Balancing Cultivation Speed

After confirming that Shui Bing'er had absorbed it smoothly and showed no rejection reaction, Teacher Sun turned her gaze to Xue Tianxing beside her.

She stepped forward, clasped her hands, and said,

"Things were urgent just now, and I did not have the chance to ask my benefactor's name. May I know this young brother's name?"

"My name is Xue Tianxing."

Xue Tianxing answered succinctly, offering no extra words.

He wanted more than anything to restore his Soul Power quickly, then hurry to the town and reunite with Liu Tianfeng and Dugu Bo. He had no desire to get entangled with irrelevant people.

Seeing that Xue Tianxing was unwilling to say more, Teacher Sun's eyes flashed with understanding. Yet she did not give up. Just as she was about to ask about his background and sect, she saw Xue Tianxing walk straight to a flat patch of ice, sit down, close his eyes, and begin circulating his Soul Power to recover.

Clearly, Xue Tianxing did not wish to continue the conversation.

Teacher Sun could only suppress her doubts and refrain from disturbing him.

However, as she looked at Xue Tianxing's back, turbulent waves had already risen in her heart—at such a young age, Xue Tianxing was already a Soul Ancestor. He possessed a powerful Martial Soul like the Ice Phoenix and could even trigger a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Shui Bing'er that rivaled a Soul Saint's strike. A genius like this was simply too rare to come by!

I must recruit him to Skywater Academy!

Teacher Sun secretly made up her mind.

Although she knew that Skywater Academy had always accepted only female students, Xue Tianxing's value was simply too great—with the Martial Soul Fusion Skill between Xue Tianxing and Shui Bing'er, Skywater Academy would surely achieve unprecedented results at the next Continental Advanced Academy Soul Master Tournament.

As long as she explained everything in detail to the headmaster after returning, especially emphasizing the terrifying power of this Martial Soul Fusion Skill, the headmaster would certainly make an exception and change the admissions rules for the academy's future.

With that thought, Teacher Sun's gaze grew even firmer.

She glanced at Shui Bing'er, who was still absorbing her Soul Ring, then at Xue Tianxing, who was cultivating with his eyes closed. She had already begun planning how to persuade the headmaster after returning.

She could even imagine Skywater Academy rising through the ranks of the Soul Master world with Xue Tianxing's addition.

Time passed little by little, and the glow of the Soul Ring around Shui Bing'er gradually stabilized.

She slowly opened her eyes. A third purple Soul Ring lit up beneath her feet, arranged neatly with the first two.

She rose to her feet, feeling the abundant Soul Power within her, and a delighted smile appeared on her face.

"Teacher Sun, I succeeded!"

Teacher Sun came back to her senses and nodded with a smile.

"Very good! Absorbing this Soul Ring has raised your strength by another great deal."

Then she turned toward Xue Tianxing. Seeing that he had also just finished cultivating and opened his eyes, she said,

"Brother Xue, now that Bing'er has finished absorbing her Soul Ring, let us set out for the town as soon as possible. It is far safer there than on the ice plains."

Xue Tianxing nodded and stood up.

"Alright."

After making their preparations, the three headed toward the town on the outskirts of the Land of the Extreme North.

Along the way, Teacher Sun occasionally and seemingly casually brought up Skywater Academy's advantages to Xue Tianxing, attempting to spark his interest. Xue Tianxing merely nodded in response now and then without joining the conversation.

Teacher Sun did not lose heart. She believed that with enough sincerity, she would surely be able to recruit this genius into Skywater Academy.

Shui Bing'er walked between them, occasionally stealing glances at Xue Tianxing. The blush on her face had yet to fade completely.

The three hurried onward and soon arrived at the town on the outskirts of the Land of the Extreme North.

The town was not large. Most of its buildings were made from ice blocks and timber. Few pedestrians walked the streets, and most wore thick fur coats, their faces marked by the redness left by years of wind and snow.

The moment they entered the town, a comparatively warm air washed over them, standing in stark contrast to the bitter cold of the extreme northern ice plains.

Looking at the familiar town before her, Shui Bing'er turned to Xue Tianxing and said,

"Tianxing, you said earlier that you are also from the Heaven Dou Empire. Since that is the case, how about we rest in town for the night and travel back together tomorrow? We can look after each other along the way."

As she spoke, anticipation filled her eyes—after surviving life and death together and sharing the bond of their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, she inexplicably did not want to part ways with Xue Tianxing just like this.

Hearing that, Xue Tianxing shook his head apologetically.

"Bing'er, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that won't work. I need to wait in town for two elders. We got separated in the Land of the Extreme North, and we agreed to meet here."

At those words, the anticipation in Shui Bing'er's eyes instantly dimmed. Her lips drooped slightly, unable to conceal her disappointment.

She lowered her head and said softly,

"I see... then alright."

Teacher Sun saw the entire scene clearly from beside them and grumbled inwardly,

Men really are all the same. They can laugh and chat with pretty young girls.

But on second thought, Xue Tianxing waiting for his elders gave her even more opportunities to recruit him.

If she could meet Xue Tianxing's elders, then with the Martial Soul Fusion Skill between him and Shui Bing'er, perhaps she could more easily persuade them to let Xue Tianxing join Skywater Academy.

With that thought, Teacher Sun immediately stepped in to smooth things over.

"Bing'er, do not be disappointed. Tianxing saved us in the Land of the Extreme North, so we should repay him whether out of gratitude or reason. Since he needs to wait for his elders, we will wait with him. We can also take a few more days to rest and recover in town."

Hearing this, Shui Bing'er abruptly raised her head. Light returned to her eyes, and she hurriedly nodded hard.

"Alright! We'll wait with you!"

Watching the two play off each other, how could Xue Tianxing fail to see through Teacher Sun's intentions? She merely wanted to use this waiting period to draw him in further and perhaps even pressure him through his elders.

Yet rather than feeling disgusted, he was secretly delighted.

He had been looking for an opportunity to spend more time with Shui Bing'er. If he could use their time waiting together to persuade Shui Bing'er to travel to the Balak Kingdom, that would be even better.

After all, an Ultimate Spirit's cultivation speed would slow drastically between Level 30 and Level 70, while two people who possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill cultivating together could greatly compensate for that flaw.

If he could cultivate alongside Shui Bing'er, he could not only solve the problem of his slow cultivation, but also improve their proficiency with the Martial Soul Fusion Skill. It was simply killing two birds with one stone.

"Then I must thank Teacher Sun and Bing'er."

Xue Tianxing said with a smile,

"There is an inn ahead that looks rather good. Let us settle in first."

The three arrived at the inn where Xue Tianxing, Liu Tianfeng, and Dugu Bo had stayed before and rented three adjoining rooms.

After settling in, Teacher Sun returned to her own room under the pretext of restoring her Soul Power, though she was actually considering how to recruit Xue Tianxing. Shui Bing'er, meanwhile, stood somewhat awkwardly outside Xue Tianxing's door, seemingly wanting to say something but too embarrassed to speak.