Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well

Shui Bing'er returned home.

Not long after she entered, her grandfather came looking for her.

"Bing'er, you did well in this Three Academy Exchange Tournament! Huo Wu's Ring Fusion skill and Feng Xiaotian's Self-Created Soul Skill were truly astonishing. But compared to you, they still fell a little short."

"Grandfather, you know this was all thanks to Senior Phoenix."

"Of course I know. But I saw your performance with my own eyes. You did not squander your talent or effort, and you deserved those two victories."

Leng Jun spared no praise for his granddaughter.

Receiving her grandfather's approval, Shui Bing'er felt warmth fill her heart.

"Grandfather, while I was meditating to recover after today's match, it seemed that Senior Phoenix gave me some further guidance."

"Oh?"

Leng Jun's expression turned solemn.

He had always held deep respect for the hundred-thousand-year Ice Phoenix that had sacrificed itself for his granddaughter.

Then, following Xu Feng's instructions, Shui Bing'er clearly and completely relayed to Leng Jun the principles, functions, conditions for condensing, and risks involved with a Soul Core.

Leng Jun was utterly shocked, and his heart surged with excitement.

He had been stuck at the eight-ringed Soul Douluo realm for over ten years.

After his Soul Power reached rank eighty-five, the pace of his cultivation had become even slower.

Throughout countless days and nights spent exploring the path ahead, he had always felt as though an invisible barrier stood in his way.

The "Soul Core" Shui Bing'er described was like a guiding lamp illuminating his dark road of exploration!

Though the road ahead was still fraught with danger.

At least now, the direction was clear!

"Compressing Soul Power, condensing a Soul Core... the necessary condition for breaking through to Titled Douluo..."

Leng Jun murmured those key words repeatedly, his chest rising and falling slightly.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Bing'er, Senior Phoenix's guidance has completely enlightened me. I'll go back and try it right away. If it truly works, your father and younger aunt can try it too."

"Senior Phoenix said that Father and Aunt have both met the basic conditions for condensing a Soul Core. They can give it a try. This will be crucial to their future cultivation."

"Good! Bing'er, you truly are our family's lucky star. The kindness of Senior Phoenix will never be forgotten by the Leng Family and the Shui Family!"

Watching her grandfather leave with renewed vigor and long strides, Shui Bing'er's lips curled into a gentle smile.

The fate of her family, the academy's future, and that challenging road toward becoming a powerhouse were all slowly unfolding before her.

Four months later.

Skywater Academy training grounds.

Snowflakes drifted down from the dark clouds, each one as razor-sharp as a blade.

All the snowflakes whirled as they descended, forming an enormous vortex of ice and snow.

The snowflake blades unleashed an unending barrage of slicing attacks, producing a chilling, continuous hum.

Shui Yue'er, Yu Hairou, and the others stared at the sight in stunned disbelief.

"It worked!"

"The captain and Sister Xue Wu's Martial Soul Fusion Skill has finally succeeded!"

At the center of the training grounds, Xue Wu danced gracefully.

After her Soul Power broke through rank thirty, she had made a trip to the Ice-Sealed Forest, where she killed an ice-and-snow soul beast and obtained a Soul Skill that could summon snowfall.

After all this time spent exploring together, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu had finally developed their Martial Soul Fusion Skill.

Within the massive vortex of ice and snow, Shui Bing'er remained calm.

As the one leading the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, she moved with a thought and poured the source power of her Martial Soul into it.

An even more shocking sight appeared.

The ice-and-snow vortex spun even more frantically before rapidly condensing. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a massive blue phoenix with a body length of seven meters.

Vast energy poured down, and the temperature dropped to a horrifying level, completely freezing the entire training grounds.

The girls widened their eyes in shock.

Even Leng Qinghuan, a Soul Sage, felt bone-piercing cold.

Shui Bing'er withdrew her Soul Power.

The Ice Phoenix vanished, but a faint chill still lingered in the air.

Leng Qinghuan walked toward the two at the center of the training grounds, her eyes filled with relief and pride.

"Bing'er, congratulations. Your Martial Soul Fusion Skill has finally succeeded."

The girls all gathered around as well.

"Captain, you were amazing!"

"Big Sister, does your Martial Soul Fusion Skill have two attack modes?"

Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu exchanged smiles.

"Our Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Ice Snow Fluttering, does indeed have two attack modes. You saw them just now. One creates an icy snow vortex, while the other infuses it with the origin power of my Martial Soul to condense a massive Ice Phoenix."

Leng Qinghuan nodded.

"This is the first time I've seen a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with two attack modes. No matter which mode it is, its power is quite impressive."

"Teacher, with the two captains' Martial Soul Fusion Skill, our team has become even stronger."

"Of course. But you must also work hard to keep up with Bing'er and Xue Wu. Strive to break through Rank 30 as soon as possible."

"Understood!"

Over the next month, Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu practiced their coordination many times, until they could wield their Martial Soul Fusion Skill with ease.

By now, half a year had passed since Shui Bing'er acquired her third soul ring.

During those six months, her Soul Power had risen three ranks in a row, reaching Rank 35.

After studying in the academy library for half a year, she had mastered theoretical knowledge related to several hundred medicinal herbs.

It was time to proceed with the next step of the plan.

Following Xu Feng's guidance, Shui Bing'er and Leng Jun arrived at Sunset Forest.

The two flew through the air, looking down below.

Xu Feng's voice sounded in Shui Bing'er's mind.

"Bing'er, that treasure land is in the heart of the forest. I'm following your field of vision, so just fly straight ahead."

"Alright."

Shui Bing'er replied inwardly and sped up a little.

Xu Feng's destination for this trip was the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Quite a few immortal herbs grew there.

Immortal herbs could not only transform a soul master's body, but also help increase their cultivation speed. Every single one was an incomparable treasure.

At present, the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well was occupied by Dugu Bo.

Unfortunately, that fellow did not recognize their value.

In this world, very few people knew about immortal herbs.

Aside from Little Scoundrel, there were also Chrysanthemum Elder Yue Guan of Spirit Hall and the Breaking Clan brothers, Yang Wushuang and Yang Wudi.

Xu Feng could not accurately identify all kinds of immortal herbs like Little Scoundrel, Yue Guan, and the Yang brothers.

However, relying on his knowledge of Douluo Continent's plot from his past life, he could identify over a dozen famous immortal herbs by their appearance, including the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Infernal Delicate Apricot, and Lovesick Heartbreak Red.

Among these immortal herbs, the easiest to identify were the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, which grew at the respective centers of the two polar springs.

These two were also the most important immortal herbs.

Besides the immortal herbs, many spiritual herbs also grew within the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well.

Though the medicinal effects of spiritual herbs were not as strong as those of immortal herbs, they were still beneficial to soul masters.

Shui Bing'er had studied herbology in preparation for identifying those spiritual herbs as well.

Xu Feng knew that forcibly taking immortal herbs from Dugu Bo's territory would not be easy.

However, before coming to Sunset Forest, he had already thought of a way to deal with it.

No matter what, he had to claim those immortal herbs.