Lan Jingyun raised his hand. This time, he summoned even more ice to restrain the bear's body. Slowly but surely, the ice bear's movements began to slow. Ice covered its body like beautiful armor, leaving its head free.
At last, the ice bear stopped resisting. Its white eyes stared at Jingyun, this time with something resembling acknowledgment. Jingyun gave a small nod, then began to melt the ice binding the bear, starting from its feet.
"Go," he said gently. "We have another place to be."
The ice bear shook its massive body, freeing itself from the remaining ice. It looked at Jingyun one last time before turning around and disappearing into the snowstorm.
The snow fox approached, touching Jingyun's leg with its snout. There was pride in the gesture, as if it was pleased with how Jingyun had handled the situation without violence.
"We have to hurry," said Jingyun, gently stroking the fox's head. "The human world awaits us."
They continued their journey in silence, leaving behind the battlefield blanketed in ice.
As they reached the peak of the icy mountain, Jingyun sensed something different from the Ice Temple. The sacred structure pulsed with a stronger energy than usual, something he could feel within himself.
Suddenly, the world around him faded. He found himself standing in an empty space shrouded in blue mist. In front of him, the Ice Temple appeared—larger and more majestic than ever.
"You have shown wisdom," a voice echoed in his mind. "But the path you choose will not be an easy one."
It wasn't the voice of a living creature, but more like the air vibrating from the Ice Temple, understood by Lan Jingyun alone.
"You wish to become a Soul Master without killing soul beasts. So noble… yet dangerous. This world is not made for gentleness."
Jingyun straightened his posture. "I will not change my principles."
"No, you will not." Lan Jingyun could feel the vibration voice seemed satisfied. "That is why you must learn to control ice. Not just the ice you create, but ice itself. Make nature yourself."
"How?"
But the vision began to fade. The Ice Temple returned to its normal size, disappearing into him, and the world around Jingyun became clear once more.
The snow fox stared at him worriedly, nudging his leg with its snout.
"I'm okay," Jingyun reassured his friend.
They continued their journey toward the border between the Extreme North and the human region. The snow began to lessen, replaced by rocky ground covered in thin ice. The air was still cold, but not as biting as in the far north.
The sound of crunching from the frozen underbrush made them stop. Jingyun sensed danger before seeing it—five figures dressed in black emerged from different directions, surrounding them.
"Well, well," said one of them, a large man with a scar across his face, stepping forward. "Look what we have here. A little kid and… ah, a Frozen Fox."
The snow fox's eyes narrowed at the mention of that name. Jingyun could feel the tension in his friend's body.
Jingyun said nothing, simply gazing at them calmly. He stepped forward, standing in front of the snow fox now hiding behind him.
"Leave," said Jingyun in a cold voice. "This creature is with me."
The first man laughed, his loud voice echoing in the air. "With you? You think we care? That beast is worth more than you know, kid. A soul ring from that soul beast will make us rich."
In fact, many wealthy families in this world bought spirit beasts for their children from spirit beast hunters. That way, they didn't have to risk hunting spirit beasts in the forest. They only needed to kill the one they purchased.
He signaled to two of his companions to move. Jingyun narrowed his eyes at them, his hand beginning to summon cold energy from the Ice Temple.
The Ice Temple appeared before Jingyun, radiating a chilling aura that made the hunters take a step back. Ice began to form around their feet, slowly creeping upward.
"What the hell is this?" one of the hunters tried to move his frozen feet.
"An interesting martial soul," the scarred man observed the Ice Temple with a greedy look. "Maybe we'll take you too. The Spirit Hall would definitely be interested in—"
His words were cut off by a sudden wall of ice that appeared between them. The snow fox leapt in front of Jingyun, its eyes flashing dangerously. Ice began to form around its body, creating a cold aura that even surprised Jingyun.
"So it's true," murmured the scarred man. "A Frozen Fox at full power."
The hunters began to move. Two of them summoned their martial souls—a fire wolf and a lightning hawk. The air trembled with clashing energies: ice, fire, and lightning.
Jingyun moved swiftly. The Ice Temple pulsed strongly, releasing a wave of cold energy that froze the air around them. He didn't intend to kill, but he wouldn't allow anyone to harm his friend.
"Be careful," he whispered to the snow fox. "They're strong."
The fire wolf attacked first, its body cloaked in red flames that melted the ice around it. But before it could reach them, the snow fox summoned an ice wall so thick the fire couldn't penetrate it.
The lightning hawk swooped from above, lightning dancing around its wings. Jingyun raised his hand, and the Ice Temple responded by forming a protective dome. Lightning struck the dome, creating cracks—but the ice quickly mended itself.
"You think you can take on all five of us?" the scarred man laughed. His martial soul appeared—a massive iron bull with sharp, gleaming horns. "We all have soul rings. And you? Just a kid with an undeveloped martial soul."
Jingyun didn't reply. He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the voice he heard on the mountain peak.
Make nature yourself.
He could feel the ice around him—not just the ice he had created, but every crystal of ice in the air, the ground, even within the bodies of the hunters. All of it was connected. All of it, he could sense.
"Forgive me," he whispered, "but you leave us no choice."
With a single motion of his hand, the ice around them began to move. Not just freeze—but truly come alive.
Ice crept upward from the ground like crystalline tendrils, snaring the hunters' legs. The air around them grew so cold their breaths froze before hitting the ground.
"W-what is this?" one of the hunters stammered. His fire wolf martial soul began to lose its flames under the intense cold.
The snow fox added its own power, conjuring a miniature blizzard around them. Snow and ice whirled like a blinding white wall, preventing the hunters from seeing their targets clearly.
"Retreat," ordered Jingyun, his voice calm but threatening. "This is the final warning."