Douluo 2: This Dragon God has too much martial virtue

Chapter 551 Hunting Preparation
"Why is passage to the far north ice plains prohibited?" Huo Yuhao had thought that returning to the far north would be like returning home. He thought that as long as he told his teacher, all the 100,000-year-old soul beasts and even ferocious beasts in the far north would have to line up for him to choose from.

He now asks Mu Xing for a soul as naturally as a spoiled house cat asking its owner for a fancy can of food, without feeling that there's anything wrong with his sense of entitlement.

The three-eyed golden shaded dog lying next to Mu Xing expressed its approval.

"Originally, we planned to keep using the beast tide excuse, but a few days ago, divine power fluctuations appeared on the ice plains. To prevent that fugitive from harming innocent people, we had to go all the way! Although I don't really care about casualties, those cities will be my territory sooner or later." Mu Xing explained to him the real reason for the complete blockade of the far north. Those golden light curtains that seemed to be used to block the wind and snow were actually cages combined with spatial arrays. The entire border of Dragon City facing the ice plains had long been covered with a spatial restriction like a net.

“Wang Dong needs an undisturbed battlefield, and Tang San should end his exile in the icy plains,” Mu Xing continued. “I didn’t block the border; I just created this illusion. The real force is the God Realm, and the Enforcement Gods, led by the God of Slaughter, will treat the entire far north ice plains as a hunting ground.”

Huo Yuhao released his mental probe towards the distant light screen, attempting to penetrate the pale golden barrier and observe the situation in the far north ice plains. However, the instant his mental power passed through the light screen, all his senses were instantly swallowed up. There was no howling wind and snow, no aura of soul beasts, and he couldn't even discern the most basic spatial orientation.

This feeling was familiar to him, just like when Rong Nianbing dragged him into that mysterious space isolated from heaven and earth not long ago; his spiritual power vanished without a trace, without even causing a ripple. What was even stranger was that while the surface of the light screen was still reflecting the outside world normally, its interior seemed to be connected to another world.

He subconsciously touched his brow, and a slight stinging sensation came from the Eye of Destiny. Behind that seemingly gentle light was an absolute forbidden zone that he could not yet fathom.

“Tang San has… how should I put it? He has a shield. That’s why the God Realm has never been able to accurately locate his whereabouts.” Mu Xing thought for a moment, then ultimately gave up explaining to Huo Yuhao what the Law Enforcement God Badge was. “However, blood ties are a very strange thing, don’t you think?”

The Enforcer's Badge acted as a perfect jammer, but the bond of blood could not be blocked. Wang Dong was able to track Tang San's whereabouts using this unique sensory ability. As she approached her target, the God of Destruction could observe the movements of this deity he had personally elevated and ultimately pinpoint Tang San's hiding place.

“But sometimes it’s also disgusting,” Huo Yuhao said softly. He felt a physical discomfort whenever he thought of his biological parents.

The air between them froze for a moment before Mu Xing suddenly changed the subject, “You’ve come back at the wrong time. Why don’t you go to the sea to find a suitable soul beast? The ocean is no longer the forbidden zone it once was. Humanity’s exploration and development of the ocean over the past ten thousand years can’t even compare to the harsh climate of the far north ice fields. There are many powerful ferocious beasts in the deep sea for you to choose from.”

Huo Yuhao originally thought that it would be easier to find targets in the far north and that it wouldn't take too much time. However, he didn't expect to be so unlucky this time. It seems that even the luck of the chosen one is greatly reduced when encountering a god.

"Of the three great kings of the far north, only the Titan Snow Demon King is left for you to choose from, and there is also a ferocious beast-level Ice Bear King, which is said to have been raised by the Ice and Snow Maiden. If you choose that Ice Bear, Di Tian will probably be very happy." As for why he would be happy, don't ask too much.

"Is it because the bear paws are so delicious?" Huo Yuhao retorted precisely.

The paws of the Arctic bear are considered the finest delicacy among all bear paws. Living in the frigid Arctic for a long time, their paws are exceptionally plump and juicy due to the harsh environment. After being prepared using a special method, their flavor is even more exquisite.

However, the Arctic Bear is incredibly powerful and inhabits the treacherous environment of the Arctic core. It's simply not worth it for Soul Masters to risk their lives just to satisfy their appetites. Therefore, the Arctic Bear's paws are extremely rare and highly sought-after treasures throughout the entire continent.

"Yes, but they're not pretty, and you definitely won't like them. There's no need to compromise yourself just to please him."

Recalling the appearance of the Titan Snow Demon King, Mu Xing couldn't help but frown. Its form was quite similar to a human, with long arms and its entire body covered in long, snow-white fur. Its face was also close to a human's, except that its forehead was covered with wrinkles, its skin was bluish-gray, and it had two huge fangs. It seemed that only in this way could it reveal its true nature as a soul beast.

As for the Ice Bear King, according to Shiva, the Ice Dragon Maiden of Muxing, its human form is like a round ball, all fat and white, even its head is round. If it were a child, it might be barely considered cute, but unfortunately it isn't.

Over the years, under Mu Xing's influence, Huo Yuhao has also become a sucker for good looks. Given a choice, she is certain that he will not choose those two ferocious beasts.

The large eyeball was a different story; after all, it was the second-ranked ferocious beast and stood at the top of the spiritual attribute soul beasts. Being that powerful, Huo Yuhao didn't really care whether it was good-looking or not.

"If we don't need the soul spirit, taking the soul ring and soul bone of that Ice Bear King directly would be a win-win solution. However, we shouldn't enter the far north ice plains now, lest we alert them. Sigh, I don't know how long we'll have to wait."

"Hey! That's going too far!" Ice Emperor suddenly appeared. "Soul beasts are already rare in our far north, and ice bears are even rarer. If they can grow to a cultivation level of over ten thousand years, they can become the main fighting force of the far north, let alone an ice bear like Little White that has reached the level of a ferocious beast."

Xiao Bai is a young ice bear adopted by Xue Di shortly after she became the ruler of the far north. It has lived with Xue Di since it was a cub, for more than 200,000 years. Although Xiao Bai has now become a local overlord, it still regards Xue Di as its mother.

Now that the Snow Empress is gone, the Ice Empress, whether out of remembrance for her old friend or to protect the soul beast clans of the far north, will never allow it to be hunted by its host for soul rings and soul bones, only to become a dragon's meal.

"Little White? What a perfunctory name. The far north has now become a battlefield of divine war, just like Jialing Pass ten thousand years ago. Even if we don't attack it, the many soul beasts there will still be caught in the crossfire of the divine war. You should be glad that you have become Yuhao's soul spirit, otherwise you might have been destroyed like them." Mu Xing's gaze pierced through the distant light screen, and the familiar killing aura spread with the arrival of the law enforcement gods. In the surging energy fluctuations, she also keenly sensed a trace of destruction.

"Although the land in the far north has been blocked, the ocean has not."

Unlike Bingdi, who was worried about the future of the far north, Huo Yuhao sensed another meaning—his teacher might not let him attack the soul beasts of the far north, at least not now, but she definitely wanted to eat fish. Sure enough, Mu Xing said meaningfully, "Actually, there are many beautiful and powerful beings in the sea, such as the box of golden pearls I gave you a few years ago, which were the tears of the Sea Princess... Of course, I'm not saying you have to catch a mermaid, but don't you think the ice-attribute kitchen knife that Rong Nianbing gave you would be perfect for sashimi? And the Zheng Yang knife you got for Rui Rui would be perfect for grilled fish, wouldn't it?"

"You..." Hyotei racked her brains, but could only weakly defend it by mentioning the figure of her old friend's son, "That's because Snow Empress said she liked its round and chubby appearance the most, so when it transformed, it deliberately kept that appearance, and always felt that its fat body was particularly heroic..." Her voice grew lower and lower, and by the end, she was very weak.

"Is that right?" Mu Xing pondered. They were both bears, but the Bear King's transformed appearance wasn't so indescribable. It seemed that Xing Dou's aesthetic sense far surpassed that of the Far North, especially the dragon race, whose transformed forms were all exceptionally beautiful!
"Ahem! In short, we can put the bear paw aside for now. You need to put my needs first, understand?" Mu Xing placed his hands on the table with an air of authority. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm needed here, I would love to go with you, but I will spare a sliver of my divine sense to follow you."

Huo Yuhao suddenly felt that this action was like a cat tucking its paws in, with a long prelude but always ending up neatly. However, this time, Mu Xing still kept the auspicious beast by his side, which meant he had other plans.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for breeds with delicious meat." Huo Yuhao forcibly stopped his cat-like fantasies about his mentor.

Since almost the entire northern border of the Heavenly Soul Empire was sealed off, Huo Yuhao had no choice but to travel to the deep sea from the direction of the Sun Moon Empire.

His divine succession had already been predetermined; the remaining assessments were merely a formality. His current spirit ring configuration was already unparalleled, except for the last two slots. He couldn't simply find any 100,000-year-old spirit beast to fill them.

Dongyang City, a key military stronghold located on the northern border of the Sun Moon Empire, became the starting point of his journey. Unlike the Heavenly Soul Empire, which borders the far northern ice plains, the northernmost point of the Sun Moon Empire is directly connected to the vast Ice Sea. This sea area, known as the "Ice Sea," is actually a vast, low-temperature sea area on the western side of the far north.

The name "Ice Sea" doesn't come from the completely frozen surface of the sea, but rather from the frigid temperatures that persist year-round. Even in the height of summer, ice floes of all sizes float on the surface, and occasionally, majestic icebergs can be seen drifting by.

As for why the powerful beings in the God Realm didn't set up defenses here, it's because Tang San, having defected to the lower realm with the position of the Asura God, no longer has the support of the Sea God's position. Naturally, there's no need to worry about him causing any trouble in the sea. After all, he is a talent who has completely simplified the Golden Thirteen Halberds passed down by the first Sea God.

Dongyang City, a northern military fortress of the Sun Moon Empire, stands majestically on the empire's northeastern border, bordering the Heavenly Soul Empire only a thousand miles away. This steel-like city guards the most important defensive line along the icy sea coast, and its garrisoned Soul Master Legion is constantly on guard against threats from the deep sea.

A biting wind howled day and night over this important military town, and the city walls were covered with frost that would never melt. The army stationed here was not there to defend against foreign invasion, but to guard against the sea spirit beasts that might emerge from the icy sea. These spirit beasts, who lived year-round in the frigid seas, often possessed both ice and water attributes, and their strength far exceeded that of ordinary land spirit beasts.

Every few years, hordes of sea spirit beasts would raid the coast during the polar night. They would enter cities to plunder food and even hunt lone spirit masters. What was most frightening was that these sea spirit beasts always acted in packs.

On the towering walls of Dongyang City, Soul Masters patrol day and night. Soul-guided detection devices on the walls constantly scan for soul energy fluctuations beneath the sea surface. Inside the city's military camps, the "Icebreaker" series of soul-guided cannons, specifically developed to counter sea soul beasts, are always ready to fire. Every winter, the entire city enters a state of high alert, as this is the season when sea soul beasts are most active.

Huo Yuhao stood beneath the majestic city gate of Dongyang City, gazing up at this northern fortress forged with steel and soul-guided technology.

The biting cold actually made him feel incredibly comfortable. The extreme low temperature circulated within his body, causing no discomfort whatsoever; on the contrary, it made his soul power flow even more smoothly. He took a deep breath, the icy air rushing into his lungs, bringing a refreshing stimulation.

The chill from the icy sea seemed to resonate with him, allowing him to clearly feel his strength being enhanced in every aspect. Even when facing ferocious beasts, he was absolutely confident of remaining invincible.

The distant icy sea shimmered with a cold light under the sunlight, and Huo Yuhao had a premonition that a thrilling hunt awaited him there.

Back then, the teacher brought back so many good things from just one trip to sea, and he even managed to snatch them while traveling. Maybe I could do the same... Huo Yuhao gently picked up the golden scale pendant hanging on his chest, feeling the familiar cool touch on his fingertips. This was the first precious gift he had ever received in his life.

Thirty miles north of Dongyang City lies the Ice Sea, almost within reach. Huo Yuhao suddenly sensed an anomaly in his spiritual sea. With a slight thought, he immediately established a connection with it.

"Tianmeng eats and sleeps, sleeps and eats, what does it know! You can ask me."

During this period, Ice Empress was unusually active, frequently offering advice and strategies. As one of the three great kings of the far north, she had always been indifferent to the soul beasts of other territories. As long as they did not endanger the far north, she did not care which sea soul beast became Huo Yuhao's soul spirit or had its soul ring and soul bone taken from it.

"Okay, so what suggestions do you have?"

"As far as I know, there are several sea spirit beasts in this sea area that possess strength comparable to that of the Snow Empress before her reconstruction. As for what kind of beings lurk in the more distant and deeper seas, that is beyond my knowledge. However, I do know that a powerful sea spirit beast clan—the Sea Princess clan—lives nearby, possessing both spiritual and water attributes."

"Forget it, Hyotei, let's choose another one." Huo Yuhao rejected her suggestion. It had only been five or six years since those mermaids were last robbed by the dragon, so they must be dirt poor now.

"Exactly, isn't having my mental attributes enough?" the big-eyed creature protested, waving its tentacles.

　Once the kitten is distracted, you can start beating up the scoundrel.
　　Sigh, I always send my cats out hunting; maybe it's a lingering effect of Monster Hunter.
　　(End of this chapter)