The Far North Land, located beyond the northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire, is a vast and expansive region, larger than the Star Dou Great Forest and the Evil Forest. Its extremely harsh environment has earned it the name "Human Forbidden Zone."
Amidst the vast expanse of heaven and earth, the still-young Xu Tianxi, bundled in thick cotton clothes and temporary warming Soul Guided Devices he'd made, walked through the icy landscape against the howling wind. Every exposed inch of his skin felt like it was being cut by knives.
Beside him, Yue Lao was fully geared up, six Soul Rings pulsating around him, a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right, his senses alert to all surroundings.
Xu Xiaoyun, with the highest cultivation, naturally took the lead, using his profound cultivation to move across the heavy snowfall as if on flat ground. He frequently provided practical information to Xu Tianxi, his voice laced with caution.
"Tianxi, legends say there are three terrifying beast-level existences in this Far North Land: the naturally born Heavenly Snow Woman, Snow Empress; the king of the Ice Jade Scorpion clan; and the king of the Titan Snow Demon clan. Their cultivation has all exceeded the 200,000-year limit. Even a Super Douluo like Yan Shaozhe would have to flee if he encountered them.
Do you remember the Ten Great Fierce Beasts that Grandmaster told you about? The Snow Empress and the Ice Jade Scorpion King are ranked third and seventh, respectively. I absolutely do not want to clash with them here in the Far North Land."
"Although the Illusory Sky Moon God Butterfly you're looking for hasn't produced a beast-level king, its racial talent is extremely strong, with 100,000-year kings among them. We might have to go deep into the Far North to find one suitable for you. We must be careful from now on."
"I understand, Grandmaster. I'm incredibly grateful you brought me here this time," Xu Tianxi said, his expression filled with gratitude, as he bowed to Xu Xiaoyun.
Over the past two years, Xu Xiaoyun had guided his cultivation, sparing no resources. Now, he was personally leading him into a dangerous place to hunt for a Soul Ring, showing immense care.
Although, with Xu Xiaoyun's strength, only the Snow Empress and Ice Emperor in the Far North Land could pose a threat to him, coming here still involved risk. No one could be sure if the two emperors would decide to take a stroll outside for no reason.
The Ice Emperor was fine; there was a chance to escape if encountered. But the Snow Empress was far more dangerous. This Far North Land was her domain. Even if Di Tian came here, he might not gain an advantage without using his Dragon God's Claws. For human powerhouses, coming here was no different from offering themselves up.
For his second Soul Ring, he had considered finding and killing an Ice Silkworm Soul Beast, just like Yuhao. However, after reading about the Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly in a Soul Beast manual, he suddenly felt a connection to this creature.
The Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly possesses dual attributes: ice and spiritual. It can absorb moonlight to accelerate its cultivation and is considered a top-tier Soul Beast.
Its combat style primarily involves creating illusions, capable of mimicking its own aura and surrounding environment to trap enemies in a false illusion. The enemy's five senses are deceived without their knowledge, and it can flap its wings to generate spiritual cold currents, rapidly eroding the enemy's Spiritual Power.
Once Spiritual Power is depleted, death is inevitable. Ordinary Soul Beasts approaching them are often dazed by the moon-like illusory dust emitted from their bodies.
Most terrifyingly, on the night of a full moon, the Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly's Spiritual Power dispersion range and intensity briefly increase greatly. This species is also a gregarious Soul Beast; a single 10,000-year Butterfly King leading a swarm of butterflies can generate a spiritual cold current strong enough to leave ordinary Soul Douluo without a burial place. Any Soul Sage and below would find it difficult to escape death.
Comparatively, they are the Jade Scale Serpent Emperor among spiritual-type Soul Beasts.
Its only drawback is its extremely frail physical body. Once its true form is located, even an aggressive 100-year Soul Beast can tear apart a 1,000-year Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly.
Compared to the Ice Silkworm, a Soul Beast with no offensive power that only mimics for self-preservation, the Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly is on a much higher level. Since he had support, he naturally wanted to pursue the best, and he would repay it tenfold in the future.
"Ancient records state that the Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly is one of the most beautiful butterflies on the continent, almost second only to the Light Goddess Butterfly. Its wings are moon-white, adorned with blue glowing patterns. It's rarely coveted because it resides in the Far North Land. I wonder if it's truly that dazzling…"
Xu Tianxi walked through the deep snow, each step covering several meters, recalling information about the Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly.
Suddenly, a series of earthquake-like roars echoed from afar.
"Boom—Boom—Boom—"
"This aura and commotion… it's the Titan Snow Demon King! Get down and hold your breath! Don't make any moves!"
Xu Xiaoyun's expression changed. He decisively used Black Tortoise Summoning, bringing Xu Tianxi and Yue Lao to his side, and together they hid in the snow.
Beneath the snow, Xu Tianxi soon felt an incredibly terrifying aura. His Spiritual Power, extended onto the snow surface, trembled. He only perceived a colossal creature with an absolutely terrifying aura stomping past, exuding the intimidating presence of a primeval beast.
With Grandmaster Xu Xiaoyun protecting them in the snow, the Titan Snow Demon King's footsteps did not cause any substantial harm to Xu Tianxi and Yue Lao. The immense pressure also quickly dissipated.
After the Titan Snow Demon King had moved far away, the three hidden in the snow quickly emerged, seeing the light of day again.
"Thirty years, and this fellow's aura hasn't changed much," Xu Xiaoyun murmured softly, gazing into the distance at the vanishing figure of the Titan Snow Demon King.
Hearing this, Xu Tianxi's eyes moved, and he asked Xu Xiaoyun, "Grandmaster, have you ever encountered this fellow before?"
"More or less. Over thirty years ago, I brought your Senior Martial Uncle here to the Far North Land to hunt a 100,000-year Soul Beast. Although we were careful about our movements, we still encountered this fellow in the outer regions of the Far North."
Xu Xiaoyun replied calmly, then carefully chose his words:
"The sheer size of this fellow is something I've never seen in my life. He's over 120 meters tall. His strength isn't terrifying, but he's incredibly tough and thick-skinned. Even a Level 97 Super Douluo would find it difficult to break through his defenses."
"Back then, I was wary of the Snow Empress and Ice Emperor, so I casually used a Soul Skill on him and swiftly left the Far North Land with your Senior Martial Uncle. Thinking back now, it was quite thrilling."
As he spoke, Xu Xiaoyun had a sudden thought:
"Oh, right, this fellow also has a spiritual attribute. The Titan Snow Demon clan is also a top-tier race. Are you interested?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Tianxi pondered for a moment, deciding that the burst Soul Skills of such a massive creature were not as good as the Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly's Mirror Flower, Water Moon. So, he shook his head with a smile and said,
"I still think the Illusory Sky Moon Butterfly is more suitable for me."
"That's fine too," Xu Xiaoyun nodded and said no more.
"Grandmaster, you just mentioned bringing Senior Martial Uncle here to hunt a 100,000-year Soul Beast?" Xu Tianxi keenly caught this crucial piece of information and asked excitedly.
Over the past two years, Xu Xiaoyun had told Xu Tianxi more than once that his eldest disciple, Xiao Changfeng, was the most accomplished successor he had ever had. However, Xiao Changfeng was rarely in the sect, instead serving as the guild master of the Black Tortoise Merchant Guild's headquarters in Vast Sea City, overseeing the Xuanming Sect's external business and a portion of its network.
After the news of Kong Xiyue's tragic death reached the Xuanming Sect, this Senior Martial Uncle also returned to mourn. At that time, Xu Tianxi was buried in books in the library and had not met Xiao Changfeng. Xu Tianxi had inquired about this Senior Martial Uncle over the past two years, but Xu Xiaoyun always smiled without answering, saying that they would meet eventually.
Grandmaster, at his age, loved to speak in riddles.
From the information just revealed, his Senior Martial Uncle was at least a top-tier Titled Douluo with a 100,000-year Soul Ring and Soul Bone, guaranteed to become a Super Douluo in the future.
Hearing this, Xu Xiaoyun smiled with a hint of pride, confirming,
"Yes, your Senior Martial Uncle has extraordinary talent, so naturally, I had to find him the best Soul Ring. It's just a bit regrettable that we encountered the Titan Snow Demon King on that trip.
The death of a 100,000-year Soul Beast in the Far North Land caused quite a stir, seemingly even alarming the Snow Empress and Ice Emperor. That made me hesitant to bring your Senior Martial Uncle here again, which is truly a shame."
"There are quite a few 100,000-year Soul Beasts in this Far North Land. I don't know why these two ice emperors get so agitated. The fierce beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest only went crazy after the Body Sect consecutively killed seven 100,000-year Soul Beasts."
Xu Tianxi's pupils suddenly contracted. He stopped and turned his head, asking, "Do you mean that Senior Martial Uncle's eighth Soul Ring, like yours, is also a 100,000-year Soul Ring?"
"Of course. Your Senior Martial Uncle's Martial Soul is a mutated Ice Crystal Phoenix, a top-tier ice-attribute Martial Soul, almost reaching the ultimate ice level, and it has also awakened a portion of divine beast bloodline."
Xu Xiaoyun gazed into the depths of the Far North Land, his eyes warm like the sun, and stroked his beard with a laugh.
"I still have some regrets. If I had caught another 100,000-year ice-attribute Soul Beast for your Senior Martial Uncle when he became a Titled Douluo—an Ice Jade Scorpion, for example—it might have elevated his ice attribute even further."
"A Titled Douluo with the ultimate ice attribute has never been recorded in history. If he had become one, I wouldn't have to worry about the sect's continuation now, would I?"
"What Soul Beast was Senior Martial Uncle's ninth Soul Ring from?"
"I found him a 100,000-year Jade Sea Harriers at sea. That Jade Sea Harriers possessed some pure phoenix bloodline, which purified your Senior Martial Uncle's divine beast bloodline. It was quite good, actually."
"Sea Soul Beasts have that advantage – no one seeks revenge if you kill them, and they generally have abundant vitality, with average qualities surpassing land Soul Beasts. It's a pity what happened to your mother, otherwise I would have killed one for her too. The same goes for you in the future."
Xu Xiaoyun spoke casually, as if killing a 100,000-year Soul Beast was as ordinary as eating an extra bowl of rice today, nothing noteworthy.
His simple words conveyed an absolute, unwavering killing intent.
Xu Tianxi felt a wave of embarrassment, thinking to himself, the guys from Body Sect are lawless, but your methods aren't exactly merciful either.
Just among your three disciples, Senior Martial Uncle has two red Soul Rings, and Xu Fu has one red Soul Ring. If Kong Xiyue hadn't left so early, a 100,000-year Soul Beast in the sea would have suffered too, getting caught by the old tortoise while humming a tune and eating small fish, then killed for its Soul Ring and Soul Bone.
However, as a human, Xu Tianxi naturally wasn't crazy enough to shout about unfairness for Soul Beasts. Besides, he didn't have a Heavenly Dream Iceworm power bank to invest in at the moment.
"Young master, we're almost in the depths of the Far North Land. Be careful," Yue Lao said softly, reminding Xu Tianxi not to get distracted in this Human Forbidden Zone.
"Don't worry, Yue Lao, I understand the risks."
Xu Tianxi pulled out two second-grade Soul Guided Devices from his Storage Ring, their outer shells resembling submachine pistols from his previous life. He held them crossed in front of his chest, ready for action.
He had personally crafted these two second-grade Soul Guided Devices, from their core arrays to their inner and outer shells. Yue Lao judged their performance to be among the best of second-grade Soul Guided Devices. They fired Soul Guided rays; one had a paralyzing effect, and the other had a continuous explosive effect.
Their regular power couldn't compare to Cold Moon Gaze, but they excelled in endurance.
If he didn't mind scrapping the Soul Guided Devices, he could use only a third of his Soul Power to make the explosive Soul Guided ray unleash power comparable to a full-force attack from Cold Moon Gaze, and the paralyzing Soul Guided ray's power would also increase significantly.
Before coming here, he had imagined that Xu Xiaoyun would find a suitable thousand-year Illusory Sky Moon God Butterfly for him to solo for a period.
To his surprise, Xu Tianxi realized he had underestimated Xu Xiaoyun's caution. In front of him, he didn't even get a chance to act—
After Xu Xiaoyun found traces of an Illusory Sky Moon God Butterfly colony, he directly activated his sixth Soul Ring, releasing his Domain Skill, Domain of Black Tortoise, which enveloped the entire butterfly swarm.
Even with a 10,000-year Butterfly King leading them, the Illusory Sky Moon God Butterflies couldn't escape being instantly killed.
"Tianxi, there are five thousand-year Illusory Sky Moon God Butterflies in this colony: two just over a thousand years old, one just over two thousand years old, one three thousand years old, and one five thousand years old. Once you've chosen, we'll leave quickly. This is not a place to linger."
Xu Xiaoyun retracted his Domain, and a swarm of beautiful butterflies, as dazzling and crystalline as moon gems, fell like dumplings. The crescent-shaped dark blue glowing patterns on their spirit wings were dim and lifeless, as if they had been knocked out.
Xu Tianxi looked back and forth for a while, then picked a compromise, pointing at the three-thousand-year Illusory Sky Moon God Butterfly and saying, "This one."
"Alright, get ready."
Xu Xiaoyun skillfully placed the Illusory Sky Moon God Butterfly into a Soul Guided Device that could store living creatures. Then, he raised his enlarged Black Tortoise Shield, swept the two of them into the air, and soon became a small black dot, disappearing into the icy world.
Not long after, a beautiful figure, like an ice and snow spirit, appeared in mid-air at the original spot. Frosty mist swirled around her, and her expression was cold and arrogant. She looked down at the messy scene of the incident, and a sorrowful expression appeared on her face.
"Detestable human powerhouse, how dare you come to my Far North Land again to harm my subjects! Don't let me find you again, or I will drag you to your grave before I perish in the Heavenly Tribulation!"