"Your use of ice attributes is still a bit rough. Stay in the Far North, and I will teach you how to cultivate ice attributes," Snow Empress said slowly, looking at Xu Tianyang.
Upon hearing this, Xu Tianyang hesitated for a moment. Staying in seclusion in the Far North was a development he had never considered before.
"Tianyang, Snow Empress's mastery of ultimate ice is absolutely unparalleled in the World. Don't miss this opportunity," Ice Empress urged from the side.
"That's a proto-Soul Core in your body, isn't it?" Snow Empress gazed at Xu Tianyang's upper dantian, her calm eyes seemingly seeing through his body to the proto-Soul Core within.
"That's right," Xu Tianyang nodded.
"I can also teach you the unity of Heaven and man, as well as the experience of condensing a Soul Core," Snow Empress said indifferently, her ice-blue eyes flickering slightly.
"Deal!" Xu Tianyang immediately agreed, unable to resist the temptation, his gaze filled with eagerness as he looked at Snow Empress.
It wasn't that he wasn't persistent enough; it was that Snow Empress offered too much.
"Follow me!"
Xu Tianyang, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, and Electrolux exchanged glances, then piloted their flying spirit tools to follow Snow Empress.
Along the way, Ice Empress curiously watched the flying spirit tool beneath Xu Tianyang's feet and couldn't help but ask, "Is this a spirit tool?"
"That's right, this is a level six flying spirit tool."
"Level six?" Ice Empress tilted her head, looking at Xu Tianyang, her eyes revealing confusion.
The loss of spirit tools on the Douluo Continent meant that the Spirit Beasts here didn't understand spirit tools very well, and the Sun Moon Continent had only appeared for too short a time. Ice Empress, secluded in the Far North, was even more unaware of the drastic changes that had occurred in the human World outside.
"In our human World, powerhouses are roughly divided into two categories: Spirit Masters and Soul Engineers. Although Soul Engineers have not yet achieved godhood, powerhouses capable of contending with top Spirit Master powerhouses have already emerged."
"Soul Engineer ranks are divided into nine levels, corresponding one by one to the nine levels of Spirit Masters from low to high. The system is very well-developed and is still breaking through to higher levels."
"The combination of Spirit Master and Soul Engineer can unleash power beyond their respective levels. Fighting above one's rank is no longer exclusive to top geniuses."
Ice Empress's pupils visibly contracted. Had the human World developed to this extent?
Spirit Master plus Soul Engineer—would Spirit Beasts still have a place to survive in the future?
...About a hundred kilometers from Ming City, the group landed from the sky. Any further would mean entering Ming City's defense system, and flying in the air would only make them targets for Ming City's defenses.
Among the crowd were many familiar faces. They were students from Tianshui Academy, Blazing Academy, and Shenfeng Academy, three of the five great academies of the Heaven Dou Empire, as well as students from Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
More than two years had passed since the end of the Soul Master Competition. Ever since Sun Moon Royal Academy won the previous Soul Master Competition, people on the Douluo Continent had become very interested in how the Sun Moon Empire cultivated its top geniuses.
After several discussions, led by Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the Heaven Dou Empire imperial family invited the five great academies to visit Sun Moon Royal Academy for exchange and study.
Although the Sun Moon Continent had appeared for five or six years, many Spirit Masters on the Douluo Continent still refused to acknowledge spirit tools.
They believed that spirit tools were external objects and that it was better to specialize in one's own Spirit.
Among them, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, relying on its reputation as the number one Beast Spirit in the World, completely disregarded spirit tools. Therefore, Thunder Academy did not come for this exchange.
As for Elephant Armored Academy, for well-known reasons, the Elephant Armored Academy still dared not step into the Sun Moon Empire, fearing that one day the Sun Moon Empire might remember and settle accounts.
"Ming City is just ahead! I heard Ming City is truly the largest city in the World. We're about to see it now, I'm so excited!" Among the group, Shui Yue'er looked ahead and couldn't help but exclaim with anticipation.
Everyone who returned to the Douluo Continent couldn't help but call Ming City the number one city in the World.
Such praise naturally made those who hadn't been there extremely curious.
"Bing'er, do you think we'll be able to see the Frost Goddess Xu Nianshuang when we go to the Sun Moon Empire this time? Are all the Spirit Masters in Sun Moon Royal Academy as terrifying as her?" Xue Wu, who had a Martial Soul Fusion Technique with Shui Bing'er in Tianshui Academy, asked Shui Bing'er curiously.
After winning the championship, Xu Nianshuang naturally became a prominent figure on the Douluo Continent, known as the Frost Goddess.
A glimmer of admiration flashed in Xue Wu's eyes. Xu Nianshuang had too many similarities with them. Her feat of single-handedly defeating the Soul Master Competition with one sword had earned her a large number of fangirls at Tianshui Academy.
"She should... be very strong!" Shui Bing'er replied, somewhat lost in thought, while Xu Tianyang's figure flashed through her mind.
The teacher leading Tianshui Academy this time was Lan Die, who had been saved by Xu Yunxiao. At this moment, she turned back and admonished everyone, "The next Soul Master Competition will be held in Ming City, and the rules of the competition have been changed to allow the use of spirit tools."
"We haven't had much time to get acquainted with spirit tools. This is a good opportunity to study hard at the continent's premier academy for spirit tools."
"Yes, Teacher Lan!" A lively group of girls excitedly responded to Lan Die with full energy.
In Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Qin Ming looked at the stiff-faced Yu Tianheng and couldn't help but try to persuade him.
"Tianheng, spirit tools will definitely occupy a significant position in the future. Although the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is powerful, it is not invincible. This is a good opportunity to witness the power of spirit tools."
"Teacher Qin, I will pay attention," Yu Tianheng said with a cold face, nodding dismissively without much concern.
He had been in a bad mood these past few days. Like his clansmen, he didn't value spirit tools.
He originally didn't want to come on this trip to the Sun Moon Empire. As someone with the number one Beast Spirit in the World, mere spirit tools were not something he took seriously. Unfortunately, the academy insisted he go, and to maintain unity, he had no choice but to follow along.
Seeing this, Qin Ming found it difficult to say more. Yu Tianheng was a proud genius of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, so it was normal for him to have arrogance. However, times had changed.
Anyone who went against the tide of the times would be crushed by its deluge.
He hoped that this trip to Sun Moon Royal Academy would allow Yu Tianheng to change his mindset.
Besides the people from Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Tianshui Academy, the members of Blazing Academy and Shenfeng Academy also had various thoughts. However, with Feng Xiaotian, the 'dog-licker,' present, their team was exceptionally lively.
"Rumble!" Suddenly, a rapid sound of horse hooves echoed in the distance.
As everyone looked, a cavalry troop of eighteen riders, all dressed in black, galloped from the direction of Ming City.
The horses beneath them were extraordinary, much larger than ordinary steeds, over four meters long and about 1.8 meters tall at the shoulder, extremely magnificent.
Even more peculiar was that these jet-black horses had no fur on their bodies, only a layer of fine scales, and a subtle bulge vaguely rose on their heads.