A pair of ice-blue eyes looked toward Ye Chen and Qing Luan Douluo with a hint of curiosity.
The little girl's gaze first fell on Qing Luan Douluo. Seemingly sensing the invisible pressure around him, she instinctively edged closer to her mother.
Then, her gaze shifted to Ye Chen.
At that very instant, Ye Chen was looking at her as well.
Their eyes met.
An indescribably strange feeling arose in both their hearts at once.
Ye Chen only felt the Qing Luan Martial Soul within him tremble lightly without warning, letting out a clear cry that only he could sense.
Across from him, the little girl's ice-blue eyes widened slightly. A faint chill also leaked uncontrollably from her body, lowering the temperature of the air around her by a fraction.
"Mom..."
The little girl seemed to sense something too, and her small hand unconsciously clutched her mother's sleeve.
Though this subtle resonance was brief, how could it possibly escape the senses of a Peak Douluo like Qing Luan Douluo?
A trace of understanding flashed through his eyes. His gaze lingered on Shui Bing'er for a moment before turning to the gentle-looking woman.
Shui Yunxiu had also noticed the fleeting strange fluctuation between her daughter and the boy opposite them. She was still filled with surprise and doubt when Qing Luan Douluo's gaze fell upon her.
Shui Yunxiu quickly composed herself, stepped forward, and bowed slightly in greeting:
"This junior is Shui Yunxiu, the current headmistress of Skywater Academy. I brought my daughter, Shui Bing'er, here to hunt for a Soul Ring. We had no intention of disturbing you, Senior. I hope you will forgive us."
Though Shui Yunxiu did not know Qing Luan Douluo, she felt an unprecedented pressure from him and did not dare show any disrespect.
"Mm."
Qing Luan Douluo nodded slightly in response.
Rather than questioning Shui Yunxiu directly, he turned a kind gaze toward Shui Bing'er, who was secretly studying Ye Chen, and asked warmly, "Little girl, what is your name? What is your Martial Soul?"
Seeing that this handsome uncle spoke gently, Shui Bing'er's nervousness eased somewhat.
Then.
After glancing at her mother and receiving an encouraging look, Shui Bing'er obediently replied, "In answer to Senior, my name is Shui Bing'er. My Martial Soul is... the Ice Phoenix."
"Ice Phoenix?"
A sharp light flashed in Qing Luan Douluo's eyes, and an expression of realization appeared on his face. He glanced at Ye Chen, who seemed to have understood something, then laughed heartily. "Good, what a fine Ice Phoenix!"
"A Top-Tier Beast Martial Soul. No wonder..."
Qing Luan Douluo left his words unfinished, but his gaze swept once more between Ye Chen and Shui Bing'er.
Shui Yunxiu's delicate brows furrowed. It was not that she was dissatisfied with Qing Luan Douluo's words; she simply did not understand what he meant.
The Ice Phoenix Martial Soul was indeed rare and powerful, but what did it have to do with the grandfather and grandson before her?
Why had this Senior said, "No wonder"?
Yet Qing Luan Douluo had no intention of explaining further. He merely said indifferently to Shui Yunxiu, "Your daughter possesses exceptional talent. Her future achievements will be immeasurable."
"Thank you for your praise, Senior."
Shui Yunxiu hurriedly thanked him.
Qing Luan Douluo waved a hand and turned to Ye Chen. "Little Chen, since you have met by fate, you should get acquainted. Tell this older sister your name."
"All right, Grandpa."
By now, Ye Chen had already understood where that strange feeling of resonance had come from.
The Phoenix and the Azure Luan both belonged to the supreme lineage of avian Martial Souls. Though one wielded ice and the other wind, their origins were connected. Such a powerful innate response meant their Martial Souls had an extremely high degree of compatibility.
It was highly possible... that they possessed the potential to perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!
Ye Chen suppressed the turmoil in his heart, stepped half a pace forward, politely nodded to Shui Bing'er and her mother, and smiled.
"Hello, my name is Ye Chen."
"Hello, little brother Ye Chen."
Shui Bing'er replied softly as well, the curiosity in her ice-blue eyes growing stronger.
That strange sensation just now had given her an inexplicable sense of closeness toward the boy before her. Though he did not appear much younger than she was, his presence was already calm and composed.
"Mm."
Seeing that the two had exchanged names, Qing Luan Douluo did not linger any longer and gave Shui Yunxiu a slight nod.
"Headmistress Shui, we shall part here. I wish you success in finding a suitable Soul Ring."
"Thank you, Senior."
Shui Yunxiu hurriedly bowed again.
Though the doubts in her heart remained unresolved, she knew that powerful figures like him often had their own reasons for acting as they did. It was not her place to ask further.
Qing Luan Douluo turned with Ye Chen and prepared to leave.
After taking two steps, he seemed to recall something. With a casual flick of his sleeve, a streak of azure light flew steadily toward Shui Yunxiu.
Shui Yunxiu instinctively reached out and caught it. It felt slightly heavy in her hand, warm and smooth to the touch. It was a Token that was entirely azure-green, neither metal nor jade.
Engraved on its front was an Azure Luan Pattern, depicting an extraordinary Azure Luan spreading its wings as if ready to take flight.
"If you encounter difficulties in the future, bring this Token to Spirit Hall and seek this old man."
Qing Luan Douluo's voice drifted back on the wind, but he had already vanished with Ye Chen into the depths of the forest, leaving only lingering echoes behind.
Shui Yunxiu clutched the clearly extraordinary Token in her hand, utterly shaken.
Spirit Hall!
This Senior was actually an expert from Spirit Hall!
And judging by the material and aura of this Token, his status within Spirit Hall was surely extremely high!
Why had he given her this Token?
Could it be...
Did this Senior want Bing'er to become his granddaughter-in-law?
That would not do!
No matter how strong he was or how great his influence, Shui Yunxiu would never sell her daughter!
Shui Yunxiu lowered her head to look at her daughter. Shui Bing'er was staring in the direction Ye Chen had left, with a faint, barely noticeable disappointment on her little face.
"Bing'er, just now... did you feel anything special with that little brother named Ye Chen?"
Shui Yunxiu crouched down and asked softly.
Shui Bing'er tilted her head and thought for a moment before answering uncertainly, "Mm... when I saw him, my Ice Phoenix Martial Soul seemed to... move a little."
Her vocabulary was limited, so her description was somewhat vague.
Hearing this, Shui Yunxiu's heart stirred. Combined with that Senior's words and attitude, an astonishing guess slowly surfaced in her mind.
Could it be... Bing'er's Ice Phoenix and that boy's Martial Soul...
If that was the case, she truly could not deliberately stand in their way.
After all, two people with a Martial Soul Fusion Skill would gain many benefits from cultivating together.
Shui Yunxiu carefully put away the Token and took her daughter's hand. "Come, Bing'er. Let us find your Soul Ring first. Do not tell outsiders about what happened today after we return, understand?"
"Mm, Bing'er will remember."
Shui Bing'er nodded obediently.
The mother and daughter also departed in another direction, and the forest returned to silence.
Elsewhere, Ye Chen followed at Qing Luan Douluo's side and could not help asking, "Grandpa, that Shui Bing'er just now, her Martial Soul and mine..."
"You felt it?"
Qing Luan Douluo did not stop walking, a faint smile on his lips.
"The Ice Phoenix and the Azure Luan are both of the phoenix lineage. One commands extreme cold, while the other governs heavenly wind.
When the two of you met, such a clear innate resonance arose. This means your Martial Souls have an extremely high degree of compatibility!"
Qing Luan Douluo paused, then continued, "The possibility that you possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill is very high. But this is not an urgent matter. Once your Soul Power grows deeper in the future, you will naturally have the chance to verify it."
"That Token was simply to form a good connection and provide that child with some protection."
A man and woman who possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill would usually become husband and wife.
The famed Dragon Duke and Snake Matriarch of the Soul Master world were an example.
In Qing Luan Douluo's eyes, Shui Bing'er was already half his granddaughter-in-law!
Before you continue