Spirit City, Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong had been lounging lazily in the papal chair, but at the sight of this, she abruptly sat upright.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as her fingers tapped the armrest.
"Resurrected three times..."
"Such a heaven-defying effect, and it only ranked tenth?"
A playful smile tugged at her lips as she pulled a delicate little notebook from her robes.
Taking up her pen, she elegantly wrote the words "Xiao Wu."
"This little rabbit that slipped through the net is rather lucky."
"But even the finest treasure is useless if you don't live long enough to claim it."
"This Soul Dream Eternal Flower is already spoken for."
Heaven Dou City, Tang Sect.
Tang San watched the Sky Screen, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
"Xiao Wu... That's wonderful."
"With this chance to come back to life, you'll be better able to protect yourself, even when I'm not here."
His heart was full of relief.
Oscar leaned over beside him, giving him a thumbs-up with a flattering grin:
"Third Brother, you really are something!"
"If you hadn't given Xiao Wu that Lovesick Heartbreak Red back then, how would she have made the list?"
"Half the credit goes to Xiao Wu, and the other half to you!"
"If you ask me, this is Heaven's way of rewarding your good judgment, Third Brother!"
Tang San said, "Not at all, not at all," but he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes.
Outside Skywater Academy.
A golden light descended from the heavens and shone directly upon Xiao Wu.
The injuries she'd sustained healed in its gentle glow, and her aura surged in an instant.
The swelling on her face subsided, and the Soul Power within her broke straight through its bottleneck.
Rank 97!
In that instant, she had reached Rank 97 as well!
More importantly, the evolved Soul Dream Eternal Flower now floated above her head, radiating a terrifying spiritual energy.
On the ground, Ma Hongjun was still screaming in pain. At the sight of this, a fierce will to live and a deep-seated hatred flared in his eyes.
He reached out a bloodstained hand toward Xiao Wu and rasped:
"Xiao Wu... Xiao Wu!"
"Get revenge! Avenge me!"
"Kill that bitch! Tear her to pieces!"
"Mine... Mine..."
Pain and hatred overwhelmed him, and tears and snot smeared his face.
Yu Xiaogang's spirits lifted too. He had been about to flee, but forced himself to stop.
As he watched Xiao Wu's aura transform, hope reignited in his eyes.
"Xiao Wu! Hurry!"
"Now! That's divine power bestowed by Heaven!"
"Shui Bing'er may be strong, but she can't possibly stand against a divine treasure!"
"Subdue her at once! If we take Skywater Academy, it'll be a great achievement for us!"
Yu Xiaogang was now completely consumed by greed and the thrill of revenge, barking out orders like a madman.
Xiao Wu took a deep breath, feeling the surging power within her.
She looked at Shui Bing'er. The fear in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a resolute fighting spirit.
"You hurt my brother and insulted my teacher."
"We'll settle that score right now!"
Xiao Wu's figure blurred, and she vanished from where she stood.
When she reappeared, she had unleashed the power of the Soul Dream Eternal Flower.
A storm of pink-gold petals swept forth, each carrying an edge sharp enough to slice through the soul. They blanketed the sky as they rushed toward Shui Bing'er.
The pink-gold petals came surging in from all directions, carrying a storm powerful enough to cut through the sea of spiritual consciousness.
This was the full-force strike of a Rank 97 Titled Douluo wielding a divine treasure, the Soul Dream Eternal Flower.
Even a veteran Super Douluo would have to avoid its edge.
However.
Shui Bing'er simply watched the dazzling rain of petals, her eyes utterly calm.
Her gaze was like that of someone watching a child brandish a wooden sword at a giant.
Childish.
Ridiculous.
"So this is the strength you're so proud of?"
Shui Bing'er said softly.
She didn't even use her Martial Soul Avatar.
She merely reached forward with her right hand, pale as jade.
Vmmm—
An Extreme Cold Domain beyond description instantly spread outward from her.
There was no earth-shattering explosion.
Only a deathly silence, as if all things had fallen still.
The pink-gold petals, swirling through the air with such force, froze in place the moment they touched the cold. It was as if they'd been struck by a spell.
Their glow quickly faded.
Their lively spiritual energy was forcibly frozen by a far more domineering chill.
The next instant.
Every petal turned to blue ice crystals, losing all their killing power. They clinked to the ground and shattered.
"How could this be..."
Xiao Wu's pupils contracted.
Her supposedly fatal strike had been so easily neutralized?
Before she could react, Shui Bing'er's hand was already aimed at her from afar.
"The rankings said you have three chances to come back to life."
Shui Bing'er spoke calmly, as though stating an insignificant fact.
"If you can't be killed, then there's no need to kill you."
"Perhaps you'd be better suited to becoming an eternal statue in the icy winds of the Far North."
As soon as she finished speaking,
cracking sounds came from beneath Xiao Wu's feet.
Blue ice spread up her legs like living serpents.
Xiao Wu tried to struggle, tried to use Instant Teleportation.
But to her horror, she discovered that the space around her had already been completely sealed.
Her Soul Power, her blood, even her thoughts were all slowing to a crawl.
"No—"
Xiao Wu could only manage a brief cry.
In the blink of an eye,
the ice covered her entire body.
Her pink dress and terrified expression were perfectly preserved inside the enormous block of ice.
A lifelike ice sculpture of a beautiful woman now stood before the gates of Skywater Academy.
Sunlight fell upon it, refracting into a dazzling spectrum of colors. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
And yet it made the hairs on the back of one's neck stand on end.
The entire area fell silent.
Yu Xiaogang stood dumbstruck beside the carriage, his legs heavy as lead.
The greed and fervor had not yet fully faded from his face, now mingling with boundless terror and making his rigid expression look especially absurd.
It was over.
All over.
The fatty was crippled, his life uncertain.
Xiao Wu had gained a divine treasure and her strength had surged, yet she hadn't even withstood one of Shui Bing'er's attacks before being turned into a block of ice.
Skywater Academy wasn't some pushover.
It was a red-hot titanium-alloy wall!
A chill shot up Yu Xiaogang's spine to the crown of his head.
He'd thought that with the Shrek Seven Devils' reputation and his status as imperial preceptor, bringing a small power in a remote border city to heel would be a simple matter.
But reality had slapped him hard across the face twice.
He watched Shui Bing'er approach at a leisurely pace. His heart pounded so violently it nearly leaped into his throat.
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