I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the latest chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Link: Patreon.com/NineClouds69
--- Chapter 410 ---
"Alright, seniors, please take care," said Han Yuan to the six Phoenix Lords with a smile while waving his hand.
"Yes, Young Lord!" said the six Phoenix Lords immediately.
After resolving everything on the Samsara Isle of Paradise, Han Yuan and others left the secret realm with the aid of Thirteen's ability, though he could do it himself.
They quickly arrived at the edge of the Extreme North, located near the northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Huh, a human city?" Bi Ji glanced back, noticing a small city surrounded by icy white walls and encased in white snow. "I know we are merely at the edge of the Extreme North, but building a city here doesn't seem strategic."
Han Yuan also looked at the city and remarked, "This city is called Snow Ridge City. It might sound rough, but it is actually one of the hunting cities built by the empire for hunting spirit beasts."
"Oh, why do you think I would find it rough, Young Master?" Bi Ji tilted her head in curiosity.
Han Yuan narrowed his eyes, "I thought you would empathize more with the spirit beasts getting hunted by humans."
"Well, that is true, but I also understand that survival of the fittest is the law of this cruel world," Bi Ji replied calmly. "While I want the entire spirit beast race to survive, I know that is impossible."
"I will try my best to protect the weak spirit beasts because I was once weak too, but I can't protect them all."
Xiao Rou scratched her cheek and added, "Benefactor, as long as humans don't hunt us mindlessly, the balance of life won't be disturbed. Just like spirit beasts, these humans who hunt spirit beasts also risk their lives."
"I don't know about the current time, but I heard that the casualty rate for this risky job was 70% during my visits to the human world years ago."
Han Yuan blinked and said, "Is it just me, or do you all seem to have a different perspective now?"
Ah Yin gently shook her head, "That's not the case, Xiao Yuan. We love the spirit beast race deeply, we truly are."
"After all, we are spirit beasts ourselves."
"That's why we are more than thankful and delighted that you invented the Soul Contract and Spirit Soul, which has reduced the amount of mindless slaughter of spirit beasts on the continent."
"Unfortunately, there will always be conflict. Humans experience it, and so do spirit beasts. We can't change that."
"Dumb people stay dumb!" Xiao Wu pouted, recalling some unpleasant memories from her time in her spirit beast form.
"Heh, the world really never changes, huh?" remarked Jade Phoenix Lord, now appearing as a small jade-feathered canary perched on Han Yuan's shoulder.
"No matter the era, there will always be clowns who jump around and end up getting themselves killed foolishly," said Ice Phoenix Lord coldly, also transformed into a small blue canary on Han Yuan's other shoulder.
The White-Eyed Phoenix Lord, who had become a white-feathered canary hovering near Han Yuan's face, said, "There's nothing we can do about that."
"Unless the world becomes emotionless and unfeeling, there will always be conflict rooted in emotion."
"Yet, doing so is a great taboo. Erasing others' emotions won't resolve the underlying issues."
"And making others understand each other takes time. That's why this is one of the unsolvable problems from ancient times."
Han Yuan was speechless, and all he could say was, "Wow."
"It seems unification is, after all, necessary."
"The Douluo Plane, especially the Douluo Continent, has been divided for far too long. Unification would facilitate the process."
White-Eyed Phoenix Lord nodded, "But, Young Lord, ruling over subjects takes time, so I recommend you appoint others to assist you. This way, you can complete your Phoenix God's trials and achieve Divinity more quickly."
"..." Han Yuan's mouth twitched. He thought, now this is a true follower of God! Unlike a certain senile grandfather from the Angel Clan.
Why let your granddaughter squander her god-given talent on a decaying mortal empire? Why not send another spy to ensure the granddaughter properly inherits godhood?
Even then, Han Yuan also understood that Qian Daoliu sought the best for Qian Renxue by separating her from the mad Bibi Dong, to protect her from the latter.
However, this merely addressed the symptoms rather than the underlying issues.
Even to this very day, Qian Renxue was still managing the state affairs of the Heaven Dou Empire. After all, she couldn't let her years of hard work go to waste.
Fortunately, Qian Renxue's cultivation wouldn't slow down any longer, as her Seraphim martial soul had undergone a second awakening, gradually changing her into a Twelve-Winged Angel, also known as an Archangel.
As Han Yuan glanced at these women, he thought, 'Without realizing it, I have actually gathered seven ladies with me, which is enough to form a Spirit Team.'
With a sigh, he said, "Alright, before heading to the Extreme North, let's visit Snow Ridge City first. I want to gather some information."
"Are we going shopping?" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at the thought.
Han Yuan chuckled, "That depends on whether anything is interesting in the city."
"Yey!" Xiao Wu cheered upon hearing that.
After that, they proceeded to Snow Ridge City to look for information related to the Extreme North through the merchant guild. Yes, even in such a secluded city, there was one.
As they stepped into Snow Ridge City, the locals seemed to ignore them as if they didn't exist. It was a cognitive barrier that Han Yuan made with the help of his recent breakthrough in spiritual mastery.
"Hmm?" While checking the news in the merchant guild, some information caught Han Yuan's interest. "The Skywater Academy was hunting spirit rings for their students a week ago."
"They have entered Icebound Forest, which was a few miles away from Snow Ridge City, but haven't returned ever since."
"Skywater Academy, familiar name..." Xiao Wu rubbed her chin. "Isn't this one of those elemental academies that wanted to collaborate with the Dao Academy in the past?"
"They fought with some of our students, but never truly fought the core students." Han Yuan responded casually.
"However, there are some promising talents from this academy."
"I don't know if she had changed her way or not. Around this time, some of Skywater Academy's students must have broken through the Spirit Ancestor Realm and needed their fourth spirit ring."
"Senior Ice Phoenix, what do you think of a young spirit master with 'Ice Phoenix' martial soul but cultivated the path of control?"
Ice Phoenix Lord blinked her eyes in awe, "Uh, what kind of Ice Phoenix cultivates a mere control path? Ice Phoenix's path should be all-arounder, mainly focused on elemental mastery and bursts that exceed five basic elements."
"Just focusing on Control Path alone is a complete waste."
Han Yuan nodded in understanding, "Is that so? Then, are you interested in taking an heir, or a disciple at least?"
"What are you aiming for exactly, Young Lord?" Ice Phoenix Lord bluntly responded.
Han Yuan smiled, "Like the Star Dou Forest, I believe that the Phoenix Clan also needs some representatives in the human world."
"I know you can just take any 100,000-year-old spirit beast from the Samsara Isle of Paradise and let it transform to be one, but for a better world, a human relationship is complex yet needed."
"I can't completely represent the Phoenix Clan because I have my own organization to worry about."
Ice Phoenix Lord fell into her own thoughts before saying, "If that's what the Young Lord wants, then I should obey."
"Even if this young talent has walked a wrong path, I should lead him or her to the right path and become the Phoenix Clan's apostle."
White-Eyed Phoenix Lord pondered and then said, "Then, Young Lord, you must be quick. I felt the disturbance from that area, Icebound Forest, the intelligence mentioned."
"I know, that's why I am asking first." Han Yuan glanced in the direction of the Icebound Forest.