Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow

Shui Yue'er soon sighed again. "Actually, don't let Shui Yuerong fool you with how cold and practically heartless she seems. It's because she has a lonely, tragic past, and that's why she hates men so much. But setting that aside, I think she thinks very highly of you. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stood firm under such enormous pressure, refusing to yield even before the Upper Three Sects..."

Li Jiuxuan fell silent for a moment, then asked without thinking, "What... lonely, tragic past?"

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

He had spent the last month and a half cultivating without a single obstacle. He hadn't seen a single member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan at Calm Heart Lake.

Looking at it that way, Shui Yuerong's stance had been unexpectedly resolute.

However...

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

Who knew how much longer she could withstand the pressure?

If Skywater Academy stood against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, it would be a thankless struggle. It might even weaken Skywater Academy's overall strength in Four Elements City.

Then the other three academies could easily walk all over Skywater Academy.

If only she could become a Titled Douluo...

If Shui Yuerong became a Titled Douluo, all these problems would disappear!

On the contrary, Skywater Academy would undoubtedly rise straight into the ranks of the most influential powers in Four Elements City.

At that point, even with Yu Yuanzhen holding down the fort in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they wouldn't openly challenge Skywater Academy.

A clash between Titled Douluos was bound to destroy heaven and earth, affecting everything around them. These old monsters at that level naturally weren't foolish enough to go that far.

"The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow!"

Li Jiuxuan thought of this supreme treasure!

Based on the current timeline, it should be in Dragon City, within the Heaven Dou Empire.

In the bitterly cold Far North!

The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cave where the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow formed should lie beneath some frigid spring.

Wherever a Cold Spring flowed, the air was naturally bitingly cold, making it difficult to stay for long. And that was without even considering the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Cave—one needed the strength of a Soul Douluo just to descend into it.

Even if someone made it down and found the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Pillar, how much of this natural treasure they could claim would depend on their own abilities.

The process was grueling, beyond words.

All that could be said was that it was exceedingly easy to lose one's life.

But if Shui Yuerong absorbed the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, she would surely break through to Titled Douluo.

With a natural treasure like that as the foundation of her Soul Power, her reserves would be so deep that her strength would far surpass that of ordinary Titled Douluos.

Take Dugu Bo, whose level was relatively low, for example. His snake venom was currently hailed as the greatest poison on the Douluo Continent.

But before a Titled Douluo with the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow as their foundation, even the greatest poison under heaven would be utterly outmatched.

"Ah."

Hearing Li Jiuxuan's question, Shui Yue'er sighed, then slowly recounted Shui Yuerong's past. "When Shui Yuerong was young, she had skin like ice and jade, and breathtaking beauty. She was the most famous genius at Skywater Academy. While she was out on an adventure, she met a few kindred spirits. Among them was a handsome young man her own age. As they roamed the world together, they fell in love."

"The man came from an ordinary background and belonged to no sect, but he was gentle and treated the dean with the utmost care, cherishing her like the moon in the sky. Back then, the dean was innocent and pure. She had never cared about status or family background; she simply thought she had met someone she could entrust her life to. She even went against the sect's rules and secretly pledged herself to him."

"But as soon as their relationship came to light, the previous dean of Skywater Academy fiercely opposed it. She thought the man was too low-born to deserve Skywater Academy's foremost prodigy. She said he had approached Shui Yuerong's teacher only to covet the academy's resources and climb to the top in one leap."

"Under mounting pressure from every side, mockery, contempt, and threats all came crashing down on that man. He had done nothing wrong, yet reality drove him until he could barely hold his head up."

"Maybe he wasn't a bad person. He'd never meant to hurt the dean. But he was too weak and too insecure to bear the crushing pressure."

"On the night the dean finally resolved to defy the academy, packed everything, and secretly flee Skywater Academy with him to elope, she waited for him by their agreed-upon riverbank for the entire night. The cold wind cut to the bone, and her heart slowly turned cold too."

"He never came."

"Only the next day did the dean learn that he had slipped away quietly the night before. No farewell, no explanation—he'd only left word through someone else: 'Don't think of me.'"

"He ran away. He ran from the pressure, from the condemnation, and from the girl who had been willing to give up everything for him."

"And a year later, he married a woman from an equally ordinary background and quickly had a child..."

"..."

After hearing the story, Li Jiuxuan fell silent.

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

Perhaps he could understand someone believing he was too ordinary and not wanting to hold back the person he loved. But getting married and having a child just one year later...

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

After finishing her explanation, Shui Yue'er put on a pitiful look and said, "If one day your sister falls for you too, she'd much rather see you be brave and take me away!"

Li Jiuxuan's face turned red at once. "Sis, what are you talking about..."

Shui Yue'er ruffled Li Jiuxuan's hair. "I'm serious. Your sister isn't afraid of Master or Bing'er opposing us. She's more afraid you won't choose me with conviction! We can work hard together in the future!"

Shui Bing'er blushed too, then gave Shui Yue'er a sharp chop to the head. "You're spouting nonsense again. Keep this up and I'll lock you in the Trial Hall. You'll practice Condensed Cold Qi ten thousand times before you're allowed out!"

The pain made Shui Yue'er crouch on the ground at once, both hands clutching her head. "Sis, why are you getting so worked up? I was only joking around with Little Jiuxuan!"

"You can't joke about things like that!" Shui Bing'er said, her face red. She looked at Li Jiuxuan and, unusually, glared at him too. "You're not allowed to joke like that either!"

Li Jiuxuan had been caught in the crossfire despite lying there innocently. "Sis, I, I wouldn't..."

Shui Bing'er gave a haughty snort.

"Sis, I, let's talk about something important instead..." Li Jiuxuan scratched his head sheepishly.

"What important thing?" Shui Yue'er got up with a pout and shot Shui Bing'er a defiant look.

Shui Bing'er folded her arms and glared at Shui Yue'er again. Only then did she finally settle down.

"What I'm about to say might shock you both, but please believe me. I'm not lying!" Li Jiuxuan's expression turned serious.

Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er both looked at him, curious and attentive.

Li Jiuxuan took a deep breath. "Sis, I have a way to rapidly increase Dean Shui Yuerong's strength, and perhaps... help her break through to Titled Douluo!"

At those words, both girls with their oval faces froze in place, staring blankly at Li Jiuxuan.

"A T-Titled Douluo?!"