Qian Renxue's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly stepped forward, golden Soul Power surging instinctively as she reached for the crystal.
"Bing'er!
Damn it, this stupid shroud actually dared hurt someone! Yan, stop it!"
"Xue'er, don't move!
Wait!"
Huang Yan reacted swiftly, grabbing Qian Renxue's wrist. A confident smile curved his lips as he shook his head.
"Don't panic. This is a necessary step in recognizing a master.
Divine artifacts choose their masters. Only blood can open the way."
Qian Renxue forcibly halted. Though she stopped moving, her beautiful eyes remained filled with worry and tension as she stared unblinkingly at Shui Bing'er.
Sure enough, the moment that drop of blood seeped from the wound, the originally violent and restless Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud seemed to sense some supreme aura it desperately craved.
It spun rapidly through the air several times, its savage sharpness instantly fading as it transformed into an exceedingly gentle blue radiance.
Then, the cool yet smooth base of the triangular crystal descended evenly and lightly pressed against the wound on Shui Bing'er's forehead.
The blood seeping from Shui Bing'er did not fall. Instead, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud devoured and absorbed it all at a visible speed.
As the blood entered it, a strange blood-gold halo spread through the entire Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
The faint sting between Shui Bing'er's brows vanished in an instant, replaced by a warm current as vast and boundless as the ocean itself.
It flowed continuously through the Baihui acupoint atop her head and into every part of her body.
At that moment, Shui Bing'er's Ultimate Ice martial soul, the Ice Phoenix, was completely ignited, releasing an incomparably clear Phoenix Cry.
Ice crystals and emerald waves reflected one another, instantly turning the entire room into a sacred azure sea of ice.
Watching