Chapter 44 - 44: Sign-In, Tu Shan Ya Ya
This ring was, of course, the one Zhao Ming had snatched from Hu Lena, but he wouldn't let that slip.
Women are inherently emotional beings.
In the course of a romantic relationship, some white lies are necessary. After all, if you were to directly tell her that this was previously used by another woman, how would that go over? That's just a blunt approach!
For a warm-hearted guy like Zhao Ming, giving the ring a meaningful name, along with a heartfelt story, would surely move Xiao Wu. If both of them felt good, why not?
Next, Zhao Ming concocted a cliché story for the ring that would have made anyone roll their eyes on Earth, yet it still made Xiao Wu feel touched as she leaned against him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"By the way, Xiao Wu, there's something I want to tell you." Sensing the right moment, Zhao Ming said.
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"What is it?" Xiao Wu purred, nestled in Zhao Ming's embrace, her eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"I might have to leave Nuoding City for a while, and during that time, you'll probably be on your own here," Zhao Ming sighed.
"Why? Are you going home?" Upon hearing Zhao Ming's words, Xiao Wu sat up straight, her gaze fixed intently on him.
"Yes, I am going home. You know, I need to obtain a spirit ring for my second martial soul, and that can only be done within the family," Zhao Ming's eyes lit up as he followed Xiao Wu's lead. If he managed to obtain a million-year spirit ring, it could be explained away as belonging to that nonexistent family.
Xiao Wu was aware of Zhao Ming's second martial soul; it wasn't a secret, and he had directly shared it with her before.
"You're going to get a spirit ring for your second martial soul? Why? You could totally wait until you break through to Spirit Douluo or Title Douluo before obtaining a powerful spirit ring. It's not worth it to add a spirit ring now," Xiao Wu said, surprised.
"Well, our family situation is a bit special."
"Oh, I see. Can't I come back home with you?" Xiao Wu pouted.
"Be good; I'll definitely take you back next time," Zhao Ming gently rubbed Xiao Wu's head, speaking softly.
"Mm," Xiao Wu replied, no longer pressing the matter.
The next morning, Zhao Ming set off.
Nuoding City, where Zhao Ming was located, lay in the southern part of the Heaven Dou Empire, while the Extreme North Land was in the northern part. The journey was long.
Zhao Ming found a merchant in Nuoding City, procured a horse and a detailed map, and set off.
His speed wasn't particularly fast; he occasionally stopped to appreciate the local customs and culture of various regions in the Heaven Dou Empire.
Before he knew it, six days had passed, and Zhao Ming had entered the northern regions of the Heaven Dou Empire. The surrounding air was becoming increasingly cold. The chilly weather forced Zhao Ming to stop at nearby cities to buy some cold-resistant clothing and gear.
Although the weather was frigid, Zhao Ming didn't find it unbearable. If it got too cold, he would simply release the Flame Spirit Ji to warm him up. After all, the Flame Spirit Ji was fire-type and could easily meet Zhao Ming's needs. In return, he paid the price of rapidly depleting his soul power.
At the northernmost end of the Heaven Dou Empire, there were no cities left. The severe cold rendered this area uninhabitable for humans. As a result, Zhao Ming primarily rested in the wild after entering this region.
In his supplies, he had a small tent made of ice bear skin, which could be folded up. Ice bears were spirit beasts that lived in the Extreme North, and their thick fur effectively insulated against the cold. The tent wasn't large, measuring only two meters long and one point two meters wide, but it was more than sufficient for one person.
Over the past few days, Zhao Ming's biggest realization was that here, water could freeze instantly.
He had no prior experience living in such frigid conditions. Even on Earth, he had lived in the south, where even substantial snow was a rare sight, let alone this kind of environment.
Therefore, when he truly began living in this cold, he encountered many awkward problems.
The most memorable incident occurred when he needed to relieve himself in the freezing cold. The moment his urine hit the ground, it froze, and the ice formed along a curve toward his... well, you know where.
This frightened Zhao Ming to no end, and he quickly summoned the Flame Spirit Ji to help thaw it.
After that experience, Zhao Ming developed a psychological shadow. Whenever he needed to go to the bathroom, he made sure to keep the Flame Spirit Ji by his side, just in case.
After traveling for another day, Zhao Ming finally arrived at his destination. In this snow-covered area stood a black stone tablet, inscribed with a line of small characters:
"Extreme North Land, a forbidden zone for humans. Spirit beasts abound; danger, danger, danger!"
The last three instances of "danger" were marked in red.
The Extreme North Land, a forbidden zone for humans, was no joke. In this place, not only ordinary people but even spirit masters with slightly lower cultivation levels couldn't withstand such harsh weather. Even ice-type and water-type spirit masters wouldn't come here to obtain spirit rings without considerable strength.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the sign-in task."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for obtaining the puppet, Tu Shan Ya Ya."
Upon hearing the system's notification, Zhao Ming didn't feel particularly excited. Now that he was only at level fifteen soul power, even if he obtained this puppet, he wouldn't be able to utilize it. If it weren't for the time-sensitive nature of this sign-in task, he wouldn't have wanted to come here so early.
Moreover, after staying in such a frigid place for so long, Zhao Ming felt he was becoming apathetic.
If he were an adult right now, he would definitely curse, "This damn place is so cold that I don't even feel like doing anything romantic."
"Host, how about we take a look inside? You might also solve the issue of your first spirit ring," the system suddenly urged.
"Explore? I'm not keen on dying so soon. With my current strength, I wouldn't be able to withstand even an ordinary ice-type spirit beast, let alone a Heavenly Dream," Zhao Ming retorted irritably.
"Although that's true, it seems you might not have a choice now," the system chuckled, its voice laced with schadenfreude.
The system's words sent an ominous feeling through Zhao Ming.
But soon enough, he understood what the system was implying.
****
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