Chapter 131: The Journey to Dragon Valley
Far North Core Circle.
"How do you feel?" Xiao Qiang turned to look at his younger brother, Xiao Sheng, with concern in his eyes.
"Fortunately, the Bone Dragon Martial Soul possesses an ice attribute," Xiao Sheng replied, exhaling a visible mist in the frigid air. "With its protection, I can endure the cold here… though it's not exactly comfortable."
After releasing his Martial Soul, Xiao Sheng's resistance to the freezing environment improved. However, the disparity between his soul power level and the strength of his Martial Soul meant he couldn't remain as unaffected as Xiao Qiang, who moved through the cold like it was nothing.
"Be patient a little longer. Xue Di shouldn't take too long. With her knowledge of the Far North, she'll return soon," Xiao Qiang assured.
"Okay," Xiao Sheng nodded, wrapping his arms tighter around himself.
Since Dragon Valley wasn't located on this continent, sending Xiao Sheng there directly wasn't realistic. To travel across continents, one needed the strength of an Ultimate Douluo, or at least a Super Douluo equipped with a ninth-level soul guide. Another method was to mobilize a nation's power—but that was out of the question for Xiao Qiang.
He didn't control the resources of a country. However, he had Xue Di—an Ultimate Douluo-level soul beast—and that opened other possibilities.
Lacking a human Super Douluo himself, Xiao Qiang relied on Xue Di. A soul beast that had cultivated for 200,000 years was equivalent to a level ninety-five Super Douluo, and Xue Di's adopted son, the Ice Bear King Xiaobai, happened to meet that threshold.
After Xiao Qiang explained his needs, Xue Di agreed to help and brought both brothers to the Far North.
Now, in the heart of her territory, she had gone to fetch Xiaobai. Since no other soul beasts dared intrude on Xue Di's exclusive domain, their safety was assured. The only problem was the overwhelming cold—harmless to Xiao Qiang, but taxing on Xiao Sheng, whose cultivation hadn't yet reached fifty ranks.
Before long, the ground began to shake as a huge ice bear charged toward them across the snowfields. Even on all fours, its body towered fifteen meters high. Its heavy steps boomed like thunder, and despite restraining its aura, the beast exuded a terrifying presence that made it unmistakably clear—it was a creature with at least 100,000 years of cultivation.
If not for the figure sitting atop the ice bear's head, Xiao Qiang might have mistaken it for a wild threat. But seeing Xue Di calmly perched there, he confirmed the beast's identity: the Ice Bear King Xiaobai.
The beast stopped in front of Xiao Qiang, lowering its head into the snow. Even with half its face buried, it remained taller than Xiao Qiang himself.
"It truly lives up to its reputation," Xiao Qiang muttered. "To rival the Titan Snow Demon Ape in physical might—this size is nothing to scoff at."
"Hmph," Xiaobai snorted proudly, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "That oversized ape might be taller, but in attack and defense, I'm his equal—if not stronger! The only thing impressive about him is his size."
"Alright, Xiaobai, shrink down a bit. It's hard to have a proper conversation like this," Xue Di instructed as she leapt from his head.
Obeying her words, the Ice Bear King's massive body began to shrink, gradually transforming into a stout, muscular man with a round face and thick fur clothing—his appearance as a human-like soul beast complete.
"What's the matter, Mom?" Xiaobai asked, brushing snow off his shoulders.
Xue Di gestured toward Xiao Sheng. "I need you to escort him to another continent. There's a place called Dragon Valley. Wait until it opens, let him train there for three years, then bring him back."
"No problem, Mom. Leave it to me!" Xiaobai puffed out his chest confidently. But a moment later, he scratched his head, puzzled. "Uh… Mom, how exactly do I get to the other continent? And where's Dragon Valley? Is it far? How much food should I bring along?"
Before he could ramble further, Xiao Qiang stepped forward and handed him several storage-type soul guides, each marked with a different color.
"The white rings contain food—plenty of it, based on the tastes Xue Di said you liked. I've also included a few extra flavors. Try them on the way."
Xiaobai's eyes lit up. "Food? You're the best!"
Xiao Qiang continued, handing over the black storage item. "This holds two ninth-level flying soul guide aircraft—one primary and one backup. If you channel your soul power at full strength, they can fly as fast as a typical Ultimate Douluo. Use them to escape if you encounter enemies you can't beat."
"The blue ring contains several ninth-level fixed soul guide shells. They don't require much power to activate and their destructive power is almost equal to one of Xue Di's strikes. They're limited, so only use them when it's life or death."
He moved to the red one. "This one holds a soul guide cannon. Inject soul power and you'll be able to launch long-range attacks from a distance. Use it to keep enemies at bay when exploring unfamiliar lands."
"And finally, the purple one is a defensive soul guide. With your current power level, it can even barely withstand an attack from Xue Di herself. Don't use it lightly."
Xiao Qiang then took Xiaobai to test everything except the fixed shells, ensuring he understood their usage.
Xiaobai's expression grew increasingly shocked. "These things… are this powerful?"
He turned to Xue Di, eyes gleaming with gratitude. "Mom! You really are the best! With these, I'll definitely be able to beat that guy A Tai when I find him!"
Then he paused, frowning. "But speaking of him… A Tai's been missing for a while now. Where'd he run off to? Could it be—he's afraid of me?"
Xue Di didn't show any concern. The Titan Snow Demon King was over 200,000 years old—far beyond the interest of human soul hunters. And if he had died, it would have been due to a beast-on-beast conflict, which didn't worry her.
As long as the Ice Bear King and the Ice Emperor were safe, that was enough.
Xue Di turned to Xiao Sheng. "Ah Sheng, go with Xiaobai. The dragon bones in Dragon Valley contain unique energy that can cleanse your body. If you're lucky, your Bone Dragon Martial Soul may evolve. Even if not, you might find soul bones there. All of them are real dragon remains—ordinary ones alone are equivalent to 100,000-year soul bones. If you can, absorb as many as possible."
"Soul bones…" Xiao Sheng's eyes sparkled. He hadn't expected such a windfall. While he didn't fully trust soul beasts, he trusted his elder brother without reservation. If Xiao Qiang believed this was the right path, he would follow it.
Still, a thought crossed his mind—if the Bone Dragon Martial Soul was compatible enough, could it draw out those soul bones and merge with them naturally?
His grip tightened slightly.
He would find out soon enough.