Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow

Shui Yue'er sighed again shortly after, saying, "Actually, don't let Dean Shui Yuerong's usual coldness and near-inhuman detachment fool you. It stems from a lonely and sorrowful past, which is why she detests men so much. But setting that aside, I feel she thinks quite highly of you. Otherwise, she wouldn't have withstood such immense pressure, refusing to compromise even in the face of the Upper Three Sects..."

Li Jiuxuan remained silent for a moment before asking instinctively, "What... what kind of lonely and sorrowful past?"

If the Blue Lightning Overlord Dragon Clan had come three times, they must have been applying constant pressure.

Yet, he had been cultivating for the past month and a half without any interference, and at Calm Heart Lake, he hadn't seen a single soul from the Blue Lightning Overlord Dragon Clan.

In this light, Shui Yuerong's stance was unexpectedly resolute.

However...

Shui Yuerong was, after all, only a level 86 Spirit Douluo.

It was hard to say how much longer she could hold out against the pressure.

If Skywater Academy were to go head-to-head with the Blue Lightning Overlord Dragon Clan, it would be a losing battle, and they might even see their overall strength diminished within Four Elements City.

In that case, it would be easy for the other three academies to ride roughshod over Skywater Academy.

If only she could become a Titled Douluo...

If Shui Yuerong became a Titled Douluo, these problems would cease to exist!

On the contrary, Skywater Academy's status in Four Elements City would undoubtedly ascend to the ranks of those with the most influence.

At that point, even with Yu Yuanzhen sitting at the helm of the Blue Lightning Overlord Dragon Clan, they wouldn't dare challenge Skywater Academy directly.

A clash between Titled Douluos is destined to be world-shaking and destructive, affecting everything in its path. Old monsters of that level are naturally not foolish enough to go that far.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow!"

Li Jiuxuan thought of this supreme holy treasure!

According to the current timeline, the location of this treasure should be in Dragon City of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The bitter, frozen lands of the Far North!

The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cave that births the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow should be located beneath some kind of extreme cold spring.

Where such cold springs exist, the Condensed Cold Qi is naturally biting, making it difficult to linger for long. Not to mention the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cave itself—without the strength of a Spirit Douluo, one simply cannot descend.

And even if one were to descend and find the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Pillar, such a natural holy treasure is destined to be claimed only by those with the capability to seize the fortune.

The process is arduous, beyond words.

It is safe to say it is extremely easy to lose one's life.

But if Shui Yuerong were to absorb the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, she would undoubtedly break through to become a Titled Douluo directly.

At that time, with such a natural holy treasure as the foundation of her spirit power, her potential would be profound, and her strength would be far beyond that of ordinary Titled Douluos.

Take Dugu Bo, who is at a lower level, for example; his snake venom is currently hailed as the number one poison on the Douluo Continent.

But in front of a Titled Douluo with the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow as a foundation, this "number one poison" would become fragile and ineffective.

"Sigh."

Hearing Li Jiuxuan's curiosity, Shui Yue'er sighed, then recounted the past of Shui Yuerong: "When Dean Shui Yuerong was young, she had skin like ice and bones of jade, with a stunning appearance. She was the most famous genius of Skywater Academy at the time. While out on a journey, she met several like-minded friends, among whom was a handsome young man of her age. As they roamed the world together, they fell in love."

"That man came from an ordinary background, with no sect or clan, but he had a gentle temperament and treated the Dean with meticulous care, holding her up like the moon in the sky. The Dean was innocent and pure back then, never caring about status or family background; she only felt she had met the person she could entrust her life to. She even disregarded the sect's rules and secretly pledged her life to him."

"But the moment this relationship was exposed, it met with fierce opposition from the previous Dean of Skywater Academy. She felt that the man's humble origins made him unworthy of the academy's top prodigy, claiming he was only approaching Master Shui Yuerong to covet the academy's resources and climb the social ladder."

"Under layers of pressure from all sides—the mockery, the disdain, the threats—everything was heaped upon that man. He hadn't done anything wrong, yet reality forced him to hang his head in shame."

"Perhaps he wasn't a bad person and never intended to hurt the Dean, but he was too weak and too insecure to withstand that overwhelming pressure."

"On the very night the Dean made up her mind to disregard the academy's opposition, packed her things, and prepared to sneak out of Skywater Academy to elope with him to the ends of the earth, she waited by the agreed-upon riverbank for an entire night. The cold wind bit into her, and her heart grew cold bit by bit."

"He did not come."

"The next day, the Dean learned that he had left silently the night before, without a farewell, without an explanation, leaving only a message for someone to pass on: 'Do not miss me.'"

"He fled. He fled from the pressure, fled from the criticism, and fled from the girl who was willing to give up everything for him."

"Furthermore, a year later, he married a woman of equally ordinary background and quickly had a child..."

"..."

After listening, Li Jiuxuan fell silent.

He found it hard to judge the man's actions.

Perhaps one could understand the desire not to hold back his beloved if he felt he was too ordinary, but to marry and have a child within a year...

"Little Jiuxuan, you must never become a heartless man like that guy!"

After explaining, Shui Yue'er feigned grievance and said, "If one day I also fall for you, I would much rather see you be a bit braver and take me away!"

Li Jiuxuan blushed instantly: "Sister, what are you saying..."

Shui Yue'er ruffled Li Jiuxuan's hair: "I'm serious. I'm not afraid of Master or Sister Bing'er opposing us; I'm more afraid of you not choosing me firmly! In the future, we can work hard together!"

Shui Bing'er's face also turned red. With a thwack, she delivered a hand-chop to the top of Shui Yue'er's head: "You're babbling nonsense again. If you keep this up, I'll drag you into the Trial Hall, and you won't be allowed out until you've practiced the Condensed Cold Qi ten thousand times!"

Shui Yue'er squatted on the ground in pain, clutching her head with both hands: "Sister, why are you so anxious? I was just joking with Little Jiuxuan!"

"You shouldn't joke like that!" Shui Bing'er blushed, looking at Li Jiuxuan as she gave him a rare, sharp glare. "And you aren't allowed to make jokes like that either!"

Li Jiuxuan was caught in the crossfire while just lying there, saying innocently, "Big Sister, I, I would never..."

Shui Bing'er let out a haughty, cold snort.

"Big Sister, l-let's just talk about serious business..." Li Jiuxuan sheepishly scratched his head.

"What serious business?" Shui Yue'er pouted as she stood up, casting a defiant glance at Shui Bing'er.

Shui Bing'er crossed her arms and glared at Shui Yue'er again, which finally made her settle down completely.

"What I'm about to say might come as a huge shock to both of you, but please believe me, I am not lying!" Li Jiuxuan's expression turned instantly serious.

Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er both looked at him with curious, earnest gazes.

Li Jiuxuan took a deep breath. "Big Sister, I have a way to help Dean Shui Yuerong rapidly increase her strength, or perhaps even... break through to become a Titled Douluo!"

As soon as these words left his lips, both oval-faced girls froze in place, staring blankly at Li Jiuxuan.

"A, a Titled Douluo?!"