[Image] Qian Renxue vs. Shui Bing'er! Sword Douluo Takes a Disciple!? The Divine Artifact, Star Sword!

Meanwhile, ice spikes rained down on Qian Renxue,

interspersed with several streaks of icy blue light—

those were her first Soul Skill, "Ice Seal."

Anyone struck by it would be frozen. It was a practical control skill that consumed very little Soul Power.

Qian Renxue watched the rain of ice spikes hurtling toward her without even twitching an eyebrow.

The greatsword in her hand swept through the air as lightly as if it weighed nothing.

The sharp ice spikes instantly shattered into flakes, drifting down like snowflakes.

They melted into white mist in the heat,

leaving the entire arena shrouded in haze, like a fairyland.

If she had faced an attack of this density half a month ago,

she would probably have struggled to dodge it with nimble footwork.

But now she had a treasured sword forged by Ling Xiao and infused with Star Gold.

Although her cultivation still kept it from entering the ranks of divine artifacts,

she could scatter the ice spikes as if they were nothing, without even breaking a sweat.

She also deftly dodged the icy blue streaks threaded between the ice spikes with a few shifts of position.

In just a few breaths,

the distance between her and Shui Bing'er had shrunk considerably.

Seeing how fiercely she was coming, Shui Bing'er flapped her wings and retreated without hesitation.

As she withdrew, her gaze swept over the water mist filling the arena.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

"Third Soul Skill—Resist Ice Ring!"

Powerful icy Soul Power burst outward from her,

instantly freezing the water mist and transforming it into an Ice and Snow Storm!

Qian Renxue felt an irresistible force slam into her. She was driven back more than ten meters before managing to steady herself.

The ice blades caught in the storm sliced across her cheeks and the backs of her hands like razor blades,

leaving several thin trails of blood.

At the same time, the slush beneath her feet froze solid.

The ice crept upward from her soles,

sealing her ankles and calves as it continued to climb...

"Qi Piercing Mountains and Rivers!"

Qian Renxue furrowed her brows, but didn't panic.

She raised her sword level with her brow. A magnificent aura suddenly rose around her, like a mountain towering over an abyss, like a sovereign descending.

The solid ice spreading wildly beneath her shattered at her command.

The bone-chilling Soul Power surrounding her

was tamed by her sword intent,

transformed into the purest Soul Power and drawn into her body like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

She had created this Soul Skill herself, drawing inspiration from the first form of the Taia Sword Art, "Primordial Qi Guidance," and the purifying properties of the Angel Martial Soul.

It could not only directly dispel an opponent's attacks, but also turn them to her own use. It was truly a fearsome skill.

Of course, it was nowhere near invincible, and far from perfected!

If her opponent's cultivation surpassed hers by too much, its purifying effect would be greatly diminished.

And absorbing a large amount of unrefined Soul Power in a short time would place a tremendous strain on her meridians!

So she didn't pause for even a moment.

As she dispelled the Ice Seal, she poured the converted Soul Power straight into her legs without reservation.

She became a blur, bursting through the icy mist and charging straight at Shui Bing'er!

The mist blocked Qian Renxue's vision, but it obscured Shui Bing'er's eyes as well.

By the time Shui Bing'er noticed the figure hurtling out of the mist,

it was already too late to use her aerial advantage to widen the distance!

Qian Renxue closed in at incredible speed, then leaped more than ten meters into the air, rising until she was level with Shui Bing'er!

"Sunset Slash!"

A red glow coated the Star Sword in Qian Renxue's hand as she swung it.

The sword light dyed the arena red, like the setting sun cleaving the heavens and earth in two.

The Ice Armor covering Shui Bing'er shattered with a crash, and she was sent flying off the arena.

"Winner—Fei Xue!"

The host shouted excitedly. "Congratulations to Fei Xue on her eighth consecutive victory!"

The spectators below fell silent for a moment, still immersed in that dazzling sword strike that seemed to cleave heaven and earth.

Only then did they come to their senses and erupt in a roar like a mountain collapsing and a tidal wave crashing.

"Fei Xue!"

"Fei Xue!"

"Fei Xue!"

In the VIP seats,

Ning Fengzhi had watched the battle and remained silent for a long time.

Although Shui Bing'er had worn a mask,

the moment she revealed her Martial Soul, he had guessed her identity.

She was the youngest and most dazzling genius of this year's Skywater Academy, and a formidable contender for the Soul Master Tournament championship.

And yet she'd been defeated by someone who hadn't used a Martial Soul or Soul Skills—no, that was wrong. She had used one just now. It must have been a Self-Created Soul Skill.

Hearing about it had been shocking enough. Seeing it with his own eyes was even more astonishing!

"Uncle Jian, what do you think of Fei Xue?"

Sword Douluo was still lost in the memory of that final strike. After a long while, he finally uttered two words:

"A genius!"

"Not just an ordinary genius, but a genius among Soul Masters—and an unparalleled genius in the way of the sword."

Sword Douluo exclaimed, his eyes suddenly blazing with fervor.

"Her swordsmanship may still have its flaws, but her sword intent has already surpassed that of most people."

"Judging by sword intent alone, she may even surpass me in breadth and depth!"

By now, he was fervently determined to take her as his disciple.

With his guidance, given time,

she would surely surpass him—and might even reach the level of his grandfather in his prime!

At that thought,

Sword Douluo suddenly grabbed Ning Fengzhi by the arm and said excitedly,

"Fengzhi, I have no wife or children. I've devoted my life to studying the way of the sword.

"Now, at long last, I've found someone with such extraordinary talent in the way of the sword.

"No matter what,

"I must take her as my disciple, teach her with care, and pass on my legacy!"

"Come on, you old sword-swinger. Isn't this a bit much?"

Bone Douluo's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he watched from the side.

He'd known Chen Xin for decades,

and had never seen the old fellow lose his composure like this.

"You brute who only knows how to bash people with bones—what do you know about the way of the sword?"

"Oh? You sword-swinging old fool! What do you mean, brute? Why don't we settle this with a spar?"

"All right, all right."

Ning Fengzhi smiled and stepped between them, closing his jade fan with a light snap.

"Uncle Gu, since Uncle Jian has taken a liking to that young fellow, then we must bring her into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and help Uncle Jian fulfill his wish."

"Let's go. The match has just ended, so we can go meet her now."

Chen Xin immediately fell silent and straightened his robes. Seeing how impatient he looked, Bone Douluo couldn't help muttering again,

"Look at your face. Anyone would think you'd found a long-lost illegitimate child."

He wasn't really against recruiting Fei Xue. It was just that he and the old sword-swinger had spent decades bickering day in and day out,

and he couldn't change his ways overnight.

Besides, he felt a faint, unspoken pang of displeasure.

Normally, the two of them kept each other company.

A master and disciple were like father and child.

If Sword Douluo really took Fei Xue as his disciple, wouldn't he be left all alone?

The match ended.

The members of Shrek came down from the "latrine" and gathered with Yu Xiaogang and the others.

Seeing that Qian Renxue had really defeated her opponent without using her Martial Soul or Soul Skills—at least not much—

everyone looked especially grave.

The final strike in particular: Qian Renxue had leaped more than ten meters into the air!

Was she even human?

How had she done that?

"What do you think?"

Flender looked solemnly at the Little Monsters, his gaze resting mainly on Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Xiao Wu.