The Promise of Adulthood!

She drew a deep breath and suppressed her displeasure. Her smile remained, but her tone turned slightly distant.

"I see. I'm grateful for Young Master Yan's affection. Bing'er has been fortunate to earn your favor. However... I'm afraid it's rather unfortunate that she isn't at the academy right now."

The smile on Yan's face froze. "She's not here? Then where did she go?"

Leng Ningshuang lied without batting an eye. "Bing'er had a revelation during her cultivation some time ago and needed to travel in search of a breakthrough. As for exactly where she went or when she'll return, even I, her teacher, don't know. Young people have their own ideas, after all."

Yan furrowed his brow. He hadn't expected to come up empty-handed. But he didn't give up. If anything, his resolve to find Shui Bing'er only grew stronger.

He paused, then changed his tone, speaking with a hint of sincerity and solemnity.

"Dean Leng, to be honest, I fell in love with Miss Bing'er at first sight and have admired her for a long time. I came here today not only because I wanted to see her, but also to express the sincerity of Spirit Hall. Miss Bing'er has extraordinary talent and limitless potential. If Spirit Hall devoted all its resources to cultivating her, she could reach even greater heights. And given my position in Spirit Hall, I would never treat her poorly."

He had made his intentions perfectly clear: he wanted an alliance—or, more precisely, a marriage alliance—with Skywater Academy. And he had brought out Spirit Hall's illustrious name, speaking with the confidence of someone who expected no refusal.

Chrysanthemum Douluo chimed in at just the right moment, his voice carrying a hint of persuasion.

"Dean Leng, Young Yan is one of the finest members of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. His Holiness the Pope has high hopes for him. If Skywater Academy were to forge this bond with Spirit Hall, it would receive our full support in the future, whether in instructors, resources, or advancement for its students. This is an opportunity many academies would beg for and never get."

His words were courteous, but combined with his status as a Titled Douluo and the silent pressure emanating from Ghost Douluo beside him, there was an unmistakable threat beneath them: agree, and reap the benefits; refuse, and face the consequences.

An uncontrollable fury surged within Leng Ningshuang. Spirit Hall was even more overbearing than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

At least the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had thrown money at her. It had been a transaction, leaving her room to refuse and offering generous compensation. Spirit Hall, on the other hand, was clearly throwing its weight around, forcing a deal down her throat!

But what could she do? Spirit Hall was at the height of its power, and Bibi Dong, its Pope, was the strongest person on the continent. Skywater Academy was as insignificant as an ant before Spirit Hall.

If she refused them outright and angered these two Titled Douluos, Skywater Academy might mysteriously disappear by tomorrow.

A deep sorrow and helplessness washed over her. Was this the fate of the weak? She couldn't even protect her own disciple?

She fell silent for a moment, her thoughts racing. At last, she came up with a roundabout solution. A troubled expression crossed her face, and she sighed.

"Your Holiness Chrysanthemum Douluo, Young Master Yan, it's not that I don't appreciate your offer. It's just that Bing'er is a cool and proud child, wholly devoted to cultivation, and she currently has little interest in romance. Besides, she isn't yet eighteen. Under Skywater Academy's rules, we generally discourage students from pursuing relationships while they're still studying, so it doesn't interfere with their cultivation."

She paused and looked at Yan's disappointed expression before adding, "Of course, I can see Young Master Yan's sincerity. How about we set this matter aside for now and let Bing'er decide for herself once she comes of age? If she's interested then, Skywater Academy certainly won't stand in her way. Since Young Master Yan truly likes Bing'er, I'm sure you wouldn't want to force her and make her resent you, would you?"

Her words were perfectly reasonable. She hadn't outright rejected Spirit Hall, and she'd bought Shui Bing'er some time. She'd also cleverly used the word "sincere" to put Yan on the spot.

Yan hesitated. He wanted to argue, but Leng Ningshuang's words had struck a nerve. He wanted Shui Bing'er to willingly submit to him, not to hate him because he'd forced her.

Besides, he had absolute confidence in himself. With his qualities, he believed Shui Bing'er would choose him once she got to know him.

"Fine!" Yan finally nodded, his confident smile returning. "Then I'll wait until Miss Bing'er comes of age! I'm sure she'll make the right choice then. Dean Leng, please tell Miss Bing'er that Yan of Spirit Hall will always wait for her!"

With that, he cupped his hands toward Leng Ningshuang, then nodded to the two Douluos. "Elder Ju, Ghost Elder, let's go."

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged a glance but said no more. They followed Yan out of the dean's office.

Only after their auras had completely vanished from Skywater Academy did Leng Ningshuang slump into her chair as if all the strength had drained from her. Exhaustion and worry weighed heavily on her face.

"Spirit Hall... the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... Bing'er, my dear Bing'er, will you bring blessings or disaster?" she murmured, feeling as though she had two enormous headaches.

She knew this wasn't over. Now that Spirit Hall had set its sights on Shui Bing'er, it wouldn't let the matter go easily. When Shui Bing'er came of age, an even greater storm would likely follow.

Meanwhile, in a secret estate belonging to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Xiaochun was enthusiastically guiding the craftsmen as they fine-tuned a newly built Soul Power Baby Bottle prototype.

With Shui Bing'er beside him, using Ultimate Ice to cool and set it, Ning Xiaochun had no idea about the turmoil unfolding at Skywater Academy.

He was happily planning that once the Soul Power Baby Bottle went into mass production, he'd get Bing'er ten or eight of them, so she'd never have to worry about running out of Soul Power in a fight again...

He had no idea that yet another troublesome figure had quietly set his "meal ticket" in their sights.

The Soul Tool Research Institute, in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's rear mountains.

The clang of hammering and the hum of Soul Power filled the air, mingling with the distinctive scent of metal and machine oil.

Beneath the spacious workshop canopy, Ning Xiaochun stood before a huge workbench, his little face taut with concentration. He carefully used a specially made Soul Tool engraving knife to etch intricate patterns onto a palm-sized metal plate with a pale blue sheen.

His movements were slow and steady, each stroke perfectly precise. Fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead; the task clearly demanded a great deal of mental strength and control over his Soul Power.

Beside him, Shui Bing'er stood quietly, her hands hovering above the metal plate, pale blue frost curling around her fingertips.

Whenever Ning Xiaochun finished engraving a section of the pattern, she would release a precise wisp of Ultimate Ice. It instantly drew away the heat generated by the knife's friction and helped stabilize and set the newly engraved Soul Power patterns.

The two worked together seamlessly, as if they had practiced a thousand times.

On a nearby table lay several partially assembled Soul Tool prototypes: a metal sphere about the size of a fist, with an extremely complex interior structure;

a silver-white metal tube about a meter and a half long, engraved with spiral patterns; and an armor component that looked like a breastplate, its edges set with six brilliant Soul Crystals.

Progress had been far smoother than Ning Xiaochun had expected. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's craftsmen were highly skilled and its resources abundant. Combined with Shui Bing'er's one-of-a-kind help with Ultimate Ice, they had overcome in practice many technical problems that had once seemed intractable.

"Phew..." Ning Xiaochun finished the final stroke, let out a long breath, set down the engraving knife, and flexed his stiff fingers. "The base plate for the 'Frost Energy-Gathering Core' is finally done! Now all we have to do is set the Soul Crystal and run the final activation tests. Then it should be ready to use!"

Shui Bing'er withdrew her hands and looked at the metal plate, its patterns flowing smoothly as it radiated a faint chill. A hint of satisfaction flickered in her eyes.

She realized that helping Ning Xiaochun with such delicate Soul Tool craftsmanship had also greatly improved her fine control over her own ice-attribute Soul Power.

She had previously focused more on the power and total quantity of her Soul Power. Now, her precision in controlling it had reached a whole new level. It was an unexpected bonus.