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The cold wind still howled, and endless snowflakes covered this boundless ice plain.
Amidst the accumulated snow, Yuwen Tuo, clad in a long red robe, sat cross-legged on the ground, his pupils displaying a brownish-blue color.
This time, it wasn't a fleeting flash like before; he was truly maintaining this state.
Having absorbed the Ice Emperor's Soul Ring and Soul Bone, his spiritual power had greatly increased. The first realm of the Yin-Yang Demon Eyes, the Eye of Heaven, he had finally successfully entered. Now, his eyes could, much like Huo Yuhao's first Soul Skill, use spiritual power to form a God's-eye view, observing his surroundings, though he couldn't transmit it to others.
He could also immunize himself against illusions and increase the power of all his spiritual-type attacks. Coincidentally, all attacks from the Xuanyuan Sword Soul carried a dual physical and spiritual impact.
"Phew, truly invigorating." Yuwen Tuo felt his soul power; it was around rank 38.
Going out for a trip, he had advanced eight ranks in a month. Explaining this later would probably be troublesome, but he couldn't be bothered to explain anything to the people from Shrek. They could think whatever they wanted. Anyway, he still had value to them, so they wouldn't make a move on him.
Moreover, after returning this time, he would participate in the next Soul Master Tournament.
There, he would be able to meet the person he wanted to see.
His target was the Body Sect.
Among the current four great empires of the Douluo Continent, aside from the reclusive Clear Sky Clan and the hidden Holy Spirit Cult, the three strongest factions on the surface were the Sun Moon Empire's Illustrious Virtue Hall, the continent's number one academy Shrek, and the Heavenly Soul Empire's guardian sect, the Body Sect.
Only this faction could openly take him away from Shrek. Possessing a Body Martial Soul, he imagined that old fellow Du Busi would be very willing.
Furthermore, Yuwen Tuo also needed the Body Sect's secret technique for the Secondary Awakening of his Body Martial Soul.
If Yan Shaozhe hadn't placed a hidden force near Yuwen Tuo's heart, he would even want to go find the Body Sect now. With Du Busi's understanding of the body, perhaps he could remove the hidden force on Yuwen Tuo. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time now. It would take a considerable amount of time to return to Shrek from here, and the Body Sect's location was rather secluded; he didn't know where it was and feared he wouldn't make it. For now, self-preservation was the priority.
Actually, the Ice Emperor had also discovered it just now and wanted to try to help remove it. However, this hidden force was near Yuwen Tuo's heart, and her soul power was too offensive; she didn't dare probe rashly. Failure would be one thing, but if she accidentally stimulated this hidden force, causing it to erupt prematurely, then it would be disastrous.
The Ice Emperor also cherished her life dearly. Having just sacrificed herself to Yuwen Tuo, she didn't want to die so tragically.
Besides, Xiao Xiao and Ling Luochen⁹ were still at the academy. If he were to leave, he would at least have to take Xiao Xiao with him, and he couldn't implicate Ling Luochen because of this. She was the one who let him go; even if Yan Shaozhe didn't kill her, he wouldn't let the matter pass easily.
"There's no rush for a moment. Anyway, it's not long before the tournament. I'll meet the people from the Body Sect there," Yuwen Tuo said.
Just then, a female voice sounded in his Sea of Consciousness, "Little Tuo, don't forget to pick up my body."
"Rest assured, Ice Emperor, I won't forget." At Yuwen Tuo's feet, there was currently a tiny, emerald-green scorpion, identical in appearance to the Ice Emperor, just a miniaturized version, about the size of a figurine. Yuwen Tuo could hold it in one palm.
This was the wondrous use of the Technique of Assimilation.
When the Technique of Assimilation assimilates a beast, it transforms the beast's body into particles and integrates them into one's own body. However, not all particles are integrated; a very small portion remains, re-condensing into a small body, just like the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion figurine before him.
During battle, the successfully assimilated beast soul could be released and merged into this figurine, thereby reproducing the beast's power and allowing it to assist in combat.
However, the current Yuwen Tuo was still very weak and couldn't control the complete Ice Emperor. This figurine was still just a figurine.
Of course, it wasn't impossible to forcefully summon her, but Yuwen Tuo would inevitably pay a huge price afterward—his Sea of Consciousness might shrink, his meridians might be damaged, and so on.
Therefore, unless it was a life-or-death crisis, Yuwen Tuo wouldn't summon the Ice Emperor.
Fortunately, he finally had some backing now. It was just that he couldn't summon her casually, not that he couldn't summon her at all. Even if his Sea of Consciousness shrank and his meridians were damaged, it was still better than being dead. As long as he was alive, there would always be heavenly treasures that could restore him.
Actually, there was one more thing. If Yuwen Tuo obtained it, while not allowing unlimited summoning of the Ice Emperor, summoning her once every so often without cost should be no problem. Yuwen Tuo knew where that thing was and was just waiting to acquire it.
Now, in Shrek Academy, apart from Mu En and Xuan Zi, the threat others posed to him had greatly diminished. In a one-on-one situation, if anyone wanted to kill him, he would risk his life to summon the Ice Emperor and let them taste the might of a complete form of one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North.
Yuwen Tuo playfully teased the scorpion's pincers and tail with his hand, "Haha, I didn't expect the majestic Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion to be so cute when shrunk down."
Seeing this bastard Yuwen Tuo wantonly playing with her body, the Ice Emperor's face flushed red with anger.
"Bastard brat! Put my body away properly! If you dare to play around with it again, I, the Empress, will definitely fight you to the death!!!"
"Ice Emperor, don't be angry, I won't play with it anymore." Yuwen Tuo put the figurine into his pocket, no longer teasing the large scorpion.
"Take good care of my body, don't damage it. I need to sleep for a while now, but it won't be a deep sleep. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, remember to wake me immediately. You are now my person; I, the Empress, will not let anyone bully you," the Ice Emperor admonished.
"Understood, thank you, Ice Emperor. Rest assured and sleep," Yuwen Tuo also knew that the Ice Emperor's soul must be extremely weary right now.
After all, when she sacrificed herself to Huo Yuhao in the original story, there was still the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual power protecting Huo Yuhao. But this time, it was only her. She had to both protect Yuwen Tuo and compress her own power as much as possible. The mental consumption was indeed too great for a time.
Now that only her soul remained, she couldn't recover through cultivation, so sleeping was the only option.
It would probably be a few months at the shortest, or a year at the longest. Yuwen Tuo just considered her to be hibernating.
"No rush, I have one more thing to tell you. For the next few years, try to focus mainly on cultivating your soul power. Make good use of your innate rank 20 talent. Once you reach Soul Emperor, or to be safe, preferably Soul Sage, I, the Empress, will take you to a place," the Ice Emperor specifically reminded.
Yuwen Tuo asked doubtfully, "What place?"
In the original story, the Ice Emperor didn't seem to have made such a request to Huo Yuhao. What was the reason? Could it be that the place was not compatible with Huo Yuhao's Martial Soul?
"That is a mysterious land. I once fought with a fellow who came from there. With the environmental advantage the Extreme North provided me, I won the battle. But I feel that the fellow who came out at that time was just the tip of the iceberg of that place's power. I don't know much more about it now. Alright, Little Tuo, the specifics, when your cultivation is sufficient, I will naturally take you to investigate personally. You don't need to worry about it so much now; just focus on cultivating your soul power well."
After speaking, the Ice Emperor lay down beneath the Xuanyuan Sword in Yuwen Tuo's Sea of Consciousness, transformed into a Q-version small scorpion, curled up into a ball, and fell into a deep sleep.
The power of the Xuanyuan Sword seemed to help her recover.
Seeing this, Yuwen Tuo didn't disturb her either. Although he was very curious about the place she mentioned, it was clear that it was a place he wasn't yet qualified to access.
Yuwen Tuo carefully felt his new power.
Although the Xuanyuan Sword's first Soul Ring was only at the ten-thousand-year level, it still had two Soul Skills: the previously displayed Sword Intent and Sword Domain.
And the second Soul Ring, that was a solid 400,000-year Soul Ring, with two Soul Skills: Array Breaker and Demon Breaker.
Array Breaker: Innumerable sword qi are instantly released, breaking all array-type skills. The sword qi transforms into sharp aura and disperses in all directions.
Demon Breaker: Pure golden sword qi can annihilate all evil qi and can also break domain-skill effects. The Soul Skill's effect enhances with the improvement of one's realm.
The Xuanyuan Sword indeed only inherited the sharpness of Extreme Ice, but not its characteristic coldness.
But this was enough. For a Sword Soul, sharpness was stronger than anything else.
As for that Soul Bone, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion's 400,000-year Skull Bone.
It also had two Soul Skills. The first was named Extreme Cold Blazing Flame, a powerful offensive Soul Skill possessing both physical and soul attacks. The second was a status skill named: Raging Flames Incinerate Body, Divine Ice Condenses Soul.
Actually, these were two states. Raging Flames Incinerate Body referred to burning one's qi and blood to enhance power, similar to the Clear Sky Clan's Ring Detonation.
It increased all attributes by two hundred percent at once, and required no soul power consumption. The drawback was losing rationality and being unable to distinguish friend from foe in a fight.
And Divine Ice Condenses Soul was to resolve this state: forcibly maintaining the calmest state for ten minutes, usable twice a day.
In other words, this Soul Skill allowed Yuwen Tuo to triple his overall strength for twenty minutes.
Both skills were dual ice-fire attributes. This was all thanks to Yuwen Tuo's pure fire, which was all-encompassing. Otherwise, for someone without the ability of ice-fire homology, the two opposing attributes would definitely cause rejection.
These two skills also satisfied Yuwen Tuo. He tidied up a bit and quickly left the Land of the Extreme North.
This place was still very dangerous. He had gained a lot this time; there was no need to linger for now.