Ling Luochen Wants to Offer Herself

"Pfft—"

The charging Flame Lion's body suddenly stiffened, its momentum carrying it sliding forward for several more meters.

Immediately, its massive body fell apart like a dismantled toy, neatly shattering into dozens of pieces. The cuts were smooth, and only then did the scorching lion blood spray out, staining the ground red.

"Tree canopy, rear left. There's a Tiger Demon Cat, about seven thousand years of cultivation, tailing us. Wang Dong, want to try your third soul skill?"

Lin Feng retracted his claws, glancing toward the rear flank as he spoke to Wang Dong, who had just finished absorbing a soul ring and needed to familiarize himself with actual combat.

"Understood, watch this!"

The Radiant Goddess Butterfly wings on Wang Dong's back gave a sudden, powerful beat. His figure instantly transformed into a streak of light, darting toward the canopy of an ancient tree to the rear left at an astonishing speed.

In the shadows, a pair of ghostly green cat eyes had just begun to show signs of terror.

"Third soul skill, Wing Guillotine!"

Wang Dong let out a sharp cry. The edges of those magnificent butterfly wings on his back suddenly glowed with a cold, dark-gold luster. The wing blades sliced through the air, their sharpness flashing by in an instant!

"Swish!"

A hideous cat head flew off on cue, the cut perfectly smooth.

The headless body tumbled from the canopy under the force of the impact, blood spraying like a fountain.

"This soul bone skill... the reputation of the Dreadclaw is truly well-deserved!"

Chen Zifeng watched the two of them finish the job so cleanly and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Especially Lin Feng's pair of Dark Gold Dreadclaws; even he would have to avoid their edge.

Ling Luochen nodded slightly, signaling her agreement.

A few days later, the Soul Hunting Squad returned safely to Shrek Academy.

After bidding each other farewell, Lin Feng turned, intending to go find Ma Xiaotao.

"Lin Feng."

A cold, clear voice came from behind him. It was Ling Luochen.

She had called out to him, yet when he turned around, she averted her gaze for a fleeting, almost imperceptible moment.

Her long, ice-blue hair made her skin appear even fairer. Her expression remained as aloof as ever, but the unconscious way her fingertips were lightly pinching her cuffs betrayed her nervousness.

"Senior Sister Ling, is there something else?" Lin Feng stopped and asked gently.

"Yes." Ling Luochen took a soft breath, lifted her eyes to look at him, her gaze clear and earnest. "It's about what we mentioned earlier... I would like to learn more about your ice flame."

Her voice was steady, but the tips of her ears were flushed a faint red, clearly showing her embarrassment.

"Sure," Lin Feng agreed readily. "Shall we go to the side of Sea God Lake? There's plenty of water element there, and it's quiet and convenient."

"Okay," Ling Luochen nodded.

The two soon arrived at the edge of Sea God Lake. At this moment, the lake water rippled gently, reflecting the sky. The surroundings were tranquil, quite suitable for a young couple's tryst.

"Lin Feng," Ling Luochen looked out at the lake and suddenly spoke softly, "thank you."

"Don't thank me so soon, Senior Sister. I haven't done anything yet." Lin Feng smiled.

Ling Luochen turned her head, her gaze fixed directly on him. The usual icy barrier was gone, replaced by a certain burning determination.

"To be honest, I consider my control over the ice element to be second to none in the Inner Court. But... the quality of the ice element in my martial soul isn't very high, as you must have noticed that day. This almost dictates the upper limit of my growth. Ever since I heard about your ice flame from Dean Yan, and then saw with my own eyes the power it exerted on that Evil Soul Master... I am certain this is an opportunity bestowed upon me by the heavens."

She paused, then said clearly, word for word: "Therefore, I want to ask you to use your ice flame to temper my body."

"Temper your body?" Lin Feng frowned slightly and shook his head. "That's too risky. If my ice flame isn't handled with the utmost care, it could damage your sea of consciousness, or even your soul origin. I can't do it."

"Don't underestimate me, Junior Brother Lin!" Ling Luochen took two small steps forward, her tone playful yet insistent. She stood very close to Lin Feng, and a faint, cold fragrance drifted over with the night breeze.

She tilted her head up, her eyes flashing with unquestionable resolve as she stubbornly added, "My control over ice flames is stronger than yours. I will be careful, I promise. This is my own choice, and I will take responsibility for the consequences."

Lin Feng looked at the yearning in her eyes and remained silent for a moment before finally compromising. "I can try to guide you, helping you condense a prototype of the ice flame's origin to plant within your martial soul. But whether you can truly succeed in refining an origin of your own depends entirely on you. At your current Soul Power Level, this is very risky."

"I'm not afraid." Ling Luochen's answer was without a hint of hesitation, her eyes burning bright.

"If... if it really succeeds, I... I can give you the most precious thing I have." A blush crept up her cheeks, and her voice dropped, yet every word remained clear. "Even... I would give myself to you."

The usually aloof and unapproachable ice-and-snow beauty was now revealing such a direct, even somewhat clumsy, thought...

"It hasn't reached that point, Senior Sister." Lin Feng softened his tone, trying to soothe her. "Just owe me a favor for now; you can pay it back when there's an opportunity later. For now, shouldn't we focus on the task at hand?"

He skillfully changed the subject, giving her a graceful way out. Ling Luochen's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, and she gave a low "Mm."

"Then let's begin." Lin Feng said straightforwardly.

Ling Luochen didn't say anything more, her gaze fixed. She raised her slender hand, and a biting chill surged from her palm, instantly condensing into a translucent Ice Crystal Staff.

The two walked across the ice, Ling Luochen in the lead. With every step her staff touched, the lake water ahead froze on cue, carving out an icy path toward the deep water. Lin Feng followed closely behind, his steps steady.

They reached the center of the lake, where the surroundings were deep and dark. The ice beneath their feet was thick, the cold biting to the bone.

"Mystic Ice Spirit Flame, rise."

A cluster of ghostly blue flames ignited silently from Lin Feng's palm. The heart of the flame pulsed, emitting an extreme, profound chill that seemed capable of freezing the soul itself.

He circulated the Burning Art, his soul power wrapping around the flame like threads, repeatedly compressing and refining it.

The flames gradually reined in their wild state, their form becoming increasingly refined until they finally coalesced into a delicate, petite, deep-blue Fire Lotus.

"Senior Sister," Lin Feng said, cradling the dangerous yet beautiful little Fire Lotus as he looked at Ling Luochen, his tone solemn, "if there is anything amiss with your Sea of Spirit, you must tell me immediately so I can withdraw the Ice Flame."

Ling Luochen met his gaze and gave a slight nod, her eyes filled with absolute trust and resolve. She then closed her eyes, the aura around her settling as she prepared herself.

Lin Feng hesitated no longer and flicked his fingertip. The deep-blue Fire Lotus seemed to possess a spirit of its own; it drifted upward and slowly submerged into the center of Ling Luochen's translucent, pale brow.

"Hum..."

An almost imperceptible vibration emanated from within Ling Luochen's body.

Her figure swayed almost unnoticeably before she steadied herself. Her eyes remained tightly shut, but the color drained from her face with startling speed, replaced by a translucent pallor.

The deep-blue Ice Flame spread from her brow, rapidly consuming her entire body.

The next instant, a torrential surge of deep-blue Ice Flame erupted from within her, as if intending to freeze her limbs, bones, meridians, and soul power solid.

Yet, Ling Luochen stood firm, not even knitting her brows; only her tightly pressed lips and the slight tremor of her long eyelashes betrayed her.

Time crawled by amidst the silence and the extreme cold.

Just as Lin Feng began to think everything was proceeding smoothly:

"...Lin Feng."

Ling Luochen's voice suddenly rang out, very soft and carrying a tremor that was nearly impossible to conceal, as if every word were frozen stiff between her teeth.

"I am so cold..."

She seemed to exhaust all her strength just to force out the fragmented words:

"Hold... hold me."