Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu

"Tsk tsk—"

"So, inducing excitement in spirit beasts can trigger critical hits of faith energy!"

Lin Yue's eyes lit up; this was yet another path to harvesting faith energy!

Furthermore, Lin Yue felt this path was even more suited to him.

It was far more effective than the method of deceiving humans.

From now on, he only needed to broadcast these kinds of scenes to the spirit beast clans more often.

Lin Yue was in no rush to leave; he leaned back, quietly watching the group of spirit masters continue to scramble for a century-old Lightning Rabbit.

He didn't care which spirit beast clan was watching; with everything in the surroundings being broadcast, Lin Yue's gaze was focused more on Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu.

After all, these two girls, who were as incompatible as ice and fire, were quite eye-catching.

Huo Wu's figure transformed into a blurred crimson shadow, pouncing toward the panicked, fleeing yellow bolt of lightning at top speed!

"Xue Wu, control the field!" Shui Bing'er's reaction was equally swift; she knew well that in such chaos, both speed and control were indispensable.

Her cold, clear voice carried an unquestionable command, and at the same time, her second spirit ring shone: "Ice Ring Armor!" A layer of crystal-clear ice instantly covered her and the core students beside her, providing defense.

Xue Wu understood immediately and launched her spirit skill: "Ice Seal!" A biting chill spread out from her as the center, targeting not the Lightning Rabbit, but the ground in front of the crowd rushing toward it.

Crack, crack, crack! A thin layer of ice instantly solidified, attempting to slow the footsteps of the ordinary spirit masters and civilians charging forward, buying a sliver of space and initiative for her academy.

"In your dreams!" Huo Wu caught sight of the frost on the ground and let out a cold snort.

She was closer to the Lightning Rabbit and it was almost within her grasp.

"Repulsive Fire Ring!" She launched her third spirit skill without hesitation; a scorching, intensely repulsive ring of fire exploded outward with her as the center!

BOOM!

The searing heat wave surged outward, aimed directly at the Skywater Academy group trailing behind her, especially Shui Bing'er, who was at the forefront!

Huo Wu didn't consider whether she would harm the innocent; she only had eyes for that Lightning Rabbit, and anyone who blocked her was an enemy!

"Ice Wall!"

Shui Bing'er's pupils constricted, her reaction lightning-fast. A thick wall of ice instantly rose from the ground in front of her.

Hiss—!

The violent heat wave of the Repulsive Fire Ring slammed hard against the ice wall; ice and fire collided, erupting with a piercing sound of energy annihilation and a massive amount of scalding white steam!

The ice wall vibrated violently, its surface instantly melting and cracking, but it ultimately blocked the sudden attack.

"Huo Wu! Are you crazy!" Shui Bing'er glared at Huo Wu through the gaps in the rapidly melting ice wall.

The range of that attack was massive; had she not defended in time, not only would she have been knocked back, but the students behind her and the chaotic crowd nearby, slightly hindered by the ice, might have been caught in the blast and burned.

"Hmph! Those who block me are my enemies! This spirit beast, my Blazing Fire Academy is determined to have it!"

Huo Wu didn't even look back; taking advantage of the moment the ice wall blocked Shui Bing'er, she accelerated again toward the Lightning Rabbit, which had been startled by the explosion of the Repulsive Fire Ring and had veered slightly off course.

"Wings of the Fire Crane!"

Faint phantom wings condensed from flames appeared behind her; her teammates had applied an auxiliary spirit skill to her, increasing her speed once more!

"Don't even think about it!"

How could Shui Bing'er let her succeed? The second spirit ring beneath her feet lit up again, and a winding path of ice instantly extended beneath her, chasing directly after Huo Wu. Wherever the path passed, the ground froze, attempting to drag down Huo Wu's speed.

Huo Wu felt a chill strike her feet, and her speed indeed faltered.

"Annoying ice block!" She shouted angrily, and her third spirit ring lit up again: "Repulsive Fire Ring!" Another ring of fire exploded, this time directed downward, slamming hard against the frozen path beneath her feet.

Bang! Ice shards splattered everywhere, and the cold air was temporarily dispersed by the violent firepower.

But because of this delay, Shui Bing'er had already bypassed her from the side, bringing a frigid chill. She reached out her jade-like hand, grabbing toward the Lightning Rabbit with biting cold: "Come here!"

"Dream on!" Huo Wu struck at almost the same time, her flame-entwined palm also grabbing for the same target.

She would never allow Shui Bing'er to succeed!

Two fair hands, each containing diametrically opposed powers, inevitably collided fiercely just inches away from the Lightning Rabbit!

Zzzzt—!

Ice and fire, two extreme attributes of spirit power, clashed head-on without any flair! A powerful turbulent flow of energy erupted violently from the point where their palms met!

Red and blue light flickered, entangled, and annihilated each other! The scorching heat waves and bone-chilling currents clashed crazily, forming a visible shockwave that sent several nearby, weaker spirit masters and civilians flying, causing them to fall to the ground with screams.

Shui Bing'er let out a muffled groan; the ice crystal armor on her arm melted by more than half, and a scorching fire poison followed the point of contact, attempting to invade her meridians, leaving half her body feeling numb and stinging.

Her face turned pale, but her eyes grew colder and more determined. She circulated her Profound Ice spirit power rapidly, forcibly suppressing and expelling the fire poison.

Huo Wu was in no better shape; Shui Bing'er's cold energy was incredibly pure, invading along her arm and making her feel as if her entire limb were about to freeze. Even her spirit power circulation became sluggish, and her blazing flames felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over them, her momentum faltering.

She gritted her teeth, forcibly driving her spirit power, attempting to use even more intense flames to disperse the cold.

The two remained in a stalemate; neither could completely overwhelm the other, nor could they spare the focus to grab the Lightning Rabbit that was within reach yet felt miles away.

Their gazes collided fiercely in the air, filled with undisguised hostility and the determination to win at all costs.

The confrontation between ice and fire had, at this moment, become the most dazzling and dangerous core of the chaotic vortex.

"Brilliant, simply brilliant!"

Lin Yue was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle; watching two beauties of such contrasting styles trade blows was truly a feast for the eyes.

An idea sparked in Lin Yue's mind instantly: he wanted to claim both of these girls for himself.

When the time came, he could have them take turns, allowing him to experience the "Nine Heavens of Ice and Fire" for himself.

"No wonder these two were fighting so fiercely; it turns out they're both nearing level 40!"

"They're in need of a Spirit Beast, and as it happens, I have plenty to spare."

Lin Yue's eyes flickered as a plan took shape.

In truth, he didn't need any elaborate schemes; he simply needed to present the Spirit Beasts and let them choose.

"Whoosh—"

Meanwhile, that cunning Lightning Rabbit took advantage of the shockwaves and chaotic energy currents generated by the collision of the two spirit skills, utilizing its lightning-fast speed and minor teleportation ability.

It quickly transformed into a streak of yellow light, dove deep into a narrower, less crowded alleyway nearby, and vanished in an instant!

At the same time, it disappeared from the Tiandou Imperial Capital entirely.

Because Lin Yue had reclaimed it the very first moment he could.

Once a Spirit Beast was successfully tamed and stored by him, he could recall it at any time, provided it wasn't too far away.

"Oh no, the Lightning Rabbit is gone!"

Someone rushed over first, only to quickly discover that the Lightning Rabbit had left no trace behind.

Huo Wu, Shui Bing'er, and the other Spirit Masters hurried over to investigate, only to find that the Lightning Rabbit had indeed vanished.

There were no signs of it anywhere in the vicinity; it was as if it had simply ceased to exist.

"Damn it! It got away!" Huo Wu chased after it, and upon realizing her target had vanished, she stomped her foot in frustration and glared at Shui Bing'er. "This is all your fault!"

Shui Bing'er cast a cold glance at the empty alleyway before looking back at Huo Wu, her tone laced with mockery: "Likewise. If you hadn't attacked so recklessly, it might not have escaped."

The two glared at each other, their respective ice and fire spirit power rising faintly around them once more; a new round of conflict seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

"Ladies, if you are in need of a Spirit Beast, why not come up here and have a chat?"

Just then, a man's voice rang out simultaneously in the ears of both Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu.