Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

As Bai Xiuxiu opened her eyes, the blue light grew stronger and stronger. The Heart of the Sea God floated in front of Bai Xiuxiu, and with a flash of blue light, the pendant was already hanging around her neck.

"What's wrong, Xiuxiu?"

Seeing that Bai Xiuxiu was still in a daze after waking up, Yan was worried that something might have happened to her, so he waved his hand in front of her, and the latter finally reacted.

"Yan, Brother Yan."

Bai Xiuxiu came to her senses and looked at Yan in front of her with a complicated expression in her eyes. "You gave me the Heart of the Sea God, but what about yourself?"

Yan reached out and gently pinched Bai Xiuxiu's delicate nose, then said with a smile, "What are you thinking? If I want to inherit the divine position, it's not as difficult as you think. It's just that I want to take a different path, so don't overthink it. Be a good girl and listen to me."

"Oh."

Bai Xiuxiu nodded obediently, lowered her head slightly to rest on Yan's chest, closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually calmed down.

"Don't worry, I'll help you."

Yan gently stroked Bai Xiuxiu's pink back with one hand, his gaze fixed on the distant north, as if he were pondering something. It was only after a long time that he carried Bai Xiuxiu to bed, and the two of them slept with their arms intertwined that night.

Chapter 353 The Far North Ice Plain

The Heavenly Dou Empire continued northward, into a vast, boundless, snow-white world. Cold was the dominant theme here. As the northernmost region of the entire planet, it had another name: the Far North.

The cold wind howled, and all that could be seen was a vast expanse of white snow. This was a forbidden zone for humans, the boundless snowfield located in the far north of the Douluo Continent.

The temperature in the far north is extremely low, often below zero degrees Celsius, so one would expect no trace of human activity in such a place.

However, amidst the vast expanse of white snow, several unusual figures appeared. A large, golden cat walked with elegant steps, followed by a man and a woman—Yan, Bai Xiuxiu, and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion King Qiu'er, who had left Dragon City.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion walked at the front. Even with her extreme light and fire attributes, the low temperature made her uncomfortable. She couldn't help but turn back and ask, "We're already quite deep into the snowfield. The temperature here is too low. What are you looking for here?" Yan Yao gazed at the boundless snowfield in the distance, her voice somewhat ethereal.

"What I'm looking for is the strongest soul beast in the far north, or more precisely, a ferocious beast."

"You're looking for a ferocious beast?" The three-eyed golden lion paused, turning to stare at Yan.

"What is it for? With your current strength, you can deal with ordinary 100,000-year-old soul beasts, but to deal with ferocious beasts is just too much of a gamble."

"I didn't say I wanted to hunt ferocious beasts, I just wanted to have a chat with them." Yan smiled and shook his head. Seeing that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was still somewhat puzzled, he explained, "You've seen Jiao Jiao's situation. This should be a completely new future for Soul Masters and Soul Beasts, enough to influence and change the entire Douluo Continent. If we want to push this change forward, the opinions of both the human world and the Soul Beast world must be unified. In the human world, I have the support of the Spirit Hall, so reaching a consensus is only a matter of time. But the problems in the Soul Beast world are not so easy to solve. There are many powerful Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent, including many 100,000-year-old Soul Beasts or even stronger beings. And among these, those on land are roughly..." In all three gathering places of soul beasts, there exist ferocious beasts capable of instigating beast tides. There's the Evil Emperor in the Demon Forest of the New Continent, and those beings still slumbering deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. And then there's the Far North. The situation on the New Continent is complex; the Evil Eye Tyrant Ruler is unlikely to cooperate, even if I don't kill his son. Their hunting methods dictate that they won't engage in proper negotiations. The Far North also has such powerful beings, but the density of soul beasts there isn't too high, and the areas bordering humans are mostly sparsely populated, with fewer conflicts with humans, so it's worth trying to win them over. As for the Star Dou Great Forest, we'll have to rely on you then.”

"Rely on me? I don't have any connections with them." The Three-Eyed Golden Lion replied somewhat strangely, not feeling that it would have any influence in the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest. After all, soul beasts are judged by their strength, and it had barely reached the level of a ten-thousand-year soul beast, with only the title of Emperor Auspicious Beast being somewhat prestigious.

Yan smiled and shook his head.

"You underestimate the reputation of the Imperial Beast. Believe me, once you come into contact with the true powerhouses in the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest, they will most likely consider your opinion." The Three-Eyed Golden Lion didn't dwell on the previous question. After a moment of silence, it spoke again: "So, we've come here to negotiate with the ferocious beasts of the far north?" Yan looked at Bai Xiuxiu, who was clinging to his arm, and smiled, "Not only that, I also want to try to find two alternative soul spirits for Xiuxiu. After all, she is now the successor of the Sea God."

"What do you mean?" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was puzzled by Yan's words. She knew that Yan had very high standards. The soul spirit he would personally seek out would definitely not be an ordinary soul beast. It was very likely to be a 100,000-year-old soul beast. And a 100,000-year-old soul beast would take the initiative to become someone else's soul... soul spirit.

"The two here have extremely high cultivation levels among ferocious beasts, but this has caused some mishaps. The God Realm doesn't want too many powerful soul beast experts to appear. At most, they will encounter a calamity in ten thousand years. I'm just trying to help them in advance." Yan Yao said, gazing into the depths of the snowfield. Bai Xiuxiu and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion Qiu'er both expressed their doubts, but he didn't intend to explain further.

The three of them continued their journey through the vast white world, braving the wind and snow. The biting cold wind posed no threat, but the snowstorm was quite troublesome. Moreover, because this snowfield was sparsely populated, it was inhabited by many spirit beasts, who would occasionally come out to cause trouble.

However, Yan's strength is now vastly different from before, and a few soul beasts pose no threat at all. After traveling for another two days, they have completely penetrated into the desolate far north.

Along the way, they encountered some spirit beasts, but never once did they face any threat to them.

The deeper they went into the wilderness, the thicker the snow became. Yan and his two pets didn't just keep walking; instead, they found soul beasts to pull their homemade sleds.

He lived a carefree and blissful life in the wooden cabin with the sled below. Inside the cabin, Yan had the warm, soft belly of the big golden cat beside him, which could be used as a sofa or a backrest, while in his arms was a cool little beauty, enjoying the pleasure of playing with her legs for a long time. The contrast of hot and cold was simply too comfortable.

"Huh! It seems we've encountered something extraordinary. Is it a very powerful soul beast?" Inside the wooden house, Yan was drinking and making merry when suddenly the snow deer pulling the house forward outside let out terrified cries, and he also sensed an incredibly terrifying aura.

Yan looked out the window at the wooden house and saw a colossal beast, or more accurately, a giant.

This giant is about eighty meters tall, and its shape is very similar to that of a human. It has long arms, long snow-white hair all over its body, and even its face is very similar to that of a human.

However, the many wrinkles on his forehead, his bluish-gray skin, and his two huge fangs reveal his true nature as a soul beast.

Yan watched the enormous figure approaching, his expression remaining calm; he even began recording data.

"Titan Snow Demon, huh? It really is an ancient soul beast with a powerful bloodline, a descendant of Titan and the Ice God." If his guess was correct, the soul beast before him should be the Titan Snow Demon Beast, a relative of the legendary Titan Snow Demon King, one of the three great kings of the far north.

The three great kings of the far north—the Ice Snow Maiden, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, and the Titan Snow Demon—all have noble origins and the blood of the Ice God flows in their veins.

And their respective races are among the most powerful beings in this frigid land. The Titan Snow Demons are said to be descendants of the ancient Ice God's encounter with the Titan giants.

In terms of race alone, they are undoubtedly the most powerful race in the extreme cold, numbering in the hundreds, making them an absolute powerhouse in this far north.

The Titan Snow Demons and the Titan Giant Apes of the Star Dou Great Forest are different; they inherited the bloodline of the ancient Titan giants, making them incredibly tall and powerful.

Titan Snow Demons are born over ten meters tall, and adult Titan Snow Demons can exceed fifty meters in height.

The clan leader, Titan Snow Demon King, is one of the three great kings of the far north. His body is over a hundred meters long, making him one of the largest soul beasts in the world.

In any case, among the soul beasts he had encountered, apart from the Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord with a diameter of several hundred meters, the Titan Snow Demon in front of him was the largest.

"Is he coming for us? Strange?" Yan noticed that the Titan Snow Demon's nose twitched slightly, and then it let out a furious roar from afar before quickly striding towards the cabin.

This colossal creature moved at a considerable speed, and what was even more terrifying was its astonishing weight. With each step, its footprint was much larger than Yan himself, causing the entire snowfield to tremble.

The voice of the three-eyed golden lion rang in Yan's ears.

"He seems to have caught the scent of humans and wants to drive us away or even kill us. It seems that even in this far north, humans don't have a good reputation. Let me step in and explain. I'm also a soul beast, and as you said, I'm an imperial auspicious beast, so it should be of some use." Yan shook his head at this moment.

“You’re not from the far north, so this soul beast might not listen to your explanation, and it wouldn’t be good if it got hurt. Besides, we need a guide. Since he’s causing trouble, we can just tie him up and have him lead the way.” After saying that, Yan disappeared from the wooden house. Bai Xiuxiu and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion peeked out the window, watching Yan gradually approach the Titan Snow Demon. The big golden cat muttered softly, “Who does he think he is! Once I break through to ten thousand years of cultivation, even a hundred-thousand-year soul beast won’t be a match for me.”

"Roar~~~" Just as Yan rushed out of the wooden house, the Titan Snow Demon, which was rushing towards him, let out a roar. The powerful air wave rushed directly towards Yan, but the latter's figure was not affected much.

"Hey big guy, I came to the far north with no ill intentions, so why are you looking for trouble?" Yan's figure drew an arc in the sky and stopped in front of the rapidly moving Titan Snow Demon. The behemoth immediately braked and prepared to deal with it on the spot, while Yan tried to communicate with it.

The only response to Yan was the furious roar of the Titan Snow Demon, who seemed to have a deep-seated prejudice against humans. Upon seeing Yan, this wild human, it launched an attack, its massive hand slapping down like a fly, intending to crush Yan to death.

"Sigh! Why can't we just talk properly?" Yan spread his hands helplessly. A dazzling pillar of fire suddenly erupted in the sky, and endless sunlight was quickly gathered. The violent explosion directly sent the massive body of the Titan Snow Demon flying.

"Boom!!!" A colossal creature nearly a hundred meters tall crashed to the ground, shaking the entire snowfield and sending countless snowflakes flying. The Titan Snow Demon was completely stunned.

Chapter 354 The King in the Depths of the Far North

"Behave yourself." In the far north snowfield, the enormous Titan Snow Beast was knocked down by Yan's attack. This huge soul beast seemed unconvinced and was preparing to struggle to get up and attack Yan again. How could Yan tolerate such behavior? He quickly landed and struck again, finally making the soul beast realize the reality.

"Why did you attack me?" Yan stepped on the Titan Snow Beast, which calmed the struggling soul beast down considerably. However, in response to his question, the soul beast still roared hostilely, showing no intention of communicating normally.

"Let me give it a try." At this moment, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and Bai Xiuxiu also arrived. The golden cat changed its form as it spoke, and a wisp of golden light appeared. As an imperial auspicious beast, it naturally had an extraordinary aura.

After a brief exchange between the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and the Titan Snow Beast, the colossal creature finally spoke again, this time in a truly human voice.

"Human, you have invaded the far north and captured soul beasts. The king will not let you get away with this."

"I invaded the far north? What's going on? Since when did the far north stop allowing humans to enter?" Yan felt a little confused and frowned slightly. He didn't expect that the ruler of the far north had issued a ban on humans.

They didn't try to hide their tracks along the way. Even if they solved the problem of the Titan Snow Beast, there would still be more powerful soul beasts coming to cause trouble.

The voice of the Titan Snow Beast rang out again.

"You humans wantonly slaughter all kinds of soul beasts for cultivation. The far north does not welcome you. The king has already issued a decree that if any humans appear, you must be..."

"Forget it, let's not dwell on it. Anyway, it's not a big deal if someone tries to cause trouble." After thinking for a moment, Yan stopped worrying about it. In any case, the hostility from the soul beasts of the far north was not a big deal to him.

This hostility stems from the broader antagonistic relationship between spirit beasts and humans, and it doesn't significantly affect his negotiations with the higher-ups of the spirit beasts. As long as he meets with the higher-ups of the far-northern spirit beasts, there are still some things that can be discussed.

Yan continued speaking, not asking himself, but instead having the Three-Eyed Golden Lion speak on his behalf.

"Qiu'er, ask this guy if he knows where the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion gathers. If he doesn't show any value, I don't mind trying to get a Soul Bone." The Titan Snow Beast was somewhat angry after understanding Yan's request, but he didn't know how the Three-Eyed Golden Lion communicated with him. He finally spoke again: "Human, you dare to go to the Ice Emperor's territory? Since you're going to your death..."

"Hehe..." Yan didn't say much to the somewhat talkative Titan Snow Beast. After clearly pointing out the way, he slapped the Titan Snow Beast. The Titan Snow Beast immediately felt its head buzzing and its whole body felt terrible. Its head trembled on the snow and it fainted.

"This guy's strength is not bad, very close to the level of a 100,000-year-old soul beast." Yan immediately arranged a comprehensive physical examination for the unconscious Titan Snow Beast, including drawing blood and collecting samples. He was now very proficient in this kind of work.

After finishing his work, Yan glanced at Bai Xiuxiu, who had arrived earlier but remained standing to the side.

"Have the snow deer been calmed down?"

"Well, they're mostly fine now, just a little frightened. We can continue on our way now." Bai Xiuxiu nodded. The group of snow deer that they found to pull the wooden house weren't powerful soul beasts, but rather low-level soul beasts like the Netherworld Wolves. They mostly acted on instinct, which is why Yan could easily tame them temporarily and use them as pack animals.

Yan didn't say much after hearing this. He leaped to Bai Xiuxiu's side, took her arm around her slender waist, and the two of them quickly headed towards the wooden house.

After this minor incident, the cabin, pulled by a herd of Arctic deer, continued its journey deeper into the far north. Their trip was destined to bring about a different kind of change to this desolate land.

Deep in the far north, the alternation of day and night is extremely slow, and the snow on the ground is more than half a meter thick. Traveling in such a place, every step may encounter unknown dangers.

The temperature here is extremely low, even the snowflakes are hard. The biting wind blows the snowflakes on the ground, and the layers of ice powder are comparable to an all-around soul skill attack.

Even Yan couldn't stand this kind of windy and snowy weather. He wasn't afraid of the wind or snow, but he didn't like being blown around like this, so he spent all day hiding in the cabin, hugging the beauty and lying on the big cat for warmth.

Occasionally, when the wind and snow subside, they open their windows to enjoy a different view. The light on the horizon is slightly distorted, but it also has a dazzling seven-colored halo that is not found anywhere else. This is the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, and it is very beautiful.

During these past few days, as they continued their journey, the cabin was attacked by several rather powerful soul beasts. However, before those creatures could get close, Yan flew over and dealt with them, thus enriching his sample database.

Throughout their journey, he continuously released a powerful aura, and the soul beasts that dared to attack them despite this aura were all quite strong, at least at the level of ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts, and all possessed ancient bloodlines, with many of them being so-called descendants of the Ice God.

After collecting a considerable amount of blood, he found some commonalities among these bloodlines through research and comparison, which also increased his interest in the so-called ancient ice god.

On the snow-covered plain, a small wooden cabin pulled by about a dozen strong snow deer suddenly stopped. Bai Xiuxiu, still sleepy in Yan's arms, woke up, rubbed her eyes, looked out the window, and then asked Yan a question.

"Brother Yan, have we arrived at our destination?"

"We should have arrived by now. Judging from our interactions with those ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts along the way, this is the territory of the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion." Yan frowned as he surveyed the seemingly peaceful snowfield before him. He used his spiritual power to probe, but to no avail. However, he vaguely sensed a sense of danger, which indicated that an extremely powerful being should exist in this place. They should not have come to the wrong place.

The lazy, golden cat also spoke up, "The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion isn't very big, and even if we know its habitat, it won't be easy to find. What are you going to do?" Yan smiled and rested his head on the cat's warm, soft belly, saying, "Why should we go looking for it ourselves? Wouldn't it be better to let them come to us?" Just as he spoke, the light suddenly dimmed in the core area of ​​the vast, over ten thousand square kilometers of the far north, and an invisible majesty instantly expanded outward from the small wooden house.

The originally gloomy sky began to rumble with muffled thunder. Such a huge commotion naturally attracted the attention of the powerful soul beasts around.

"Roar..." The roars of beasts rose and fell from all directions. The moment this extremely powerful pressure appeared, tens of thousands of soul beasts were scattering in terror. However, many powerful soul beasts were also enraged by this pressure and roared angrily.

The once peaceful snowfield became bustling with activity due to the sudden appearance of this aura. Numerous figures of soul beasts emerged from the ice and snow in various places, and one powerful soul beast after another appeared, seemingly in tacit agreement, surrounding the wooden house where Yan was located.

Outside the wooden house, a dozen or so snow deer cried out in fear. Although the powerful soul beasts that had appeared from time to time along the way had toughened their hearts, the appearance of so many powerful ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts at once was still too much for them to handle.

"Whoosh!" A figure flew out from the wooden house and into the sky, looking down at the numerous ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts that appeared from all directions. He simply let out a faint laugh, and in the next instant, a surging wave of energy swept around him. The numerous soul beasts that were rushing over immediately sensed his power.

"Ding ding ding ding ding ding..." Amidst a series of crisp sounds, a ball of flame erupted in the sky. The brilliance of this flame even surpassed the faint outline of the sun appearing above the clouds in the polar day sky, giving many living beings the feeling of facing the sun directly for the first time.

One after another, spirit rings appeared around Yan's body: one yellow, two purple, one black, and three red. The seven spirit rings pulsed around his body, and their intense and surging power instilled fear in many spirit beasts.

The powerful pressure released by the three blood-red 100,000-year soul rings was so great that even a 10,000-year soul beast felt pressure and fear. However, in addition to these instinctive emotions, there was also an endless roar of anger.

High-level soul beasts are quite intelligent. They know very well the origin of soul rings. Three 100,000-year soul rings represent the fall of three 'kings', which is a provocation to many soul beasts.

The roars of the beasts grew increasingly agitated. Many of the soul beasts still harbored deep hostility towards Yan, but after the appearance of the 100,000-year soul ring, none dared to be the first to challenge him.

However, this eerie tranquility was not long before it was broken, and in the distant snowy plains, a powerful being awakened.

"It's finally appeared. This powerful aura is no ordinary soul beast. It's a ferocious beast that surpasses a hundred thousand-year-old soul beast, and it's not like the Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord, which is currently beyond our control. I'm really looking forward to it." Yan's gaze in the sky narrowed slightly as he looked into the distance and noticed the changes in a corner of the snowfield. Then, the originally dark clouds suddenly fluctuated violently, and immediately from the distant northern horizon, a layer of emerald green light spread over.

In an instant, the pitch-black sky turned into a translucent and alluring emerald green, its captivating color like the sky high above suddenly transforming into a giant emerald gem.