Tacit Coordination

Xiao Han suddenly woke from his sleep and found Shui Bing'er no longer beside him. He got up and walked out of the tent.

"Bing'er, you're already awake."

"Mom, why didn't you wake me?"

Lin Zhiruo and Shui Bing'er were eating nearby.

"You were sleeping so soundly, so I didn't wake you. Come eat something. Once we're done, we'll help Bing'er find a suitable soul beast."

"Okay."

Shui Bing'er asked with a smile:

"Last night was your first time keeping watch. How did it feel?"

"Pretty good. From now on, whenever we come out to hunt soul beasts, leave the night watch to me."

"That won't do. Once I obtain my Second Soul Ring, I'll help share the burden too."

"No need. I'm a man, so I should take on more responsibility."

Lin Zhiruo teased him with a smile:

"This brat has grown up and is starting to understand things. In another ten years or so, I'll be able to enjoy an easy life."

After eating and packing up, the three set off.

Two days later, the three entered a valley.

It was bitterly cold here, with ice covering everything around them.

Just as the three carefully made their way between the ice walls, a deep, powerful cracking sound shattered the silence.

Following the sound, they saw a massive figure slowly emerge from behind a huge ice boulder not far away.

Sensing the soul beast's presence, Lin Zhiruo was overjoyed.

"It's an Ice Crystal Pangolin with six to seven hundred years of cultivation. It's perfect for Bing'er's Second Soul Ring."

As soon as Lin Zhiruo finished speaking, she charged over at high speed.

Xiao Han and Shui Bing'er followed close behind.

This Ice Crystal Pangolin was three meters long, its entire body covered in translucent blue ice armor. Every scale was not only incredibly hard, but also faintly emitted a chill.

Its eyes appeared especially bright against the ice armor, gleaming with savage light.

Its thick, powerful limbs made the ice crack beneath every step.

Most eye-catching was its drill-like tail, formed from condensed ice crystals and exceptionally sharp. It was both a tool for digging burrows and a weapon for attacking enemies.

The trio's approach made the Ice Crystal Pangolin sense danger.

It let out a low roar as intricate patterns gradually emerged across its ice armor.

Clearly, it was ready for battle.

Xiao Han, Shui Bing'er, and Lin Zhiruo exchanged glances.

"Mom, let Bing'er and me handle it."

"Fine. Be careful. Although it only has six to seven hundred years of cultivation, both its offense and defense are no weaker than that thousand-year-old Ice Armored Thorn Beast."

"Mm, got it."

For Xiao Han and Shui Bing'er, this was another excellent chance to train.

The two simultaneously released their martial souls and Soul Rings.

As the First Soul Ring suddenly lit up, Shui Bing'er took the lead in activating Freeze. A layer of solid frost instantly encased the Ice Crystal Pangolin.

But the Ice Crystal Pangolin possessed berserk strength and broke free from Shui Bing'er's Freeze in the blink of an eye.

Yet Xiao Han's Frost Edge Shot followed immediately. An icy blue arrow slammed fiercely into the Ice Crystal Pangolin's neck.

Xiao Han had observed it carefully. The Ice Crystal Pangolin's back, head, and tail were all extremely tough, while its abdomen was its weakest point.

However, with its enormous body, it would certainly protect its abdomen well. Using that as a breakthrough point would be extremely difficult.

Aside from that, its neck was comparatively vulnerable.

Xiao Han's Frost Shot had targeted precisely that weakness.

That arrow had directly blasted off several pieces of ice armor.

The Ice Crystal Pangolin was enraged. It opened its huge maw and lunged fiercely at the weaker Shui Bing'er.

Although it was enormous, it was not slow in the slightest.

Shui Bing'er had only one Soul Ring, but her combat skills were superb. Facing the Ice Crystal Pangolin's sudden attack, she lightly leaped aside with swift movements.

At the same time, she swiftly swung an Ice Blade from her hand.

The Ice Blade tore through the air, carrying a piercingly cold gust as it accurately lodged between the hard scales on the Ice Crystal Pangolin's neck.

Though it failed to pierce its defenses directly, it still caused the beast intense pain. That spot had already suffered Xiao Han's attack.

The Ice Crystal Pangolin's roar became even more frenzied.

This sudden counterattack briefly threw the Ice Crystal Pangolin off balance, buying Xiao Han and Shui Bing'er precious time to strike back.

Seeing this, Xiao Han's gaze sharpened.

His figure flashed as he used the terrain to circle around to the Ice Crystal Pangolin's flank, a blind spot in both its vision and defenses.

Soul Power surged within Xiao Han as his Second Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Arrows Firing, activated instantly.

The ice arrows seemed to be imbued with life, transforming into a sky full of icy rain that densely shot toward every part of the Ice Crystal Pangolin's body.

Though the Ice Crystal Pangolin's defenses were astonishing, it still had to resist with all its strength under such a dense barrage of ice arrows.

Its tail spun wildly as it attempted to use its sharp ice crystal drill to shatter the arrows.

But every ice arrow contained an intensely penetrating chill, steadily weakening the Ice Crystal Pangolin's defenses.

While the Ice Crystal Pangolin defended itself, Xiao Han activated his Second Soul Skill once more.

This time was different from the last.

Guided by his will, countless icy blue arrows merged together in midair, all stabbing toward the Ice Crystal Pangolin's neck.

At the same time, Shui Bing'er did not remain idle.

She activated Freeze once again. Solid frost sealed the entire rear half of the Ice Crystal Pangolin's body, leaving only its head and neck exposed so Xiao Han's ice arrows could strike their target smoothly.

With the two working in perfect coordination, the Ice Crystal Pangolin gradually began to falter.

Its roars grew more and more urgent, while the ice armor around its neck was completely shattered.

"Bing'er, it's up to you."

"Understood."

Shui Bing'er leaped high into the air, gathering all the Soul Power remaining in her body into her right hand. An incomparably sharp Ice Blade slashed out in an instant, landing precisely on the Ice Crystal Pangolin's neck.

"Bang!"

A dull thud rang out.

The Ice Crystal Pangolin's enormous body crashed to the ground. After struggling a few times, it lay motionless.

Seeing this, Lin Zhiruo quickly stepped forward to inspect it. Once she confirmed that the Ice Crystal Pangolin had completely lost its life force, a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

She walked over to Xiao Han and Shui Bing'er and patted their shoulders.

"Beautifully done! The two of you are becoming more and more coordinated."

"Of course. We've known each other for three years, after all."

"Stop running your mouth. Bing'er, adjust your condition and prepare to absorb the Soul Ring."

"Okay."

A mass of yellow mist slowly rose from the Ice Crystal Pangolin's corpse, gradually condensing into a Soul Ring.

After adjusting her condition, Shui Bing'er drew the Soul Ring over and began absorbing it.

Lin Zhiruo quietly stood guard nearby.

Xiao Han sat down to cultivate, taking the opportunity to restore the Soul Power he had expended in battle.

Three hours later, Shui Bing'er completely absorbed the Soul Ring.