Chapter 42: Return to the Far North to Find XiaobaiLeaving Shrek Academy, Dai Youheng rushed to the Extreme North Land day and night at his fastest speed.The spirit power in his body surged incessantly, and the cultivation technique he had obtained from a mysterious existence operated on its own, not only providing him with a continuous source of power but also constantly tempering his bones and physique.He traveled for several days straight, only briefly resting in a secluded spot when his spirit power was too depleted to continue, and then he would immediately set off again.In just a few short days, the scenery before him transformed from lush plains and hills into an endless snowfield. A biting cold wind, like knives, swept past, and the air was filled with a pure yet intensely cold aura.The Extreme North Land had arrived.To Dai Youheng's own surprise, after such high-intensity, long-distance travel, when he stopped, he still felt refreshed, his heart rate steady, his breathing long, with no trace of fatigue on his face, and even the cold air found it difficult to penetrate his body.He couldn't help but exclaim in delight, "I never imagined that after rushing all the way from Shrek Academy to this bitter cold land, with so little rest, my spirits would still be so high, my face not red, my breath not short. The cold of the Extreme North seems to barely bother me."In his sea of consciousness, Snow Empress's clear voice, with a hint of admiration, rang out, "It must be the miraculous effect of that nameless cultivation technique in your mind. This technique is exceptionally profound, seemingly nourishing the body with qi. The more profound and pure your spirit power, the stronger the power it feeds back to your physical body. Your spirit power constantly warms and tempers your limbs, bones, and internal organs during its circulation. If this continues, by the time you cultivate to the Titled Douluo realm, the sheer strength of this physical body alone might surpass that of the Beast God Di Tian of the Star Dou Great Forest."She had lived for countless years and witnessed innumerable human prodigies and powerful Spirit Beasts, but a situation where spirit power and physique grew simultaneously at such an astonishing rate, like Dai Youheng's, was unheard of.In her opinion, even without the enhancement of the ten-thousand-year whale glue, with Dai Youheng's current physical foundation, attaching a ten-thousand-year level fourth spirit ring from an Evil Shadow Demonic Tiger would be effortless.However, what they were planning now was far beyond a mere ten-thousand-year spirit ring."Youheng," Snow Empress's voice became solemn, "Our target this time is a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast. Remember, even the weakest hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast, as long as its species possesses a certain combat ability, its true fighting power will never be inferior to a human Titled Douluo. With your current strength, if you encounter one alone, there will be no hope of survival. We must first find my son, Xiao Bai. With him, dealing with an ordinary hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast will be a sure thing.""How do we find him then?" Dai Youheng asked, his gaze sweeping across the vast, perilous white expanse of ice before him. Searching for a specific powerful Spirit Beast in this immense and unfamiliar land was like looking for a needle in a haystack."If my true body were still intact, I could summon him through the unique dance and aura of the Ice Sky Snow Maiden (Xue Di) clan." Snow Empress's tone carried a hint of helplessness, "But now, we can only try our luck in the few places he frequently visits. I will guide you and help you avoid the territories of some extremely dangerous Spirit Beast groups within the Extreme North Land. Follow my guidance closely; do not act on your own.""Understood, I'll rely on you, Sister Snow Empress!" Dai Youheng nodded gravely. Having Snow Empress, the former ruler of the Extreme North, as his guide was undoubtedly his greatest assurance for survival and action here.With a thought, a phantom of an ice-blue pill radiating extreme coldness circulated within his body. The power of the snow soul condensing ice pill was subtly activated. After consuming it, the surrounding biting cold wind immediately became as gentle as a spring breeze to him, the snowflakes dancing in the sky seemed like friendly spirits, and even the rich ice-attribute world essence in the air began to spontaneously and gently flow into his body.Here, as long as he temporarily gained the attribute of extreme ice by consuming the snow soul condensing ice pill, he would not only be unaffected by the environment but would thrive, with the extremely cold ice and snow land becoming his optimal simulated training ground.Under Snow Empress's precise guidance, Dai Youheng avoided terrifying ice valleys and abysses, eventually arriving at a peculiar glacier region.The terrain here was relatively gentle, and hidden among the massive glaciers was an ice lake that had not completely frozen over! The lake water was deep, emitting a faint blue light, and vaguely visible were some strangely shaped, crystal-clear or ice-scaled fish Spirit Beasts leisurely swimming in the water. They had clearly adapted to this extreme low temperature."This is the place," Snow Empress said. "Xiao Bai is a glutton, especially fond of a few unique cold fish from this ice lake. When he's craving, he often comes here to catch fish for a meal. We'll find a spot nearby to settle down and wait patiently. Since he likes it here, he'll come eventually."Dai Youheng couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this. "So, Snow Empress, you really did raise a bear that can catch fish, and you get to have both fish and bear paws!"He imagined the Ice Bear King Xiao Bai, looking clumsy yet powerful, squatting by the lake to fish, and found it quite amusing.Snow Empress's voice also carried a hint of a smile. "Of course. Xiao Bai's cooking skills were learned from me; his grilled fish tastes quite good. When he arrives, I'll have him grill some fish for you to try."Once they had decided, they dug a simple ice cave as a temporary residence under a wind-sheltered ice wall not far from the ice lake.Dai Youheng was not impatient, knowing that hunting a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast was by no means easy, and patience was the primary condition.During the waiting period, he did not waste time. The pure and rich ice-attribute energy environment of the Extreme North Land greatly benefited his cultivation of the body-refining technique. Every day, apart from necessary vigilance and rest, he dedicated almost all his time to cultivation.Inside the ice cave, Dai Youheng sat cross-legged, his cultivation technique circulating through his body at an unprecedented speed. His spirit power, heavy and condensed like mercury, flowed through his meridians and acupoints, constantly permeating and nourishing every inch of flesh and every bone, bringing a strange sensation of warmth and numbness.Beneath his skin, a faint golden glow subtly circulated, an external manifestation of surging vitality and continuously strengthening physique. He could clearly feel that his defense, strength, speed, and even recovery ability were steadily improving through this cultivation."This cultivation technique balances yin and yang. When it operates, qi and blood surge like dragons, and the internal force condenses like adamantine. When cultivated to the extreme, the physical body's strength might truly rival those evil-repelling divine beasts from ancient legends." Dai Youheng felt the changes in himself and was delighted, so he named this technique, the "Golden Adamant Evil Warding Body."The name was straightforward and domineering, perfectly matching the technique's characteristics. In legends, the Pixiu (evil-repelling) was a great demon with boundless physical strength.Perhaps this technique truly originated from such peerless great demons, possessing a unique aura, or perhaps Dai Youheng's continuous operation of it for days had finally pushed the accumulated technique fluctuations to a certain critical point.On this day, as he once again immersed himself in deep cultivation, that pure and powerful aura, like ripples, subtly spread outwards from him. Though faint, it carried an indescribable pressure of rank, penetrating through the thick ice layers and extending towards the deeper, darker regions below...
