This Time, Fate Was on My Side

As Long Aotian's Soul Power completely settled, he opened his eyes. Behind him, the phantom of a massive Ice Bear unconsciously condensed, its snowy-white fur streaked with dark gold.

His newly calmed Soul Power churned again. The Ice Bear roared and instantly merged into his body, turning his skin to jade. Yet the jade did not seem fragile; instead, it was as hard as iron.

His hands remained jade-like, but they were dyed dark gold. His skin flowed like liquid jade, reshaping itself into a pair of incomparably sharp bear claws.

Seemingly unaccustomed to the claws, he mobilized the power in his hands and reshaped them, forming a long blade and a massive hammer.

"How is it? What's your third soul skill?" Du Busi asked with a broad smile.

Long Aotian stood where he was and pondered for a moment before lighting up his third soul ring.

Nothing changed, aside from the surging Soul Power that showed he had activated his third soul skill.

Just as Du Busi was confused, and even Chen Ming was wondering about it, Long Aotian made his next move.

He lit up his second soul ring.

The two soul rings bloomed with dazzling purple light, almost merging into one.

At last, Long Aotian's body changed as well.

The surface of his body turned to jade, then gained an additional metallic texture.

"My third soul skill is bound to my second. Originally, my second soul skill, Golden God's Wrath, gave me the ability to turn my skin metallic. It greatly increased my defense and allowed me to condense weapons. Now that it has fused with my third soul skill, I've also gained a threefold increase to all attributes. My skin is no longer simply metallic—it has also taken on an icy quality. I just don't understand why it seems more like jade."

Two soul skills, a threefold boost to all attributes—this was a perfect start even in the early stages.

After all, not all enhancement-type soul skills could stack perfectly. Even if two doubling enhancement skills were used together, they would not reach a threefold increase.

"Jade transformation?" Du Busi nodded slightly upon hearing that.

"I roughly understand. This is the direction your martial soul has the greatest affinity for. Either your Second Awakening or Martial Soul Avatar will take on a jade form."

The ice element had drawn out the most crucial factor within Long Aotian's skin martial soul.

Jade?

Long Aotian fell into thought, unable to understand why it was jade.

"There'll be plenty of time for you to think about that later. Let's leave this place first."

Although his senses told him the two Ice Bears had fled in disgrace, he still chose to remain cautious.

Not afraid even if the Snow Empress came?

That was just bragging.

In the Extreme North, even Di Tian would have to lower his head before the Snow Empress.

In fact, even the Ice Empress could suppress Du Busi in the Extreme North.

There were very few soul beasts in the Extreme North suitable for Chen Ming.

Something that possessed Life Force amid the ice—Du Busi could only think of Snow Lotus.

In the Extreme North, Snow Lotus did not grow easily. Those that reached ten thousand years were treated as Heavenly Treasures and fought over by soul beasts.

How many could survive?

The master and his two disciples began searching laterally through the Extreme North.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed.

They bypassed the core region and reached the other end of the Extreme North, bordering the sea.

"Teacher, the soul ring suitable for me has arrived."

Chen Ming stared deep into the ocean, his gaze blazing.

"A soul ring suitable for you?"

Du Busi had not noticed it in advance. Only after Chen Ming's reminder did he follow his gaze.

From the depths of the sea came a clear, melodious cry.

A phoenix that looked as though it had been carved from ice soared between heaven and earth, like a cluster of icy flames dancing through the sky.

A phoenix!

An Ice Phoenix!

Du Busi was astonished by Chen Ming's luck.

Ice attribute, along with a Life attribute—under those conditions, Snow Lotus was not the only match.

Then he suddenly came to his senses.

For his first soul ring, the Crimson Phoenix Nirvana Golden Lotus had been nurtured in a cold, gloomy land after being tainted by the source Essence Blood of a Fire Phoenix. Now, his third soul ring was an Ice Phoenix.

This seemingly prearranged sequence instantly cleared his mind.

If Chen Ming had known all this, he would surely have sighed helplessly.

This truly was not his arrangement.

Nor was it anyone else's arrangement.

This was an arrangement from Fate.

Looking up at the dancing ice flames, Chen Ming revealed a brilliant smile.

At that moment, tears welled up in his eyes.

He knew that the moment this Ice Phoenix appeared before him, fate had quietly come to stand behind him.

He had touched fate once more, sensing that strange fluctuation of power. Following it back to its source, all that lay ahead was a vast, boundless expanse.

At this moment, the other end of fate was no longer the Emperor Auspicious Beast, but—the entire world!

"Even if we're out at sea, your master can still bring it down!"

Seeing his disciple react so strongly, Du Busi could sense his satisfaction with and desire for this Ice Phoenix soul ring. He immediately burst into laughter, transformed into a ten-meter-tall giant, and charged straight into the sky.

Sensing danger, the Ice Phoenix let out a piercing shriek. Its voice was unimaginably penetrating, like ice-forged spikes that sank into one's marrow. It did not enter through the ears, but pierced deep into the bones and straight into the soul.

"Hmph!"

Du Busi snorted coldly, pouring his Soul Power into the heavens and earth and forcibly cutting off the Ice Phoenix's shriek.

Nine soul rings lined up around him: two yellow, two purple, two black, and three red!

Of the nine soul rings, the third, fifth, and seventh lit up simultaneously.

The dark green radiance emanating from his body receded, leaving behind only pure, vigorous, surging Soul Power.

At that moment, his Soul Power still carried faint traces of green, yet it gave off an overwhelming sense of grandeur. One could feel the abundant vitality and blood energy roiling within it.

Boom!

Poison Cultivation was countered by Extreme Ice, so he abandoned his Poison Cultivation and used the purest form of his Body Martial Soul to kill his enemy.

Icy energy spread from around the Ice Phoenix's body. Every piece of ice seemed like a flame of life, forming blade-like flying feathers that swept down in a sky-covering barrage.

It danced high in the air as the ice elements around it began to whirl around its body, stirring up a massive blizzard in the blink of an eye.

Faced with the Ice Flying Feathers filling the sky, Chen Ming and Long Aotian each unleashed their soul skills as well.

Long Aotian activated his second and third soul skills at the same time, raising his defense to its maximum. Unfortunately, even so, the incoming flying feathers still cut through his skin.

Fortunately, this was an extremely wide-area soul skill, and the distance was great, allowing him to endure it.

However, as the chill contained within the flying feathers entered his body, Long Aotian's face gradually turned livid.

The frigid energy of Extreme Ice spread through his wounds, instantly slowing the flow of blood throughout his body.

Chen Ming pushed both of his soul skills to their limits.

Red Lotus Protection shielded him, while the Power of Life healed his injuries.

Although two flying feathers pierced through his Red Lotus Protection, they were swiftly melted by the blazing flames, and the icy chill was dispersed by the power of life.

Of course, that was merely what Chen Ming showed outwardly.

In truth, Chen Ming had relied on his Spiritual Sense to expel the power of Extreme Ice.

"You beast, courting death!"

Turning back and seeing his two disciples caught in the attack, Du Busi flew into a rage. Completely ignoring the blizzard radiating bone-piercing cold, he charged into its eye, pressed directly onto the Ice Phoenix, and smashed his right fist into its back like a massive hammer.

The Ice Phoenix turned its head and spat out a blast of frost.

Du Busi scattered the icy breath with a punch.

The power of Extreme Ice affected him, but his strength inflicted devastating damage upon this Ice Phoenix.

Boom!

The Ice Phoenix crashed onto the sea, freezing the ocean's surface for a thousand meters around it in an instant. The next moment, Du Busi stomped on the Ice Phoenix, shattering the ice and sending it plunging into the sea.

Waves surged across the ocean, and seawater crashed against the shore as though conveying the battle raging beneath the surface.