Ice Phoenix

Shui Qingrou stood at the city gates and watched them depart. 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.

That girl had finally not chosen the wrong person.

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 by the roadside gradually gave way to sparse thickets, until even the shrubs vanished, leaving behind nothing but an endless plain of frozen earth.

Yang Wudi was quite enthusiastic. In his younger years, he had traveled far and wide and seen all manner of harsh environments. This bit of cold wind was nothing to him. Bing Yekong had Ultimate Ice protecting his body, so he feared the cold even less. Shui Bing'er was the only one who needed looking after. Though the ice within her had only recently evolved into Ultimate Ice, she had yet to fully adapt to it. 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 down.

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 a hand and circulated his soul power, condensing a thin ice-attribute barrier around her. It was not thick, but it was enough to deflect the oncoming wind, making Shui Bing'er feel much more comfortable.

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

Watching from the side, Yang Wudi muttered, "Young people these days," then quickened his pace and walked ahead, leaving them some room.

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

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

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 constitution 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 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-attribute soul beast related to the phoenix lineage. Shui Bing'er possessed an Ice Phoenix martial soul. If she could absorb a Soul Ring from a soul beast with 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. "There definitely aren't any pure-blooded phoenixes, but we should be able to find some subspecies soul beasts with phoenix blood, such as Ice Phoenix or Frost Luan. Let's try our luck."

The three searched the mixed zone through wind and snow for two days. Along the way, they avoided several soul beasts with excessively high cultivation 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 detected a trace of unusual fluctuation in the air.

It was an extremely faint yet exceptionally pure aura, carrying the distinctive pride and chill of an avian soul beast. In an environment like the Far North, any soul beast capable of emitting such an aura was certainly no ordinary specimen.

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

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. Let's go take a look."

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

At the center of a massive frozen lake stood a protruding slab of ice rock. A huge ice-blue bird stood upon it with its head held high, its long neck slightly curved. Its ice-blue feathers trembled faintly in the wind and snow, radiating a piercing chill. Several long tail feathers trailed behind it, their tips glowing with a pale blue light. Each was over three meters long.

Ice Phoenix.

No, more accurately, it was an ice-attribute subspecies soul beast with phoenix blood. It was not a pure-blooded phoenix. The glow on its tail feathers was not pure enough, and it was a size smaller than a true phoenix, but its innate majesty and nobility 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 the creature's cultivation. "Just right for your girlfriend."

Shui Bing'er's breathing quickened slightly. As she watched the Ice Phoenix, she could feel her Ice Phoenix martial soul stirring faintly within her, as though answering the call of its kin.

Bing Yekong patted her shoulder. "Don't rush. I'll go first. Watch for the right moment and land the final blow."

Shui Bing'er nodded heavily.

Bing Yekong did not hesitate any longer. His figure flashed as he charged forward. The Heavenly Frost Sword appeared in his hand instantly, and a piercing chill swept around him. Four Soul Rings—yellow, purple, purple, and black—rose 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 wings more than thirty meters wide, and beat them fiercely, sending countless ice spikes through the air like sharp arrows toward Bing Yekong.

Bing Yekong did not retreat in the slightest. He swung the Heavenly Frost Sword, unleashing sword qi infused with sword intent. Every streak precisely shattered the incoming ice spikes, scattering ice 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 its talons firmly to the ice rock with lightning speed. Immediately afterward, countless streaks of sword qi infused with Ultimate Ice slashed toward the Ice Phoenix from all directions, leaving wounds of varying depths across its magnificent plumage.

The Ice Phoenix cried out in pain with an angry shriek. It struggled violently, shattering the ice beneath its feet, then beat its wings with all its might in an attempt to escape into the air. But Bing Yekong had prepared for this. A brilliant chill burst from the Heavenly Frost Sword, and a phantom ice dragon more than three meters long condensed around him. Carrying sword intent and the pressure of a Dragon King, it roared as it pounced toward 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 attribute advantage vanished completely under the dual suppression of Ultimate Ice and Dragon King pressure. The ice dragon coiled around its wings and pinned its body firmly against the ice rock. The Ice Phoenix struggled several times, but it 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, wrenching its wings free from the ice dragon's restraints. One tail feather lashed toward Bing Yekong's chest like a long whip.