On the endless frozen plains, Wei Xuan and Jing Hongchen wandered aimlessly in search of a suitable soul beast. Though the Extreme North teemed with creatures, they were not so easily encountered, and finding one that met Wei Xuan's standards was no simple task.
Five hours soon passed. The two finally sat on a boulder to rest.
"I say, Your Highness, aren't your standards a bit too high? That Eight-Armed Ice Ape King we saw earlier — both its age and quality were perfect for you, yet you said it was 'unsuitable' and wanted to keep looking."
Jing Hongchen took a swig of strong liquor, sighing helplessly. "Now look — we've searched for hours, and everything we've found since has been worse than that ape. You're making things hard for yourself."
The Eight-Armed Ice Ape King was an exceptionally rare and powerful creature even in the Extreme North — famed for its immense strength, and with over four hundred years of cultivation. It would have been an ideal first Soul Ring, yet Wei Xuan refused it. Jing Hongchen found that decision baffling.
Wei Xuan merely smiled in response. Calmly, he pulled out a flask of water from his storage ring and took a drink. He did not need to ward off the cold like Jing Hongchen.
"Patience, Hall Master Hongchen," Wei Xuan said mildly. "That ape's quality was fine, but its age was lacking. Using it for my Soul Ring would feel like settling."
Jing Hongchen, sitting back-to-back with him, turned his head in surprise. "Four hundred and fifty years too low? Don't tell me you intend to absorb a Soul Ring above the usual limit?"
As the Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen was no fool. He immediately grasped the implication — Wei Xuan thought four hundred years was insufficient.
Wei Xuan nodded, taking another sip. "That's right. Based on my estimation, my limit for the first Soul Ring should be around eight hundred years. If I'm willing to risk it, perhaps I could even attempt a near-thousand-year Soul Ring."
Jing Hongchen's face darkened with shock, then softened into a wry smile. "Your estimation? Your Highness, overreaching is dangerous, especially in Soul Ring absorption. Chasing higher years blindly could cost you your life."
To him, Wei Xuan was overconfident — believing that having an Ultimate Ice Martial Soul gave him the right to break the limits. Attempting an eight-hundred- or even thousand-year Soul Ring for the first ring was madness.
But Wei Xuan did not argue. He simply turned his head slightly, his calm eyes glinting with amusement. "Hall Master Hongchen, you've known me for over three years. Do you think I'm the type to chase illusions?"
"I'm not joking. I truly intend to absorb an eight-hundred-year Soul Ring. And I can." His voice was steady, his gaze unwavering.
His confidence came not from arrogance but from precision. He had measured the energy within various soul beasts and compared it against his own tolerance threshold through his divine sense and Heavenly Eyes. The results left no doubt — he could handle it.
And his divine sense never lied.
Of course, if the soul beast's innate quality was unusually high, the age limit would need adjusting downward — but the general estimate was accurate.
Hearing that, Jing Hongchen hesitated. He still found it difficult to believe, yet Wei Xuan's conviction was so absolute that it shook his doubt. Perhaps… perhaps the boy truly could succeed.
After a moment of silence, Jing Hongchen finally asked, "You're truly confident?"
"One hundred percent," Wei Xuan said firmly.
Jing Hongchen studied him deeply, then nodded. "If you're so certain, then do it."
Wei Xuan smiled faintly, raising his flask.
Jing Hongchen understood, grinning as he lifted his own. The two knocked their flasks together. "You'd better succeed, boy," Jing Hongchen said. "Otherwise I won't know how to explain it to His Majesty."
"I won't fail," Wei Xuan replied evenly. The quiet certainty in his tone carried a power that made Jing Hongchen pause. Even he could feel the unshakable confidence radiating from the youth.
"What a strange child," Jing Hongchen murmured inwardly, before taking another deep gulp of liquor.
After resting for a while, the two stood and resumed their search.
This time, Wei Xuan expanded his divine sense to a range of 1 kilometers. Every movement, every breath of life within that radius appeared clearly in his mind.
Not a single soul beast within the area could escape his perception. As he analyzed each one, he cross-referenced what he knew — after years of reading about soul beasts, he could identify most by sight or aura alone, estimating their age with ease.
This knowledge made his search efficient.
One by one, he filtered out unsuitable candidates. In the end, only three or four beasts met his initial criteria.
Still, Wei Xuan didn't rush to choose. He preferred to keep looking — to select the best of the best.
Three more hours passed, and still, he hadn't found one that truly satisfied him.
By then, night had fallen. The temperature plunged even lower; snow fell like rain, and the howling wind cut like blades.
It took nearly an hour for the two to pitch their tents — and even then, their handiwork was clumsy at best. For all their power, neither had much experience with mundane camping.
When the makeshift tents were finally standing — barely — they could only exchange a wry smile.
Next came dinner. To make it bearable, Jing Hongchen activated a seventh-level Soul Barrier, forming a ten-meter-wide dome that blocked the wind and snow.
"Your Highness, you're in luck tonight," Jing Hongchen said cheerfully, prepping a fresh kill. "I'm quite the master at roasting meat."
He cleaned a frost tiger they'd hunted earlier and placed it on a rack over the fire.
Wei Xuan eyed his clumsy movements with skepticism. "A master, you say?"
Before he could tease further, his expression shifted. His divine sense caught something — several strong human auras entering its range.
He focused. Two Titled Douluo. Four Soul Douluo. Their spiritual power was unusually refined — not the kind found in ordinary Soul Masters. They were clearly Soul Engineers.
And not just any Soul Engineers — Sun Moon Empire Soul Engineers.
Wei Xuan recognized the faint resonance of their energy. After living in the Illustrious Virtue Hall for three years, he could easily distinguish his homeland's energy signatures.
At that level of Soul Power, they would be at least Level 8 Soul Engineers. The two Titled Douluo could even be Level 9.
Piecing it together, Wei Xuan quickly grasped the situation.
"Your Highness, what are you staring at?" Jing Hongchen asked, noticing his fixed gaze.
He followed Wei Xuan's line of sight, but the darkness made it impossible to see anything beyond a hundred meters.
Wei Xuan blinked once and turned away. "Nothing," he said lightly. "Just looking around."
He couldn't possibly explain that he had sensed six powerful assassins. Even Jing Hongchen, a Titled Douluo, hadn't noticed them — how could a six-year-old claim to have?
Even if he suspected the six were enemies, he had to keep silent for now.
"I see. Well, dinner's almost ready," Jing Hongchen said, returning his attention to the fire.
Wei Xuan's eyes grew cold as he glanced once more toward the right. His gaze seemed to pierce through distance and snow alike, landing squarely upon the hidden killers.
"Let's hope you're not here for me," he thought silently. "Otherwise, this frozen wasteland will become your grave."
Even without a Soul Ring, his divine sense was deadly.
Though death and reincarnation had weakened it greatly, even a damaged divine sense was terrifying — a "starving camel still larger than a horse."
Measured by this world's standards, his spiritual power was equivalent to that of a Super Douluo.
With his divine techniques for mental attacks, he was seventy percent confident he could annihilate all six.
And with Jing Hongchen beside him, their destruction was certain.
Far away, six white-clad, white-masked figures lay prone on the snow, blending seamlessly with their surroundings.
"Elder Zhou, Elder Mo, should we strike tonight?" one burly old man whispered.
"No rush," Elder Mo replied quietly. "Now isn't the best time. We'll wait until Wei Xuan begins absorbing his Soul Ring. That will be the perfect opportunity."
Elder Zhou nodded in agreement. "We'll do as Elder Mo says. Patience — just a little longer."
"Yes," the other four murmured in unison, their voices swallowed by the howling wind.