Douluo Continent: The Ruler of Time, Reigning Supreme

Chapter 106 Ice Prison Ape Crocodile
Zhang Lexuan nodded and readily withdrew her shield, maintaining only the most basic soul power to resist the severe cold.

Indeed, her purpose in this trip was not only to help Yin Chen hunt for a soul ring, but also to investigate the unusual activity in the far north and look for clues that might be related to the Nirvana Corpse. She would conserve her soul power as much as possible.

Since Yin Chen was capable of protecting himself, she said no more.

The two set off again, trekking across the boundless snowfield, their steps uneven.

The snow here has accumulated over countless years; the lower layer has long been compacted into solid ice, while the surface is covered with freshly fallen snow, requiring considerable effort to take each step.

Apart from the endless howling of the wind, all around was deathly silent, but beneath that silence lurked a chilling danger.

Sometimes, seemingly flat snow can suddenly collapse, revealing bottomless crevasses.

Sometimes, the fierce polar winds, sharp as knives, sweep across the ridge without warning, enough to cut through fine iron in an instant.

On several occasions, predators adapted to extreme environments would suddenly pounce from beneath the snow or in the shadows of ice cliffs—the snow-white, lightning-fast snow shadow weasel, or the cold-breath python that could spit frozen blood.

However, these soul beasts, which are at most a thousand years old, pose no threat whatsoever to Zhang Lexuan, the senior sister of the inner court.

Often, just as they begin to show hostility, a flash of cold moonlight stuns them, rendering them unable to hinder their journey.

The two continued northwards, where the environment became increasingly harsh.

The sky was no longer simply gray and white, but instead presented a strange, pale purple halo that seemed to be distorted by some kind of force. It was the aurora miasma unique to the far north, which not only interfered with the sense of direction, but its light itself also had the characteristic of disrupting the flow of soul power.

As they officially stepped into the central region of the far north and headed towards the edge of the more dangerous inner region, the aura of the surrounding spirit beasts became noticeably stronger.

Beings with ten thousand years of cultivation are not uncommon here.

Just as they rounded a towering ice peak that seemed to pierce the sky like a sword, Zhang Lexuan became alert to unusual fluctuations in soul power in a relatively open ice valley ahead.

She raised her hand to signal Yin Chen to stop, her sharp gaze fixed on the center of the icy valley.

There, a colossal creature lay prone.

It resembles a giant ape, standing over five meters tall. Its entire body appears to be formed from solidified, deep blue ice that has never melted. Its muscle lines are clearly visible beneath the ice crystals, exuding explosive power.

The most peculiar thing about it is its head. It is not an ape, but rather more like a crocodile. Its snout is long and narrow, covered with jagged, icy teeth. Its eyes are pure ice blue, devoid of any emotion, only endless coldness and ferocity.

It simply lay there asleep, and the extreme cold emanating from its body caused the air within a radius of hundreds of meters to condense into fine ice crystals and snowflakes, forming an absolute low-temperature zone.

"It is a ten-thousand-year-old ice prison ape-crocodile."

Zhang Lexuan lowered her voice, her tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

"This is an extremely rare top-tier ice-type soul beast, possessing strength, defense, and extremely strong control over ice. Judging from its size and aura, its cultivation level is at least 15,000 years. Its defense is extremely strong, its strength is terrifying, and it can also control a domain-type ability called 'Ice Prison,' making it extremely difficult to deal with."

She then looked at Yin Chen and said, "I don't know much about your martial soul. Do you have a specific goal? What's it like?"

Yin Chen stared at the ferocious beast that exuded a chilling aura, nodded and said, "That's it. Senior Sister, please cover for me."

The wind and snow howled, as if trying to completely erase all traces of life on this icy plain.

Zhang Lexuan's clear, cold voice, tinged with disbelief, pierced through the howling wind and reached Yin Chen's ears clearly:

"You want to hunt it yourself?"

She looked at Yin Chen with a scrutinizing gaze.

A ten-thousand-year-old soul beast is comparable to a human soul king, and the Ice Prison Ape Crocodile in front of us has a top-tier ice-type bloodline. Its ferocity is such that even ordinary soul emperors would have to be on high alert.

Yin Chen? He's just a quasi-Soul Master who has just broken through to level 40 and hasn't even acquired his fourth Soul Ring yet.

The gap between them was not something that could be bridged by mere courage. She feared that it was a fatal arrogance born from Yin Chen's past successes.

Yin Chen turned around and faced Zhang Lexuan's scrutinizing gaze.

The polar winds ruffled his white hair, but they couldn't dispel the confidence in his eyes.

He didn't rush to defend himself, but simply pointed to himself, a clean and clear smile appearing on his lips, as if it could dispel the chill that filled the sky.

"Sister."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange, reassuring power.

Do you think I'm the kind of person who would risk my life and not know my own limitations?

The sunshine and confidence in that smile were not the result of ignorance, but rather stemmed from an awareness of one's own abilities and a deep-seated inner strength.

Zhang Lexuan was slightly taken aback. In an instant, his mind flashed back to the rule-level soul skill that had amazed everyone during the freshman assessment, as well as his composure in manipulating the airflow just now.

This boy always seems to be able to break the shackles of conventional wisdom.

She gazed at him for a moment, the seriousness in her eyes slowly fading, replaced by anticipation.

She nodded slightly, her moon-white soul power flickering around her like an arrow on a bowstring.

"it is good."

A single word carries immense weight.

"Then be careful. Remember, if things go wrong, I will act immediately."

This is her bottom line, and also her way of protecting her junior.

"Then thank you very much, Senior Sister."

Yin Chen's smile remained unchanged as he readily accepted this weighty protection.

He turned again, facing the deep, icy valley.

His steps were steady and firm, without the slightest hesitation.

His figure appeared somewhat frail amidst the swirling snow, yet he resembled a sharp blade about to be drawn, facing alone the training ground guarded by ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts, filled with extreme cold... his own.

Zhang Lexuan stood still, her body radiating moonlight, her aura blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment. Only her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Yin Chen's back and the Ice Prison Crocodile that was about to awaken.

She wanted to see how this young man, with the body of a Soul Venerable, would shake this ten-thousand-year-old iceberg.

Yin Chen walked into the Ice Valley alone.

Footsteps landed on the solid ice that had remained frozen for millennia, producing a slight yet distinct "crunch."

The sound was amplified infinitely in the deathly silent icy valley, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattering a certain balance.

The scent of an unfamiliar life form, like the most pungent fishy smell, instantly assaulted the Ice Prison Ape-Crocodile's senses.

Those eyes, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened.

There were no pupils, only a pure, chillingly blue expanse, reflecting the tiny figure of Yin Chen, which was then filled with an extremely fierce killing intent.

(End of this chapter)