Chapter 334: The Extreme North, Snow Empress
Gu Yue's gift was indeed useful Di Tian had dropped to one knee instantly.
But giving it to him now wasn't just about future precautions. She was most likely entrusting it to him for use in the Extreme North, though Han Li had no such intentions.
Unlike the Divine Realm, even after ascending, Douluo Continent's foundation was still too shallow to compare.
Among soul beasts, few were worth Han Li's attention, and Snow Empress was one of them.
Her origin was also rather unique.
Unlike other ferocious beasts, Snow Empress was born purely from ice, a creature of natural energy. Rather than calling her a soul beast, Han Li preferred to think of her as a spirit.
Long ago, he had already observed the Extreme North.
Snow Empress was its true darling, the so called Child of Fortune of that land. The sheer density of fate energy around her had once made Han Li incredibly envious.
If not for the Douluo Continent's restrictive rules, in another world, she might have been another Lie Yan, easily reaching the level of a Second Class God.
The ferocious beasts still alive today, along with the upper echelon of the Spirit Hall, were likely to form his initial team in the short term assuming he succeeded first, of course.
It was worth thinking about.
With Di Tian now acknowledging the authority of Gu Yue's reversed scale, his attitude had become even more respectful.
Though he didn't know his master's true intentions, that didn't stop him from obeying the hierarchical order among soul beasts was absolute.
The blood red pillar of light gradually dimmed, and Ah Yin's form began to fade, completely vanishing into nothingness.
This time, she was truly beyond saving.
Even though a dimmed seed remained where she had once stood, there was no trace of life left within it.
The sacrifice this time had been a complete and utter soul sacrifice Han Li had made sure of it.
Even though it had been over a decade since the last ritual, and Ah Yin had returned to the hundred thousand year level, this time she had been completely forced into it.
Power could be restored, but a soul?
Even the most resilient Blue Silver Grass couldn't withstand this kind of torment.
Han Li didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he turned toward Ye Lingling, who was still meditating in place.
Above her, a new blood red spirit ring had formed.
He nodded in satisfaction.
For them, absorbing spirit rings no longer brought major breakthroughs at this point, raw energy and lifespan were far more crucial.
"From now on, try using your bloodline to ascend to Blue Silver Emperor status."
Han Li tossed the Blue Silver Emperor's seed toward the Blue Silver King, giving his orders.
"Once you evolve, if you wish, you can return to the Blue Silver Forest. Your kin are there it may be a better place for your cultivation."
"Once you've made your decision, you can ask Di Tian for assistance. No one there will stop you."
Han Li glanced at Di Tian, who gave a firm nod.
For him, this was a trivial favor.
And if another emperor level soul beast was born among them, that was something he welcomed.
Compared to Ah Yin, the Blue Silver King showed greater dedication to their kind.
Ye Lingling opened her eyes.
A blue green domain expanded around her, exuding a powerful aura of life.
With Ah Yin's final sacrifice, her Blue Silver Domain had evolved again.
Now, with the enhancement of her Nine Heart Begonia, her healing ability had become even more terrifying.
Her ability to extract life force from plants had also advanced another level.
Of course, with Di Tian and the others still present, she wasn't stupid enough to flaunt her abilities.
She simply gave Han Li a sweet smile.
"Alright, we're heading off. Di Tian, pass my regards to Gu Yue."
Han Li took Ye Lingling's hand and opened a silver portal the same kind Gu Yue used.
This only made Di Tian more reverent, filling his mind with even more speculation.
Returning to Heaven Dou City
Once back home, the others were already waiting for them.
After Ye Lingling briefly showcased her domain, the matter was settled.
"Leaving immediately?"
Qian Daoliu asked.
The group had already said their goodbyes to Qian Renxue the day before, so there was no need to notify her again.
"Of course."
Han Li nodded.
During his time in Heaven Dou City, all preparations had already been made.
The other candidates had begun their divine trials, so it was time to start the next set.
"Give me a moment."
Han Li stopped Qian Daoliu from taking off.
He closed his eyes, sinking into his spiritual domain.
Since he had already mastered space, why bother flying?
Might as well save some energy.
As he locked onto a coordinate at the edge of the Extreme North, he opened his eyes.
A silver portal shimmered into existence before the group.
"Alright, let's go. Once we step through, we'll be in the Extreme North."
Han Li's face paled slightly.
His divine power was still far too lacking.
A single long distance teleportation had drained a third of his soul power and the sudden expenditure left him feeling terrible.
Of course, some of the energy had been used to stabilize the portal so the others wouldn't be harmed by the transfer, but still...
"I need more divine power."
His divine core quickly absorbed celestial energy, working to restore his condition as he turned his gaze toward the group.
Qian Daoliu took a deep breath, feeling utterly useless. Without a word, he was the first to step into the spatial portal.
Han Li extended a hand toward the girls, and they followed closely behind, stepping through the portal as well.
"It's so beautiful."
Aside from Shui Bing'er, it was the first time the others had seen the Extreme North. The vast expanse of white stretching before them filled them with a sense of wonder.
"The scenery is indeed breathtaking, but after a while, you might get tired of it."
Han Li glanced at Dugu Yan. The cold here didn't affect them at all, given that the weakest among them was already close to Spirit Douluo. As for Shui Bing'er, she could outright ignore the cold this environment suited her perfectly.
"If not for you, I wouldn't have even known there were soul beasts over a hundred thousand years old here."
Qian Daoliu looked at the frozen landscape, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.
He had traveled across the continent before but that was before reaching the Title Douluo realm. In human records, the Extreme North was known for its harsh conditions, and its soul beast population remained largely undocumented.
After reaching Title Douluo, most of his time had been spent in Spirit City, except for one trip to Sea God Island.
"Unraveling the world's mysteries firsthand isn't a bad feeling, is it?"
Han Li chuckled as he locked onto their destination, spreading his wings and taking off with the girls.
"It is quite refreshing."
Qian Daoliu let out a rare smile before moving to the front, spreading his soul power barrier to shield the younger generation from the wind and snow.
Though not really necessary, it was an instinctive gesture.
"Haha, old man, who knows? By the time this journey ends, you might feel a few centuries younger."
Han Li's laughter echoed through the sky, startling the soul beasts below, causing some to dive into the snow, leaving only their tails exposed.
"Is that so? Let's hope so."
Their conversation drifted away into the vast white wilderness.
The Extreme North – The Core
Inside a magnificent ice palace, constructed entirely from snow and frost, a young woman opened her eyes.
Her sky blue pupils carried a hint of confusion.
"Humans? And they're coming for me?"
Han Li and his group had made no effort to hide their presence, nor had they restrained their auras. On this vast icy plain, there was no way they could escape Snow Empress's notice.
From the moment she sensed them, their trajectory had been perfectly straight, heading directly toward her palace.
"Spirit Hall? Such powerful auras… I may not be their match."
The young woman stood up and stepped out of her ice castle, gazing into the empty sky, even though nothing had appeared yet.
With a casual wave of her hand, a few snowflakes shot out in different directions summoning her fellow soul beasts.
Too many strange events had occurred recently.
Caution was necessary.
She frowned, her thoughts drifting back to two days ago, when that voice had echoed in the minds of every soul beast, accompanied by a vision.
What a joke.
If it had been about worshiping the Dragon God or even Di Tian, she might have tolerated it.
But a human?
How utterly absurd.
If not for personally confirming through Ice Empress and the others that it was not an illusion, she would have dismissed it as a tribulation induced hallucination.
Reaching out her hand, she caught a snowflake in her palm.
Rather than melting, the flake became even more crystalline.
She released it, watching as it drifted downward, disappearing into the snow covered ground.
"A group of humans coming straight for me, not even bothering to disguise themselves… This doesn't seem like a friendly visit. I just hope they don't disturb the peace of the icy plains."
In Mid Air
Han Li and his group were swiftly approaching the frost covered palace.
Meanwhile, in various locations, several soul beast kings had received Snow Empress's summons and were rushing toward her.
To them, the ruler of the Extreme North was to be protected at all costs.
Their hatred for humans was palpable.
"Quite the grand welcoming party… This doesn't seem friendly."
Han Li shook his head as he sensed the commotion on the ground. The beast kings were making quite a ruckus.
"We're the ones intruding."
Qian Daoliu shot him a glance, still struggling to adjust to Han Li's way of speaking.
Han Li gave him an awkward yet polite smile while muttering internally Qian Daoliu really was too rigid.
"No wonder he lost to Tang Chen."
If Han Li could solve his issue, then after their grand victory, he would definitely introduce him to a certain Goddess of Lust.
Then, he'd see if this holy knight of an angel could resist her.
"Alright, Grandmaster Uncle, the host is getting impatient. Time for our grand entrance."
As Han Li's voice fell, streams of green wind wrapped around them, turning them into streaks of light that shot toward the ice castle.
Though his mastery of the Wind Rule was still basic, using it to boost their speed was no problem.
In Front of the Ice Castle
Three figures had already gathered before Snow Empress.
"Xue'er, where are they?"
"They're here."
Snow Empress glanced at the young woman beside her before lifting her gaze to the sky.
A streak of green light was rapidly descending toward them.
(End of Chapter)
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