Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu (Second Update)

Skywater City

Huo Yuhao lifted the curtain inside the carriage and watched the fine snow drifting past the window. Frost covered parts of the streets, and pedestrians wore thick coats and padded jackets, their breath steaming as they spoke.

This was the largest city in the northern territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, located at the empire's northernmost edge.

Further north lay an endless snowfield.

The Northern Border was home to a renowned gathering place for soul beasts—the Icebound Forest! For nearly all Soul Masters in the Northern Border, it was their first choice for hunting soul rings.

Only by crossing the Icebound Forest and continuing north through the land of deep winter could one reach the domain of the Far North Land.

The Far North Land was an absolute forbidden zone for humans.

Not only did herds of ice and snow soul beasts dwell there, but the extreme cold alone was enough to claim lives.

If one encountered a natural disaster such as a blizzard, it would be an even more devastating blow.

Even if one survived by sheer luck, it was incredibly easy to lose one's way on the snowfield and, unable to find the path back, ultimately be buried beneath the snow.

Besides that, many legends circulated throughout the Northern Border.

Skywater City.

After entering Skywater City, Huo Yuhao headed straight to the largest clothing store in town to buy some thick winter clothes.

He had consumed the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot, granting him an exceptionally high resistance to cold and frost—almost to the point of immunity.

Though he did not fear the cold, his light southern attire would look highly unusual and conspicuous amid the freezing Northern Border.

Before a full-length mirror.

Huo Yuhao looked at himself in the mirror. He wore a dark blue down jacket that fit him well, with a snow-white mink scarf wrapped around his neck. His face was still somewhat youthful, while his dark blue eyes gleamed with determination.

"Bing'er, what do you think of this one?" A pretty young girl pinched the hem of her aqua-blue dress and spun around in place.

"It looks lovely. Xiao Wu already has a perfect figure," the tranquil blue-haired girl said with a smile and a nod.

Huo Yuhao suddenly turned around and saw two young girls standing before a mirror not far away.

The quiet blue-haired girl held one elbow in her hand. She wore a pale blue long dress, and her azure hair fell smoothly down her back.

"Really?" The pretty girl blinked happily, looking at herself in the mirror as she pinched her skirt and struck several bashful poses.

"Mhm, it suits your temperament perfectly," Shui Bing'er said approvingly.

Seemingly noticing the gaze from beside her, she glanced back slightly and met Huo Yuhao's dark blue eyes. They were like a river of stars, clear and cool.

Shui Bing'er was briefly dazed.

What a handsome, refined boy.

"Bing'er, Bing'er?" Xue Wu turned around, gently tugging Shui Bing'er's arm as she followed her gaze upward and spotted Huo Yuhao across from them.

"Ah, what a handsome little brother," Xue Wu said in surprise.

"Little brother, why are you here alone? Where are your guardians?" Xue Wu pulled Shui Bing'er over, bending slightly as she looked at Huo Yuhao, who was half a head shorter than her.

"Xiao Wu..." Shui Bing'er tugged at her hand, feeling that the question was rather too presumptuous.

"I'm sorry, my friend speaks without thinking..." Shui Bing'er explained apologetically.

Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly. "Are you two Soul Masters?"

"Mhm. You're a Soul Master too, aren't you, little brother?" Shui Bing'er nodded.

She could sense Soul Power fluctuations coming from him.

"Yes. I just arrived in Skywater City and am unfamiliar with the area. Do you two know where I can buy a more detailed map of the Northern Border?" Huo Yuhao asked sincerely.

"A map of the Northern Border?" Xue Wu raised a finger to her lips, rolling her eyes upward in thought.

"Does it need to include the Icebound Forest?" Shui Bing'er asked.

Huo Yuhao could not help sighing inwardly. Her intuition was truly sharp.

"It would be best if it did."

"The Icebound Forest? Are you going there to hunt a soul ring?" Xue Wu leaned closer, her eyes blinking rapidly.

Huo Yuhao took half a step back and shook his head gently.

"That place is too dangerous. I just want to avoid that area."

"Could it be that you two are heading out as well?" Huo Yuhao asked, almost jokingly.

"Heading out? We don't need to hunt soul rings right now, so why would we go out?" Xue Wu asked in confusion.

"Never mind." Huo Yuhao waved his hands quickly.

It was good that they were not heading out. He had already run into the matter of forming a team to hunt soul rings once back in Sunset Forest.

He had merely happened to meet some locals who struck up a conversation and wanted to ask about the roads.

On the street.

Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu walked arm in arm, leading Huo Yuhao to buy maps.

"Little brother, where are you from? Did you come to Skywater City to take care of something?" Xue Wu asked curiously.

"I'm looking for relatives," Huo Yuhao said.

He was no longer the Huo Yuhao who would blush whenever he told a lie.

"Oh~ No wonder you need a map." Xue Wu suddenly understood.

Shui Bing'er lightly squeezed her palm, signaling for her to say less.

Prying into someone's background like this could make them unhappy.

"Ah, Bing'er, why did you squeeze me?" Xue Wu asked in pain.

Both Huo Yuhao and Shui Bing'er were speechless.

How had she even grown up like this?

"Are you two students at an academy?" Huo Yuhao proactively shifted the subject toward them, so they would not probe further into his affairs.

He had noticed that the older sister called "Bing'er" was very perceptive and shrewd in the way she handled things.

"That's right. We're from Skywater Academy, the best Soul Master Academy in the Northern Border. It's one of the Five Element Academies within the empire. Have you heard of it, little brother?" Xue Wu said with a smile, revealing everything at once.

Shui Bing'er was utterly defeated and somewhat helpless.

This girl Xue Wu... sigh.

Huo Yuhao, however, felt the exact opposite.

Girls who spilled everything without being asked were really quite endearing.

Of course, that only applied to the other side. They absolutely could not be teammates. If she were his teammate, he would probably be in the same state as Bing'er beside him.

He did know a little about the Five Element Academies.

They were five academies within the Heaven Dou Empire that specialized in single-element martial souls. They possessed considerable strength and foundations, making them elite institutions, and powerful Soul Master Families generally stood behind them.

For example, Thunder Academy was backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

"It's just a pity that Skywater Academy only accepts female students. Otherwise, I would have wanted to recommend you to join us," Xue Wu said with a hint of regret.

Huo Yuhao: There's really no need, thanks.

Shui Bing'er pulled Xue Wu close and whispered a few words into her ear.

Only then did Xue Wu restrain herself somewhat.

Huo Yuhao himself was not interested in their affairs. He had merely wanted to change the subject.

Under Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's guidance, Huo Yuhao smoothly bought several detailed maps.

These maps not only included several specific routes to the Icebound Forest, but even covered the fringe regions of the Far North Land.

Huo Yuhao thanked the two girls before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

Xue Wu waved goodbye to him, watching as his back vanished into the sea of people.

Shui Bing'er tugged her.

"Xue Yatou, you must be careful when you're outside in the future. Don't reveal too much information about yourself," Shui Bing'er cautioned.

"But he doesn't look like a bad person. He feels like a boy next door," Xue Wu pouted in defense.

"You can't judge everything by appearances," Shui Bing'er said.

"My intuition has always been quite accurate," Xue Wu said. "Do you think he looks like a bad person, Bing'er?"

This left Shui Bing'er completely speechless.