While Lin Yun was wreaking havoc in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Far North also welcomed an uninvited guest—one destined for disappointment.
No, wait. Two uninvited guests.
After days of arduous travel, Huo Yuhao had finally managed to reach this coldest region of the Douluo Continent.
Unlike Lin Yun—who not only had Fierce Beast-tier NPCs constantly refreshing around him but also possessed the flight-capable external soul bone, Golden Shadow Dragon Wings—Huo Yuhao had taken nearly a week to make the journey. If it had been Lin Yun traveling from Shrek Academy to the Far North, it wouldn't have taken half a day.
By the time Huo Yuhao arrived at the Icy Forest, a quarter of his vacation had already passed.
"Brother Tianmeng, we've reached the Far North! What do we do next?" Huo Yuhao exhaled a white breath, shivering violently.
Feeling the familiar chill, the Skydream Iceworm also awoke from its slumber. Through Huo Yuhao's eyes, it gazed nostalgically at this frozen wasteland.
Ever since it had woken up ten thousand years ago after devouring the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Essence, been hunted by the Ice Empress across the continent, fled overseas to the Star Dou Forest, and been treated as a living power bank—it hadn't returned to the Far North in millennia.
Compared to the Star Dou Forest, where it had endured ten thousand years of torment, it much preferred the Far North.
More importantly...
Heheh, Bing'er... we're finally about to meet again!
Suppressing its excitement, the Skydream Iceworm said, "Don't rush, Yuhao. This is just the outskirts of the Far North. Our target isn't here. You'll need to go deeper—until I tell you to stop."
"Oh, okay, Brother Tianmeng." Huo Yuhao nodded blankly before trudging further into the Far North.
Watching Huo Yuhao's progress, the Skydream Iceworm sighed deeply, its tiny eyes filled with hatred.
"It's a shame that when I fused with you, my last molt was stolen by Di Tian. Otherwise, with my molt, you could've strutted through the entire Far North without any soul beasts detecting your presence."
"Not only would it hide your aura, but it'd also protect you from the cold. Now? Useless! Damn it!"
Huo Yuhao's steps faltered slightly, but he said nothing.
Though he, too, regretted the loss, it wasn't something he could control. He'd passed out during the fusion—how would he know anything about molts?
Now, all he could do was endure the Far North's relentless cold.
As a soul master below Rank 20, it felt like the entire Far North was resisting him. Every step forward required every ounce of his strength.
Thankfully, Huo Yuhao's body housed the second martial soul bestowed by the Skydream Iceworm. Even though it hadn't awakened yet, this ice-attribute proto-martial soul granted him considerable cold resistance. Otherwise, he'd have long since run out of soul power and frozen into a popsicle.
When external conditions reached a certain extreme, willpower alone wasn't enough.
No matter how resilient Huo Yuhao's spirit or how firm his resolve to grow stronger, without the molt's protection, his body inevitably succumbed to the Far North's cold.
This level of cold wasn't something ordinary clothing could withstand. At the very least, he'd need fire-attribute heavenly treasures woven into fabric to resist it.
But alas—Huo Yuhao couldn't afford any of that.
"Yuhao, starting now, I'll unseal a portion of my origin energy to protect you. Besides shielding you from the cold, it'll forcibly boost your soul power. That's why I had you come to the Far North before reaching Rank 20."
Once Huo Yuhao reached his limit, the Skydream Iceworm acted.
In his spiritual sea, one of the ten seals binding the Skydream Iceworm's power cracked open. A brilliant golden liquid—its origin energy—oozed out, flooding Huo Yuhao's mind.
Instantly, Huo Yuhao's nerves—numbed by the cold—regained sensitivity. A refreshing coolness spread through his brain, while warmth surged through his limbs.
Frostbitten cells in his fingers and toes—irreparable by Earth's standards—revived under the Skydream Iceworm's origin energy.
Had its molt not been stolen, the Skydream Iceworm would've never squandered its origin energy on something as trivial as frostbite treatment. Its origin energy had far more valuable uses—this was wasteful.
"Alright, Yuhao—keep moving!" The Skydream Iceworm's voice was full of encouragement. "Push through this, and you'll become one of Douluo Continent's top genius soul masters!"
"I understand, Brother Tianmeng!"
Injected with this dose of motivation, Huo Yuhao—his strength restored—marched onward, step by step, toward the Far North's core.
Along the way, he gnawed on rock-hard rations when hungry and drank melted snow from his canteen when thirsty.
Two more days passed.
Exhausted, Huo Yuhao finally reached the Skydream Iceworm's designated location.
Perhaps due to the Ice Empress and Snow Empress leaving together—forcing the Titan Snow Demon King to guard the core—Huo Yuhao didn't encounter the Titan Snow Demon he was supposed to meet. Though he'd faced many soul beasts, the Skydream Iceworm's concealment had seen him through mostly unscathed.
"Stop here, Yuhao. I'll leave a portion of my origin energy to protect you—the rest, I'll withdraw. Success or failure hinges on this!"
The Skydream Iceworm's tone was grave.
Without its molt, its confidence in trapping the Ice Empress had plummeted. Add to that the fact that it had already used its ability to teleport Huo Yuhao away—if not for its lingering feelings for the Ice Empress, the cowardly Skydream Iceworm would've never taken this risk.
"I understand, Brother Tianmeng!"
Huo Yuhao nodded wearily before collapsing onto the ground.
With great effort, he dug a shallow cave into the Far North's permafrost—just big enough to fit his body—and crawled inside.
Seeing Huo Yuhao ready, the Skydream Iceworm acted.
Ten sun-like seals flew out from Huo Yuhao's forehead, converging midair before streaking away.
Hundreds of meters above, the ten seals merged into a glowing sphere, which then morphed into a golden human figure.
It bore Huo Yuhao's appearance—the Skydream Iceworm's humanoid form.
"Ice Empress! Your nemesis, Tianmeng, has returned! Dare you face me?!"
(End of Chapter)
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