With the power of ordinary Soul Masters, preserving a soul beast's essence would be impossible. But Wei Xuan was no ordinary man. With his powerful divine sense and a secret art not of this world, such a feat was well within his grasp.
As the energy from the Soul Ring poured into him, his entire body filled with an overwhelming surge. The immense, icy power made his meridians swell painfully.
The cold itself didn't bother him — his Ultimate Ice constitution rendered him immune to it. But the sheer volume of energy rampaging through his body was another matter. It felt like a flood bursting through a dam, tearing through every vein and channel.
A minute passed, and the energy only grew more violent. It was nearing the limit of what his meridians could bear. Though his face remained calm, his slightly furrowed brow betrayed the struggle within.
Under the suppression of his divine sense, the Ice Profound Dragon Serpent's soul essence remained quiet, but the energy itself was uncontrollable.
"A seven-hundred-year-level top-tier Soul Ring really isn't easy to absorb," Wei Xuan sighed inwardly. The process was far more difficult than he had anticipated.
His Soul Power circulated rapidly. Frosty mist began to radiate from his body. Behind him, the Ancient Ice Dragon Martial Soul raised its head and let out a thunderous roar.
A dazzling dragon cry echoed across the snowfields, and the deep yellow Soul Ring shuddered in response.
The Ancient Ice Dragon coiled protectively around Wei Xuan, lowering its massive head. From its mouth, it released a soft blue beam of energy that fell upon him.
The moment the light touched his body, frost spread rapidly. Within seconds, Wei Xuan was encased in solid ice — frozen into a statue.
Jing Hongchen's jaw dropped. "What in the world…? First the Soul Ring manifests a beast phantom, and now his Martial Soul freezes its own master? Just how strange can this get?"
He released his spiritual power to probe the situation. After confirming that Wei Xuan's life force remained stable and that there was no real danger, he exhaled in relief and chose not to interfere.
The freezing was, in fact, under Wei Xuan's control. Once encased in ice, the flow of energy within his body slowed, easing the unbearable pressure from the ring.
Inside the frozen shell, Wei Xuan began refining the Soul Ring energy in earnest. While refining, he simultaneously compressed the energy — a necessary step to make it more condensed and stable.
Outside the Soul Barrier…
"Elder Mo, Elder Zhou, the opportunity's here — shall we strike?" one of the white-clad elders whispered eagerly. The others turned their eyes toward the two leaders at the center, awaiting their signal.
Elder Mo and Elder Zhou exchanged a glance. Both could see the anticipation burning in the other's eyes.
Although Jing Hongchen had used a Level 9 Soul Barrier to block their sight and spiritual probing, preventing them from seeing what happened inside, the passage of half an hour made it clear enough — Wei Xuan must be absorbing a Soul Ring.
Their long-awaited chance had arrived.
"Attack!" The two elders' voices were cold, their killing intent sharp as blades.
They had planned their assault well in advance. As soon as the command was given, the six assassins sprang into action.
They crept closer through the snow, stopping two hundred meters from the red barrier. With a silent gesture from Elder Mo, the team spread out in a fan formation, fifty meters apart.
Twelve fixed-mounted Soul Cannons were set upon the ground — all of them Level 8 grade, each paired with a Level 8 Soul Cannon shell.
To ensure success, Xu Fan had spared no expense, personally procuring these weapons for them.
If he'd managed to obtain Level 9 Soul Cannons, he would have — but those were classified as strategic-level armaments of the Empire, impossible to acquire.
Even so, twelve Level 8 Soul Cannons were more than enough to annihilate any Titled Douluo.
The assassins smiled grimly at the sight of their formation. The power of twelve cannons firing in unison could obliterate even a Level 9 defensive barrier.
Elder Mo raised his hand. "Prepare to fire."
The twelve cannons were loaded and charged with Soul Power. Seconds later—
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Twelve massive detonations erupted simultaneously. The shells streaked across the dark sky, drawing bright arcs before slamming into the crimson Soul Barrier.
The ground trembled violently as twelve explosions went off in rapid succession. Flames erupted in a chain reaction, merging into a single, devouring inferno.
The firestorm spread in all directions, melting the snow in an instant. Within seconds, the frozen tundra was swallowed by a blazing sea of flame.
A towering mushroom cloud rose into the air, darkening the sky. Even the distant snow-capped mountains shuddered, triggering avalanches. Terrified soul beasts fled in every direction.
The six Soul Engineers leapt into the air, deploying their own barriers to withstand the shockwave.
Their hearts pounded with awe. The destructive power far exceeded their expectations.
Though each of them could craft Level 8 cannons, none had ever dared to detonate one — the cost and effort were too immense. Seeing the result firsthand, they were shaken to the core.
"This blast… surely Jing Hongchen and Wei Xuan are dead!" one of them said, his voice trembling with excitement.
Below them, the snowy plains had turned into molten ruin. The energy radiating from the explosion made their hearts race. It was unimaginable that anyone could survive that.
The others nodded, convinced their mission was complete.
But just then—
Two fiery shells streaked upward from within the inferno, breaking the sound barrier as they screamed toward two of the Level 8 Soul Engineers.
"Watch out!" the two Level 9 Soul Engineers shouted in alarm.
The targeted men turned pale, their hearts seized by the chill of imminent death.
They tried to activate their Invincible Shields, but it was too late.
The shells reached them in a blink — and exploded.
Twin fireballs bloomed in midair, engulfing them completely. The shockwave ripped through the snowfield, sending torrents of flame outward. For a moment, it was as if two suns had appeared in the frozen world — blinding, searing, apocalyptic.
No screams were heard — their voices were swallowed by the thunderous roar of the blasts.
The remaining four assassins were thrown backward by the shockwave, even through their barriers.
When they steadied themselves and looked again, disbelief filled their faces.
Jing Hongchen was still alive — and apparently unharmed. Otherwise, how could he have fired back so quickly with such devastating precision?
Those two counterattacks… had also been Level 8 Soul Cannon shells.
They ruled out Level 9 immediately — if those had been Level 9 blasts, none of them would still be alive. And even as the Hall Master of the Illustrious Virtue Hall, Jing Hongchen couldn't possibly carry such strategic-grade weapons on him.
The only explanation was Level 8.
But that realization only deepened their dread.
Six had attacked. Now two were dead.
The scorched ground below glowed faintly red. The once-white landscape was now charred and broken, smoke and fire lingering across hundreds of meters.
Jing Hongchen's red Level 9 Soul Barrier was shattered, a massive hole burned through it. The remaining glow flickered weakly, dim and unstable.
Yet within that ruin… was another barrier.
A silver shield shimmered inside, enclosing Jing Hongchen and Wei Xuan. Its aura radiated immense power — another Level 9 Soul Barrier, but far superior to the red one.
Unscathed amid the destruction, its brilliance spoke of craftsmanship beyond compare.
The red shield faded away. Jing Hongchen stepped calmly from within the silver barrier.
To the assassins' astonishment, the solid, metallic shield rippled like liquid, parting to let him through before reforming seamlessly.
He looked up at the four figures hovering in the air, his expression glacial. Rage burned in his chest. He had nearly fallen to these fools' ambush.
"Twelve Level 8 Soul Cannons fired at once… quite the extravagant move," he said coldly. "If not for my teacher's foresight, I might've really been done for."
Even with his own protective gear, he might have survived — but Wei Xuan would have been obliterated.
He silently thanked his master. Before the expedition, his teacher had gifted him an extraordinary Level 9 Soul Barrier, the masterpiece known as the Silver Moon Flowing Light Shield.
At full activation, it could even withstand a strike from an Ultimate Douluo for one full minute — a testament to its incredible defense.
Even twelve Level 8 Soul Cannons couldn't scratch it.
This shield hadn't been meant for assassins — its true purpose was protection against the great overlords of the Extreme North.
With this shield and his own strength, Jing Hongchen had been confident he and Wei Xuan could escape even the mightiest beasts.
Who could have guessed that instead of ancient titans, it would be assassins from their own empire lying in wait?
The irony stung.
"Who sent you?" Jing Hongchen's voice was like frost.
The four remaining assassins said nothing. Their eyes, however, betrayed deep unease as they stared at the silver barrier behind him.
Even at a glance, they could sense its terrifying strength. They were top-tier Soul Engineers themselves — they knew craftsmanship when they saw it.
If Jing Hongchen chose to hide behind that shield again, could they possibly break through it?
They already knew the answer.