Leaving the Academy, Searching for Su Tong

Days slowly passed as Jiang Bai lived his life while practicing his cultivation.

One day, Jiang Bai arrived before Wang Yan and handed over a leave request form he had already signed.

The paper was the academy's standard format, black text on a white background, with the reason for the leave and the number of days neatly written out. Now, it only lacked the homeroom teacher's stamp.

"What is this? You want to take leave?"

Wang Yan looked at the form, set down the textbook in his hand, and looked at Jiang Bai with curiosity.

Having been a teacher here for so long, he rarely saw this kind of leave request.

"Yes, for two weeks."

Jiang Bai nodded. There were two weeks left before Huo Yuhao and the others departed, and he needed to prepare some things.

"All right, remember to come back. However, I might be busy by then, so you should wait for me to return before you give me the form."

Wang Yan said this because he might be leading the team to Star Luo City by then, and if Jiang Bai returned, he might not be able to find him.

As he spoke, Wang Yan took out his homeroom teacher's stamp and pressed it onto Jiang Bai's form. This was a type of Soul Tool; the seal carried a unique aura belonging to Wang Yan, making it impossible for others to forge.

"Understood, thank you, teacher."

Accepting the form, Jiang Bai expressed his gratitude. Getting leave here was truly easy.

If it were Zhou Yi, it would likely be impossible to get leave.

Speaking of Zhou Yi, for some reason, she had mellowed out quite a bit. She was much more respectful when she saw Wang Yan, and although she still kept that sour face during teaching, she no longer looked like an "extinction master."

However, she still targeted Jiang Bai in class, and even Xiao Xiao and the others nearby were dragged into it.

"You're welcome."

Wang Yan smiled and adjusted his glasses. Jiang Bai was an obedient child who also loved Martial Soul theory, so they got along quite well.

By the afternoon...

"You're leaving again? Where are you going this time?"

After school, as the sun set, Xiao Xiao stood with her hands on her hips, pouting in a very cute manner.

The sunset hit Xiao Xiao's gradually rounding face, making her look even more adorable.

"Going back to find some things; it will be beneficial for my cultivation." Jiang Bai had already prepared an excuse.

"Oh."

Hearing that it would help Jiang Bai's cultivation, Xiao Xiao didn't say anything more. Although Jiang Bai's current Soul Power cultivation speed wasn't slow, his was an externalized Martial Soul after all, so he might stop at the Soul Ancestor or Soul King level in the future.

"Then when is Brother Jiang leaving?"

Huo Yuhao asked, as he still wanted to observe Jiang Bai more.

"I'm preparing to leave in a bit. By the way, I'll likely pass by Star Luo City on my way back. Do you want me to bring you any local specialties?"

Jiang Bai intended to plant the seed now to avoid them finding it abrupt later.

Upon hearing "Star Luo City" from Jiang Bai, the expressions of the three people in front of him froze for a moment.

It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it? The three looked at each other—would Jiang Bai pass through Star Luo City?

If they estimated the time, it seemed they had already arrived in Star Luo City?

"Are you going to watch the Soul Fighting Tournament?"

Xiao Xiao asked excitedly. If Jiang Bai was going to Star Luo City, was he going to watch the competition?

"No, just passing through. I'll be back after I pass through."

Jiang Bai acted as if he knew nothing. Xiao Xiao changed her expression, "You should go watch the tournament; it will be very lively."

"I'll go take a look when the time comes."

"Great!"

Seeing Jiang Bai agree, Xiao Xiao almost jumped up. She would have to show Jiang Bai her strength when the time came!

"Xiao Xiao, do you still have an Invincible Barrier?"

As the half-junior sister of Xian Lin'er, Xiao Xiao had quite a stock of Soul Tools on her.

"I do, here you go."

Xiao Xiao took a round iron ball out of her storage Soul Tool—a level five Invincible Barrier.

"Hmm, you still have some, right?"

Jiang Bai took the iron ball and asked.

"I do."

Xiao Xiao took out a few more Invincible Barriers and intended to give them all to Jiang Bai, but Jiang Bai pushed them back.

"One is enough for me. As long as you still have some."

"I'm not even competing."

Xiao Xiao replied, as she had no use for them at school.

"Hmm, if you ever do anything dangerous, remember to bring them."

"What kind of dangerous things would I do?"

Xiao Xiao retorted. She wouldn't do anything that required an Invincible Barrier, and besides, she was quite strong, wasn't she?

She didn't have to fight in school, so she didn't need these things. Besides, even if she really encountered something, she was a Twin Martial Souls user—who would she fear?

After bidding farewell to the three, Jiang Bai arrived at the entrance of the dormitory building. He left after chatting with Mu En for a while about Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

Watching Mu En's lazy air, Jiang Bai couldn't help but complain to himself.

Really, this old man didn't even know how to care about the romantic lives of his juniors.

The Far North was freezing cold, with the world a uniform white.

Feeling the comfortable chill, even Xue Ying became lazy involuntarily.

"Why are you back?"

The Ice God looked at the familiar Far North and asked.

"To connect the main body for you, senior. Since I'm so far away, it's not very convenient for your soul fragment to contact the main soul."

"You're that kind?"

The Ice God was a bit suspicious. Was Jiang Bai really that nice? Willing to help him send a message to his main soul?

"Since we are friends, senior, I must offer some trust. So, please protect my cultivation session, senior."

Returning to the small hut from before, Jiang Bai took out the Golden Water given by Mu En. This was a treasure from the Golden Tree, containing extremely powerful life force.

Jiang Bai took it and sat cross-legged. The life force inside began to erupt violently.

The crown inside began to feast, not letting a single shred of life force escape.

"What is this?"

The Ice God's soul fragment circled around Jiang Bai, curiously sensing the changes within him. He had originally thought that if the other party swallowed a treasure containing such life force, a lot of it would overflow, but he hadn't expected not a single bit to leak out.

About three days later, Jiang Bai opened his eyes and exhaled lightly.

Martial Soul Possession: pink hair and green eyes, with three pale pink diamond-shaped marks on his forehead.

Ten times of Leader Transformation.

Confirming the number of transformations, Jiang Bai returned to his original form and looked at the Ice God's soul fragment.

"How many days?"

"Three days."

"Then there is still time."

Hearing it had been three days, he still had some time left to do a few things.

Arriving at the nearest city, Jiang Bai held a popsicle, feeding it to the little Xue Ying inside his robes, and walked leisurely toward the gates of the Su Clan.

"That little girl's strength is currently level thirty-two. Her cultivation speed seems to have been dragged down by her extreme attribute."

The Ice God easily sensed Su Tong's aura and detected her situation.

"How long until she reaches Soul Saint?"

Jiang Bai also sensed Su Tong based on his own Martial Soul.

"If there are no accidents, she should be fine in her thirties."

Hearing that she would only reach Soul Saint in her thirties, Jiang Bai narrowed his eyes slightly. In the original story, she reached Soul Saint at a young age, so it seemed there were some opportunities involved.

At the same time, Su Tong, whose Martial Soul was the Heavenly Snow Woman, also felt a throb in her Martial Soul.

"Senior?"

Su Tong, who was practicing in her room, immediately thought of Jiang Bai.

"Ahem, can you hear me?"

A voice entered her ears, and Su Tong immediately became spirited.

"I can hear you, senior." Su Tong replied earnestly.

"Your cultivation speed is very slow."

"I, I am trying my best."

Su Tong whispered. She had been working very hard, but this Snow Spirit Martial Soul was just too slow to cultivate—far slower than her previous cultivation speed.

"But I just don't know why it's so slow."

Su Tong sighed. It had taken so long to go up just this one level; it was too difficult.

"Do you know about extreme attributes?"

Jiang Bai asked upon hearing Su Tong's confusion. He felt she didn't seem to know she possessed the Ultimate Ice.

"I don't. What is an extreme attribute?"

Su Tong asked in confusion, "What is an ultimate attribute? And does it have anything to do with me?"

Did she really not know? Did her family not know either?

What Jiang Bai did not realize was that information regarding ultimate attributes only circulated among top-tier factions; smaller families and minor sects on the outside had no clue about such things.

Furthermore, ultimate attributes were extremely rare and peculiar. Even a Titled Douluo would not dare to claim with certainty that a specific martial soul possessed an ultimate attribute.

One could only say that a martial soul had the potential for it.

"Leave a letter, I'm taking you out to find an opportunity," Jiang Bai said.

"Okay."

Su Tong hopped off the bed, not even having time to put on her shoes, and hurriedly grabbed stationery to write a letter. After finishing, she looked around, "Senior?"

"Let's go."

The voice came from outside the window. Su Tong rushed to open it and immediately saw Jiang Bai draped in a white robe.

"Senior, I've left the letter."

"Mm, let's go."

A patch of mist formed into a "white cloud" and settled in front of Su Tong.

Seeing the white cloud outside the window, Su Tong was still a bit worried. She reached out with her bare, small feet and gently pressed them against the cloud.

The sensation was soft and cool; it felt wonderful.

Gathering her courage, Su Tong stepped onto the white cloud.

Whoa~

It was so high.

Beside her, Jiang Bai looked down at her two dainty, porcelain-like feet.

Do not misunderstand; he had no peculiar intentions. He was neither a foot fetishist nor, heaven forbid, a lolicon.

He was simply worried about whether the cloud might catch athlete's foot.

"You just came out like this?"

Jiang Bai had not sensed anyone chasing them from behind, which struck him as odd. Was Su Tong really trusting him just like that?

"Mm..."

Su Tong was silent for a moment before replying, "Senior arrived outside my room without a sound, and neither my father nor grandfather noticed. If Senior truly wanted to harm us, it seems the Su Clan would be unable to stop you anyway."

"So you figured you might as well come out, and at worst, only you would die?"

That was indeed what Su Tong had thought, though she still felt a bit afraid upon hearing the word "die."

"Senior wouldn't hurt me, right?" Su Tong looked at Jiang Bai pitifully.

"Why would I want to hurt you?"

Jiang Bai took Su Tong and flew toward the interior of the Far North.

Beside him, Su Tong looked at the white-robed Jiang Bai and leaned in, wanting to see the face beneath his hood.

However, she could see nothing but a pair of green eyes.

"Let me explain the Ultimate Ice to you." Seeing Su Tong's curious expression, Jiang Bai spoke up.

He still needed to let this little girl understand what "ultimate" meant.

"..."

After he gave a general explanation of what an ultimate attribute entailed, Su Tong had a sudden realization. So, the reason her cultivation was so difficult was because of her ultimate attribute?

"Senior, will I be unable to even break through to become a Spirit King?"

Hearing that cultivation would become increasingly difficult with an ultimate martial soul, Su Tong began to worry about her future. Would she be unable to even reach the rank of Spirit King?

Jiang Bai glanced at Su Tong and said nothing more, but a single sentence caused her brain to cease all thought.

"You have the potential to reach the ninety-ninth level limit."

Su Tong: "!!!"