Frozen Forest

The next day, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er arrived early at the little house by Calm Heart Lake.

After having breakfast with Li Jiuxuan, the three of them prepared to set off for the Frozen Forest.

When they arrived at the gates of Skywater Academy, they found a short-haired instructor in blue waiting for them.

"Xiao Jiuxuan, this is one of our senior instructors, Mentor Xue Furong, a Level 67 Agility Attack System Soul Emperor. Say hello to her," Shui Bing'er introduced her to Li Jiuxuan.

Xue Furong looked down at Li Jiuxuan, her expressionless face cool and detached. "So you're Li Jiuxuan, that special student..."

Like Shui Yuerong, Xue Furong was a stern, aloof woman. But when she spoke, there was none of that deliberate disdain or hostility in her eyes.

Perhaps the teaching profession naturally cultivated a stern image.

"Hello, Mentor." Li Jiuxuan greeted her politely.

How should he put it? It was true that Skywater Academy was full of beauties.

But Li Jiuxuan felt the girls at Skywater Academy all shared one particular trait.

They were curvy in all the right places.

Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent really did tend to develop remarkably well. Shui Bing'er was only twelve, yet she already looked no different from an adult and stood 1.83 meters tall.

Shui Yue'er was a little shorter. At eleven, she stood around 1.8 meters.

As for Xue Furong standing before him, she was in a league of her own. She stood a full 1.95 meters tall, and with her ample curves, she was exceptionally tall even by the standards of the Douluo Continent.

Li Jiuxuan often had to tilt his head back to talk to them. He was only 1.35 meters tall now.

"Teacher Fufu, we'll have to trouble you today, hee-hee!"

Shui Yue'er skipped up to Xue Furong and clung to her arm, acting coy.

A sigh escaped Xue Furong's cool face. She looked at Shui Yue'er with fond exasperation. "The dean said Li Jiuxuan is only staying here temporarily. The academy will ensure his safety within its grounds, but not outside them. We won't get involved in anything beyond that. He has to cultivate on his own, and no instructor from Skywater Academy can help him hunt a Soul Beast or obtain a Soul Ring.

"Aw, Auntie Fufu, please help us out. A six-year-old going alone to hunt a Soul Beast is far too dangerous!" Afraid Xue Furong might change her mind, Shui Yue'er immediately rubbed her soft cheek against Xue Furong's shoulder.

Xue Furong had no choice. She rubbed Shui Yue'er's head and said, "I'll go with him to the Frozen Forest today, but I won't take part in hunting a Soul Beast or obtaining a Soul Ring. I'll only be there to protect his safety."

"Mm, Auntie Fufu, you're the best!"

Shui Yue'er flashed a smug smile.

Li Jiuxuan only needed a First Soul Ring, so he would be dealing with Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.

His older sister was Level 31, and she was Level 28. Helping the little guy get a good Soul Ring would be a piece of cake!

They just had to worry about something unexpected happening.

Li Jiuxuan silently watched Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er. Shui Yuerong had warned him at the start that he wouldn't receive much help from Skywater Academy's instructors.

He hadn't expected these two older sisters to use their connections just so he could obtain his First Soul Ring without a hitch.

"Let's go, Auntie Furong, Yue'er, Jiuxuan. It's getting late."

Shui Bing'er wasn't one for fuss. She merely smiled faintly.

When Li Jiuxuan passed the snowy patch where he'd been chased the day before, he saw that the bodies and bloodstains were long gone.

Li Jiuxuan looked up at the sky. The cold wind howled, and the blizzard swirled.

"They were probably buried under the snow..."

"I wasn't taken to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. I wonder if they'll let the matter rest."

"But now that Skywater Academy is sheltering me, as long as I'm on its grounds, even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan probably wouldn't dare openly commit an atrocity..."

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had a Level 95 Titled Douluo and a Level 89 Super Soul Douluo.

If one only counted the strongest fighters, the Upper Three Sects were undoubtedly beyond the reach of any academy.

Li Jiuxuan wondered: if they found Skywater Academy and ruthlessly made trouble, would Shui Yuerong hand him over?

"It's all right. Don't be nervous."

Shui Bing'er patted him on the back and reassured him.

Seeing his grave expression, she assumed he was nervous about facing a Soul Beast for the first time.

Li Jiuxuan knew Shui Bing'er had misunderstood. He looked up at her with a smile. "I'm fine, Sister. I was just thinking about what kind of Soul Ring I should get later."

Shui Bing'er instinctively took Li Jiuxuan's hand. After thinking it over, she said, "Generally speaking, Ice-type Soul Masters prioritize control-type Soul Skills to strengthen their ability to restrict their opponents. But your Ice Dragon King Martial Soul belongs to the Power Attack System, right?"

Li Jiuxuan nodded. "It's a Power Attack System Martial Soul."

The Ice Dragon King Martial Soul had an Ice attribute, but dragons were the mightiest of all living things, naturally domineering and unmatched in strength.

The power of its bloodline was beyond comparison with ordinary Martial Souls. Its strength, defense, and control were all formidable!

It had no weaknesses.

"In that case, it would be best to hunt a Soul Beast skilled in power attacks and boost your strength," Shui Bing'er suggested.

"A strength-type Soul Beast..."

Li Jiuxuan pondered for a moment, then nodded. It really was a good choice.

He'd had the same idea to begin with. After all, in many situations, strength was the most direct measure of combat ability.

Besides, the Ice Dragon King Martial Soul already had a cold attribute, with powerful control and slowing effects built in.

If he maxed out his strength boost, then within his domain, he would have practically no rivals.

"Mm, I'll go for a strength-type Soul Skill!"

Li Jiuxuan smiled. It was what it was. There was no point overthinking it. He would take things as they came, focus on growing stronger, and get his First Soul Ring first.

Half a day later, the four of them arrived at the Frozen Forest.

Xue Furong slowed down and followed behind them. According to academy rules, she wouldn't intervene; she was only responsible for protecting the three children.

She also concealed her aura. After all, she was a Level 67 Soul Emperor. Even a hint of her presence would scare the Soul Beasts in the outer forest into fleeing to the inner forest.

The three of them circulated their Soul Power and walked through the forest's snow, enduring the extreme cold as they searched for a suitable Soul Beast to hunt.

"The Soul Beasts in this outer, outer forest are so timid. We've walked for ages and haven't seen a single one."

Shui Yue'er pouted. Snow swirled all around them, but they hadn't seen a single Soul Beast stirring.

"Don't let your guard down. Most of the Soul Beasts in the Frozen Forest use the terrain to hide. The quieter a place is, the more dangerous it is!" Shui Bing'er warned Shui Yue'er to be careful.

"Awooo!"

As soon as the three finished speaking, a snowdrift not far ahead suddenly lurched. A black shadow cloaked in white frost burst out, moving as fast as lightning!

It was an Ice-Patterned Wolf, white all over and shaped like a hunting dog. Its eyes were green, and the drool dripping from the corner of its mouth froze into ice crystals as soon as it hit the snow.

"Finally! But it's only an Ice-Patterned Wolf that's a little over a hundred years old. It's skilled in Extreme Speed, but it's nowhere near good enough for Xiao Jiuxuan."

Shui Yue'er sighed, then gave a mischievous grin. "First Soul Skill, Agile Cold Cone!"

She raised her hand. Cold spread, and her Soul Power gathered in an instant. A mass of ice cones formed behind Shui Yue'er, gleaming with a dazzling, icy light.

Whoosh!

The ice cones surged forward in a dense barrage, striking the Ice-Patterned Wolf head-on.

No matter how fast the Ice-Patterned Wolf was, it had no chance of dodging an attack that covered the whole field.

"Awooo!"

The Ice-Patterned Wolf was pierced through. Countless bloody holes appeared across its body, and it died on the spot.