Without a doubt, Mu Yang had set his sights on two of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North—the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor, the Ice Empress, and the Snow Empress, the Snow Goddess of the Extreme North.
The former possessed the attribute of Ultimate Ice, while the latter wielded the attribute of Ultimate Ice and Snow. Both were extremely well-suited to serve as spirit rings for the Iceflame Saint Shadow Martial Soul.
However, both of them were exceedingly powerful. Although their appearance in the original timeline was still tens of thousands of years away, the Ice Empress' cultivation would undoubtedly exceed three hundred thousand years, while the Snow Empress' cultivation would surpass six hundred thousand.
With such high cultivation, combined with their mastery of ultimate attributes, and further enhanced by the environmental advantage of the ice and snow of the Extreme North, the Ice Empress' strength would likely be no less than that of a Level 98 Titled Douluo.
As for the Snow Empress, her strength would at the very least rival that of level 99, perhaps even such that Qian Daoliu himself could not secure a guaranteed victory against her in the Extreme North.
It could be said that without advancing to nine rings as a Titled Douluo, without the Iceflame Phoenix and Ice Phoenix Shadow stepping into a divine level, Mu Yang held no absolute confidence in being able to take down the Snow Empress.
Yet while he did not possess complete certainty against the Snow Empress, he did have a significant chance of succeeding against the Ice Empress.
The Ice Empress' true form was that of the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor, a ferocious beast of the assault type, most adept at offense. Her mental strength, without doubt, was her weakness.
Moreover, the environmental advantage brought by the icy snow of the Extreme North could only amplify her spirit power and spirit power recovery, but could not enhance her spiritual strength.
With Mu Yang's current level of spiritual power having reached the mid-stages of the Radiant Moon Realm (91~99), and with the Martial Soul True Body form of the Blue Jade Ascending Dragon Ginseng amplifying his attributes by 80%, further boosted by the Spirit Gold Battle Armor, the Soul Seizing Secret Technique and True Illusion should both be effective against the Ice Empress.
And with the present strength of the Ice Phoenix Shadow reaching a level not inferior to that of a rank 99 Limit Douluo, while it might not be possible to defeat the Snow Empress in the Extreme North, survival was absolutely not an issue.
After all, other attribute Spirit Masters, when facing the Snow Empress in the Extreme North, would be hindered by the environment and unable to fully unleash their strength. Yet the Iceflame attribute of the Ice Phoenix Shadow was not subject to such constraints.
The environmental advantage of the Extreme North that amplified the Snow Empress' strength could, at the same time, also enhance the Ice Phoenix Shadow.
Furthermore, compared to the humanoid form of the Snow Empress, the beast-form Iceflame Phoenix was much better at flight. As long as the Soul Seizing Secret Technique succeeded, Mu Yang could immediately retreat with the Ice Empress whose consciousness had been controlled. The Snow Empress would not be able to catch up.
In this way, once the Iceflame Saint Shadow Martial Soul obtained its sixth spirit ring, and once he supplemented it with the missing torso bone, he could then attach a god-bestowed ninth spirit ring of extremely high age to ascend as a Food-type Titled Douluo, allowing the upper limits of the Martial Soul Fusion Skill's strength to reach an entirely new tier.
At that time, when he turned back to target the Snow Empress in the Extreme North, it would be an easy matter.
The following morning, Mu Yang departed with Shui Bing'er, setting out for the Extreme North to hunt for spirit rings.
For this hunt, Mu Yang did not summon Huo Lie and the others, bringing only Shui Bing'er along.
Though Huo Lie's strength was sufficient—about the level of Level 98, and though he could not rival the Snow Empress, at the very least he could serve as a restraint.
Unfortunately, Huo Lie was a Fire-Earth dual-attribute Titled Douluo, and in the icy snowscape of the Extreme North, his strength would be heavily suppressed.
While Shui Yanyu, being of the Ice attribute, could receive the advantage of the snowy environment, her strength was far inferior to Huo Lie's, and even further beneath the Snow Empress'. To avoid unnecessary casualties, Mu Yang had no intention of bringing Shui Yanyu along.
Moreover, in Mu Yang's plan, he was not yet prepared to clash head-on with the Snow Empress. Bringing additional academy experts would only serve as a burden.
The Elemental Sacred Academy was located in the Northern Province, and this Northern Province was the northernmost province of the Heaven Dou Empire, bordering the barren and desolate Extreme North, covered in ice and snow year-round. Setting out in the morning, by noon the two of them had already entered the range of the Extreme North.
The outer region of the Extreme North.
"Mu Yang, the Extreme North is so vast, how are we supposed to find this Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor you mentioned?"
Beneath a snow-cloaked cliff sheltered from the wind, Shui Bing'er asked Mu Yang as she ate a simple lunch.
"I don't know where she dwells either, but as long as we swagger about in the core region, she'll definitely show herself."
As for how to find the Ice Empress, Mu Yang had no worries.
The Extreme North had rulers—the Snow Empress as the chief, the Ice Empress as the second. As long as he and Shui Bing'er dared to recklessly spread out their spiritual power to search in the core region, or caused some large disturbance, the two Empresses of Ice and Snow would certainly be unable to resist coming to investigate.
Of course, Mu Yang had another method of locating the Ice Empress.
Unlike the naturally born Snow Empress, the Ice Empress belonged to a race. The Ice Jade Scorpions were one of the hegemonic clans of the Extreme North.
Ordinary Ice Jade Scorpions might not know where the Ice Empress' lair lay, but within the clan, there would certainly be high-aged Ice Jade Scorpions who knew, or who had special methods of contacting her.
Tracing the vine back to the root, for Mu Yang, who had mastered the Soul Seizing Secret Technique, was a task of utmost simplicity.
"Let's hope our luck holds. The Extreme North isn't a place meant for humans, especially once we go deeper."
Shui Bing'er spoke with a hint of helplessness.
As an Ice-attribute Spirit Master, Shui Bing'er did not dislike icy environments—indeed, she rather liked them—but as a normal human being, she resisted the harsh conditions of the Extreme North.
After all, the Extreme North was not only snow and ice, but also raging blizzards blotting out the sky. And while Ice-attribute Spirit Masters did indeed have a higher resistance to cold than other attributes, it did not mean they were immune. In the past, there had been Ice-attribute Spirit Masters lacking in strength who froze to death in the Extreme North.
Even if Shui Bing'er's strength was sufficient, the discomfort brought by the environment could not be avoided.
The next day, within the core region of the Extreme North.
The piercing cold winds, mixed with countless snowflakes the size of palms, howled across this frozen land. Yet within this raging blizzard, two figures flew through the skies.
Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er's luck was rather unfortunate. The weather did not favor them, for from early morning a blizzard had arisen.
Yet despite the harsh climate, their steps were not hindered. Never mind mere blizzards—even if knives fell from the sky, they would not halt Mu Yang's determination to find the Ice Empress.
Flying through the blizzard, Mu Yang released his spiritual sense, constantly monitoring the surrounding conditions.
Suddenly, Mu Yang frowned, his expression surprised as he gazed northwest.
Within his spiritual perception, more than twenty li to the northwest, there emerged a powerful aura of a spirit beast.
Judging purely from the aura of spirit power, this beast's presence did not reach the level of the two Empresses of Ice and Snow. Yet compared to the hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape and Azure Sky Bull Python he had seen before, it was much stronger.
If he was not mistaken, this beast's cultivation had far surpassed one hundred thousand years, and had likely reached the realm of two hundred thousand.
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