"Pfft—"
The Flame Lion, racing at full speed, suddenly went rigid. Its momentum carried it several more meters forward.
Then its massive body fell apart like a dismantled stack of blocks, neatly splitting into dozens of pieces. The cuts were smooth, and only then did its searing blood gush out, staining the ground red.
"Up in the treetops to the left rear. There's another Tiger Demon Cat, around seven thousand years old. It's been following us all along. Wang Dong, want to try your third Soul Skill?"
Lin Feng retracted his claws and glanced over his shoulder, addressing Wang Dong, who had just finished absorbing her Soul Ring and needed real combat experience to get used to her new abilities.
"Got it. Watch this!"
The Light Goddess Butterfly wings behind Wang Dong snapped open. Her figure instantly became a streak of light, darting at astonishing speed toward the treetop of an ancient tree to the left rear.
In the shadows, a pair of ghostly green cat eyes had just begun to show fear.
"Third Soul Skill, Wing Guillotine!"
Wang Dong cried out. The edges of her gorgeous butterfly wings suddenly glimmered with a cold, dark-gold sheen. The blades sliced through the air, flashing with razor-sharp brilliance!
"Whoosh!"
A savage cat's head flew off, its severed edge perfectly smooth.
Propelled by its momentum, the headless body tumbled from the treetop, blood gushing like a fountain.
"This Soul Bone Skill... The Dreadclaw's reputation is well deserved!"
Watching the two of them dispatch their foes so cleanly, Chen Zifeng couldn't help praising them. Lin Feng's pair of Dark Gold Dreadclaws, in particular, were sharp enough that even he had to avoid their edge.
Ling Luochеn gave a slight nod of approval as well.
A few days later, the Soul Hunting Squad returned safely to Shrek Academy.
After exchanging farewells, Lin Feng turned to find Ma Xiaotao.
"Lin Feng."
A cool voice came from behind him. It was Ling Luochеn.
She called out to him, but when he turned around, she shifted her gaze away for the briefest instant.
Her ice-blue hair made her skin seem even fairer. Her expression was as distant as ever, but the unconscious way her fingertips pinched at the edge of her sleeve betrayed her nervousness.
"Senior Ling, did you need something?" Lin Feng stopped and asked warmly.
"Mm." Ling Luochеn took a light breath and lifted her eyes to him, her gaze clear and earnest. "It's about what I mentioned before... I want to learn more about your ice flame."
Her voice was steady, but the tips of her ears had turned faintly red. She was clearly embarrassed.
"Sure," Lin Feng readily agreed. "Shall we go to the shore of Sea God Lake? There's plenty of water element there, and it's quiet and convenient."
"Sure." Ling Luochеn nodded.
They soon arrived at the shore of Sea God Lake. The water rippled gently, reflecting the daylight. The surroundings were peaceful, perfect for a little rendezvous between lovers.
"Lin Feng," Ling Luochеn said softly, gazing out at the lake. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me just yet, Senior. I haven't done anything." Lin Feng smiled.
Ling Luochеn turned to look straight at him. The icy distance that usually filled her eyes was gone, replaced by a burning resolve.
"To be honest, I believe my control over ice element is second to none in the Inner Court. But... the quality of the ice element in my Martial Soul isn't very high. You probably noticed that the other day. It's practically set a limit on how far I can grow. Then I heard about your ice flame from Dean Yan, and saw with my own eyes how powerful it was against the Evil Soul Master... I knew this was an opportunity heaven had bestowed upon me."
She paused, then spoke slowly and clearly, one word at a time. "So I want to ask you to temper my body with your ice flame."
"Temper your body?" Lin Feng furrowed his brow and shook his head. "That's too risky. If I'm even slightly careless with my ice flame, it could damage your Sea of Consciousness, or even the source of your soul. I can't."
"Don't underestimate me, Junior Lin!" Ling Luochеn stepped two small paces closer and chided him playfully. She stood very close to him, and the faint, cool fragrance about her drifted over on the night breeze.
She tilted her face up, her eyes shining with undeniable resolve. "I have better control over the ice flame than you do. I'll be careful. Please. This is my choice, and I'll take responsibility for the consequences."
Lin Feng saw the yearning in her eyes and fell silent for a moment before finally relenting. "I can try to guide it and help you condense a wisp of the ice flame's embryonic source, then plant it in your Martial Soul. But whether you can truly refine a source of your own will be up to you. With your current Soul Power Level, this is dangerous."
"I'm not afraid." Ling Luochеn answered without the slightest hesitation, her gaze alight.
"If... if it really works, I... I can give you what I treasure most." A blush spread across her cheeks, and her voice dropped, though every word remained clear. "I could even... give myself to you."
The normally aloof, cold, and hard-to-approach beauty of ice and snow was now revealing such a blunt, even clumsy, desire...
"It hasn't come to that, Senior." Lin Feng softened his tone, trying to reassure her. "You can owe me a favor for now and repay me when you get the chance. Shouldn't we focus on what's in front of us first?"
He deftly changed the subject, giving her a way out. Ling Luochеn's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, and she murmured, "Mm."
"Then let's begin," Lin Feng said plainly.
Ling Luochеn said no more. Her gaze settled, and she raised a slender hand. Chilling air surged from her palm, instantly coalescing into a translucent Ice Crystal Staff.
They walked across the ice, Ling Luochеn leading. Each time her staff touched down, the lake water ahead froze in response, opening an icy path toward deeper waters. Lin Feng followed close behind, his steps steady.
They continued until they reached the center of the lake, where deep water surrounded them on all sides. The ice beneath their feet was thick, and the cold seeped into their bones.
"Mystic Ice Spirit Flame, rise."
A wisp of faint blue flame silently kindled in Lin Feng's palm. Its heart flickered, radiating a bone-deep cold that seemed capable of freezing the soul.
He circulated the Burning Art, winding Soul Power around the flame like fine strands and compressing and refining it again and again.
The flame gradually shed its wildness, growing more delicate in form until it finally became a tiny, exquisite blue fire lotus.
"Senior," Lin Feng said gravely, holding out the small, dangerous, beautiful fire lotus as he looked at Ling Luochеn. "If anything feels wrong with your Sea of Consciousness, tell me immediately so I can take the ice flame back."
Ling Luochеn met his gaze and nodded gently. Her eyes held complete trust and resolve. Then she closed them, her aura settling into stillness as she prepared herself.
Lin Feng no longer hesitated. He flicked a finger, and the blue fire lotus floated gently upward as if it were alive, slowly sinking into the luminous white skin between Ling Luochеn's brows.
"Bzz..."
A faint tremor came from within Ling Luochеn.
Her body swayed almost imperceptibly, then steadied. Her eyes remained closed, but the color quickly drained from her face, leaving it transparently pale.
Blue ice flame spread from between her brows, swiftly burning over her entire body.
The next instant, a vast surge of blue ice flame erupted from within her, as if it would freeze her limbs, bones, meridians, and Soul Power solid.
Yet Ling Luochеn remained standing firm. She didn't even furrow her brow; only her tightly pressed lips and slightly trembling lashes betrayed her pain.
Time crept by amid silence and bitter cold.
Just when Lin Feng thought everything was going smoothly—
"...Lin Feng."
Ling Luochеn's voice suddenly rang out, faint and trembling almost beyond control, as though every word had frozen stiff between her teeth.
"I'm so cold..."
It seemed to take all her strength to continue, each broken word barely escaping her lips:
"Hu... hug me."
Before you continue