The Extreme North, located at the northernmost tip of Douluo Continent, was one of the three forbidden zones for soul masters and by far the largest habitat of soul beasts on the continent.
It spanned from the border of the Heaven Soul Empire and the Sun Moon Empire in the west to the eastern sea borders of the Dou Ling Empire—stretching nearly ten thousand li across. Within its bounds resided a vast array of ice-type soul beasts, along with rare spiritual herbs and ore veins. Yet despite the riches it held, the Extreme North had never been properly explored—because it was far too dangerous.
If the Star Dou Forest was infamous for its many beast kings, then the true peril of the Extreme North lay in its unrelentingly harsh natural environment. Humanity knew little about this land, and even Soul Saints or Soul Douluo rarely dared venture far into its depths.
Like other soul beast territories, the Extreme North was divided into distinct zones.
Few knew that this entire icy domain was actually shaped like a massive fan, with the regions inside divided into four major areas:
The outermost ring was known as the Northern Forest, filled with rare ice-adapted plants and low-level soul beasts. It served as a natural buffer between the main continent and the true Extreme North. This forest stretched nearly ten thousand li east to west, but was only five kilometers wide north to south—a narrow band marking the edge of the wilds.
The second layer was the Northern Icefield, which occupied half the total area of the Extreme North. It was home to over 80% of all known ice-type soul beast species, and though dangerous, it was the area most accessible to human soul masters. Thousands and ten-thousand-year beasts roamed these lands, with terrain so brutal and blizzards so violent, even a Soul King would struggle to survive them.
The third layer was known as the Core Ring of the Extreme North—a region of endless glaciers and mountain ranges, feared even by soul beasts. Only Titled Douluo had ever dared set foot there, and most never returned. Temperatures here rarely rose above minus twenty degrees Celsius, and the average hovered around minus fifty. It was within this deathly cold that the most terrifying creatures resided: the infamous Three Kings of the Extreme North, as well as all known hundred-thousand-year ice beasts.
Species like the Ice Jade Scorpion, the Titan Snow Demon, the Frost Polar Bear, and the Northland Ice Wolf Dragon—each one a peerless killing machine—all called the core ring home.
And that was Zhu Ziyang's destination.
The fourth and innermost layer of the Extreme North remained a complete mystery. Not even the memories of the Silver Moon Ice Wolf had anything to say about it. No soul beast—no matter how powerful—had ever returned from that deepest zone.
Yes—Zhu Ziyang's extensive knowledge of the Extreme North came entirely from the memories of the Silver Moon Ice Wolf. Without her mental imprint, he wouldn't have dared come here alone.
From the moment he stepped into the Northern Forest, Ziyang activated his second martial soul—Heavenfrost Holy White Dragon—and remained in that state the entire journey. After all, in this land, the presence of Ultimate Ice meant one thing: the domain of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
Any other beasts that felt that pressure would avoid him entirely. In a sense, he was borrowing the prestige of a tiger to scare off wolves—and it worked. In just two days, he crossed safely into the Core Ring.
"So this is the Core Ring of the Extreme North… It's even colder than I imagined."
Standing on a low mountain peak, Ziyang looked across the endless white landscape. Snow covered everything in sight; there was no soil—only glacial ice and snow compacted over millions of years, forming a landmass that was more ice than earth.
"I've read that our world is a massive sphere, suspended in the void of space,"
Electrolux explained within Ziyang's mind.
"It orbits a larger sphere known as the sun. Because not every point on the surface is equidistant from the sun, the ends of the planet are known as polar regions. This, if true, should be the northern pole of the Douluo Planet—and that's why it's so cold."
"Wait, seriously?"
Ziyang blinked, stunned. This was the first time he'd ever heard such a theory.
"Well, I can't be sure," Electrolux admitted with a chuckle.
"Unless you reach the level of a god and transcend the world itself, you'll never know. You'd have to break free from the constraints of this world to see the stars—and until then, it's just speculation."
"Fair enough."
Ziyang shook his head, setting aside the curiosity for now.
"I'd better focus on finding that hidden cave from the Silver Wolf's memory, absorb her soul ring, and get out of here before something big notices me."
He quickly got moving.
Following the Silver Moon Ice Wolf's memory, Ziyang arrived at the secret cave—a place only she had known about. It was nestled in the side of a towering glacier nearly a thousand meters high. Halfway up, he located the narrow entrance, just wide enough for a single person.
After carefully checking the area for signs of other soul beasts, he entered.
Inside, the ice-elemental energy was so dense it almost seemed tangible. Scattered around the cave were tufts of silver fur and the occasional ice-white scale—clear evidence that this had indeed been the Silver Moon Ice Wolf's lair.
Ziyang gave a nod of approval.
This memory wasn't lying. No wonder the Ice Demon Snow Soul King never found this place.
Without delay, he summoned his two undead guardians: the Lich King and the Hell Knight, positioning them outside the cave to stand guard.
Then, seated cross-legged inside, he closed his eyes and began the refinement process.
As soon as he called upon the soul ring, a torrential wave of life force surged from it. Though the air inside the cave was colder than death, it suddenly filled with vibrant vitality—so potent that the two undead guards began to tremble.
To them, life force was poison. It was the antithesis of their very being. But still, they stood firm—loyal and unflinching.
Ziyang's body trembled violently as he attempted to refine the soul ring. Behind him, the silhouette of the Heavenfrost Holy White Dragon shimmered erratically—unstable and flickering.
The refinement wasn't going smoothly.
Ziyang gritted his teeth, channeling death power to suppress the unruly energy—like a seasoned rider trying to tame a wild stallion. Though the process was messy and painful, the results were magnificent.
The soul ring from the Silver Moon Ice Wolf contained nearly 190,000 years of life force. As it coursed through his body, it polished his flesh and refined his bones, threading through every vein and meridian.
His soul power and death energy were being compressed and purified—their quality soaring.
As the refinement slowly stabilized, the overwhelming vitality was gradually absorbed. The undead guards finally relaxed, no longer tormented by the aura of life.
Time passed quietly.
By the time Ziyang opened his eyes again, an entire day had gone by.
He stepped out of the cave, his expression radiant with joy—the refinement had been a complete success.
First: his body had reached the level required to withstand a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. Mu En had assigned him this very task—and now, it was complete.
Second: the soul ring of the Heavenfrost Holy White Dragon had grown from 190,000 years to 200,000 years. The ring now gleamed crimson, adorned with two golden patterns—marking the official ascent of the Silver Moon Ice Wolf to the rank of a Fierce Beast. The two skills it granted had grown significantly stronger as well.
Third: with the ring fully refined, the residual soul fragment of the Silver Moon Ice Wolf had been expelled. Under Electrolux's guidance, it merged with the soul crystal inside Ziyang's spiritual sea—strengthening it. According to Electrolux, the Silver Moon Wolf's soul was now on the verge of awakening.
And finally—an unexpected bonus:
Zhu Ziyang's cultivation rose to Rank 57.
After checking the time, he realized only one day had passed. He smiled faintly.
"Might as well stay a few more days. This place still has secrets to uncover."
With that, he turned and disappeared once more into the icy winds of the Core Ring.