Shui Ningbing, Ice Phoenix

The weather gradually grew hotter. The once-lively world suddenly wilted. Green leaves hung listlessly from the branches, as though they too had been dealt a heavy blow by the scorching heat.

Cicadas chirped everywhere, each cry somewhat piercing and disruptive to the peace. Yet it was also the indulgence of their brief lives—tragic and heartless.

This summer was the hottest in the past decade. Even the outskirts of the Far North had been greatly affected, with the outer snowfields shrinking considerably.

But this also brought considerable blessings to humanity. The weather had weakened Ice Attribute Soul Beasts to some extent, and many low-level Soul Masters had already formed teams to hunt for Soul Rings.

Tian Meng lay listlessly on a tree branch, watching Shen Hanyu meditate and cultivate below, completely unaffected by the heat. There was not even a bead of sweat on his forehead.

The Cold Sky Spear was planted nearby, emitting a faint chill that dispersed the heat around it.

Shen Liuyu slowly came down from the second floor, yawning with sleepy, bleary eyes as she murmured in a daze,

"Older Brother, aren't you hot? I was woken up by the heat..."

Shen Hanyu slowly opened his eyes, glanced at her, and said mercilessly,

"You're a Water Attribute Soul Master, yet you're afraid of heat. You really have the nerve to say that."

Shen Liuyu did not care in the slightest and replied righteously,

"You think everyone's as abnormal as you? You're like a block of ice no matter when or where you are. I really don't understand it. Bing'er's Martial Soul, the Ice Phoenix, should be of higher quality than that broken spear of yours, yet whether in attribute or quality, it's suppressed by your broken spear. How strange..."

Shen Hanyu could not be bothered with his sister, who had completely let herself go. After regulating his breathing for a moment, he rose and headed inside.

As he passed Shen Liuyu, she suddenly said,

"Bing'er broke through to Soul Grandmaster. I heard she'll be going to hunt for a Soul Ring in a few days, but..."

Shen Hanyu barely showed a little interest as he said,

"Go on. What happened?"

Shen Liuyu tried to find even the slightest flaw in Shen Hanyu's expression, but unfortunately, she failed as always.

"Yue'er said Bing'er and her aunt had a minor disagreement over the development direction of her Martial Soul. Bing'er wants to continue down the control-type path, while the dean believes the Ice Phoenix is a top-tier Beast Martial Soul and recommends that she take the assault-type path. They've been arguing over it for days. Older Brother, which path do you think suits Bing'er best?"

Shen Liuyu asked curiously.

Shen Hanyu thought for a moment, casually shook his head, and said,

"Ice Attribute is inherently a balanced element. It can be used for both assault and control; you could even say the two are inseparable. But considering the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, I think the assault-type path would be better. Still, whatever she chooses, I'll support her."

Shen Liuyu gave an "oh," nodded, and said no more. After washing up, she lay directly on a lounge chair nearby and did nothing.

After all, she had arranged for the Shui sisters to come over and play today. She needed to conserve her energy...

Around noon,

Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er appeared outside the fence.

When Shen Liuyu saw them, she excitedly waved at them.

Yet the Shui sisters seemed to be in low spirits. They ignored Shen Liuyu's greeting, their brows filled with worry and tension.

Shen Liuyu froze, then stood where she was in confusion.

Shen Hanyu slowly walked out of the house and suddenly said,

"Senior, there's no need to hide. It's meaningless, isn't it?"

As soon as he said this, Shen Liuyu became even more confused.

What are they doing? How does the great Sister Yu not know? Is this some new kind of prank?

But the elegantly dressed beautiful woman who suddenly appeared behind the Shui sisters made Shen Liuyu shudder. She said in shock,

"D-Dean! Why are you here?"

Shui Ningbing smiled softly and said,

"What, you're allowed to secretly gather together, but I'm not welcome?"

Shen Liuyu quickly shook her head, then looked at Shen Hanyu. Shen Hanyu remained unmoved and said calmly,

"It isn't a matter of whether you're welcome. What I really want to know is why you came here."

Shui Ningbing was not offended. Still gentle and refined, she lightly took the Shui sisters by the hand and walked inside. After examining the surroundings, a trace of amazement appeared in her eyes as she said,

"A lovely place. No wonder Bing'er and Yue'er sneak out of Element City to come here every few days. Even I like this atmosphere."

Shen Liuyu hurriedly brought juice from inside, placed it on the table, and poured everyone a glass. Then she frantically signaled with her eyes toward Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, asking what was going on.

A trace of helplessness appeared in Shui Bing'er's eyes, while Shui Yue'er looked utterly lifeless and simply ignored Shen Liuyu's questioning gaze.

Shui Ningbing smiled at Shen Hanyu and said,

"You must be Liuyu's Older Brother. I've heard all about you from Yue'er."

Shen Hanyu nodded. A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes as he looked at the elegant and noble beauty before him. She looked to be around forty or fifty, yet her Soul Power had already reached Soul Douluo. Her Martial Soul was not the Ice Phoenix, but it was still an Ice Attribute Martial Soul—likely a lesser branch of the Ice Phoenix, something akin to the Ice Jade Phoenix Bird.

"You're correct. I'm Liuyu's biological Older Brother."

Shen Hanyu said.

Shui Ningbing nodded in understanding, looked Shen Hanyu over from head to toe, and said,

"There are many extraordinary things about you. Even with my Soul Douluo cultivation, I can't see through your level of cultivation. My Mental Power even senses a profound threat from you. I'm very curious. You look quite young, so why are you so exceptional...?"

Shen Hanyu chuckled and said,

"It was a fortunate opportunity. I was simply born lucky."

Shui Ningbing smiled at that, covering her mouth as she said,

"Some things cannot be gained through opportunity alone. You're a very clever young man. May I know your name?"

Shen Hanyu relaxed somewhat. At least for now, he could tell that she harbored no ill intent and had merely come to take a look.

And if they truly fought, he was confident he could defeat her within a hundred moves. Although the surrounding area might suffer considerable damage, at least everyone would be safe.

"Shen Hanyu. Han as in cold, Yu as in feather."

Shen Hanyu said with a light smile, his expression noticeably gentler.

"A good name. Is your Martial Soul a spear? Its quality seems exceptionally high. Bing'er said even her Martial Soul could not compare to yours."

Shui Ningbing praised him before asking curiously.

When Shui Bing'er awakened the ancestral Ice Phoenix Martial Soul and attained level nine Innate Soul Power, it had shaken all of Element City. She had even been regarded as the future hope of the Shui Family and Skywater Academy.

As the king of all birds, the Phoenix was not only of exceptionally high quality, but it also possessed a certain suppressive effect on Ice Attribute Martial Souls in general. There was no doubt about that.

PS: Quite a few people said the Godfather part earlier was too off-putting. I'll revise it, but I've been too busy these past few days. I'll have to wait until things settle down a little. I revised part of it last night and was so exhausted that I fell asleep, so I'll leave the rest for later. This is driving me crazy.

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