Three days passed quickly, and at dawn, Wei Xuan and Jing Hongchen departed from Radiant City.
Leaving the city, Jing Hongchen took out his personal flying Soul Tool, a seventh-level device shaped like a bat with wings spanning five meters.
Traveling to the Extreme North, they naturally would not choose to ride a carriage — that would be far too slow. Nothing compared to the speed of a flying Soul Tool. To save time, flight was clearly the best choice.
When Wei Xuan saw the seventh-level flying Soul Tool, his eyes lit up with interest. Among all the things in this world that intrigued him, Soul Tools definitely ranked near the top.
As his palm brushed against the device, his pupils flickered — and in an instant, they split into two. His Heavenly Eyes had been activated. The change was subtle, almost imperceptible unless one looked closely.
With the Heavenly Eyes opened, his vision changed completely. The world became crystal clear — so sharp that he could see dust particles floating in the air. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The internal structure of the seventh-level Soul Tool unfolded before him in perfect clarity.
Jing Hongchen, seeing Wei Xuan's absorbed expression, felt gratified. To achieve greatness in Soul Tool craftsmanship required both passion and obsession. Wei Xuan already possessed the qualities of a future Soul Tool master.
After watching him for a while, Jing Hongchen chuckled. "Alright, you can study it thoroughly when we return. For now, let's get going."
Hearing that, Wei Xuan retracted his Heavenly Eyes, smiling wryly as he glanced once more at the Soul Tool. It seemed these devices held an irresistible allure for him.
The fascination was not only with this particular tool but with Soul Tools in general — a field entirely new to him, something his past world had never possessed. The closest approximation would be the field of formation arrays.
"Let's go," Wei Xuan said. At Jing Hongchen's signal, he leapt onto the flying Soul Tool.
Jing Hongchen stood to his left. As he infused his energy, the device activated, forming a pale cyan energy shield around them both.
The Soul Tool rose vertically, and once it reached twenty meters in height, two powerful jets erupted from its rear, propelling it forward like a streak of light.
Wei Xuan felt a brief discomfort from the velocity, but it lasted only seconds. He quickly adapted. Thanks to the energy barrier, he didn't have to worry about the tearing pressure of the wind even without a Soul Ring yet.
"This world may be lacking in cultivation compared to my past one," he mused as the scenery below blurred by, "but these strange inventions truly are remarkable."
"The bastard has departed. Elder Mo, Elder Zhou — you two will move immediately and head for the Extreme North," ordered First Prince Xu Fan, his expression tinged with excitement.
Before him stood two elderly men. The taller, thinner one was Elder Mo, nearly two meters tall, his frame gaunt and his face deeply wrinkled. The other, Elder Zhou, was shorter, about one meter eighty, sturdier in build, and equally white-haired.
"Yes, Your Highness. Rest assured, we will eliminate Wei Xuan," the two said in unison.
Xu Fan nodded in satisfaction, but his face soon grew stern. "Elders Mo and Zhou, be extremely cautious this time. The Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen, will be at Wei Xuan's side. He's a Level 9 Soul Engineer — not someone easily dealt with."
"The most important thing," he continued coldly, "is that your identities must never be exposed. Even if you succeed in killing Wei Xuan, if that old man reports to Father, we'll be in deep trouble…" His tone turned heavy.
Wei Xuan was dearly loved by the Emperor. If word got out that Xu Fan had sent assassins, he would be finished.
At the mention of Jing Hongchen, both elders' expressions darkened with apprehension.
Though they were also Level 9 Soul Engineers, there was still a significant gap between them and Jing Hongchen. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been reduced to serving the prince as tools.
Both men nodded heavily, burdened with unease.
Xu Fan frowned, pacing back and forth. After several minutes of silence, he made a grim decision. His expression twisted, his eyes cold and ruthless. "If your cover is blown… then kill Jing Hongchen as well."
"What!?" The two elders were stunned, eyes wide in shock.
Kill Jing Hongchen? The idea was more terrifying than killing Wei Xuan himself.
Unlike the six-year-old boy with no power or status, Jing Hongchen was the Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall — one of the most influential figures in the empire and a top-level Soul Engineer. His death would shake the nation.
Beyond the political fallout, killing him would be anything but easy.
Jing Hongchen hadn't earned his position through connections but through strength. Among the empire's Level 9 Soul Engineers, he was near the very top. Could they really kill someone like him?
"Yes," Xu Fan said, voice low and firm. "If necessary, kill him. That old man's loyalty has always been beyond my reach. I've tried many times to win him over, and he's ignored me every time. Eventually, he'll stand in my way when I ascend the throne. Better to use this opportunity to remove him — to clear the path for my future."
His eyes gleamed with madness.
The two elders fell silent, chilled by the prince's growing cruelty.
After a while, Elder Mo gathered his courage. "But, Your Highness… with only the two of us, killing Jing Hongchen—"
Xu Fan's glare cut him off. Useless, he cursed inwardly. All Level 9 Soul Engineers, and yet you can't even kill one man? What good are you?
Feeling his killing intent, both elders lowered their heads, trembling.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have feared him so deeply — were he even the crown prince.
But their lives were in his hands, the prince had acquired information on their back alley dealings. Enough to get them executed for treason. One word from Xu Fan, and not only would they die, but their families as well.
Fleeing would also be almost impossible, they would get chased to the ends of the world by the empire. Not to mention they would have leave their families. That fear bound them utterly.
Xu Fan exhaled slowly, forcing down his anger. "Do not worry," he said darkly. "I'll send several Level 8 Soul Engineers to accompany you. With that lineup, killing Jing Hongchen and Wei Xuan should be no problem."
The Sun Moon Empire occupied the western side of the Douluo Continent, while the Extreme North lay in its far northern reaches. To reach it, they needed to travel northeast.
To avoid crossing the Star Luo Empire, the two first flew directly north for nearly 500 kilometers, then turned eastward into the territory of the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Once inside Heavenly Soul lands, their pace slowed considerably — not by choice but necessity.
As citizens of the Sun Moon Empire, they faced strict inspections. Flying Soul Tools were heavily restricted, forcing them to travel cautiously.
After nearly half a month, they finally reached their destination — the Extreme North.
"Passing through the Heavenly Soul Empire was truly troublesome. We were inspected over a dozen times," Wei Xuan muttered helplessly, recalling the journey.
Jing Hongchen's face was equally sour. Even with his rank, being searched repeatedly by petty guards was humiliating. If not for the need to avoid attracting attention from Heavenly Soul higher ups, he might have struck them down on the spot.
Wei Xuan sighed and let the matter go, turning his gaze ahead.
The ground beneath them was blanketed in thin snow. Trees were coated in silver frost, and snowflakes drifted endlessly from the gray sky. It was a world of pure white — an endless winter.
The howling wind swept through the barren expanse like wolves roaring across the tundra, proclaiming the ferocity of this frozen realm.
"This is the Extreme North," Jing Hongchen said solemnly. "Your Highness, you must stay close to me at all times. This place is called the forbidden zone of mankind for good reason. Beyond the endless snow and brutal environment, the soul beasts here are extraordinarily powerful.
"If one attacks unexpectedly and you're too far away, I might not reach you in time. For your safety, do not stray from me — only then can I protect you properly."
Wei Xuan understood the danger and nodded seriously. Yet he couldn't help asking, "With your strength, Hall Master Hongchen, shouldn't you be able to handle anything in the outer regions of the Extreme North? Is it really that dangerous?"
He knew Jing Hongchen was a Level 9 Soul Engineer — his Soul Power reaching the level of a Titled Douluo. Someone of that power shouldn't need to be so cautious, yet his tone carried genuine gravity.
"Who can guarantee what lurks even in the outer zones?" Jing Hongchen sighed. "The Extreme North harbors beings of unimaginable strength. Should we encounter one… not only would your life be at risk — even I might not escape."
Wei Xuan's expression hardened. Following Jing Hongchen's gaze toward the distant horizon, he could feel it too — an oppressive force emanating from the depths of the frozen land.
At first, it was nothing but snow and mist. Yet the longer he stared, the heavier the pressure grew, a faint unease rising in his heart.
"Hall Master Hongchen, let's go in," Wei Xuan said, withdrawing his gaze.
"Alright." Jing Hongchen nodded, smiling faintly despite the cold. "Can you handle this temperature?"
Wei Xuan grinned. "Hall Master, you forget — my Martial Soul is of the Ultimate Ice. Have you ever seen an Ultimate Ice Soul Master afraid of the cold?
"To me, this temperature feels almost too warm."
With that, he stepped forward into the snowstorm, his vast divine sense spreading outward — scanning every inch of the world within a 500 meters radius.