Shui Qingrou did not dodge. She charged straight into the frigid flames, and the phantom of an Ice Phoenix behind her suddenly solidified, radiating a chill even purer than that of the Frostwing Flood Dragon. Of her nine Soul Rings, the seventh black Soul Ring abruptly lit up.
"Seventh Soul Skill, Ice Phoenix True Form!"
Shui Qingrou transformed entirely into an Ice Phoenix. An ice-blue phoenix spread its wings amid the blizzard and crashed head-on into the Frostwing Flood Dragon.
The two massive ice-attributed soul beasts collided violently in midair, erupting in a dazzling ice-blue radiance. The shockwave swept away all the snow within several dozen yards.
The Frostwing Flood Dragon was knocked back dozens of yards by the impact, a flash of shock and fury passing through its dragon eyes. It had roamed the Far North for many years, yet it had never encountered such a formidable opponent.
Shui Qingrou gave it no chance to catch its breath. The Ice Phoenix's claws shot out and accurately clamped around the Frostwing Flood Dragon's neck, forcing it viciously toward the ground.
The flood dragon struggled madly, its wings beating violently as it dragged Shui Qingrou through the air in a tumble. Its tail swept across an ice wall, collapsing half the cave entrance as enormous chunks of ice came crashing down. Shui Qingrou refused to loosen her grip, channeling Titled Douluo-level Soul Power at full force to suppress the Frostwing Flood Dragon inch by inch.
"Yekong!"
Bing Yekong had long been waiting for an opening in her assault. The Tianshuang Sword blazed with cold light as all four Soul Rings lit up together, the sword intent of Ultimate Ice surging around him.
He targeted a relatively weak patch of scales where the flood dragon's left wing joined its body and poured all his Soul Power into the Tianshuang Sword.
An ice-blue sword aura dozens of yards long howled forth, carrying sword intent and Ultimate Ice as it struck that spot with pinpoint precision. As it fell, the sword aura unleashed a piercing shriek through the air, followed by the crisp crack of shattering scales.
Deep-blue dragon blood gushed from the wound, rapidly freezing into strings of ice-blue beads in the air and striking the snow with sharp pops.
The Frostwing Flood Dragon let out a pained wail, its massive body suddenly plunging downward. Shui Qingrou released her hold and landed atop an ice mound not far away.
The flood dragon crashed into the snow, sending shattered ice flying everywhere. Its injured right wing caused it to lose balance. It struggled to take flight again, only to discover that its left wing had completely lost control.
Bing Yekong stepped through the air on stairs formed of condensed ice crystals, raising the Tianshuang Sword high. The ice-blue glow on the blade grew ever brighter, and an arctic aura churned around him. Behind him, the phantom of an ice dragon slowly condensed, roaring as it merged into the sword.
"Profound Ice Dragon Soar!"
The ice dragon fused with the sword aura and dove from above, carrying the Dragon King's pressure and the power of Ultimate Ice as it precisely pierced through the Frostwing Flood Dragon's skull. A dull cracking sound rang out as the tip of the Tianshuang Sword pierced the hard bone atop its head, followed by the entire sword sinking into its skull.
The Frostwing Flood Dragon's crimson vertical pupils suddenly dilated. Its huge body convulsed violently several times before finally losing all life and crashing heavily onto the snow, sending ice fragments and snow dust soaring into the air.
A Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring as black as ink slowly rose from its body. Carrying a true dragon aura so dense it was nearly tangible, the Soul Ring radiated a soul-shaking pressure amid the blizzard.
Bing Yekong sheathed his sword and landed before the massive corpse. Just as he was about to sit cross-legged and begin absorbing the Soul Ring, he suddenly felt a burning, unusual sensation from his back.
The pair of deep-blue ice wings on the Frostwing Flood Dragon's back quietly detached, transforming into two ice-blue streams of light that plunged into Bing Yekong's back without the slightest hesitation.
Bing Yekong's body jolted. A peculiar power spread from his back, traveling down his spine and into every limb and bone. Every section of his skeleton grew faintly warm beneath that power.
He could clearly sense those ice wings merging with his bones—attaching, growing, as if they had always been part of his body.
An External Soul Bone.
Bing Yekong had no time to inspect its specific effects. His top priority was absorbing the Soul Ring. He sat cross-legged before the Frostwing Flood Dragon's corpse and guided the fifty-thousand-year Soul Ring down slowly over his body.
The instant the Soul Power surged into him, even though he had been prepared, the terrifyingly vast force still made him grunt.
The power contained within a fifty-thousand-year Soul Ring was simply too immense. Soul Power carrying the characteristics of a true dragon bloodline rampaged through his meridians, trying to tear apart his channels and destroy his dantian.
But Bing Yekong had come prepared. The Soul Power of Ultimate Ice circulated wildly through his body, suppressing that violent force like an unbreakable dam and gradually turning the Soul Ring's essence into nourishment for himself.
At the same time, towering waves rose within his Sea of Spirit.
The Frostwing Flood Dragon's remnant soul condensed into form, far larger than the remnant souls of the Ice Jade Scorpion and Ice Phoenix. Endless resentment and fury burned in its crimson eyes as it roared and lunged at Bing Yekong's spiritual form.
Bing Yekong's spiritual form advanced with sword in hand. The Tianshuang Sword's intent surged through the Sea of Spirit, and each strike severed a portion of the Frostwing Flood Dragon's remnant soul.
But the flood dragon's remnant soul was far too tenacious. It reformed after being shattered, then was shattered again after reforming. Bing Yekong sneered and stopped holding back, directly calling upon the source pressure of the Ice Dragon King Martial Soul.
The instant that dignified aura belonging to the king of all beasts spread through the Sea of Spirit, the Frostwing Flood Dragon's remnant soul trembled as though it had encountered its natural predator. Its resentment and fury swiftly faded, replaced by an almost instinctive terror.
Bing Yekong stepped forward and pierced the core of the remnant soul with one strike. The flood dragon's remnant soul let out an unwilling howl before finally shattering completely, dissolving into flecks of light deep within the Sea of Spirit.
An hour later, the Soul Power fluctuations around Bing Yekong's body suddenly surged.
He easily crossed the threshold of level fifty-one, his Soul Power continuing to rise like a swelling tide. Level fifty-two, level fifty-three, level fifty-four—only upon reaching level fifty-four did it finally come to a stop.
Bing Yekong slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of stale air. He could feel the power within him, more surging than ever before. The Soul Power of Ultimate Ice coursed through his meridians, more than twice as refined as it had been in the past. Rising to his feet, he moved with a thought, and the pair of deep-blue ice wings behind him abruptly spread open.
The ice wings, spanning several yards, gently fluttered amid the blizzard. Every beat stirred up biting winds and shards of ice. Their bones connected perfectly to his spine, like a natural extension of his body, and he could control them with exceptional agility.
He tried flying. With a light beat of his ice wings, he soared into the air and hovered midair. The blizzard of the Far North howled past his ears, yet he felt neither cold nor resistance.
Before you continue