Guidance on the Journey Home, Ice and Fire Shaping

On the road back from Fasno Province to Myriad Manifestations Academy, Qin Mo did not choose to hurry at full speed. Instead, he deliberately slowed down. The battle in Black Prison Forest had not only allowed him to successfully obtain his Fourth Soul Ring, but also given him new insights into the use of the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda. At the same time, he noticed that Bing'er and Yan'er, having gone through real combat, had both shown faint growth in their Soul Power and were already nearing the Level 40 bottleneck.

That day, the three of them stopped to rest beside a clear mountain stream.

As usual, Bing'er was cool and aloof. She found a clean bluestone, sat cross-legged upon it, and silently circulated her Soul Power to consolidate her cultivation. Yan'er, on the other hand, could not stay still. She played with the splashing water by the stream, her fiery red battle dress especially dazzling beneath the sunlight.

Qin Mo looked at the two women, already having a plan in mind. As his personal attendants, they possessed extraordinary talent and would be important pillars of the Myriad Manifestations God Realm in the future. Their growth was of vital importance.

"Bing'er, Yan'er," Qin Mo said.

The two women immediately stopped what they were doing and looked at him respectfully.

"You have both been stuck at Level 39 for some time now. How does it feel?" Qin Mo asked.

Yan'er answered first, her tone carrying a trace of impatience. "Dean, I feel like my Soul Power has long since reached its limit. It's like a bucket filled to the brim with water, but I just can't find where the lid for breaking through is. It's suffocating!"

Though Bing'er did not speak, she also nodded lightly. The same questioning look appeared in her cool eyes.

Qin Mo smiled faintly. "Ultimate martial souls are certainly powerful, but every major breakthrough is several times more difficult than it is for ordinary martial souls. That is because what you need is not merely an accumulation of Soul Power, but a deeper understanding and control of your own Martial Soul Origin."

He walked to the stream and casually picked up two pebbles. One was entirely ice-blue and cold to the touch, while the other faintly glowed crimson and carried a trace of warmth. They were actually rare natural ores with ice and fire attributes.

"Watch carefully." Qin Mo held the two stones flat in his palm.

He did not use Soul Power. Instead, relying purely on his understanding of the laws of energy, he guided the natural attributes within the two stones.

The ice-blue stone released a gentle white mist, and the temperature of the surrounding air plummeted. The grass beside the stream was instantly covered in white frost. Meanwhile, the crimson stone became scorching hot, with faint signs of melting appearing on its surface as waves of searing heat radiated from it.

One ice, one fire—two utterly opposing energies remained clearly distinct in Qin Mo's palm, yet strangely maintained a balance.

Bing'er and Yan'er watched without blinking. Though the two energies were weak, they could sense that they were exceptionally pure, as if they contained the most fundamental principles of ice and fire between heaven and earth.

"Ice is not only about freezing and deathly stillness." Qin Mo's voice was calm, yet it struck directly at the essence. "Within extreme cold, life can also be nurtured, such as snow lotuses. It can also temper all things and make them pure, such as steel refined a hundred times. Your Ice Phoenix is the king of all birds. The phoenix undergoes nirvana, Born from Death. Your Ultimate Ice should not possess only cold, lethal force. It should also contain the conception of nirvana and the majesty of a king."

Bing'er's delicate body trembled slightly, and an unprecedented brilliance burst forth in her beautiful eyes. Qin Mo's words were like a revelation, opening an entirely new door for her. She had always focused on the coldness and destructive power of Ultimate Ice, yet had never deeply considered its more profound meaning. Ice Phoenix... nirvana... kingly majesty... The words surged through her heart, and she felt that the bottleneck that had long held her back seemed to have loosened slightly.

Qin Mo then looked at Yan'er. "Fire is not only about burning and destruction. Towering flames can burn away the eight wildernesses, but a spark can also set the plains ablaze, bringing light and warmth, driving away darkness and cold. Your Fire Phoenix is likewise a supreme phoenix. Your Ultimate Fire should not be merely a wild release of violence. It should also possess the resilience to spread across the land, the hope of light, and the power of creation, such as forging and pill refinement."

Yan'er's normally lively nature also quieted down. Her brows drew tightly together as she pondered his words seriously. By nature, she liked using flames to directly destroy her enemies, yet she had rarely considered the other possibilities of fire. The resilience to spread across the land? The hope of light? The power of creation? These words gave her an entirely new understanding of her own martial soul.

"Level 40 is the first important watershed in a Soul Master's life. It signifies that the foundation of the Martial Soul Avatar has begun to be laid," Qin Mo continued. "For ultimate martial souls, this breakthrough is even more crucial in shaping your future paths. Find your own 'intent,' rather than merely pursuing greater Soul Power and stronger soul skills."

As he finished speaking, he exerted a slight force with his palm. Under his exquisite control, the two ice-and-fire ores simultaneously crumbled into powder. The ice-blue and crimson dust intertwined, forming a mass of chaotic airflow before slowly dispersing into the air, as if demonstrating the subtle process of ice and fire merging and returning to chaos.

This scene once again deeply shook Bing'er and Yan'er. They understood that the dean was using the most intuitive method to show them a higher level of power manipulation.

"Thank you for your guidance, Dean—Young Sect Master!" The two women were completely convinced and bowed deeply. They knew that the value of the dean's words far surpassed that of a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.

Qin Mo nodded. "Insights must be gained step by step. Do not be hasty. Once we return to the academy, you may enter seclusion near the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye. The environment there will greatly benefit your comprehension of your own Martial Soul Origin. As for your Fourth Soul Rings..."

His gaze turned toward the distance. "I will find the soul beasts best suited for you and ensure that your foundations are flawless."

With Qin Mo's guidance, Bing'er and Yan'er became noticeably quieter during the latter half of their return journey. Most of the time, they silently contemplated his words, and the aura of Soul Power circulating around them became more condensed and profound.

Qin Mo watched all of this with satisfaction. These two girls truly had exceptional comprehension. It seemed that their breakthrough to Level 40 was just around the corner. Myriad Manifestations Academy's top-tier combat strength would soon gain two more powerful allies.

Several days later, the familiar outline of Myriad Manifestations Academy had already come into view.