Shadow Ice Strike, One Plus One Is Greater Than Two

Over the past three days, the sisters had seen that Jiang Liang still had not woken up, and they had been worried sick.

Shui Yue'er had even cried anxiously several times. Her eyes were still red, making her look just like a little rabbit.

Now that she saw Jiang Liang awake, she finally cried tears of joy.

Jiang Liang had not expected Shui Yue'er to worry about him so much. Both helpless and amused, he pinched her chubby little cheeks.

Shui Lingyun walked over and lovingly pulled both children up from the ground.

"Xiao Jiang, how are you feeling? Is anything uncomfortable?"

Jiang Liang smiled. "Aunt Shui, don't worry. I feel very good right now!"

"Not only has my Soul Power Level broken through to level twenty-five, but I've also gained a pretty good Soul Skill called Shadow Ice Strike."

As he spoke, he activated the Soul Skill of his second Soul Ring.

The next second, a dark figure holding an Ice Sword suddenly appeared beside Jiang Liang. Thick black mist rose from its body, making it look like a ghost.

The sight gave Shui Yue'er quite a fright.

"Wow! Sister, there's a ghost!"

She shrieked and hurriedly ran behind Shui Bing'er to hide.

Shui Bing'er could not help laughing. "Yue'er, that isn't a ghost."

Shui Lingyun asked curiously, "Xiao Jiang, is this your clone?"

Jiang Liang nodded slightly. "That's right. This clone can replicate all of my abilities except for my Soul Rings."

"Also, while the clone remains active, my speed increases by 120%. The only downside is that it doesn't last long—just twenty minutes."

As he spoke, his speed suddenly surged. He shot forward like a ghost, leaving only an icy-blue afterimage behind him.

In the blink of an eye, he had swept more than two hundred meters away.

"Wow! So fast!" Shui Yue'er covered her little mouth, staring at the distant figure with wide-eyed astonishment.

Shui Bing'er nodded vigorously.

His speed was truly too fast. She had not even been able to follow him with her eyes.

Shui Lingyun swept her gaze around, only to discover that Jiang Liang's Shadow Clone was still standing in its original spot.

She was just about to ask a question when her vision suddenly blurred.

The Shadow Clone had vanished!

In its place stood Jiang Liang!

Shui Lingyun's pupils contracted as she immediately turned to look at the spot in the distance where Jiang Liang had just been standing.

The Shadow Clone was now standing there!

"This... this is..."

Jiang Liang lifted his smug little face. "This is the most special aspect of my second Soul Skill. Not only can the Shadow Clone replicate all of my abilities, but it can also swap positions with me."

"The maximum range of Position Swap is three hundred meters. I can also withdraw the Shadow Clone into my body at any time, then release it again whenever I want."

"Wow! Big brother is amazing!"

Shui Yue'er's eyes sparkled as she could not help clapping and cheering.

Shui Lingyun chuckled. "It really is impressive. This Shadow Clone can confuse enemies and create more opportunities for allies."

"And the 120% speed boost is undoubtedly an enormous enhancement for an Agility Attack Soul Master."

"The twenty-minute duration is also well-suited for prolonged battles and wars of attrition."

Shui Bing'er's eyes were filled with envy as well.

She even began wondering whether she could find a Soul Ring like this for her second Soul Ring.

But then Shui Lingyun changed the subject. "The advantages of this Soul Ring are obvious, but so are its disadvantages."

"This Shadow Clone is too limited. It can only replicate the Soul Master's own abilities and cannot replicate Soul Ring abilities."

"It lacks direct offensive methods and battlefield control capabilities."

For all Soul Masters on Douluo Continent, Soul Rings and Soul Skills were the core source of combat strength.

A clone that could only replicate the main body's abilities would have its tactical value greatly diminished in the hands of a Soul Master without Self-Created Soul Skills.

But Jiang Liang did not care about that.

He possessed the sword arts passed down by Sword Mother. He could bring the Shadow Clone's combat power to its fullest, definitely achieving an effect where one plus one was greater than two.

Shui Lingyun clapped and smiled. "All right. Even with these limitations, I believe that with your talent, Xiao Jiang, you'll definitely be able to use it to its fullest."

"We've already spent several days in the Core Circle. Next, it's time to Hunt Soul Rings for Bing'er."

"Yay! We're going to hunt a Soul Ring for Sister!" Shui Yue'er danced about happily.

Shui Bing'er held her younger sister and lowered her head in thought.

Soon afterward, everyone began packing up. After storing the tent away, they turned and headed out of the Core Circle.

Along the way, Shui Bing'er glanced at Jiang Liang, then raised her little face and told her aunt what she had been thinking.

Too many things had happened recently, and she no longer wanted to follow the control-type path arranged by her family.

No matter how much control she possessed, she could not protect her younger sister.

If Jiang Liang had not appeared in time, she and her sister would already have died in the jaws of the Ice Wolf.

Therefore, she wanted to change to the assault path and become a powerful Assault Soul Master, so that she could better protect her sister.

Shui Lingyun found herself in a difficult position.

In everyone's understanding, it was only natural for an ice-attributed Martial Soul to take the control-type path.

Compared to fire-attributed and other types of Martial Souls, ice naturally possessed the traits of restraint and freezing, making it especially suited to battlefield control.

If she took the assault path instead, would that not waste the ice attribute's control abilities?

Just as the two of them were hesitating, Jiang Liang suddenly laughed.

"Actually, Aunt Shui doesn't need to be so conflicted. The ice attribute has always been an ability that combines offense and defense."

"From individual ice blades to domains that seal thousands of miles in ice, ice-attributed Martial Souls have always possessed considerable offensive strength."

"If Bing'er truly wants to, she can take a path that combines assault and control. That would be far better than pure control."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shui Bing'er's eyes suddenly lit up, and the conflict on her face instantly faded.

She nodded gratefully at Jiang Liang, then raised her little face and looked expectantly at her aunt.

Shui Yue'er giggled. "Yes, yes! In the future, Sister can freeze bad people and beat enemies soundly. No one will ever bully us again!"

After giving it some careful thought, Shui Lingyun felt that this idea was not bad, so she smiled and nodded in agreement.

"All right. Since this is what you want, Bing'er, then Auntie will go along with it."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Shui Bing'er was overjoyed. She hugged her aunt's arm, then turned and hugged Jiang Liang.

If not for Jiang Liang's help, her aunt probably would not have agreed so quickly.

Afterward, the group left the Core Circle and searched the Outer Zone for a Soul Beast suitable for Shui Bing'er.

Before long, Shui Lingyun set her sights on a six-hundred-year Soul Beast.

That Soul Beast was called the Frost Feather Ice Falcon. It possessed a trace of Phoenix bloodline, and its wings were formed from icy feathers. It could launch ice blade attacks that froze its enemies, making it perfectly suited for Shui Bing'er.

Shui Lingyun immediately released the pressure of a Soul Saint, knocking the Frost Feather Ice Falcon out of the sky.

Seeing this, Shui Bing'er immediately took a dagger from her Storage Soul Tool, personally ended the Frost Feather Ice Falcon, and began absorbing its Soul Ring.

As time passed, Shui Bing'er finished absorbing the Soul Ring in less than half a day. Her Soul Power Level also successfully broke through to level twenty-one.

Her second Soul Skill was called Frost Feather Ice Blade. Upon activation, it released thirty-six ice blades that attacked all targets within a hundred meters ahead.

Those struck would immediately be invaded by cold energy, greatly reducing their movement speed.

And if they were struck by too many ice blades, they would be directly frozen by the cold energy.

Upon hearing this, Shui Yue'er suddenly had an idea. "Then what would happen if Big Brother encountered Sister's second Soul Skill?"

"We can give it a try." Jiang Liang smiled at Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er's cheeks reddened slightly, but she still raised her eyes to meet his gaze, her eyes concealing a hint of eager fighting spirit.

Shui Lingyun nodded slightly. "All right. Then Xiao Jiang and Bing'er, the two of you can spar. But remember, stop when appropriate, all right?"

"Okay!"