69novels 12. Leave the city and head to the secret realm.
12. Leave the city and head to the secret realm.
the next day, early morning
A rare sunrise hung high above the Ice City, scattering warm sunlight across the entire city.
At the north gate of the Ice City, a constant stream of people and carriages came and went. Outside the north gate, some vendors, dressed in thin winter clothes, were calling out their wares.
"Fresh mutton soup, fresh mutton soup, only 10 copper soul coins a bowl."
"Chicken soup is here! Fresh five-spice chicken soup, now you can get a bowl for just 9 copper soul coins."
"Wool sweaters! Wool sweaters for sale! Made from strong wool, these sweaters are warm, comfortable, and stylish!"
A constant stream of shouts echoed outside the north gate of Jibing City. Most of the vendors were merchants from nearby towns selling warm food or clothing, while others were farmers selling local specialties and dry rations.
Throughout the feudal Heavenly Soul Empire, although Extreme Ice City was located in a remote area, thanks to the Ling family's people-friendly rule, there were few instances of nobles severely oppressing the common people. Therefore, in general, the urban and rural areas within Extreme Ice City were relatively prosperous.
Although the people's lives weren't exactly comfortable, they still had hope. They could eat and drink well, and who knew that one day their child might awaken soul power and have the chance to become a Soul Master like a noble lord. With hope, the people were full of energy.
Just then, two figures emerged from the north gate, one tall and one short, both wearing black hooded coats, and slowly walked towards the outside of the gate.
Because there are organizations like the Mercenary Guild and the Adventurers' Guild in the city, there are actually quite a few people dressed like this. The two of them simply lifted their hoods to let the gatekeepers see them when they passed through the city gate.
The gatekeeper stared in surprise at the faces beneath the hoods of the two men. He was about to bow when the taller, hooded figure gestured for him to stop, but he still respectfully led the two men out. Seeing his reaction, the other gatekeepers realized the high status of these two men. They didn't bow, but instead straightened their posture even more, hoping that these two men of noble birth would look upon them with respect.
They hadn't gone far when the tall, hooded man gestured for the gatekeeper to return to his post. Without hesitation, the gatekeeper turned and walked back to his post.
The two hooded figures walked through the small market outside the north gate, through the bustling crowds, and finally reached the road leading to the far north. Neither of them moved very fast, and it took them nearly half an hour to finally escape the crowds and reach the main road leading to the far north.
Sensing that no one was around, the tall hooded man spoke to the short hooded man beside him, "There's hardly anyone around, Xiao Tian, take off your hood." After saying that, he took off his hood first, revealing his bronze face. This man was none other than Ling Yongsheng.
The short, hooded man also removed his hood, revealing his nascently handsome face—it was Ling Bingtian. He said excitedly, "The market outside the North Gate is still so lively. I must go and stroll around during my next break." Ling Bingtian said this with a mix of truth and falsehood.
Ever since Zhao Tong came into the Ling family's sights, Ling Bingtian has been "closed off" at home by the Ling family for a full year and a half.
Even if the soul within him from his past life was an adult, he still couldn't accept this kind of treatment—a "blessing" even harsher than 007's! Not to mention, he still carries some of the playful and naive influence of his present-day soul, similar to a schoolboy from a certain anime from his past life; after pretending for so long, he inevitably gets used to it. Therefore, it's necessary to act like a playful child, but deep down, he doesn't actually have any deep desires.
After all, as a transmigrator, who wouldn't enjoy the unique feeling that cultivation brings? In a peaceful and prosperous era, even if there were some things he hadn't experienced, Ling Bingtian believed that most people in his previous life hadn't experienced the feeling of cultivation either. Now that he had the opportunity to cultivate, he naturally approached it with great enthusiasm.
Actually, going out through the north gate wasn't Ling Bingtian's idea; it was Ling Yongsheng's.
Although he had only just met his grandson, Ling Yongsheng felt a pang of heartache upon hearing that the child hadn't gone out for a proper stroll in almost a year and a half. So, he figured a little more time wouldn't make a difference, and decided to take the child for another walk through the market outside the North Gate to experience the lively atmosphere. Once they reached a secluded spot, he could then carry him to their destination at high speed.
Because of yesterday's events and Ling Bingtian's outstanding appearance, many people in the city would probably recognize him by now. To avoid unnecessary trouble and disturbance, the two chose to wear hooded coats for convenience while strolling through the market.
Seeing Ling Bingtian's "excited" appearance, Ling Yongsheng felt both gratified and heartbroken. He spoke softly, in a tone as if coaxing a child, "After we return from the secret place, Grandpa will personally take you to the market, okay?"
"Uh—" Ling Bingtian was speechless. It seemed he had overdone it. He could only bite the bullet and reply in a child's tone, "Okay, Grandpa, you'll keep your word."
"Hahaha, Grandpa has never failed to keep any promises he made in his life. We'll be back soon. Now, Xiaotian, get ready, we're about to take off!" Ling Yongsheng laughed heartily a few times, and without further delay, he waved his right hand, unleashing a surge of powerful soul energy that slowly lifted Ling Bingtian into the air.
Ling Bingtian was slowly lifted into the air by his soul power, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Although he had tried flying after possessing his martial soul last night, it was still a short time, and he hadn't fully adapted to the feeling of flying. Now, being supported by a force that he couldn't control, the nervousness in his heart was indeed unavoidable.
Despite his nervousness, Ling Bingtian was also incredibly excited about that small plane. So, after taking a few seconds to adjust to the air, he nodded to Ling Yongsheng.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Ling Yongsheng's eyes. To be able to adapt to the feeling of suspension so well—truly worthy of his bloodline. Thinking this, Ling Yongsheng said no more, controlling the soul core within his body, guiding the vast soul power within him to form a soul power shield that enveloped Ling Bingtian. After confirming his grandson's safety, Ling Yongsheng aimed in the appropriate direction, shot into the sky, and flew straight towards the secret place the Ling family had discovered.
It moved so fast that it created sonic booms all around it.
Ling Bingtian found it hard to accept the rapid speed. Even with Ling Yongsheng's soul power shield protecting him, the sight of the rapid passage of time was still too much for his mind to process.
Ling Bingtian managed to hold on for about ten seconds before his brain's protective mechanism automatically made him faint, preventing the large amount of information loading from overloading his brain.
Seeing this, Ling Yongsheng didn't think much of it; it was a natural phenomenon. Besides, it was good that Ling Bingtian had fainted. As long as he could ensure his safety, his speed could even be increased further. With that in mind, Ling Yongsheng simply increased his already rapid speed a little more.
Wherever Ling Yongsheng and Ling Bingtian passed, even the clouds were carved out with long lines by their high-speed movement. If an ordinary person looked up as they passed, they probably wouldn't even see a fleeting afterimage.
Time passed quickly as they traveled, which highlighted the vastness of the far north.
The far north is similar to the Star Dou Great Forest, mainly divided into three regions: the outer ring, the inner ring closer to the core, and the core ring at the very center. The Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North generally roam the core region, and occasionally, Soul Masters have observed remnants of their power fluctuations in the inner ring. As for those who actually manage to encounter the Three Heavenly Kings of the Far North, the vast majority have become nutrients nourishing this vast and barren land.
Even with Ling Yongsheng's strength as a level 98 Super Douluo, it still took him more than an hour to travel from Jibing City to the Frosty Snow Mountain Range, a place located at the junction of the outer and inner circles of the far north, which was discovered by the Ling family's ancestors.
Upon entering this mountain range, everything around him, from trees to boulders, was covered in a thick blanket of white snow; pure white seemed to be the only color in the world. A biting mountain wind howled past Ling Yongsheng, as if roaring and trying to devour everything that came into view.
Many ice and water attribute soul beasts also live in this Frosty Snow Mountain Range. Ling Yongsheng heard many ape cries, lion roars, and wolf howls after entering this mountain range. Because it is far from the outer circle and far from the core circle, the number of soul beasts living here is quite considerable.
After all, even though the Frost Snow Mountains aren't exactly ideal for survival, given the harsh environment of the far north, it's still a fairly good place to live. Therefore, competition among spirit beasts here is extremely fierce.
In the past, Ling Yongsheng would have undoubtedly gone hunting to satisfy his appetite. However, since he had important business to attend to, he could only regretfully choose to let these soul beasts go.
Hearing the roars of beasts all around, Ling Yongsheng quickly flew to their destination with Ling Bingtian. A powerful spiritual force emanated from him, sensing the discomfort emanating from his martial soul emanating from something in a cave below.
Ling Yongsheng knew that they had arrived at the cave where the secret place was located.