"I know, Sister."
Li Jiuxuan nodded, his expression serious.
Now that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had absorbed the Elephant Armor Sect's foundations, its overall strength had not diminished but increased. It was still far stronger than the Skywater Sect as a whole, even with two affiliated academies.
And because of him, Li Jiuxuan, the Skywater Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect had long since become mortal enemies.
Although the powers within Four Elements City had already been consolidated, there was no doubt that the moment he set foot on Thunder Academy's territory, someone would swiftly kill him on the spot!
"Don't worry. With me here, anyone who wants to hurt you will have to step over my corpse!"
At that, Shui Bing'er's gaze turned sharp, and she spoke coldly.
From the moment she had saved Li Jiuxuan, to facing life and death alongside him, and then receiving the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow from him—
Shui Bing'er had long since come to regard Li Jiuxuan as one of the most important people in her life.
"That's right! Anyone who wants to hurt Xiao Jiuxuan will have to step over my corpse first!"
Shui Yue'er clenched her little fist beside them, looking utterly serious.
Li Jiuxuan's nose stung a little. He looked at Shui Bing'er's striking, beautiful face, and his heart was so touched he could have wept.
They weren't just saying it. They had already protected him with their actions many times.
They hadn't even backed down in the face of Yu Luomian, who was half a step away from becoming a Titled Douluo.
Li Jiuxuan didn't want to sniffle, so he tried to change the mood. Picking up a piece of pastry from the table, he held it to Shui Bing'er's mouth. "Sister, say ah..."
Shui Bing'er froze, hesitating for a moment as her cheeks turned faintly red.
But in the end, she leaned forward and brought her soft lips to it.
The pastry's sweet fragrance spread across her lips and teeth. Shui Bing'er gently took a bite, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Looking at her adorable little brother, she couldn't help letting a faint smile curl her lips.
...By now, there was no sign at all of Shui Bing'er as the aloof, peerless beauty.
"Ah..."
Seeing this, Shui Yue'er blinked, then immediately opened her rosy little mouth wide and moved in front of Li Jiuxuan, pointing at it. "I want some too, Sister..."
Li Jiuxuan had only meant to lighten the heavy mood, but with Shui Yue'er so eagerly asking for a bite, his little face inexplicably flushed as well.
He picked up another piece and held it out to her.
Now that he was an official student of the Skywater Sect, Li Jiuxuan was no longer a wandering cultivator who could only train alone.
Starting today, he could attend classes like any other student.
He could also use the sect's various cultivation facilities.
After breakfast, Shui Bing'er took Li Jiuxuan around to see the different teaching areas and showed him how to use the various cultivation devices.
"Jiuxuan, although you're only a little over level twenty, you're different from ordinary students. You don't need to take many classroom theory courses. After all, with your current strength, you're not afraid of going up against some Soul Elders. You should spend more time training in simulated environments, or have an instructor lead you on practical hunts."
Shui Bing'er held Li Jiuxuan's hand as they strolled through the Skywater Sect.
Shui Yue'er followed behind, playfully watching the bugs and flowers.
The Skywater Sect had been rebuilt with a much stronger foundation, and its layout was now quite different from before. Even its original students were amazed and proud of it.
"Mm, I understand, Sister Bing'er."
As he followed Shui Bing'er past classrooms filled with the sound of students reciting their lessons, Li Jiuxuan couldn't help admiring the Skywater Sect's teaching standards.
Lower-level Soul Masters could learn general knowledge in the classrooms while cultivating their Soul Power.
They studied things like Martial Soul Theory, Soul Beast guides, cultivation methods, and general knowledge of the continent.
Higher-level Soul Masters, like Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er, would consult their head instructors individually about any theories they didn't understand, then spend more time in practical training and fighting Soul Beasts.
This was much better than Shrek Academy.
The instructors at that academy didn't care about anything. After taking the students' money, all they did was make them run.
And if they didn't run well, they got beaten.
The only one with any real knowledge had even egged on someone with Innate Full Soul Power to use a Ten-Year Solitary Bamboo as a Soul Ring.
"Ah, Sect Master Shui Yuerong was so strong! She actually cut down Yu Luomian right then and there!"
"Yeah! I can't believe Sect Master Shui Yuerong dared to kill the second-in-command of one of the Upper Three Sects!"
"I heard the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan came to the Skywater Sect back then just for one young disciple!"
"A young disciple? Could it have been the Skywater Sect's chief disciple, Shui Bing'er?"
As they passed the front plaza, Li Jiuxuan gradually began to hear people talking.
But when he looked back, he saw that they weren't disciples of the Skywater Sect. They were young students in the uniforms of the two academies, one blue and one red.
"Students from Blazing Fire Academy and Godwind Academy?"
Li Jiuxuan froze.
Shui Bing'er glanced back at them and said, "Mm, those two academies are both affiliated with our Skywater Sect now. The dean recently opened up the plaza in front so students from all three academies could meet here and learn from one another."
Li Jiuxuan understood. He'd heard most of the news within the sect, but he was a cultivation fanatic who rarely left home. He hadn't realized that students from the other two academies could come into the outer grounds of the Skywater Sect.
"You have no idea, Xiao Jiuxuan..."
Shui Yue'er caught up after picking a flower. "As the Skywater Sect grows stronger by the day, the top geniuses from the other two academies all want to compete with Sister Bing'er."
"Compete with her?" Li Jiuxuan blinked.
Shui Yue'er arched an eyebrow at him and lowered her voice, speaking with a knowing lilt. "Because they only know that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan attacked the Skywater Sect for one disciple. But they don't know which disciple it was..."
Li Jiuxuan was stunned for a moment, then understood.
After all, his identity hadn't been made public yet, and Shui Bing'er was the most talented disciple the Skywater Sect knew of. She was also the top student of her generation.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect wouldn't go to all that trouble to seize some utterly insignificant disciple, would it?
Naturally, everyone assumed it had been Shui Bing'er.
Li Jiuxuan couldn't help laughing. "But it's true. If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan knew how strong you are now, Sister, they'd definitely try to take you too."
Shui Bing'er had undergone a complete transformation. At twelve, she had already mastered Ultimate Ice, and her Soul Power had reached level forty-one.
How many people on the continent could do that?
And let's not forget, her Ice Phoenix was a Beast Martial Soul too.
Old Yu, you're not the only one who can threaten your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's title as the Number One Beast Martial Soul anymore.
Shui Yue'er burst out laughing and couldn't help smacking Li Jiuxuan on the shoulder. "Ahaha, well said! With their character, they really would do something so shameless!"
Li Jiuxuan grinned, then looked at Shui Bing'er and patted his chest with his little hand, teasing her. "Don't worry, Sister. If they ever try to hurt you, they'll have to step over my corpse first!"
If Li Jiuxuan had said that to Shui Bing'er in a serious tone, she would have been so moved she'd have dug her heart out for him.
But his deliberate teasing now made her usually impassive face turn red all at once.
"You two are always such smooth talkers." Shui Bing'er glared at them.
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