Dugu Yan was completely bewildered.
Instinctively, she reached out and caught Ning Rongrong, who had fainted.
The sky was filled with swirling snowflakes, and when looking up from the ground, the aurora still flickered faintly.
"Leave the Extreme North as soon as possible, or find a safe place to hide." Dugu Yan remembered Ning Rongrong's words before she lost consciousness.
After briefly observing her surroundings and comparing them to the map, she roughly determined their current location.
She began moving forward cautiously, planning to head to a safe zone first before leaving the Extreme North from there.
This route was relatively safer.
Suddenly, a slender green figure flashed past. The woman glanced down at Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong but quickly averted her gaze and continued forward.
Judging by the direction she was heading, it seemed to be toward the Valley of Snow and Wind.
Dugu Yan's heart skipped a beat.
We need to leave quickly. Who knows what kind of trouble Rongrong has stirred up?
That breathtakingly beautiful woman was likely either the Ice Empress or the Snow Empress.
Dugu Yan moved carefully, not daring to breathe too loudly.
With the snow falling and the wind howling fiercely, the environment had become even harsher than before.
After walking for some time, she finally found a safe zone. These zones often had caves prepared in advance by travelers or natural caverns left for passing Soul Masters.
Not many people ventured into the Extreme North, but those who did usually left caves behind for the next group—a gesture akin to "sharing roses, leaving fragrance in hand."
After some thought, Dugu Yan stepped into the cave before her. The visibility inside was poor.
"Someone's inside?" Her heart tightened. She hadn't sensed any presence—could it be a Soul Sage?
Out here, humans were the most dangerous threat, especially with Rongrong in her current state.
Dugu Yan considered retreating. After all, neither she nor Rongrong feared the cold. As long as they had food, surviving in the Extreme North indefinitely wouldn't be an issue.
"It's you!" Just as she was about to leave, a voice that was both unfamiliar and familiar rang out.
Dugu Yan activated her Martial Soul, instantly on guard.
Then, she froze.
Shui Yue'er? Shui Bing'er?
Among the three people before her, two were the ones she and Ning Rongrong had met in Tian Shui City.
"A Soul King at such a young age… and almost a Soul Emperor?"
"This is unbelievable!" The elderly woman standing behind Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er wore an expression of shock on her wrinkled face.
"Soul King?!" Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er exclaimed in unison as soon as they saw Dugu Yan's soul rings.
A Soul King, seemingly around their age.
Hadn't they already lived under their younger sister's shadow? Now, there was someone else to compare to?
"Hello." Dugu Yan wasn't sure whether to stay or leave, but since they had met before, she decided to be polite. "Sorry, I didn't know anyone was here. We'll leave now."
"Stay." Shui Bing'er spoke up. "The child you're carrying doesn't look well."
"Bing'er is right." The elderly woman, sensing Dugu Yan's hesitation, added, "Young lady, I guarantee you as the dean of Tian Shui Academy that we mean you no harm."
"You don't need to worry about any underhanded tricks. Our Shui family from Tian Shui Academy has a reputation to uphold on the continent."
"Well…" Dugu Yan looked down at Ning Rongrong in her arms. "Alright, thank you."
With that, she carried Ning Rongrong and followed them deeper into the cave.
"Hey, was the name you gave us before fake?" Shui Yue'er feigned surprise.
"Sorry, it's better to be cautious when traveling." Dugu Yan apologized. "My name is Dugu Yan. My grandfather is Dugu Bo, and I currently live in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."
"The granddaughter of the Poison Douluo, His Excellency Dugu Bo…"
Though they hadn't heard much about Dugu Bo recently, his name still carried great weight in the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Yes. The child I'm holding is Ning Rongrong. Her father is Ning Fengzhi." Dugu Yan was no longer the naive girl she once was. After so many twists and turns, she had learned to borrow others' prestige when necessary.
"We got separated from our protectors. I've already sent a message to the sect, so someone should arrive soon."
"Ah, the convenience of being from a major clan!" Shui Yue'er pouted.
"But why would such a young child come to the Extreme North?" Shui Bing'er studied Ning Rongrong and quickly deduced that she was a few years younger than herself.
"This… involves alchemy. Mainly, the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda's treasure appraisal ability. Besides, we thought we had protectors watching over us in secret, so we didn't expect the Extreme North's weather to be so unpredictable."
One moment, it could be clear and sunny; the next, a blizzard with hailstones.
"I see." The elderly woman nodded. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's appraisal abilities were unparalleled, so bringing one along when searching for medicinal herbs made sense.
But why would they bring the sect leader's daughter? Did opening blind boxes come with a luck bonus?
This likely involved the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's secrets, so she refrained from asking further.
Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan had come to the Extreme North with protectors from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
If not Title Douluo, they were at least Soul Douluo-level experts. After all, this was the beloved daughter of the sect leader—rumored to be the next heir—and the only granddaughter of Dugu Bo.
However, the recent upheavals in the Extreme North had caused drastic climate shifts, leading to their separation from their protectors.
Dugu Yan had carried the unconscious Ning Rongrong to the safe zone to take shelter.
They planned to leave once the opportunity arose but ended up running into the Tian Shui Academy group, who were also hiding from the storm.
After Dugu Yan's explanation, the elderly woman, Shui Yue'er, and Shui Bing'er understood the situation.
Once they became more familiar, the group began chatting.
For Dugu Yan, there was no immediate rush. She could wait until Ning Rongrong woke up.
The Ice Empress and Snow Empress likely wouldn't bother with small fries like them.
"Miss Dugu Yan, would you mind telling us your soul power level and age?" Unlike Shui Yue'er's chattiness, Shui Bing'er, despite being the younger sister, was more interested in Dugu Yan's strength.
Among her peers, even Feng Xiaotian—a naturally full soul power talent from one of the five elemental academies—couldn't compare to her.
But now…
"I'm 19, not yet 20. As for my soul power level, there's no harm in telling you."
"I'm a 58th-ranked Control System Soul King. My Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, same as my grandfather's."
None of this was classified information. Besides, her combat strength didn't rely solely on soul rings—her poison was far deadlier.
If she tapped into the power of her Misfortune Poison Body, even a Soul Emperor could be killed.
"F-Fifty-eight?!"
Even with some preparation, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were stunned.
"It's nothing special." Dugu Yan shrugged.
She knew her own talent. Had she not joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, reaching even the 40th rank would have been uncertain.
But Shui Bing'er, who had just introduced herself, had already obtained her fourth soul ring.
And she was a few years younger.
Truly, the Douluo Continent was vast.
There were many geniuses, especially someone like Qian Renxue, who had already been a Soul Emperor at an age younger than Dugu Yan was now.
Innate 20th-rank soul power… What a despairing talent.
As Dugu Yan chatted with the three, she kept an eye on Ning Rongrong, who lay quietly beside her.
"I hope Rongrong is alright. May she overcome this crisis like she always has."
Dugu Yan knew that this time, the enemy Ning Rongrong faced was different.
A god—even if only a fragment of one—still wielded divine power.