With a heavy heart, Dai Yueheng returned to Shrek Academy.
Meanwhile, far away on the endless snowy plains—
Whoosh!
A streak of green-gold light tore through the raging wind and snow before abruptly halting midair.
As the light faded, Liu Yuan's figure emerged.
He glanced back at the vast expanse behind him. The white wilderness stretched endlessly, with no trace of Dai Yueheng or the scout.
At the full burst of Extreme Speed, the distance he had covered in mere moments was already beyond comprehension.
After confirming he was no longer being followed, Liu Yuan's thoughts shifted. The emerald dragon scales and golden divine patterns covering his body receded like a tide, vanishing back into him.
The freezing wind howled past, carrying sharp ice crystals, yet his figure stood firm and unmoving.
A cold smile slowly formed on his lips.
"Want me to return to Shrek? Ridiculous."
His voice echoed faintly across the silent snowfield.
"Leaving aside those so-called generous conditions—even if you offered ten times more, I still wouldn't go back."
A trace of undisguised disdain flashed through his eyes.
"Summoned when useful, discarded when not… what do you take me for? A stray dog without dignity?"
The moment he thought of Xuan Zi's overbearing attitude and Dai Yueheng's condescending tone, a flicker of anger ignited within him.
His fists clenched slowly.
"If I didn't have to focus on the System's missions and growing stronger…"
"I'd return to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy right now and crush Shrek in the All-Continent Tournament."
A sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
"Isn't that 'glory' what they value most? Then I'll shatter it—piece by piece—right in front of them."
He could almost imagine Xuan Zi's expression at that moment.
The thought was tempting.
But only for a moment.
Revenge… could wait.
Right now, the priority was strength.
Only by growing stronger as quickly as possible—by obtaining more spirit rings and abilities—could he truly stand at the peak.
With that thought, Liu Yuan suppressed his emotions and moved forward once more, heading deeper into the frozen north.
---
The True Extreme North Land
After an unknown amount of time—
Liu Yuan finally stopped.
Before him lay a completely different world.
This… was the true Extreme North Land.
The sky was eternally gray-white, devoid of sunlight. Endless storm clouds churned overhead as blizzards raged without pause.
The world was nothing but white.
Towering glaciers stood like ancient giants, radiating a cold, lifeless glow.
The air itself seemed capable of freezing one's soul. Every breath felt like inhaling shards of ice, cutting into the lungs.
Even high-level Spirit Masters would struggle to survive here.
But for Liu Yuan—
This place felt almost… comfortable.
Thanks to his "Frozen Body" Ability, the extreme cold not only failed to harm him—it even subtly nourished him.
The moment he stepped into the core region, the System's voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Detected that the Host has arrived at a special check-in location—the Extreme North Land!]
[New check-in task released!]
[Task Requirement: Stay in the Extreme North Land for seven days]
[Task Reward: god-bestowed spirit ring (Rayquaza Exclusive) ×1]
"Seven days…"
Liu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
The danger here didn't come from the cold—it came from the countless Spirit Beasts lurking beneath the snow.
He needed a safe location.
Instead of rushing forward, he expanded his spiritual perception, carefully scanning the surroundings.
Soon, his gaze locked onto the side of a massive ice mountain.
A section of the ice wall appeared darker than the rest—slightly hollow.
"That's it."
In a few swift steps, he reached the spot.
Placing his hand against the ice, he felt its terrifying density—comparable to ten-thousand-year profound ice.
He didn't use any Spirit Ability.
Instead, he gathered energy into his palm—
A faint emerald-gold glow appeared.
Sizzle…
The seemingly indestructible ice began melting instantly, like snow under blazing heat.
Within moments, an opening large enough for a person formed.
Liu Yuan stepped inside.
---
Seven Days of Waiting
It was a natural ice cave.
Not large—but enough to block the storm.
He left a small gap at the entrance for observation, then sat cross-legged deep within and entered meditation.
Time passed quietly.
Outside, blizzards raged endlessly.
Inside, Liu Yuan remained motionless—like a statue carved from stone.
One day.
Two days.
…
Seven days.
Finally—
As dusk fell on the seventh day, the long-awaited System notification rang out.
[Ding! Countdown finished. Task completed!]
[Calculating rewards…]
[Congratulations Host, you have obtained: god-bestowed spirit ring (Rayquaza Exclusive) (50,000-year level) ×1]
Liu Yuan's eyes snapped open.
A sharp gleam flashed through the darkness.
"It's here… my fourth spirit ring."
Without hesitation—
"Absorb!"
A pitch-black spirit ring materialized before him, radiating a deep, ancient aura.
He guided it toward his Spirit.
The moment it fused—
A vast torrent of energy surged through his body!
At the same time, an enormous stream of information flooded his mind.
Liu Yuan focused completely, stabilizing his consciousness as he absorbed everything.
Time seemed to lose meaning.
Finally—
The energy settled.
The spirit ring fully merged.
Liu Yuan slowly exhaled, a faint mist escaping his lips.
Then—
A bright smil
e appeared on his face.
Success.
His fourth spirit ring… was complete.
A new power had been born within him.
Liu Yuan's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"So…"
"What is my fourth Spirit Ability?"