Ice Phoenix Strike

Almost at the same moment, Shui Bing'er opened her eyes as well. Their gazes met in the air, and both saw the same shock and realization in each other's eyes.

"You felt it?" Bing Yekong's voice carried a trace of barely restrained excitement.

Shui Bing'er nodded, her voice trembling slightly. "My martial soul... is calling to yours."

There was no need to say anything more. Bing Yekong sprang to his feet, grabbed Shui Bing'er's hand, and ran outside. "Come with me! The training grounds!"

Shui Bing'er stumbled after him as he dragged her from the room. The night wind rushed against them, scattering the thin sweat on their foreheads.

Moonlight spilled over the Shui Family's corridors and courtyards, making the bluestone paths look as though they had been covered in a layer of silver frost. The two raced through the courtyard, passed through the small gate leading to the rear compound, and headed straight for the rarely used training grounds within the Shui Family estate.

The training grounds were not large, but the surrounding walls had been reinforced with refined steel and granite, enough to withstand the shockwaves of battles below the Soul King level. A row of training dummies fortified with soul power stood in the center, meant for the family's younger members to practice their soul skills.

Bing Yekong released Shui Bing'er's hand, took two steps forward, then turned to face her. Moonlight fell through the open dome above the training grounds, enveloping them both. The surroundings were so quiet that they could hear nothing but each other's heartbeats.

"Sister Bing'er, do you trust me?"

Shui Bing'er looked into his earnest eyes and nodded without the slightest hesitation. "I do."

"Good." Bing Yekong took a deep breath and held out his hand. "Give me all your soul power. Don't think about anything. Just follow my lead."

Shui Bing'er stepped forward and placed both her hands in Bing Yekong's palms. Their four hands pressed tightly together. The two streams of Ultimate Ice soul power began to fuse wildly the instant they touched, faster and fiercer than ever before. Bing Yekong's soul power surged like a mighty river, while Shui Bing'er's was like a boat flowing downstream, following his guidance into the depths of their bodies without the slightest resistance.

That strange sensation grew stronger and stronger. Bing Yekong could clearly feel his two martial souls, the Heavenly Frost Sword and the Ice Dragon King, trembling violently within him, as if something was about to break free from a seal.

The phantom of the Ice Phoenix behind Shui Bing'er also emerged beyond her control. The icy blue phoenix raised its head and cried out, its call clear, yearning, and resonant.

"It's here."

Bing Yekong shouted low. He suddenly mobilized every last trace of soul power in his body and poured it madly into the Heavenly Frost Sword Martial Soul. At the same time, Shui Bing'er's soul power, like a river that had found its destination, also converged toward the Heavenly Frost Sword.

The two streams of soul power collided violently upon the blade of the Heavenly Frost Sword.

In that instant, the Heavenly Frost Sword erupted with an unprecedented radiance. A pillar of icy blue light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire training grounds as brightly as day.

Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er's figures gradually blurred and dissolved within the light, becoming two clusters of icy blue motes that entwined, spun, and fused together.

A phantom of an entirely icy blue phoenix flew from the Heavenly Frost Sword. After circling once, it abruptly plunged into the pillar of light.

The pillar of light suddenly contracted.

A blue-haired man stepped out from the light.

He appeared to be in his early twenties. His features bore a seventy percent resemblance to Bing Yekong's, yet carried more of Shui Bing'er's gentleness and cool serenity.

Long icy blue hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall formed from ice and snow. He wore flowing white robes, and a faint mist of frost swirled around him. Standing there, he looked like an immortal lord of ice and snow descended from heaven, untouched by even a speck of mortal dust.

He held a Heavenly Frost Sword in his hand. The blade shimmered with flowing light, radiating a bone-chilling cold. Around him, an entirely icy blue phoenix slowly circled, each beat of its wings scattering countless fine ice crystals through the air like fragments of stars.

"Ice Phoenix... Strike."

The immortal lord spoke. It was two voices layered together—Bing Yekong's clear voice and Shui Bing'er's gentle one—echoing through the training grounds at once.

He stepped forward, slowly raised the sword in his right hand, and swung it down at the training dummy ahead.

It looked like a casual stroke, yet the entire training grounds trembled. The Ice Phoenix circling him let out a clear cry, transforming into a streak of icy blue light that attached itself to the Heavenly Frost Sword and fused with the blade.

Then, a massive sword aura formed from Ultimate Ice and the power of the phoenix roared forth. The icy blue sword light slashed forward like a crescent moon.

Time itself seemed to freeze before that sword aura.

The sword aura struck the training dummy with perfect precision, then exploded the instant it made contact. Icy blue energy surged outward like floodwaters bursting through a collapsed dam, sweeping across the entire training grounds with unstoppable force.

The walls forged from refined steel were as fragile as paper before Ultimate Ice. They were instantly covered in cracks before collapsing with a thunderous crash. The granite ground beneath their feet froze, split, and caved in. Stone fragments and dust were hurled into the air by the aftershock, scattering throughout the courtyard.

The deafening roar continued for dozens of breaths before gradually subsiding.

When the smoke and dust dispersed, the once sturdy training grounds had been reduced to ruins.

More than half the walls had collapsed, while the ground had been gouged three feet deep. Broken stone and twisted steel lay scattered everywhere. Only where the training dummy had stood was there now a massive pit several zhang deep, its walls covered in thick ice that reflected the moonlight with a dim blue chill.

The two figures separated from the light once more.

Bing Yekong staggered, but Shui Bing'er quickly caught and supported him. They looked at each other, seeing the same shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

"We... did it?" Shui Bing'er's voice drifted uncertainly, as though she had yet to recover from that wondrous state.

Bing Yekong steadied himself and looked at the ruins before him. The corner of his mouth slowly lifted, growing wider and wider until it became a broad grin.

"A Martial Soul Fusion Skill!" He grabbed Shui Bing'er's hand, his voice rising with excitement. "Sister Bing'er! We have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill!"

Shui Bing'er swayed twice as he tugged her along. Seeing his animated expression, she could not help but laugh as well. She nodded emphatically. "Mm! We do!"

Just as the two were immersed in overwhelming joy, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. Shui Qingrou's voice rang out first. "What happened?! Who's making such a huge commotion at the training grounds?!"

Yang Wudi's booming voice followed close behind. "Such powerful ice-element fluctuations! This old man was awakened from halfway across the courtyard!"

Then Dugu Bo's lazy voice drifted over. "Half of this old man's poison miasma was scattered by the shock... Who did it?"