Ice and Fire Coexistence

The strand of fire pattern was as thin as a hair, yet it wound across the ice crystal as if alive. Wherever it passed, the icy-blue petals took on a faint golden gleam, as though they had been tempered by flame. Huo Yuhao held his breath, his spiritual power extending gently along the fire pattern's path like the finest carving knife—he wanted to see just how far this spark of "Ultimate Transformation" could spread.

The fire pattern gradually branched out, probing toward the ice flower's other petals like tree limbs. At first, it progressed smoothly enough, but when it touched one of the outermost ice crystals, it suddenly began to tremble violently. Its orange-red glow abruptly surged half an inch higher, and that ice crystal actually showed signs of melting.

"Stop!" Snow Empress's voice rang out sharply, carrying unquestionable authority.

Huo Yuhao immediately withdrew his spiritual power. The out-of-control fire pattern dimmed at once, and the melting trace along the ice crystal's edge froze solid as well, leaving behind only a faint white mark. Still shaken, he stared at that mark as fine cold sweat seeped across his forehead—at that instant, he had clearly felt a violent force recoil along the fire pattern. Had he not stopped in time, it might have scorched the source of his spiritual power.

"Why the rush?" Snow Empress slowly approached, her eyes carrying a hint of warning. "Ultimate Transformation seeks change within the ultimate. It isn't for you to play with fire using ice soul power. That fire pattern is the trigger for 'transformation,' not fuel for 'burning.' You poured in your spiritual power too hastily just now. It was like feeding a gale to a spark. It would have been strange if it hadn't exploded."

With a flick of her finger, a wisp of icy-blue soul power landed on the white mark. It vanished instantly, and the ice crystal petal returned to normal. "Try again. Use your spiritual power to support the fire pattern, as if you were holding fragile glazed glass. Slower. Steadier. Remember, you are its guide, not its master."

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and suppressed his impatience. This time, he released his spiritual power at an exceedingly slow pace, gently supporting the fire pattern as it spread forward like a spring breeze brushing across a lake. The orange-red hue softened, no longer showing any urge to flare upward. It merely clung to the ice crystal's surface, slowly tracing out more intricate lines—patterns remarkably similar to the Resonance Pattern he had designed for Ning Tian, yet carrying a touch more of the Life Star Sea's lively flow.

Skydream Iceworm watched from the side without daring to breathe. Its plump body was tensed tight, making it look exactly like a firefighter ready to rush in at any moment. Only when the fire pattern successfully spread onto the third petal did it finally let out a breath. "You scared this worm to death. I thought half the spiritual world was about to blow up."

Snow Empress ignored it and simply stared at Huo Yuhao's consciousness form. "Did you feel it? Every turn the fire pattern makes consumes a trace of your spiritual power, while also absorbing energy from the Life Star Sea. This is a balanced expenditure. It is like drawing fire from ice—you need the stability of ice and the agility of fire. Neither can be absent."

Huo Yuhao nodded. The spiritual power at his fingertips gradually formed a subtle resonance with the fire pattern's energy. He suddenly discovered that when the pattern reached a petal's tip, a crystalline droplet condensed there—a droplet half icy blue and half orange-red, suspended in the air without falling and giving off an unusual aura that was both freezing and warm.

"This is..."

"Marrow of Extreme Transformation." Snow Empress's voice held a trace of approval. "The condensed essence of ice and 'transformation.' In future battles, merge it into ice cones or ice spikes. It can freeze an opponent's soul power while using the force of Ultimate Transformation to erode their meridians. It is more lethal than Ultimate Ice alone."

Huo Yuhao carefully drew that drop of Marrow of Extreme Transformation into his consciousness form. He could feel it slowly rotating within him, like a miniature energy core. He looked up at the Life Star Sea, where the streams of light seemed to become more active because of the marrow's birth. Teal-gold waves struck against the bands of light as though cheering for him.

"That will be enough for today." Snow Empress turned and walked toward the depths of the star sea, her silver hair drifting amid the currents of light. "Do not condense too much Marrow of Extreme Transformation. One drop a day at most. Greed will bring disorder. Once you return, let your body adapt to this new power. Tomorrow, we will practice how to incorporate Ultimate Transformation into your soul skills."

Skydream Iceworm immediately followed her, but not before turning back to remind him, "Remember, one drop! Just one drop! If you make more, I'm not cleaning up your mess!"

Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded, his gaze returning to the ice flowers on the web of light. Those half-ice, half-fire flowers bloomed quietly now, their fire patterns flowing over the petals like countless silken threads connecting ice and transformation. He could feel that his understanding of Ultimate Ice was being completely reshaped by this thread of "Ultimate Transformation"—it was no longer lofty, solitary ice sealing everything away, but agile power that embraced change.

When he withdrew from his consciousness realm, sunlight outside the window was piercing through the clouds, casting a patch of warmth across his palm. Huo Yuhao opened his hand, and an invisible drop of Marrow of Extreme Transformation lay quietly in his palm. Though he could not see it, he could clearly sense its presence.

He rose to his feet and stretched his limbs. The soul power within him flowed more smoothly, and every breath faintly drew the energy of his Twin Seas of Spirit into resonance. From the distant training ground came the indistinct shouts of his classmates, filled with familiar vitality.

As Huo Yuhao followed those calls toward the training ground, the Marrow of Extreme Transformation at his fingertips trembled lightly with his steps like a bouncing star. He had barely reached the edge of the field when a fiery-red figure charged toward him on a gust of wind.

"Huo Yuhao! You finally came out!" She grabbed Huo Yuhao and looked him over repeatedly. "You have no idea how worried the young mistress was. It is good that you are safe."

Huo Yuhao followed her gaze toward Ning Tian in the distance. The girl stood beside the training platform, the Glazed Ring in her hand gleaming with pale gold beneath the sunlight. When she saw him looking over, she immediately raised a faint smile and waved. There was no urgency in that smile, only grounded relief.

"Sorry for making you worry." Huo Yuhao gently pulled free from Wu Feng's grasp. A wisp of icy-blue soul power condensed at his fingertips, wrapped around with an extremely faint orange-red tint like an icy stream mixed with starlight. "I was indeed fusing a new power called 'Ultimate Transformation.' I practiced it in my consciousness realm just now, so it took some time."

"Ultimate Transformation?" Wu Feng's eyes widened as she unconsciously clenched her fists. "The kind that lets ice carry fire? Hurry up and show us!"

Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded, his gaze sweeping over the target wall at the edge of the training ground—a hard target made from Ten-Thousand-Year Ironwood. Ordinary Soul Masters could at most leave shallow marks on it with their soul skills. He raised his hand, and the icy-blue soul power at his fingertips suddenly shot forth, turning into a half-foot-long ice arrow.

The ice arrow tore through the sunlight, trailing a faint orange-red flame shadow behind it. It looked like a fire arrow encased in ice crystal. The instant it sank into the ironwood target, it did not explode with a boom. Instead, there came a soft hiss—ice patterns rapidly spread across the arrow's surface, freezing the target face into spiderweb-like white cracks, while those orange-red flame shadows burrowed along the wood grain. Wisps of green smoke rose beneath the ice, as though countless tiny flames were gnawing at the wood.

"Th-this..." Wu Feng stared so hard her eyes went wide. "The ice didn't melt, but the wood looks like it was burned?!"

Ning Tian walked over as well, gently brushing her fingertips across the ice patterns on the target. She could feel faint scorching heat coming from beneath the ice. "It is not fire, but another kind of corrosive force. The ice freezes the flow of soul power, while this force of Ultimate Transformation breaks down matter itself... Against defense-type Soul Masters or soul beasts, it may be able to ignore their defenses entirely." She looked at Huo Yuhao, amazement in her eyes. "This power is more troublesome than ice alone."