Shui Bing'er and Liu Ruyan felt everything before their eyes turn gray and sluggish, as if they had been pulled into an isolated space, cut off from the world.
The wind and snow stood still.
The roaring Titan Snow Demons froze in place.
Then—
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Countless phantom Shark Blades, identical to the short blade in Lan's hand, emerged from the ground of the Darkness Domain and the distorted air, silently piercing the bodies of those enormous beasts.
There were no screams, no struggles.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, so ferocious just moments ago, collapsed with a crash like puppets stripped of every last bit of life.
Their enormous bodies struck the snow, barely kicking up a flurry.
The darkness receded like the tide.
Everything returned to normal.
The wind and snow continued to blow, but now several enormous corpses lay across the snowy plain.
The battle had ended the instant it began.
A string of cold prompts rang out in Lan's mind.
[Ding! Killed a Titan Snow Demon. Reward: God-Given Soul Ring.]
[Ding! Killed a Titan Snow Demon. Reward: Soul Power increased by one level.]
[Ding! Killed a Titan Snow Demon. Reward: Mental cultivation technique, God-Slaying Demon Eyes.]
The string of rewards made Lan's eyes shift slightly.
A warm current welled up from deep within his body. Lan could clearly feel his Soul Power bottleneck shatter in an instant.
He had reached level seventy.
As for the rest...
A God-Given Soul Ring!
Perfect. He could use it to absorb his Seventh Soul Ring!
With his current physical condition, reaching a hundred thousand years with this Seventh Soul Ring would be no problem.
Lan calmed his mind and took stock of his bountiful spoils.
Just then, the other Soul Beasts in the distance, which had also gone berserk, instantly regained their senses. Their blood-red eyes cleared.
They glanced at the Titan Snow Demon corpses on the ground, then stared in terror at the silver-haired youth standing with his blade in hand.
The next moment, they turned and fled in every direction as if possessed, scrambling and tumbling, wishing they had a few more legs.
Watching this bizarre scene, Shui Bing'er's delicate little mouth formed a perfect "O."
What was going on?
A one-hit kill?
He'd killed several Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts with just one Domain-type Soul Skill?
And that Soul Ring Configuration beneath his feet—two purple and four black...
What kind of monster was this man?!
"Teacher..."
Shui Bing'er helped up Liu Ruyan, who was just as dumbstruck.
Liu Ruyan collected herself, stifled the tumult in her heart, and carefully led Shui Bing'er forward.
"Thank you... young hero, for saving our lives."
Liu Ruyan bowed, her voice filled with gratitude and awe.
She knew full well that without this youth before them, she and her disciple would have met their deaths here today.
Shui Bing'er quickly bowed as well, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"Thank you..."
Lan withdrew his Soul Rings and finally turned around. His pure white, flawless eyes settled on the two of them.
Shui Bing'er's water-blue hair fluttered in the snow, making her exquisite, ice-sculpted features look all the more delicate. A heaven-blessed beauty, she naturally possessed a cool, aloof air, but now, excitement and relief at surviving the ordeal brought a lovely flush to her cheeks.
Beside her, Liu Ruyan had been injured and was pale, but she still possessed the charm of a mature woman. As she looked at Lan, her gaze held both gratitude and deep wariness.
A handsome youth with an almost bewitching air.
A cool and stunning young woman.
A teacher whose mature charm remained undimmed.
The scene looked somewhat peculiar in the wind and snow.
Lan's gaze swept over them, then finally settled on the Titan Snow Demon corpses.
"It was nothing. I just happened to be passing by."
His voice was calm, betraying no particular emotion.
"Just happened to be passing by..."
Shui Bing'er murmured to herself, speechless inside.
That was what he called passing by?
Then what did our desperate resistance just now amount to? Tickling them?
She gathered her courage and raised her head. Curiosity and admiration filled her beautiful blue eyes.
"My name is Shui Bing'er, and this is my teacher, Liu Ruyan. May I ask your name?"
"Lan."
One word, crisp and decisive.
"Lan..."
Shui Bing'er repeated the name silently, feeling an inexplicable emotion sprout in her heart.
She gazed at Lan's flawless profile and his tall, proud figure. Her heart began to beat a little faster.
He was so strong, so handsome...
Seeing her disciple's expression, Liu Ruyan sighed inwardly, but still spoke up.
"May I ask why you came to the depths of the Far North, young hero Lan?"
This place was fraught with danger. It was no place for a young man.
Lan did not answer. Instead, he turned to look at the two of them.
"What about you?"
He asked in return.
"Did you come here to die?"
"..."
Shui Bing'er and Liu Ruyan were both at a loss for words.
Why was this man so blunt?
Shui Bing'er's pretty face reddened. Somewhat indignant, she thrust out her chest, and her cool demeanor returned a little.
"We came here to find a fourth Soul Ring for me!"
"Oh?"
The corner of Lan's mouth seemed to lift in the faintest hint of amusement.
"With just the two of you?"
"You!"
Shui Bing'er was instantly incensed. She was a once-in-a-century genius of Skywater Academy—when had anyone ever looked down on her like this?
But when she thought of his six outrageous Soul Rings and his strength in killing Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts in a single blow, every retort caught in her throat. She could not utter a word.
Her pretty face turned scarlet. She looked utterly adorable.
Seeing this, Liu Ruyan hurriedly tugged at her disciple's sleeve, signaling her not to say anything more.
This youth's strength was unfathomable, and his temperament even harder to read. It was best not to provoke him lightly.
Meanwhile.
The Titan Snow Demon territory.
This was one of the true forbidden zones of the Far North, perpetually shrouded in violent energy and bone-piercing gales.
The enormous glaciers had been stained dark red with dried blood.
The bones of countless Soul Beasts lay piled up like mountains, forming one grim mound after another.
The air reeked of blood and savagery.
"Roar—!"
"Roar—!"
Titan Snow Demons as large as mountains rampaged across the land.
They pounded their solid chests and let out deafening roars, venting the madness and savagery buried in their bones.
Just then—
Every sound in the world seemed to be cut off in an instant by an invisible hand.
The wind stopped.
The roars ceased.
The enormous beasts that had been pounding their chests froze in place. Their massive eyes revealed the most primal terror, born from deep within their bloodlines.
They raised their heads in unison and looked toward the sky.
A figure descended quietly.
She was a woman.
She wore a plain white palace gown, its hem gently swaying in the motionless air, untouched by the slightest speck of dust.
Her three thousand strands of snowy hair cascaded like a waterfall. Each strand was crystal-clear, glimmering with the sheen of ice crystals.
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