Douluo: I become stronger when I take in disciples!

Chapter 250 He's so sweet

Feng Yang's gaze swept over Ren Yaoyao like a cold star, then he nodded slightly, his indifferent and aloof aura seemingly solidified.

That one glance sent a shiver down Ren Yaoyao's spine, making her truly feel the other person's coldness that kept her at arm's length. Without making a sound, she pulled Mo Lingyun aside and said in a low voice, "This person looks very arrogant; I'm afraid she won't be easy to deal with."

Mo Lingyun smiled faintly, her eyes crinkling: "Great people have always been aloof, which makes them seem unfathomable."

"Now that everything is ready, let's set off immediately." Feng Yang's voice was cold and devoid of any warmth.

"it is good!"

The words had barely left her lips when an invisible wave of energy exploded forth, instantly lifting the three of them straight into the sky. Ren Yaoyao stared wide-eyed in horror, feeling as if her blood had frozen—she had roamed the martial world for decades, yet she had never witnessed such an astonishing scene! No magical artifacts, no talismans, just the power of one's own to soar through the air—such skill was simply unheard of!

High in the sky, Feng Yang looked down at the sea of ​​clouds and suddenly asked, "Changbai Mountain's Cold Wind Ridge is in the north?"

"Exactly! How did you know?" Mo Lingyun's eyes were full of surprise.

Feng Yang said calmly, "The coldest places in the world are mostly in the north."

"Wow! Young Master is truly a genius!" Mo Lingyun made no attempt to hide the admiration in her eyes. Every move he made seemed incredibly elegant to her.

Meanwhile, within the inner chambers of the Divine Pavilion, the pinnacle of power on the continent, the atmosphere was as heavy as lead. This magnificent palace housed over a thousand elite Soul Masters; only those of exceptional talent were permitted to enter this sacred ground, a symbol of unparalleled glory.

Pavilion Master Xing Mian stood with his hands behind his back. Although he appeared to be middle-aged, he exuded a chilling aura. As a level 92 Title Douluo, his father was the head of the Elder Hall and a level 99 Limit Douluo, a pinnacle of the continent. At this moment, his gaze swept across the disciples below like lightning: "What is the current situation in the five regions of the Yu Ling Sect? How much longer can Mo Lingyun hold on?"

"Reporting to the Pavilion Master! A layer of dark blue restriction has appeared from nowhere, completely enveloping the five areas of the Spirit Control Sect. The strength of that restriction far surpasses our Spirit Control Pavilion's protective array!" The disciple looked terrified, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Absurd! This is absolutely impossible!" Xingmian's expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"The Third Elder has been sent to investigate, and news should arrive soon."

Before the words were finished, an aged figure burst in through the wind. The Third Elder's expression was solemn, and his voice was filled with undisguised shock: "Sect Master! It seems that the five regions of the Yuling Sect are protected by gods. Even with my full strength, I couldn't even budge the slightest bit of the restriction!"

"What?!" Xingmian jumped up in shock, making the tea set on the table clatter. The Third Elder, a level 95 Super Douluo, was a renowned figure on the continent, yet he had returned defeated. How could this not be shocking!
Xingmian's face was ashen, and he muttered to himself, "No wonder Mo Lingyun hasn't made a move yet. Normally, she should have given up long ago. Just who is this powerful figure helping her from behind?"

Changbai Mountain resembles shattered ice scattered across the Milky Way by the gods. Its pristine white snow surges like waves, enveloping the towering peaks, ancient forests, and all living things in the world in a silvery shroud. A fierce wind sweeps across the icy plain, whipping up thousands of snow waves. Fine ice crystals, carrying milky white mist, rise and swirl, sometimes coalescing into raging snow tides, sometimes dispersing into ethereal veils, blurring the landscape into a hazy and eerie scene.

The blizzard swept in like a thousand horses galloping, its sharp snowflakes carrying a biting chill, yet strangely, upon touching Feng Yang, Mo Lingyun, and Ren Yaoyao, it transformed into soft whispers. Mo Lingyun and Ren Yaoyao's moon-white robes were already covered in glistening frost, and the ice crystals in their hair trembled with each step, further accentuating their exquisite features, making them appear like goddesses sculpted from ice and snow. Feng Yang, on the other hand, wore a black robe that fluttered without wind, surrounded by a faint golden aura. His cold and aloof face resembled ancient ice, yet the warmth emanating from him kept the raging blizzard at bay, forming an invisible protective barrier.

“How strange…” Ren Yaoyao stomped her numb feet, and ice crystals fell from her eyelashes. Her eyes were full of confusion. “With such a heavy snowstorm, why am I not cold at all? Instead, I feel warm all over.” She tilted her head to look at Mo Lingyun, her eyes full of inquiry.

Mo Lingyun's lips curled into a meaningful smile, her gaze glancing at Feng Yang almost imperceptibly: "We've been together day and night, and you still haven't noticed?"

Ren Yaoyao's eyes suddenly lit up, and she rushed to Feng Yang like a happy little deer: "Could it be because of the Great God of Coldness?!" She jumped around Feng Yang, the bells in her hair jingling. "No wonder! We're dressed so thinly, even with soul power protecting us, we should be shivering from the cold. It turns out it's the aura of the Great God protecting us!" Under the girl's amazed gaze, Feng Yang's ears turned slightly red, but he still maintained his usual indifference, only giving a soft "hmm".

"Feng Yang, look!" Ren Yaoyao suddenly pointed to the distance, where two red lanterns swayed in the wind and snow, appearing and disappearing like two red hearts beating in the cold night. "The lights at the Mountain Pass Inn are still on! Let's go warm up first, and ask around for directions to Cold Wind Ridge, shall we?"

Feng Yang followed her fingertip and looked up, his cold gaze softening for once: "Okay." With that, he naturally took off his cloak and wrapped it around Ren Yaoyao, shielding her from the oncoming wind and snow, his movements full of silent tenderness.

The moment I stepped into the inn, a wave of heat, a mixture of strong smells of alcohol, the aroma of burning charcoal, and the rough voices of men, swept over me. The old beams and pillars groaned under the weight of the wind, and the mottled wooden floors, stained with years of grease and polished to a shine by countless boots, were covered in dirt. Five or six wooden tables were occupied by weathered men, some laughing drunkenly while slapping the tables, others shouting drinking games, the clatter of clinking bowls and their boisterous laughter exploding in the small space.

Mo Lingyun took off her hood, which was covered with ice shards, and the silver bell on her wrist jingled softly. She walked slowly to the counter and said, "Shopkeeper, we are new to this place and would like to go to Cold Wind Ridge. We hope you can give us some directions."

The shopkeeper abruptly stopped wiping the wine jars, his cloudy eyes scanning the three people up and down, his wrinkled face filled with wariness: "Youngsters, don't gamble with your lives! Cold Wind Ridge is frozen year-round; nine out of ten people who go in end up as food for soul beasts. Why go and die?"

"We have important business to attend to, so please do not hesitate to offer your guidance." Mo Lingyun said sincerely, gently pushing a silver ingot onto the counter.

The shopkeeper stared at the silver, licked his chapped lips, and lowered his voice, saying, "Wait for the snow to subside, then head up the mountain from the inn. The roars of beasts along the way will be your landmarks; the more piercing the roar, the more you should avoid them. After walking about a hundred kilometers, you'll see a crystal cave that's completely translucent..." He suddenly leaned closer, his withered fingers gesturing claws in the air, his expression ferocious, "A hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast sleeps in the cave; you must not disturb it."

"Shopkeeper, what's the deal with this 100,000-year-old soul beast?" Mo Lingyun asked anxiously, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, as if the answer held the treasure she had been searching for.

An overwhelming surge of emotion welled up within her, as if she had stumbled upon the traces of a long-lost ancestral spirit beast, a feeling that made her breath quicken.

"That's the guardian deity of our Changbai Mountain! As you know, Changbai Mountain is located in a remote area, and there are no powerful soul master sects guarding it. Nowadays, soul beasts are causing great disturbances in various places, but the area below the mountain has never been disturbed, all thanks to its suppression." The shopkeeper wiped the rough pottery bowl in his hand while vividly recounting the story, his words full of awe.

Upon hearing this, Mo Lingyun's heart grew even more excited, and a burning flame ignited in her eyes. An ordinary 100,000-year-old soul beast would never have acted this way. To be able to protect humans, it must be a spirit beast tamed by their ancestors, which made her feel as if she were seeing the dawn of the unraveling of the mystery of her family's heritage.

"What does this 100,000-year-old soul beast look like?" Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, and she leaned forward unconsciously, afraid of missing any detail. "Uh... a hundred years ago, a titled Douluo who was fortunate enough to encounter the Mountain God described its appearance. The local people commissioned an artist to paint a portrait of the Mountain God, which is posted on the wall of this shop!" The shopkeeper said, pointing to the wooden wall beside him.

Mo Lingyun, Feng Yang, and Ren Yaoyao immediately looked in the direction the shopkeeper pointed. On a slightly old wooden wall, there was a portrait of a four-legged soul beast that resembled a white tiger but had a unique temperament, as if surrounded by a mysterious and powerful aura.

"Is it this?" Feng Yang asked first, his eyes fixed on the portrait.

Mo Lingyun frowned, examined the object carefully for a long time, and then slowly said, "I'm not sure..." Her voice carried a hint of disappointment, but also contained a firm determination to continue exploring.

Ren Yaoyao glanced at the still raging snow outside the window and said, "We don't know when the snow will stop. Let's go find the innkeeper and ask for a room to rest."

Mo Lingyun nodded gently, temporarily setting aside her doubts about the soul beast.

Mo Lingyun walked to the counter again and said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, please open two rooms."

"I'm so sorry! In this snowy weather, everyone who was supposed to go up the mountain couldn't leave and stayed overnight. In addition, there was a group of distinguished guests who had already booked all the remaining rooms. Why don't the three of you find a place to rest for a while? You've come all this way, and it must have been hard for you to travel." The innkeeper's face was full of apology, and his tone was full of helplessness.

"Then let's find a quiet place," Mo Lingyun said after a moment's thought.

"Alright! There are private rooms upstairs, please! It's freezing cold outside, would you like something hot to warm you up?" The shopkeeper greeted them warmly, his smile returning to his face.

"I want dumpling soup," Ren Yaoyao said without hesitation, as if she could already feel the warmth just thinking about the steaming hot dumpling soup.

Mo Lingyun turned to Feng Yang and asked, "Feng Yang, what do you want?"

"Either is fine." Feng Yang's tone was calm, but the two simple words conveyed composure.

"Then give us three bowls of dumpling soup," Mo Lingyun said to the shopkeeper.

"Okay!" the shopkeeper replied, immediately shouting loudly towards the kitchen, his voice echoing throughout the small shop.

The three of them headed up to the second floor. The stairs creaked under their feet, as if telling the story of the passage of time.

"I didn't expect there to be so many guests here," Mo Lingyun sighed softly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd of people chatting or resting in the lobby on the first floor.

“Merchants and Soul Masters hunting for Soul Rings should all stop here for a rest. It’s also very convenient to gather information here,” Ren Yaoyao analyzed, her eyes revealing intelligence and shrewdness.

As dusk deepened, the oil lamp flickered in the cold wind. The three sat around a corner of the inn, continuing to delve deeper into the secrets of the mysterious soul beast. The tea freshly poured by the waiter steamed, its wisps of white vapor reflecting the burning anticipation in Mo Lingyun's eyes.

"I've heard from the older generation that the 'mountain god' guarding Changbai Mountain is called the Ice Immortal Tiger. It looks like it has 100,000 years of cultivation, but it's actually at least 110,000 years old!" The shopkeeper, speaking in a low voice like a storyteller, vigorously wiped the neighboring table with a rag, making the cups and saucers clink. "When it appears, all the ice and snow on the mountain have to obey its commands. It's incredibly powerful!"

Ren Yaoyao rested her chin on her hand, the silver bells in her hair swaying gently with her movements: "Sister Mo, what exactly did the ice-type spirit beast of the Yuling Sect look like back then?" She blinked her almond-shaped eyes, her curiosity like the morning light breaking through the mist.

Mo Lingyun traced the patterns on the teacup with her fingertips, her thoughts drifting back a hundred years: "Our ancestor spent a hundred years cultivating with an ice-type spirit beast, becoming the person in the Yu Ling Sect who had come closest to the path of immortality in a thousand years. But who knew..." Her voice suddenly choked, "After he passed away, the sect records said that the ice-type spirit beast was heartbroken and unwilling to stay in the Yu Ling Sect any longer. It took the fire-type spirit beast and fled into Mount Huang, and has been missing ever since."

"If this Ice Immortal Tiger is your ancestor's spirit beast," Ren Yaoyao suddenly clapped her hands, the snowflakes from her hair falling in a flurry, "then wouldn't that be the perfect fulfillment of fate?"

“If it really is it…” Mo Lingyun’s eyelashes trembled, and her face reflected in the tea rippled, “Perhaps it can unlock the sect’s lost cultivation secrets, or even…” The second half of her sentence remained unspoken, turning into a burning expectation in her throat.

"The snowstorm has stopped!" Cheers suddenly erupted from downstairs.

Mo Lingyun also stood up, looking somewhat impatient.

"Then let's go."

The north wind, carrying icy shards that cut like knives, swept against the wind as the three of them made their way deeper into Cold Wind Ridge along the rugged, snow-covered mountain path. Icicles hung from the gnarled branches of ancient trees all around, gleaming eerily in the twilight. Every now and then, broken branches were swept away by the gale, crashing to the ground with a crisp sound.

This mountain range seemed shrouded in a violent aura. The roars of spirit beasts echoed through the forest from time to time, their sharp and mournful cries startling flocks of crows. Looking around, countless eerie green beast eyes gleamed in the dense forest, their numbers far exceeding ordinary perception. This was completely different from the distribution of spirit beasts on the Douluo Continent, sending chills down one's spine.

As the three cautiously moved forward, a faint rustling sound came from the bushes on their right.

Feng Yang abruptly stopped, and blue flames instantly rose in his palm, transforming into a longsword gleaming with a cold light. A monkey-like soul beast covered in dark golden fur was crouching low, approaching stealthily with extremely light steps, its scarlet eyes flashing with cunning killing intent.

(End of this chapter)