Chapter 8: Chapter -8 The Extreme North.
Chapter -8.
Chen Feng chuckled and said, "Beibei, you're giving us too much credit! We're just classmates helping each other out."
As Tang Ya started to absorb the soul ring, the mood among the three grew a bit tense.
Both Beibei and Huo Yuhao were really curious about Chen Feng's abilities. Beibei, in particular, was on high alert, clearly seeing Chen Feng as a competitor.
But since it was their first day meeting, prying into someone else's strength felt a bit too forward.
As Tang Ya absorbed the energy from the thousand-year Mandala Snake soul ring, she seemed to transform a little—her skin became fairer and shinier, and her figure matured, shifting from that of a girl to a young woman.
Her presence felt much stronger too; a thousand-year soul ring gives a much bigger boost than a hundred-year one.
However, it also meant that absorbing a thousand-year soul ring took more time.
In the Star Dou Forest, danger was always lurking. During this time, Beibei and Chen Feng kept a close watch on Tang Ya, scaring off a few soul beasts. Thankfully, no thousand-year soul beasts showed up to cause trouble.
Two hours later...
"Phew…" Tang Ya let out a sigh of relief; she had successfully absorbed the thousand-year soul ring. She finished her meditation, stood up, stretched, and her eyes sparkled with excitement—she was feeling great!
In the Douluo Continent, reaching level thirty is a big deal. Soul masters with lower innate soul power might never reach this milestone, but once they do, they're no longer seen as low-level soul masters.
"I did it! I've broken through to Soul Master!! Haha!" Tang Ya cheered, and two yellow and one purple soul rings appeared around her.
Beibei smiled and said, "Congrats, Xiaoya!"
Huo Yuhao chimed in, "Teacher Xiaoya, big congrats on becoming a Soul Master!"
Chen Feng added, "Way to go, Senior Xiaoya!"
"Now, passing the fourth-grade assessment is definitely within reach!" Tang Ya's beautiful eyes sparkled with excitement.
Then she turned to Chen Feng and said, "Thank you so much!"
Beibei cleared his throat and said, "Alright, since Xiaoya has absorbed the Mandala Snake's soul ring and leveled up, let's get out of here quickly. The Star Dou Forest is still pretty dangerous, and powerful soul beasts could show up at any moment."
The four of them quickly made their way out of the Star Dou Forest, retracing their steps.
Along the way, they encountered a few soul beasts, but Chen Feng and the others handled them easily. Most of the soul beasts near the edge were only hundred-year ones, so they didn't stand a chance.
An hour later, they finally left the Star Dou Forest and continued on for several dozen kilometers.
After all that, the moon was high in the sky, casting a beautiful silver light over everything.
To take a break, they found a small stream.
Chen Feng, who had been exploring the Star Dou Forest for quite a while, was feeling pretty worn out.
Plus, he was still feeling a bit helpless since Yi Lai Ke Si was nowhere to be found.
But Chen Feng quickly shook it off; he had done his best, and there was no point in complaining.
He walked over to the stream to freshen up, using his soul power to shake off the mist, then changed into a clean outfit from his storage soul guide.
As for his old clothes? He tossed them aside; a new set only cost a few coins.
Tang Ya came over to the stream, cupping her hands to take a few sips of water and washing off the dirt from the Star Dou Forest.
Beibei and Huo Yuhao also took turns washing up in the stream.
Huo Yuhao, with his sharp eyes, spotted some fish swimming at the bottom.
Excitedly, he exclaimed, "Teacher Xiaoya, Senior Brother, there are fish here! Want to have some grilled fish? I can catch a few!"
"Eat, eat, eat! Yuhao!" Tang Ya's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but drool.
"Come on, Yuhao! This time, Beibei and I will help you catch the fish, and you just grill them. Your grilled fish is the best!"
Just as Chen Feng returned from washing up, he found Huo Yuhao already grilling fish.
The delicious aroma wafted through the air.
Chen Feng thought, "Finally, I get to try Huo Yuhao's famous grilling skills!"
Huo Yuhao scaled the cleaned fish with a white tiger dagger, removed the insides, then skewered them with sharpened sticks, built a bonfire, and carefully turned the fish over.
Before long, the mouthwatering smell filled the air as the fish turned golden brown, glistening with oil.
Huo Yuhao handed the first batch of grilled fish to Chen Feng, Tang Ya, and Beibei, then went back to grilling the rest.
"This grilled fish is amazing!" Tang Ya exclaimed, her mouth full. "Why does it taste so much better than when I grill it myself?"
Beibei added, "Yuhao, your grilling skills are on par with top chefs!"
After tasting, Chen Feng said, "It really is delicious."
Huo Yuhao shyly scratched his head and said, "It's not that hard; you just have to manage the heat and timing for the seasonings."
After enjoying a piece of fish, Chen Feng said, "That really shows talent; Yuhao has a real gift."
Hearing this, Beibei and Tang Ya nodded in agreement.
Huo Yuhao felt a bit bashful and scratched his head at the compliment.
Besides Huo Yuhao's grilled fish, Chen Feng and the others also picked some wild fruits, caught a few small animals, and munched on some dry rations.
Once Tang Ya was full, she lay down and fell asleep right away.
Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, pushed through his tiredness and began practicing the Xuantian Gong that Beibei had taught him the day before. In the end, only Beibei and Chen Feng stayed up, taking turns to sleep. Before drifting off, Chen Feng asked the Tianmeng Iceworm in his mind to keep watch, and only then did he fall into a peaceful slumber.
The next morning, Chen Feng and Tang Ya parted ways and headed towards the Extreme North. Chen Feng had already talked with the Tianmeng Iceworm in his mind about convincing the Ice Blue Emperor Scorpion in the Extreme North. "Don't worry, Chen Feng, just leave it to me, hahahaha," the Tianmeng Iceworm said excitedly in the Sea of Spirit.
At the outskirts of the Extreme North, Chen Feng bundled up in the shed skin of the Tianmeng Iceworm on the outside and a fiery lion king beast skin coat on the inside, topped with a warm bear fur hat, as he made his way toward the core area. He knew how cold it could get in the Extreme North; he didn't want to freeze like Huo Yuhao did in the original story...
"Chen Feng, if we win this bet, you'll be the strongest genius in the history of the Douluo Continent!" the Tianmeng Iceworm said to Chen Feng in the Sea of Spirit. "Our fates are intertwined; one day, I'll become a god, and you'll achieve immortality with me." Chen Feng's determination grew stronger. "Lead the way, Tianmeng, I'm ready to reach the peak!" Chen Feng strode forward with confidence.
Tl/N : Reading this? Throw some power stones then!!