luck here."
"I've heard that the Extreme North Ice Plains produce excellent medicinal herbs. But the size of the ice plains is still uncertain. Everywhere is covered in white, making it easy to get lost. Even if you don't get lost, searching for several years might not yield any herbs."
"If you really want herbs, you'd be better off hiring a soul-hunting team to accompany you into the Star Dou Great Forest."
Realizing he wouldn't get the answers he wanted, Ning Tianchen exchanged a few pleasantries with the owner and said no more.
As they were leaving, the owner quietly warned them, "Someone is watching you from behind. It's best to leave early to avoid losing both your lives and your wealth."
Ning Rongrong grabbed Ning Tianchen's hand nervously. "Brother Tianchen, what…"
"There's no need to worry. The ones following us are only at the Soul Ancestor level."
Ever since Chen Huayu and the others left, the group that had been tailing them earlier had resumed their pursuit.
Clearly, these people were determined to achieve their goal no matter what.
Ning Tianchen scanned the restaurant, and soon he spotted a figure in the corner.
"Damn it, why is it him?" His expression darkened instantly.
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