Shui Bing'er Aims to Become a Titled Douluo Before 30

Ning Xiaochun stood to the side, cold sweat streaming down his back. "Sister Bing'er..."

Ning Rongrong, however, was amused by Shui Bing'er's comment about "freezing him into an ice sculpture" and burst into laughter through her tears. She took the handkerchief, wiped her eyes, and looked at Shui Bing'er with curiosity. "Sister, will you really freeze my brother into an ice sculpture?"

Shui Bing'er thought about it seriously and nodded. "If he bullies you."

"That's great!" Ning Rongrong instantly forgot her sorrow, clapped her little hands, and giggled. "Then if my brother dares not to play with me in the future, I'll come find Sister Bing'er! Sister Bing'er, help me freeze him!"

As she spoke, she took the initiative to grab Shui Bing'er's hand, tilted her little face up, and called out sweetly, "Hello, Sister Bing'er! My name is Ning Rongrong! You look so pretty! Prettier than any sister I've ever seen!"

The speed of this mood swing left Ning Xiaochun in awe. He had to admire his little sister; she was a natural-born genius when it came to "assessing the situation" and "winning over allies."

Shui Bing'er felt a bit embarrassed by that sweet smile and unreserved praise. Her earlobes turned slightly red, but she didn't pull her hand away, only giving a soft "Mm."

Watching this scene of "sister-in-law harmony," the heavy stone in Ning Xiaochun's heart finally landed. He wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.

That was close... finally managed to bluff my way through.

However... looking at Ning Rongrong holding Shui Bing'er's hand and chattering away, a bad premonition rose in Ning Xiaochun's heart again.

His little sister was no pushover. The days ahead were likely to be even more "lively."

The sunset's afterglow filtered through the research institute's glazed window lattices, casting warm patches of light onto the floor. The air still held the scent of scorched metal, mixed with the fresh, cool chill left behind by the dissipating ice-attribute soul power.

Ning Rongrong had already skipped away, though she had been reluctant to let go of Shui Bing'er's hand, making a promise to come back tomorrow to watch "Sister Bing'er" make ice flowers.

The little girl changed her face faster than turning a page; she had been crying her eyes out just moments ago because her "brother was being snatched away," but she was coaxed into beaming with joy by a delicate ice-crystal rose from Shui Bing'er.

The research institute fell quiet again, leaving only Ning Xiaochun and Shui Bing'er.

The setting sun slanted in, stretching their shadows long.

A subtle atmosphere permeated the air—it hadn't been noticeable while the little demoness was there, but now that they were alone, they found themselves at a loss for words.

Ning Xiaochun gave a light cough, searching for something to say. "That... Rongrong, that girl, she really likes you."

Shui Bing'er gave a soft "Mm" without saying much more. She walked to the window and watched the sun sinking in the west. Her ice-blue eyes reflected the afterglow of the sunset, as if flowing light were dancing within them.

Ning Xiaochun looked at her graceful back, hesitated for a moment, and then walked over to stand beside her.

He had grown quite a bit since he was six, but standing next to Shui Bing'er, he was still a head shorter. He tilted his head up to look at her soft-lined profile, silhouetted by the sunset, and suddenly asked:

"Sister Bing'er, do you... have any plans for the future?"

Shui Bing'er was slightly startled and turned to look at him. She remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, her voice cold yet tinged with a trace of determination. "To become a Titled Douluo."

She paused, then continued, "To make Tianshui Academy proud of me. To let Master know that her choice back then was not wrong. To let those who once looked down on Tianshui Academy, thinking that a women's academy could never achieve greatness, see that women can also stand at the pinnacle of the continent."

Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable power. That was the pride and obsession that belonged to Shui Bing'er.

She had known since she was young that she bore the heavy responsibility of revitalizing Tianshui Academy.

Leng Ningshuang had shown her immense kindness, and she had no way to repay it other than by standing on the highest stage in her strongest form, letting the name of Tianshui Academy resound across the continent.

"Before, I set my goal to become a Titled Douluo before the age of fifty."

Shui Bing'er's voice was calm, as if she were speaking of something unrelated to herself. "With my talent and martial soul, while this goal is not easy, it is not out of reach."

She paused slightly here, her gaze shifting to Ning Xiaochun, and a complex, unreadable light flashed in those ice-blue eyes. "But now..."

She lifted her hand slightly, watching the wisp of ice-blue soul power lingering at her fingertips—more refined and purer than before—and a hint of emotion she hadn't noticed herself crept into her voice:

"After consuming those two immortal herbs, my foundation and potential were completely reshaped. I can feel that my cultivation speed is at least twice as fast as before, and my bottlenecks have become much looser."

"Now, I have the confidence to become a Titled Douluo before thirty-five, or even... before thirty."

She lowered her hand, her gaze landing back on Ning Xiaochun with a touch of seriousness and solemnity. "All of this is because of you. Xiaochun, thank you."

Ning Xiaochun felt embarrassed being stared at by those clear, crystalline eyes. He scratched his head and gave a silly grin.

"Sister Bing'er, you're too polite! We're family! Only when you become stronger can I be safer! This is a matter of my own life and death, so of course I have to give it my all!"

Watching him act "cowardly with righteous justification," Shui Bing'er couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth curl up slightly, though she quickly returned to her cold demeanor.

She turned her head to look out the window, her voice tinged with curiosity. "And you? What are your plans?"

"Me?" Ning Xiaochun mimicked Shui Bing'er, looking out at the sunset with an expression on his little face that said "I am contemplating life," and then said with great seriousness:

"My goal is also very clear! Within six years, I will make the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect the number one sect in the world!"

Shui Bing'er was slightly startled and turned to look at him in surprise. The number one sect in the world? This goal was far more grandiose than her becoming a Titled Douluo.

One had to know that the current number one sect in the world was the Clear Sky Sect. Although the Clear Sky Sect had retreated from the world, its reputation and foundation remained.

To surpass the Clear Sky Sect and become the true number one in the world—how could that be easy?

Ning Xiaochun seemed to see through her doubts and grinned, explaining:

"Sister Bing'er, don't think I'm just boasting. I'm talking about 'comprehensive strength' as number one! In terms of top-tier combat power, we have Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone, both Super Douluos, plus my godfather, Poison Douluo, and several elders currently in seclusion breaking through to higher realms. We aren't weak compared to the Clear Sky Sect in high-end combat power. And in terms of financial resources, material resources, and..."

He pointed to the soul guidance devices being debugged in the research institute, his eyes flashing with confident light:

"The research and application of soul guidance devices—as long as we can realize even seventy percent of the efficacy of the things on those blueprints and equip them in batches to the sect's guard teams, our Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's comprehensive strength will definitely leap to number one on the continent!"

He spoke with passion, his little face glowing with something called "dreams."

PS: I looked through everyone's comments, and it seems there is more support for a single heroine.