When Jing Hongchen spoke of the Ultimate Ice, a distinct fervor burned in his eyes. Ultimate Ice — such a Martial Soul appeared perhaps once in a thousand years, and had never before manifested within the Sun Moon Empire. Now that it finally had, how could he not be excited?
"Ultimate Ice?" Wei Xuan smiled faintly, showing no intention of explaining further.
If anything, the ice attribute of the Primordial Ice Dragon far surpassed the so-called Ultimate Ice. To call its element "Ultimate Ice" would almost be an understatement.
He had yet to experience firsthand how low the temperature of Ultimate Ice could fall in this world, but he was certain — the chill of Ultimate Ice could never compare to the cold contained within the Primordial Ice Dragon. That was his absolute confidence in the power of the ancient bloodline.
"An Ultimate Martial Soul… if Your Highness grows properly, you'll surely become a formidable Soul Master — and naturally, a mighty Soul Engineer as well. The two combined… hahaha!" Jing Hongchen's heart burned with excitement, his thoughts already leaping to the image of Wei Xuan's future power.
His fondness for Wei Xuan had little to do with the boy's royal title. As the Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, he had no need to curry favor with princes or princesses.
No — what drew him to Wei Xuan was his talent for Soul Tools, a talent bordering on the monstrous.
Before awakening his Martial Soul, Wei Xuan possessed no Soul Power and therefore could not create Soul Tools. But that hadn't hindered his ability to demonstrate his gift.
Using his immense spiritual power — what this world called mental strength — Wei Xuan had, by the age of three, mastered the theory and design principles behind fourth-level Soul Tools.
Had he possessed the necessary Soul Power, he could have created one outright. Jing Hongchen had personally verified this through repeated tests. It was that revelation that had persuaded him to allow Wei Xuan to reside within the Illustrious Virtue Hall.
Since moving in, Wei Xuan had spent his days in discussion with Jing Hongchen, exploring Soul Tool crafting together. Over the course of three years, their relationship had deepened — two individuals of vastly different ages.
Now, seeing Wei Xuan awaken such an extraordinary Martial Soul atop his existing genius in Soul Tools, Jing Hongchen could already envision the emergence of a terrifying dual-path cultivator — a Soul Master and Soul Engineer fused into one.
Wei Xuan could only smile helplessly at Jing Hongchen's enthusiasm. He himself felt calm, yet the Hall Master seemed more thrilled than he was.
"Hall Master Hongchen, perhaps you should restrain yourself a little," Wei Xuan reminded him.
"Haha, I suppose I got carried away," Jing Hongchen admitted, rubbing his head with a sheepish grin.
"Now that my Martial Soul has awakened, I'd like Hall Master Hongchen to accompany me to obtain a Soul Ring," Wei Xuan said.
He could sense the bottleneck in his cultivation — to break through, he needed to absorb his first Soul Ring.
"Obtain a Soul Ring? But we haven't even tested your innate Soul Power yet. How do you know it's full?" Jing Hongchen asked, puzzled.
Then realization dawned, and he smacked his forehead with a laugh. "Ah, that's right — I nearly forgot. Those who possess an Ultimate Martial Soul are always born with full Soul Power."
"Very well, I'll accompany Your Highness to obtain a Soul Ring," Jing Hongchen agreed readily.
"By the way, Your Highness," he added, "where do you plan to go for it?"
He knew Wei Xuan had always loved reading about Soul Masters and soul beasts, and his photographic memory made him a walking encyclopedia. After so much study, the boy knew every major beast habitat across the continent — he wouldn't need anyone's advice.
"To acquire an ice-attribute Soul Ring, the natural choice is the Extreme North of the original Douluo Continent," Wei Xuan replied. "That land is the paradise of ice-type soul beasts. Finding one suitable for me will be far easier there."
"The Extreme North…" Jing Hongchen hesitated. "Your Highness, that place is known as the Forbidden Zone for humankind — perilous beyond measure, and far from our empire. Isn't it too troublesome to go there?"
He continued, "Our Sun Moon Empire has its own normal soul beast forests. Finding one suitable for you shouldn't be difficult. Perhaps…"
He trailed off. The main issue wasn't danger, but distance.
From the Sun Moon Empire to the Extreme North lay several thousand km, even crossing through the Heavenly Soul Empire — a journey of at least a month each way. A long, arduous trip.
It would be much simpler to search in a regular forest, though finding the right ice-type beast there might be harder. Still, within half a month, it should be possible.
Wei Xuan shook his head firmly. "I must go to the Extreme North. Ordinary soul beast forests have too few ice-type creatures, and even fewer that suit me. My choices would be too limited.
"Even if I found one, it would only be a compromise. I never compromise in my cultivation. To fully unlock the power of my Ultimate Martial Soul, I must obtain the most fitting Soul Ring possible."
He had never allowed carelessness or complacency in his pursuit of strength. Only by perfecting every stage could he walk farther down the path.
Jing Hongchen found that reasoning sound. After a brief silence, he nodded. "Then to the Extreme North we shall go."
"Good. Hall Master Hongchen, make your preparations — we'll depart in three days," Wei Xuan said.
The three days would allow Jing Hongchen to handle Hall affairs, and give Wei Xuan time to study his Martial Soul in depth and list potential soul beasts suitable for absorption.
"Understood," Jing Hongchen agreed.
After awakening his Martial Soul, Wei Xuan did not return to his room within the Illustrious Virtue Hall. Instead, he made his way directly to the imperial palace.
In name, he was the adopted son of the Emperor. It was only proper to report his awakening.
Upon arrival, he was admitted by the palace guards into the Emperor's sleeping hall.
The Emperor's palace was lavish beyond measure — jade floors, rosewood furniture, finely carved ceramics and jade ornaments, countless luxurious decorations, and a dozen stunning maids attending within.
"Xuan'er, you've come," the Emperor said warmly, smiling as Wei Xuan entered.
Wei Xuan bowed slightly. "Father, I came to report the results of my Martial Soul awakening."
"Oh?" The Emperor's eyes lit up with interest. "Tell me quickly."
Elsewhere in the palace — within a grand study.
A man in his thirties, handsome but with a cold edge, paced back and forth. In his right hand, he held a letter, lightly tapping it against his left palm. The faint pa, pa echoed in the spacious room.
He was not alone — two elderly men stood silently nearby, not daring to make a sound.
"Ancient Ice Dragon… Ultimate Ice Martial Soul… such terrifying talent," the man muttered, his expression dark and sinister.
The two elders exchanged uneasy glances. They knew full well what Ultimate Ice meant — if allowed to mature, its wielder would one day be a super powerhouse.
After a moment's hesitation, one elder bowed and asked, "Your Highness the First Prince… could it be that this owner of the Ultimate Ice is…?"
The man pacing — the one called "Your Highness" — was the First Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Fan.
Xu Fan halted and fixed a cold stare on the elder. Under that gaze, the man's body stiffened instantly, heart pounding, as though prey caught by a beast.
After a few seconds, Xu Fan tossed the letter toward him. The two elders quickly caught it and read together.
"This bastard's talent truly is monstrous," Xu Fan said through clenched teeth. "Not only unmatched in Soul Tools, but now blessed with such a powerful Martial Soul. If he's allowed to grow, what then?"
The "bastard" he referred to was, of course, Wei Xuan — the orphan his father had adopted. A child of unknown origin, now enjoying the Emperor's favor, was intolerable to him.
And now, hearing of Wei Xuan's Ultimate Martial Soul, his resentment deepened to hatred — fear that Wei Xuan might one day steal his claim to the throne.
The two elders finished reading, their faces filled with alarm and silence.
"Heading to the Extreme North to obtain a Soul Ring, is he?" Xu Fan suddenly sneered. "Heh… what a perfect opportunity."
Meanwhile, another prince also paid close attention to Wei Xuan.
This one, seated in a modest study, held a letter nearly identical to Xu Fan's — containing news of Wei Xuan's awakening.
The man in the wheelchair was Xu Tianran, his expression turning grave as he read.
"Ultimate Ice Martial Soul… this adopted brother of mine is far from simple. To awaken such a power…" Xu Tianran murmured.
A man dressed in black beside him spoke softly, "Your Highness, if the letter's content is true, then Prince Wei's talent is frightening. Should we perhaps…"
He drew a finger across his throat — the meaning unmistakable.
Xu Tianran seemed tempted. His hand drifted to the armrest, fingers brushing his chin as he sank into thought. He hesitated for several minutes.
The black-clad man remained silent. The room grew eerily still.
Finally, Xu Tianran shook his head. "Wei Xuan's talent is extraordinary, and Father favors him deeply. But he bears no royal blood. His chances of being named Crown Prince are slim.
"As long as he doesn't compete for the position, there's no need to kill him. Besides…" He gave a cold smile. "We might not need to dirty our hands at all. Someone else will take care of him."
The black-clad man blinked, then quickly understood. "Your Highness means… the First Prince?"
At those words, Xu Tianran's fists clenched tightly. His expression darkened, his voice laced with hatred — as though he had heard the name of his greatest enemy.
Glancing down at his missing legs, Xu Tianran took a slow breath and said coldly, "My dear brother… he's always loved fratricide. He must already know of Wei Xuan's awakening and is likely plotting his death as we speak.
"With him around, we needn't trouble ourselves. Let's just wait for his 'good news.'"
Then his gaze hardened further. "By the way, is everything I ordered prepared?"
"Everything is ready, Your Highness. We await your command," the black-clad man replied respectfully.
Xu Tianran nodded with satisfaction. Looking down at his crippled legs, his eyes burned with hatred. "Let Xu Fan live a little longer," he muttered. "Once he's dealt with Wei Xuan, it'll be his turn to die. It's time he paid for what he did to my legs."