Time always passes quickly.
Under the little phoenix's almost babysitter-like assistance, Snow Empress and Shen Hanyu's progress could be described as exceptionally fast.
…
In the blink of an eye, a full year had passed since Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress left Element City.
In this one year, the two of them had almost effortlessly completed the first seven trials of the divine examination. The speed and smoothness of their progress left even the little phoenix somewhat stunned.
Such a smooth process once made Shen Hanyu feel as though he could directly become a god right here in the Far North, but unfortunately, the eighth trial temporarily halted the footsteps of both Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress.
And the content of this eighth trial was precisely to repair and re-forge the Ice God divine weapon, that severely damaged the Ice God's sword.
From the content of the previous trials, Shen Hanyu had actually anticipated this early on, but now that it was confirmed, he himself didn't even know what expression he should make…
If he had just melted the thing down back then, would there have been so much trouble…
Snow Empress also lightly pressed her forehead. Repairing a divine weapon seemed simple, but in reality, it was not easy at all. Not only were the materials extremely hard to find, to the point that there were practically no leads, but even if they found the required materials, she and Shen Hanyu, working together, still couldn't guarantee a 100% success rate.
The two of them looked at each other in silence, pondering for a long time, until finally the little phoenix, who really couldn't stand watching anymore, spoke up to interrupt them…
"Um…"
"Didn't you two say before that the Silver Dragon King is still in the Douluo plane? Repairing divine weapons and such should not be difficult for her, since she inherited the Dragon God's wisdom…"
Shen Hanyu raised an eyebrow, seemingly considering the feasibility.
Snow Empress merely gave the little phoenix a faint glance. That indifferent, cold gaze made the little one stiffen all over, and she quickly fled behind Shen Hanyu to hide.
Shen Hanyu's train of thought was interrupted. He looked helplessly and amusedly at the little fellow curled up into a ball.
Clearly a former deity whose strength and even age were not much inferior to Snow Empress's, perhaps even slightly superior, yet her mentality was mostly like that of a child, even getting scared by Snow Empress's look.
Regarding this, Shen Hanyu could only say that it was probably because the Ice God in the Divine Realm had raised this little one too well, successfully turning her into an adorable creature instead of a majestic and powerful divine beast.
A moment later, Shen Hanyu gently patted the little one's head, then said with a light smile:
"The method you mentioned isn't impossible. Although the Silver Dragon King side isn't easy to handle, it's not completely without solutions. With the help of this former quasi-God King level powerhouse, this matter will definitely become much easier…"
Upon hearing this, the little phoenix's eyes lit up. She quickly rubbed her face against Shen Hanyu's cheek, then proudly showed off her smooth and beautiful feathers toward Snow Empress…
Snow Empress couldn't be bothered with this silly bird. She simply turned her gaze to Shen Hanyu and said softly:
"Is this really feasible? The Silver Dragon King's attitude, along with Di Tian and the others, is not opponents that are easy to provoke…"
Shen Hanyu shook his head nonchalantly and said:
"I don't know, but in theory it's feasible. We'll play it by ear later. If it really comes to a fight we can't handle, we can just directly enter the mental inner world to take refuge. There won't be any impact anyway…"
Snow Empress nodded lightly, then said:
"In that case, let's pack up tomorrow morning and leave the Far North. It's been a year since we last saw A-Yu and the others; I wonder how things are going in Element City…"
Shen Hanyu smiled lightly and said:
"Don't worry. That fellow Tianmeng occasionally sends me some information in a special way. Element City is doing fine, and the continent seems to have become much calmer lately. But whether it's true calm or the calm before the storm, no one can say for sure…"
…
The next morning.
Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress had risen early. After some lingering intimacy, they prepared to set off.
Xiao Bai had already left ahead of time some days earlier. Even if she ate, drank, and played along the way, she should have long since arrived at Element City by now.
Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress had nothing to delay them. After flying out of the Far North, the two continued at full speed. Their velocity was so fast that even the surrounding clouds had no time to react before being directly scattered by the terrifying shockwaves…
…
When the two returned to Element City, it was still only afternoon.
After returning to the small courtyard they had been away from for a year, Shen Hanyu pushed open the door and slowly walked in together with Snow Empress. He was somewhat surprised to find that a thin layer of dust had actually settled on the furniture.
Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress both found it a bit novel. In the past, no matter how long they were away, the several girls would regularly come over to stay for a couple of days or clean up. But this time was an exception; the furniture had gathered dust, clearly meaning no one had come for quite some time.
Shen Hanyu felt a bit helpless. He then told Snow Empress to wait outside for a moment while he used his soul power to clean every corner of the room. Only after it was restored to cleanliness did he let out a slight sigh of relief.
Snow Empress somehow brought over two glasses of iced fruit juice. Shen Hanyu took one, drank a hearty gulp, and said:
"It seems the girls haven't come here recently…"
Snow Empress nodded and said:
"I just scanned with my spiritual power. They're all over at the academy. Shall we go take a look?"
Shen Hanyu naturally wouldn't refuse. After a simple tidying up, the two leisurely set off toward the city…
…
Skywater Academy rear practical training field.
Xiao Bai had already returned to her Ice Bear true form. At this moment, she was swinging her massive bear paws toward several girls not far away.
After the girls nimbly dodged, Xiao Bai let out an angry roar. Then scattered snowflakes began to slowly fall. Several enormous snowballs gradually took shape under Xiao Bai's control before flying toward Shen Liuyu, who was closest.
Shen Liuyu suddenly let out a low, deep beast roar from her mouth. Black-purple scales slowly covered her arms, and a gigantic beast shadow like an abyss slowly appeared behind her. Black-purple claw glows flashed, and the huge snowball was directly torn apart before slowly dissipating…
Xiao Bai's sharp claws came right after. A strange fluctuation suddenly erupted from Shen Liuyu's body, directly blocking Xiao Bai's claws and leaving only a series of sparks in the air…
Xiao Bai retreated two steps, then scratched her head, feeling quite curious about Shen Liuyu's strange soul skill.
Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress slowly descended onto a nearby building, observing the back-and-forth battle below.
Snow Empress slowly sat down, one hand propping up her chin, then said:
"That's a soul skill of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger…"
Shen Hanyu nodded, then said with a light smile:
"Xiao Bai is a bit unqualified as a sparring partner. The force is too light, it's practically no different from playing around…"
Snow Empress gave Shen Hanyu a sideways glance and said:
"Xiao Bai's true form is an Ice Bear; her strength is extremely terrifying. If she didn't deliberately suppress her power, even if the little girls are outstanding, they absolutely wouldn't be a match for a fully serious Xiao Bai…"
Shen Hanyu nodded in agreement, then said softly:
"It seems the risky decision back then to quench the Evil God bloodline and fuse it into A-Yu's body was correct. Not only did it allow A-Yu's martial soul to undergo complete evolution, but her cultivation speed has also increased more than once. After this, giving A-Yu another soul bone, it's about time to go hunt her seventh soul ring…"
Snow Empress let out a soft "mm," then said:
"What soul beast do you plan to hunt for A-Yu's seventh soul ring…"
Shen Hanyu slightly lowered his eyes in thought, then said:
"The Titan Giant Ape… As one of the most important soul rings for a soul master, the Titan Giant Ape may have a bit of a slow brain, but its bloodline and strength are indeed quite good. The Extinction Snow Demon we mentioned before is also decent, but for the current A-Yu, the extreme ice attribute doesn't provide any obvious help, and it's not the direction A-Yu should develop in…"
Snow Empress also pondered for a moment, then still agreed with Shen Hanyu's view.
At this time, the battle below was nearing its end. Xiao Bai had returned to human form, while Shen Liuyu and the others were also panting heavily and collapsed on the ground to rest without any image.
After a while, Shen Liuyu wiped the sweat from her forehead and said:
"Xiao Bai, next time, you can use a bit more strength. I feel like recently it hasn't had the same sense of urgency and stimulation as before…"
Xiao Bai hugged a watermelon, directly broke it apart, and handed a portion to each of the girls. Then she grinned foolishly and said:
"Got it, I'll use more force next time…"
The girls took the watermelon from Xiao Bai. Before they could even catch their breath and rest, the next moment, several ice crystals flew past their faces and firmly embedded themselves into the hard ground.
Everyone froze briefly. Then their gazes turned toward the direction the ice crystals came from. The next moment, their faces were filled with thick surprise and astonishment.
Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress slowly descended. Then Shen Hanyu said with a light smile:
"Your awareness of vigilance and alertness still needs improvement. If my aim had been just a little off earlier, a few little beauties would have ended up with disfigured faces…"
Shen Liuyu climbed up from the ground, not caring about her dirty appearance, and directly threw herself into Shen Hanyu's arms.
Shen Hanyu caught Shen Liuyu, then gently wiped the grime from her face and said with a smile:
"How did you get so disheveled? Anyone who didn't know better would think you crawled out of some garbage heap…"
Shen Liuyu giggled, not minding at all. She rubbed herself in Shen Hanyu's arms before turning her head toward Snow Empress and calling out sweetly, "Sister-in-law."
Snow Empress also smiled lightly and nodded, gently patting each of the girls' heads in turn.
After some warm affection, the girls hurriedly ran off to bathe and change clothes. Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress went to sit for a while in a nearby small pavilion. Xiao Bai sensibly went off to have a big meal. When it came to human food, Xiao Bai was truly fond of it.
The two hadn't been sitting idly for long when, accompanied by a gentle breeze, You Mengchu's figure appeared outside the pavilion.
You Mengchu greeted the two, then asked about their recent situation. After a few pleasantries among the three, You Mengchu finally said softly:
"A few days ago, the merchant caravan that went to the Far South for procurement brought back a message for me. Someone managed to send a letter over from the island domain, specifically addressed to Skywater Academy. Our caravan happened to receive the news and brought the letter back…"
"Only then did I learn that Grandfather is already preparing to take action. If the timing is accurate with no major errors and no big accidents, Grandfather and the others should successfully set foot on the continent next year and then come to settle in Element City…"
Shen Hanyu slightly raised an eyebrow. Ever since Element City came fully under Skywater Academy's control, a trade route to the Far South had been opened. While going to the island domain wasn't very realistic yet, at least message transmission had become convenient—this was part of the original plan. Still, he hadn't expected Grandfather You to make the decision so decisively and quickly…
After thinking for a moment, Shen Hanyu said:
"Does the academy have any idle soul masters? Provide sufficient rewards and compensation. For this year or so, have them station directly in the Far South. Any news should be transmitted back to the academy immediately so we can prepare early. Also, that plot of land you conveniently acquired using your position before…"
Ahem!
You Mengchu, gave a light cough. Shen Hanyu instantly understood her meaning, chuckled lightly, and said:
"Anyway, if there's any problem, just go find Aunt Shui. If that doesn't work, come find me. Land and territory are the easiest things to handle. I see the plots occupied by Spirit Hall and Elephant Armor Sect aren't small at all…"
You Mengchu revealed a knowing smile, then stood up with a laugh and said:
"I understand. If I have time later, I'll personally go check the situation. Alright, I won't trouble you two anymore. I'll go get busy now…"
Shen Hanyu and Snow Empress watched You Mengchu leave, then both let out light laughs.
The two chatted idly for a few more sentences. Not long after, the girls returned after changing clothes.
They took their seats or stood one by one. Shen Hanyu sensed their levels, then said with a smile:
"It seems you all have made great progress this year. There's less than a year left until the Soul Master Tournament. I'm really looking forward to your performance then…"
The girls covered their mouths and giggled. Then Shui Bing'er spoke:
"I heard that Spirit Hall, to train their so-called Golden Generation, has taken out all the treasures from the bottom of their box. They even threw the most outstanding ones into some forbidden land for training. Because of that, two of them nearly lost their lives…"
Shen Hanyu shook his head with a smile and said:
"The resources Spirit Hall can give them are indeed extremely precious. No other faction on the continent can be as lavish as they are. But compared to you girls, they're still a bit lacking. Since you've all worked so hard in cultivation, how about this, as a reward, each of you gets one soul bone. How's that…"
The girls exchanged glances, their eyes flashing with thick delight. Shui Yue'er, Qiu Ruoshui, and Gu Qingbo even directly cheered out loud, almost pouncing into Shen Hanyu's arms…
Shen Hanyu lightly pressed his hand down, finally managing to control the girls' excitement. Then, from his soul guide device, he poured out a large pile of variously colored soul bones of different ages. Under the girls' dazed and bewildered gazes, the soul bones, extremely rare treasures in the outside world, were directly piled up into a small mountain radiating flowing light before everyone…
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master 40 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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