Testing the Ice Dragon King

Moments later, Shui Qingrou hurried to the ruins with Yang Wudi and Dugu Bo. The three of them looked at the chaotic training ground before them, then at Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er standing in the ruins with lingering smiles at the corners of their mouths, wearing completely different expressions.

Shui Qingrou was stunned at first, and then her gaze fell on the hands that Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er were still holding together. Following that, she looked at the ground full of ice chips and the deep pit, her pupils suddenly shrinking.

"You two... is this a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?"

Bing Yekong nodded, smiling brightly, "Aunt Shui, Bing'er and I accidentally triggered a Martial Soul Fusion Skill just now. As for the power..." He pointed at his feet. "You saw it too."

Shui Qingrou took a deep breath, and after a long while, let out a long sigh mixed with shock and relief.

She had truly chosen the right person for this daughter of hers.

Yang Wudi walked around the deep pit twice, squatted down to touch the ice layer condensed on the pit wall, and then looked up at the destroyed wall opposite, smacking his lips. "This old man has seen quite a few Martial Soul Fusion Skills, but I've truly never seen one display this kind of power on the very first try. Just how high does your compatibility have to be to reach this level?"

Dugu Bo stood at the edge of the ruins with his hands behind his back, squinting as he looked at the two young people standing side by side. He was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking, "Did you carefully feel that strike just now?"

Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er both looked at him.

"Although this old man is not skilled in the ice attribute, a Titled Douluo's discernment is still here." Dugu Bo lifted his chin, gesturing toward the deep pit. "That strike hit the puppet, but that was just it crashing into the target. The true power hadn't even had time to fully release before it leveled the training ground. If it hit a living thing..." He paused. "A Soul Saint probably couldn't catch it."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present fell silent.

Bing Yekong looked down at the Heavenly Frost Sword in his hand. The sword body still emitted a faint cold light, and the feeling of that strike from earlier still lingered in his heart. When he and Shui Bing'er merged into one, that feeling was like the souls of two people combining together, opening everything about each other for the other to see without secrets or barriers.

He tilted his head to look at Shui Bing'er. Shui Bing'er was also looking at him, the moonlight outlining her profile softly and clearly. Their gazes met in the air without dodging or shyness, leaving only a tacit understanding.

Yang Wudi patted the ice chips clinging to his hands, stood up, and laughed heartily. "Alright, alright, the training ground is destroyed so it's destroyed; the Shui Family Head can just fix it later. You two kids made such a big commotion today, you should be happy!"

Shui Qingrou also snapped out of it, sighing helplessly, but the smile in the depths of her eyes could not be hidden at all. "Destroyed is destroyed, I'll have someone rebuild it tomorrow. You two go back and rest tonight, don't be too excited to sleep."

Bing Yekong rubbed his nose, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Aunt Shui, I'm sorry, the commotion really was a bit big."

Shui Qingrou waved her hand. "Alright, alright, don't stand here letting the wind blow on you, go back and rest. Senior Yang, Senior Dugu, please return as well."

The crowd dispersed. Bing Yekong and Shui Bing'er walked side by side on the path back to the courtyard, the moonlight stretching their shadows long and occasionally intersecting so that it was impossible to tell whose was whose.

When they reached the courtyard gate, Shui Bing'er stopped in her tracks, turned her head to look at him, and softly said, "That feeling just now... do you still remember it?"

Bing Yekong nodded. "I remember. It's very wondrous. The two of us seemed to become a single person."

Shui Bing'er lowered her head, the moonlight shining on her profile and casting a light golden luster onto her eyelashes. She was silent for a moment before speaking softly, "If it's becoming a single person with you... I don't seem to be afraid."

Bing Yekong looked at her profile, his heart feeling as though something had gently bumped against it, warm and tingling.

He didn't say much more, merely gently patting her shoulder. "Get some rest early. Tomorrow night, let's try again."

Shui Bing'er raised her head, meeting his smiling gaze, her cheeks once again flushing slightly, but this time she didn't hide away, only softly uttering an acknowledgment.

Then they each returned to their rooms.

Early the next morning, before the sky was fully bright, Bing Yekong woke up.

He lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, his mind entirely filled with the image of that Ice Phoenix Strike from last night.

The water-and-milk harmony feeling when the Heavenly Frost Sword and the Ice Phoenix merged left him unable to sleep soundly all night, tossing and turning as he relived every detail.

He sat up with a start, washed up simply, and when he pushed the door open, he happened to see Shui Bing'er also coming out of the adjacent room. The two of them exchanged a glance in the courtyard, saying nothing at the same time as they broke into smiles.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Shui Bing'er asked.

Bing Yekong nodded. "I was thinking about something else."

Shui Bing'er blinked, quickly understanding his meaning. Her memory was always good, and she remembered every single word Bing Yekong had said last night clearly, especially the sentence, "Both of my martial souls can fuse with you."

Ever since realizing that she could perform a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Shui Bing'er, Bing Yekong had taken the initiative to confess that he possessed Twin Martial Souls.

Shui Qingrou and Shui Bing'er, aside from being astonished, were even more happy for Bing Yekong.

"You want to try the Ice Dragon King?"

Bing Yekong looked into her eyes and earnestly nodded. "The Heavenly Frost Sword and your Ice Phoenix fused into one strike, so what if we switch to the Ice Dragon King? The Ice Dragon King is a top-tier bloodline among dragon-type martial souls, and your Ice Phoenix has also evolved to Ultimate Ice. When dragon and phoenix combine..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Shui Bing'er already understood his unstated meaning.

Dragon and phoenix bringing prosperity has since ancient times been one of the most compatible combinations in martial soul fusion. If based on the Ice Dragon King and the Ice Phoenix, the power of the born Martial Soul Fusion Skill would likely surpass even the Heavenly Frost Sword.

"But..." Shui Bing'er hesitated. "Your Ice Dragon King Martial Soul hasn't added soul rings yet. Relying solely on the power of the martial soul itself, is that enough?"

Bing Yekong pondered for a moment and said, "The essence of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill is a qualitative change produced through soul power resonance under the premise of high enough compatibility between two martial souls. The number of soul rings affects the upper limit of power, but it won't affect whether the fusion succeeds. The Heavenly Frost Sword and the Ice Phoenix could fuse last night, so the Ice Dragon King and the Ice Phoenix should be able to fuse today as well."

He paused, a burning light flashing through his eyes. "And I have a premonition that the compatibility between the Ice Dragon King and the Ice Phoenix might be even higher than the Heavenly Frost Sword."

Shui Bing'er didn't ask any further. She had always trusted Bing Yekong's judgment; since he said they could try, she would follow along and try.

The two packed up and headed straight for another training ground of the Shui Family. This training ground was a size smaller than the one from last night, but it had also undergone soul power reinforcement treatment. It was normally used for lower-tier disciples of the family to practice in, and could barely withstand the aftermath of a Soul Emperor-level battle.

As for whether it could withstand the upcoming commotion, Bing Yekong didn't have a bottom line in his heart either, but they always had to try to find out.