Ice Phoenix

Shui Qingrou stood at the city gate, watching them disappear into the distance. As she looked at Shui Bing'er and Bing Yekong walking side by side, a meaningful smile curved her lips. Of course, she knew Shui Bing'er was heading to the Far North to obtain her fourth Soul Ring, but what pleased her even more was Bing Yekong's willingness to accompany her the entire way.

This girl had finally not misjudged someone.

The journey from Element City to the Far North was a long one.

The three of them first traveled by carriage, then continued on foot after reaching the northern border of the Heaven Dou Empire. The farther north they went, the lower the temperature fell. The lush forests along the road gradually gave way to sparse thickets, until even the shrubs vanished, leaving only endless frozen plains.

Yang Wudi was in high spirits. In his youth, he had traveled far and wide and seen every kind of harsh environment. This bit of cold wind was nothing to him. Bing Yekong had Ultimate Ice protecting his body and feared the cold even less. The only one who needed looking after was Shui Bing'er. Although the ice within her had just evolved into Ultimate Ice, she had not fully adapted to it yet. After walking through the biting winds of the Far North for two days, her lips had already turned slightly pale.

"Cold?" Bing Yekong noticed her condition and slowed his pace.

Shui Bing'er shook her head. "I'm fine. The wind is just too strong. It makes my face hurt."

After thinking for a moment, Bing Yekong raised his hand and circulated his Soul Power, condensing a thin ice-element barrier around her. The barrier was not particularly sturdy, but it was just enough to block the frigid wind rushing at them, immediately making Shui Bing'er feel much more comfortable.

"Thank you." She glanced at Bing Yekong, smiling in her eyes.

Yang Wudi watched the scene from the side and muttered, "Young people these days..." Then he quickened his pace and walked ahead, leaving them some space.

After another two days of travel, the three of them finally entered the Far North. Wind and snow swept toward them head-on, turning the world into a vast expanse of white with extremely poor visibility. Bing Yekong had come here once before and had some experience. He led the other two around several areas densely populated by soul beasts and headed straight into the depths of the mixed zone.

Their objective for this trip was clear: find a suitable ten-thousand-year soul beast for Shui Bing'er.

Bing Yekong had previously absorbed a twenty-thousand-year Ice Jade Scorpion, but that was because he possessed the foundation of dual Ultimate Ice and his physical condition far surpassed that of ordinary people. Although Shui Bing'er's martial soul had just evolved into Ultimate Ice, her physical strength and the resilience of her meridians were still far inferior to his. To be safe, a target between ten thousand and fifteen thousand years would be more suitable.

And preferably, it should be an ice-element soul beast related to the Phoenix bloodline. Shui Bing'er possessed the Ice Phoenix martial soul. If she could absorb the Soul Ring of a soul beast carrying Phoenix blood, the quality of her martial soul could be further enhanced.

"Would there be Phoenixes in the Far North?" Shui Bing'er asked uncertainly.

Bing Yekong shook his head. "Definitely no pure-blooded Phoenixes, but we should be able to find some subspecies soul beasts with Phoenix blood, like ice phoenixes or Frost Luans. Let's try our luck."

The three of them searched the mixed zone through the wind and snow for two days. Along the way, they avoided several overly powerful soul beasts and casually drove off a few thousand-year soul beasts that had failed to recognize their place. It was not until the afternoon of the third day that Bing Yekong keenly sensed an unusual fluctuation in the air.

It was an extremely faint yet remarkably pure aura, carrying the pride and chill unique to avian soul beasts. In an environment like the Far North, any soul beast capable of emitting such an aura could not possibly be ordinary.

"Over there." Bing Yekong raised his hand and pointed southeast. "There's something."

Yang Wudi sensed it as well. He narrowed his eyes in that direction and nodded. "The aura isn't weak. It should be over ten thousand years old. Come, let's take a look."

The three of them lowered their bodies and carefully approached. After crossing an ice mound, the sight before them lit up Bing Yekong's eyes.

In the center of a vast frozen lake stood a protruding slab of ice. A massive ice-blue bird stood atop it with its head held high, its long neck slightly curved. Its ice-blue feathers trembled gently in the wind and snow, radiating a biting chill. Several long tail feathers trailed behind it, their tips glowing with a faint blue light. Each one was over three meters long.

An Ice Phoenix.

No, more precisely, it was an ice-element subspecies soul beast with Phoenix blood. It was not a pure-blooded Phoenix. The light on its tail feathers was not pure enough, and its body was smaller than that of a true Phoenix. Yet the innate majesty and nobility it carried were already enough to earn it a place in the world of soul beasts.

"Around twelve thousand years." Yang Wudi lowered his voice, accurately judging its cultivation. "Just right for your girlfriend."

Shui Bing'er's breathing quickened slightly. As she looked at the ice phoenix, she could feel her Ice Phoenix martial soul stirring faintly within her, as though responding to the call of its own kind.

Bing Yekong patted her shoulder. "Don't rush. I'll go first. Watch for your chance to land the final blow."

Shui Bing'er nodded heavily.

Bing Yekong did not hesitate any longer. With a flash, he charged forward. The Tianshuang Sword appeared in his hand instantly, and a biting chill swept around him. Four Soul Rings—yellow, purple, purple, and black—rose from beneath his feet as his aura surged to its peak in an instant.

The ice phoenix immediately noticed the intruder. It let out a clear cry, spread its wings to a span of nearly thirty meters, and beat them fiercely, sending countless ice spikes shooting toward Bing Yekong like arrows.

Bing Yekong did not retreat in the slightest. He swung the Tianshuang Sword, and sword energy infused with sword intent swept outward. Every streak of sword energy precisely shattered the incoming ice spikes, scattering icy fragments like shattered jade across the sky. The fourth Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Ice Seal Thousand-Blade Break!"

Ice erupted from the frozen lake beneath the ice phoenix's feet, freezing both its claws firmly onto the ice slab with lightning speed. Immediately afterward, countless streams of sword energy carrying Ultimate Ice slashed at its body from every direction, leaving wounds of varying depths across its magnificent feathers.

The ice phoenix cried out in pain with an angry screech. It struggled fiercely, shattering the ice beneath its feet, then beat its wings desperately in an attempt to fly away. But Bing Yekong had long been prepared. A brilliant icy light flared from the Tianshuang Sword, and a phantom ice dragon over three meters long condensed around him. Carrying sword intent and the pressure of a Dragon King, it roared as it lunged at the ice phoenix.

"Profound Ice Dragon Soar!"

The ice dragon and ice phoenix collided violently in midair. Though the ice phoenix possessed twelve thousand years of cultivation, its elemental advantage vanished completely under the dual suppression of Ultimate Ice and the Dragon King's pressure. The ice dragon wrapped around its wings and pinned it firmly against the ice slab. The ice phoenix struggled several times, but could not break free.

Yet it was ultimately a ten-thousand-year soul beast, and its brute strength could not be underestimated. The ice phoenix suddenly exerted force, breaking free from the ice dragon's restraint with its wings. One of its tail feathers lashed toward Bing Yekong's chest like a whip.