Chapter 186 Blood Ice Scroll

Chapter 186: Blood Ice Scroll

Soul Realm, mysterious figures, and extraordinary treasures.

The matters Father mentioned this morning lingered in Xue Zhiyu's mind.

To Father, it was just another routine discussion. In recent years, such exchanges between father and daughter had become more frequent. Whenever there were important internal matters concerning the Holy Sanctuary or the Blade Edge, Xue Cangbo always liked to hear Xue Zhiyu's opinions and ideas first. It was a form of grooming.

But for Xue Zhiyu... that mysterious figure who could overpower all the top-tier experts on the continent with overwhelming force, what a remarkable and awe-inspiring presence!

This world is vast. Staying in the Ice Spirit Kingdom, Xue Zhiyu increasingly felt like a frog at the bottom of a well. The desire to leave grew stronger. How could she govern the Ice Spirit Kingdom without seeing the world as Karida did?

"Sis!" Xuecai led someone over, pouting. They had planned to show off their affection in the Holy Sanctuary today, and she was the director. Who knew her sister would be so late after circling the Wizard Academy twice: "What were you daydreaming about? Why are you so late?"

"Ah, nothing..." Xue Zhiyu composed herself, saw Xuecai with Wang Feng, smiled, and said: "Father called me for a meeting, so I was delayed."

"Not talking about marriage again, right? Humph, Father is really losing his marbles..."

"Don't talk back." Xue Zhiyu patted her head, smiling: "It wasn't about marriage, but other things."

"What kind of things could make you lose focus? Tell me about it." Xuecai said with interest, then glanced at Wang Feng, "We're all family here. What's the big deal? I can't stand your constant secrecy."

Xue Zhiyu sighed helplessly, "A major event has occurred in the Soul Realm. A treasure has appeared, causing various factions to compete for it. However, a mysterious figure has already claimed it with overwhelming power. Now, all the forces on the continent are searching for this person."

Old Wang perked up, recalling the dozens of trailing lights chasing him when he grabbed the Heavenly Soul Pearl in the transfer space.

"Wow, those people must have lost out big time. We're going to get rich again in the Ice Spirit Kingdom," Xuecai said happily, then glanced smugly at Wang Feng, "Don't you understand? Today, the master will educate you. The Soul Realm is a mysterious world. Many treasures from our world come from there. Of course, the strong from the Nine Heavens can directly enter to plunder, but they need complex teleportation arrays and expensive soul crystals to support them. This time, it must have been quite costly."

The Soul Realm is not something ordinary Holy Sanctuary disciples encounter, and even many heroes might not know much about it due to its high level. But it's not a big secret. Since Xuecai mentioned it, Xue Zhiyu, who always indulged her carefree sister, let it slide.

"Wang Feng, listen to these matters but don't spread them."

Wang Feng nodded with a smile, "What kind of treasure? Any leads?"

Xue Zhiyu shook her head, "I'm not sure what the treasure is, but for it to cause so many factions to enter the Soul Realm, it must be significant. It seems no one has any clue about the mysterious figure. They are investigating large-scale high-grade soul crystal transactions everywhere, including in the Ice Spirit Kingdom. After all, to achieve such a teleportation speed in the Soul Realm, one must use a highly advanced array and soul crystals, at least α8 grade. Besides, soul crystal transactions are core business in every country, making them hard to trace."

"Sis, we've lost things before, why is it so exciting this time? What's so special about this treasure?"

Old Wang was relieved. This was a technical superiority. Someone might not know what it was, but surely someone knew it was the Heavenly Soul Pearl. There's no such thing as luck in these matters, which means... someone else must have the Heavenly Soul Pearl too.

It's not just those people; even Old Wang was tempted. If he saw it, he wouldn't let it go either.

Currently, the mainstream method for entering the Soul Realm in the Nine Heavens is still quite primitive, wasting a lot of energy. The Great Freedom Cosmos Teleportation Array is his personal advantage. As the creator, he initially used it for testing, but it turned out to be very useful. Wang Feng realized this skill would be crucial for his future, though he didn't know how they traced the coordinates of the treasure. He couldn't underestimate these 'primitive' people.

At the same time, from their understanding of the Great Freedom Cosmos Teleportation Array's unparalleled speed and the snail-like pace of the dozens of lights last time, it was clear that it was difficult for other experts to enter the Soul Realm. Given the order of the universe here, the highest is the Sixth Order Rune Civilization, and the Nine Gods, even if stronger, probably only reach the Seventh Order. Their exploration of the Soul Realm is still in a very primitive stage, far from being able to track or query landing points.

Seeing the two deep in thought, Xuecai urged, "Alright, alright, what are we here for today? Not to chat, but to show off our affection! Important things said three times. I'm the director today, Wang Feng, the spotlight is on you. As Karida's junior and a rune master, you must be bold. Only then can you serve as a shield. Show your manliness..."

"Princess Zhiyu!"

Before Xuecai finished, a passionate voice rang out. A handsome man holding a large bouquet of white roses ran forward, knelt before Xue Zhiyu, and declared with deep emotion: "A heart full of longing gallops towards you; a steadfast love follows you like a shadow. Pursuing true love, I will act decisively... Wang Feng!"

His declaration caught everyone off guard. Just as they were stunned, he abruptly turned to the old man beside Xue Zhiyu and shouted, "You are not of the Ice Spirit Clan. You do not deserve to pursue Princess Zhiyu. I challenge you!"

He completed his declaration and challenge in ten seconds, incredibly bold. The crowd quickly gathered, having been waiting for an opportunity.

Xuecai was furious. She had just chased one away, and now another came. Could this be a queue? "Do you want to die? Daring to do this in front of me..."

"Princess Xuecai!" The man pulled out a scroll from his chest, bearing a red fingerprint and signature reading 'Han Xiao': "According to the oldest traditions of the Ice Spirit Clan, anyone has the right to pursue the woman they love through the Blood Ice Scroll! This is my Blood Ice Scroll, signed in my own blood. I challenge Wang Feng fairly. Does Princess Xuecai also want to interfere?"

The Blood Ice Scroll is akin to a life-and-death contract. While it doesn't involve actual death, the loser must abandon their beloved and leave the Ice Spirit Kingdom, never to return. For the Ice Spirit people, who value roots deeply, this is a severe punishment.

The crowd became excited, having long disliked Wang Feng. They were even more irritated to see the troublemaker Xuecai acting as his bodyguard. Why should they tolerate it?

"There's a show to watch!"

"Han Xiao brought the Blood Ice Scroll and signed it, following our Ice Spirit Clan's rules. Even Princess Xuecai can't interfere arbitrarily..."

"The rules are our faith. Opposing ancestral customs is opposing our ancestors. Princess Xuecai, think carefully!"

Everyone knew the situation with the young princess, who was not favored by the king and had a more casual personality. No one truly feared her. The crowd's unanimous voice left Xuecai speechless. The Blood Ice Scroll is a tradition of the Ice Spirit Clan, and even the royal family cannot intervene. She seemed to have no reason to interfere, so she said forcefully, "Who cares about you... but you interrupted our conversation! Get lost, find Wang Feng yourself another day. Don't bother me!"

"I don't know! My love for Princess Zhiyu is genuine, as clear as the sun and moon!" Han Xiao showed no fear, indignantly declaring: "If the Princess insists on stopping me or opposing our clan's traditions, I won't accept it!"

"We won't accept it either!"

"The Princess can't violate the ancestral rules! The Blood Ice Scroll is a tradition of the Ice Spirit Kingdom for centuries!"

"Princess, trying to protect Wang Feng won't work. You can't follow him around all day. More people will challenge him in private."

"Why hide? Let's see what he's made of. What's the point of hiding?"

"Is the Princess protecting Wang Feng because he can't fight? Why hide him?"

"Exactly! Everyone said Wang Feng only knows small fireballs and beat Wei En by luck. I didn't believe it, but now, hmm!"

The crowd's heckling grew louder. Xuecai felt embarrassed, unable to control the situation. Were they rebelling?

Han Xiao looked righteous, feeling immensely satisfied. His goal was to attract the princess's attention and express his feelings, getting ahead of Aota. Regardless of the outcome, he would gain fame. As for the consequences, there were none. Being an Ice Spirit native, he had the advantage of time, place, and people.

"Wang Feng, are you a man? Will you fight for the princess?" Seeing Xuecai's momentum wane, Han Xiao's confidence grew. The more obstacles, the more he believed Wang Feng was a fraud, no matter how skilled in runes.

Wang Feng shook his head helplessly. With his experience, he could see through this young man's intentions. By placing himself on a moral high ground, he ensured he wouldn't lose, pretending to be a hero while actually seeking a shortcut.

Wang Feng stepped forward, serious, "Princess Xuecai, thank you for your concern. I know you want to protect the Ice Spirit people, but this involves Princess Zhiyu's honor and my love!"

Even Xue Zhiyu and Xuecai were confused. What was happening?

"Han Xiao, right? Of course, you can challenge me. However, the Ice Spirit Kingdom has its rules, and so does Aurora. The loser must leave Ice Spirit City and never return, and also cut off a hand. That's the rule in Aurora."

Han Xiao was taken aback, chop off a hand???

He had heard that this man wasn’t strong, but he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. After all, the other party had taken down Wei En, even if it was through a low-level fire witchcraft trick. But what if...

To be honest, the Blood Ice Scroll was old news. Winning would bring both fame and fortune, and according to tradition, one could win the favor of the princess. But losing meant nothing more than leaving. For the Ice Spirit people, who once valued their roots deeply, leaving the Ice Spirit Kingdom might have been a severe punishment, but times had changed, especially among the younger generation. Many, like Xue Zhiyu, who wanted to see the world, had embraced the ideas of the Holy Sanctuary. For Han Xiao, leaving wasn’t a significant punishment. He could always return when the dust settled. After all, he was standing up for the princess; who would really make things difficult for him?

But chopping off a hand was no joke; once it’s gone, it’s gone.

The atmosphere grew heavy in just a few seconds of pause and thought. Clearly, even the onlookers realized the situation was serious. Wang Feng, with his seasoned experience, wouldn’t give the other party time to react. "Han Xiao, you’ve lost. True love doesn’t hesitate. The moment you started weighing your gains and losses, you were already unworthy of talking about love. It shows that in your heart, your love for the princess is far less important than a hand, let alone life itself!"

He then looked at Xue Zhiyu with genuine affection. "Zhiyu, for you, I am willing to give my life. Life is precious, but love is even more valuable!"

Xue Zhiyu looked at Wang Feng. She knew it was fake, yet her heart skipped a beat. Life is precious, but love is even more valuable. Though a bit cliché, it was a good metaphor.