As night approached, under the reflection of countless snowdrifts, the area remained bright. However, the surroundings were no longer as silent as during the day. Countless soul beasts active at night began hunting, with ferocious beast roars echoing from time to time.
Shen Hanyu found a leeward slope and quickly set up his tent.
The tent was made from the hide of a soul beast, the Snow Bear. It looked fluffy and was extremely thick and warm.
Unlike the powerful and aggressive Ice Bear, the Snow Bear was a relatively mild-mannered soul beast. It wasn't purely carnivorous; it ate almost anything edible and never actively attacked humans. In the Far North, many households even domesticated Snow Bears.
Taking out dried Earth Dragon meat from his soul guide and pairing it with pristine snow, Shen Hanyu barely managed to settle his dinner. He then wrapped himself in a red blanket made from the fur of a Flame Lion and lay down slowly, though his mental strength remained on high alert in the surroundings.
In the Far North, one could never let their guard down.
At midnight.
As the snowstorm gradually subsided, the thick fog around them slowly dispersed. The remnant moon, hidden behind heavy clouds, gradually revealed itself, giving the surroundings a sense of a starry, moonlit night.
Suddenly, a ferocious beast roar erupted from afar, accompanied by slight tremors in the ground.
Shen Hanyu, who had been meditating, snapped his eyes open. He swiftly exited the tent and leaped onto a nearby snow mound.
In the distance, snow was being blasted in all directions by massive shockwaves. With his extraordinary eyesight, Shen Hanyu barely made out two rampaging soul beasts.
The soul beast chasing from behind was enormous, resembling a rhinoceros. Its massive horn was like a sharp, spear-like weapon, glinting coldly under the pale moonlight.
This soul beast was over fifteen meters long and more than five meters tall—a true behemoth.
The One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino!
This was an aggressive, gigantic soul beast. In the soul beast world, aside from the Diamond Baboon and the Titan Giant Ape, and excluding sea soul beasts, it was likely the largest land soul beast.
Its formidable physical strength granted it unparalleled brute force. A century-old One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino could rival the strength of some thousand-year soul beasts, while a ten-thousand-year one could match the power of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, making it a top-tier powerhouse in the soul beast world.
However, as a rule, powerful soul beasts typically didn't have thriving populations, and the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino was no exception.
Like the Holy Light Unicorn Rhino, this species was on the brink of extinction. In a few thousand years, it would likely only appear in history books.
Judging by this One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino's size, exceeding fifteen meters, Shen Hanyu easily determined it was a soul beast with over thirty thousand years of cultivation.
Yet, compared to the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino, Shen Hanyu was more focused on the large, wriggling… ugh, not a maggot… an ice silkworm up ahead.
Unlike other ice silkworms, this one was not only massive, over seven meters long, but its entire body was a jade-white color. Nine golden patterns were evenly distributed across its body, faintly glowing with golden light. Its small eyes were also golden, and its round head gave it an innocent, almost bully-able appearance.
In short, this was a rather good-looking ice silkworm, even somewhat adorably chubby. Of course, if it weren't currently fleeing while wailing, Shen Hanyu might have found it somewhat cute.
"Help! Is there any kind soul out there to save the handsome and wise Brother Tianmeng?!"
"Hmph, you big rhino, you're not so tough! A mere thirty-thousand-year cultivation dares to chase me, the magnificent nine-hundred-ninety-thousand-year Tianmeng Ice Silkworm?!"
"Hey, hey, hey, I just said a few words, and you're already losing your temper? I'm telling you, you're really petty…"
As clear voices reached Shen Hanyu's ears, a smile tugged at his lips.
Truly, it was a case of fortune falling into his lap without effort. The heavens were practically spoon-feeding him…
Without hesitation, Shen Hanyu grabbed his Cold Haven Spear and sprinted toward the two beasts, his speed so fast that his figure seemed almost illusory.
Despite its chubby appearance, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm was incredibly fast, maintaining a safe distance from the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino.
The One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino let out an enraged roar, its four hooves moving like rockets, accelerating even further.
"Hey, you stinky rhino, what are you doing?!"
The Tianmeng Ice Silkworm finally sensed something was wrong. Turning back, it saw the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino practically on its tail, its eyeballs nearly popping out…
"Uh, Rhino Bro, how about we sit down and talk this out?"
"Spare me, aaaaah…"
Shen Hanyu closely followed the two soul beasts from the side, chuckling at the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's bizarre remarks.
Indeed, this ice silkworm was… truly unique…
As the cold wind dispersed the thin mist, the distant coastline became clearly visible. The sound of crashing waves grew louder, and the air carried the briny tang of the sea.
Seizing the moment, Shen Hanyu's first and third soul rings lit up simultaneously. Energy rapidly gathered on the spear's blade, making the surrounding air thick and viscous.
His aura was perfectly concealed. The One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino, already low in intelligence and fully enraged by the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, was entirely focused on chasing it and didn't notice Shen Hanyu, who was hiding his presence on the side.
Finding the perfect opportunity, Shen Hanyu propelled himself forward with his legs. The Cold Haven Spear, brimming with terrifying killing intent, thrust toward the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino's heart.
By the time it reacted, the Cold Haven Spear had already pierced its tough hide, plunging deep into its flesh, aiming straight for the heart.
The next moment, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded.
The Cold Haven Spear, as if striking an indestructible divine metal, abruptly halted its advance. Then, a terrifying force ejected it from the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino's body.
The One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino let out a pained, furious roar. Its dark eyes filled with bloodshot rage. The next moment, it decisively abandoned the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, which was within reach, and aimed its massive, sharp horn at Shen Hanyu, whose position had been exposed.
Shen Hanyu cursed inwardly. He tried to dodge, but no matter which direction he moved, the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino locked onto him with precision.
Soul skill lock-on!
The thought flashed through Shen Hanyu's mind. Facing the approaching One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino, he was momentarily at a loss.
Against a terrifying soul beast capable of rivaling a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in strength, anything other than a one-hit-kill sneak attack seemed meaningless. That was the reality.
But the next moment, the One-Horned Ice Demon Rhino froze in place, its eyes filled with endless confusion. It stood rigid, motionless.
At the same time, a voice suddenly rang directly in his mind:
"Human, strike now!"
Shen Hanyu snapped back to his senses. Staring at the massive head before him, he ruthlessly thrust his spear into its brain, stirring it viciously several times. In less than ten seconds, he stabbed dozens of times until white, tofu-like brain matter flowed out along the spear's blade before stopping.
As a black soul ring slowly emerged, Shen Hanyu finally let out a sigh of relief.
Turning his gaze, he nearly collided with a large ice silkworm baby tilting its big head, curiously inspecting him…
Shen Hanyu froze. One human and one beast stared at each other, the atmosphere inexplicably awkward…