Skywater Academy!

Several students stood there, utterly stunned.

"So strong..."

Shui Yue'er's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

By the time she looked at Qian Chen, her gaze was filled entirely with admiration.

Such handsome features.

Such terrifying talent.

And that calm, composed stance as he had stood before everyone moments ago.

Every detail made it impossible for Shui Yue'er, at the age when her heart had first begun to stir, to look away.

Shui Bing'er had likewise forgotten her own predicament.

She looked at Qian Chen's black hair cascading down his back, then at the fair hand that had just sent a ten-thousand-year soul beast flying.

She truly could not connect the scene before her with their similar ages.

The snowbank suddenly exploded.

The Ice Red-Chain Snake crawled out again.

It shook its dazed head.

Its vertical pupils turned toward Qian Chen once more.

Qian Chen did not attack again.

He merely stood calmly where he was.

A trace of pressure from the Dragon God Bloodline seeped out from his body.

The Ice Red-Chain Snake's body instantly stiffened.

The terror buried deep within its bloodline completely overwhelmed its instinct to feed.

Its snake belly rapidly contracted.

Liquid flowed along its crimson markings, leaving a wet trail across the snow.

The Ice Red-Chain Snake did not even dare attempt another attack.

It twisted its massive body around and burrowed into the distant snowstorm at top speed.

In mere moments,

that nearly twenty-meter-long snake tail vanished from sight.

The people from Skywater Academy fell silent once more.

Qian Chen had released only a trace of his aura.

Yet the ten-thousand-year Ice Red-Chain Snake had been frightened into losing control of itself and fleeing for its life.

The students looked at him with even greater amazement.

Shui Xinlian finally let out a breath of relief.

The Soul Power within her body began circulating again.

The power of the Frost Barrier spread outward, gradually melting the solid ice covering everyone.

Shui Bing'er was the first to break free.

Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed onto the snow.

Shui Yue'er hurriedly caught her sister beside her.

After a short rest, feeling gradually returned to everyone's frozen hands and feet.

Shui Yue'er soon let go of Shui Bing'er.

She trotted over to Qian Chen.

Her short blue hair swayed lightly with her steps, and the hem of her aqua-blue dress brushed over the snow.

Shui Yue'er raised her fair little face.

Seeing Qian Chen's features up close, a faint blush quickly spread across her cheeks.

"Thank you for saving us."

"If you hadn't shown up in time, that snake would definitely have eaten us."

Qian Chen glanced in the direction where the Ice Red-Chain Snake had fled.

"Just happened to be there."

Shui Yue'er nodded softly.

She did not leave right away and remained standing beside Qian Chen.

Those bright eyes of hers stayed fixed on him.

Shui Xinlian also walked over.

She tucked the pale blue strands of hair that had fallen beside her face behind her ear and carefully examined the person before her.

At such an age, he already possessed level fifty-eight Soul Power.

His physical strength could even crush a ten-thousand-year soul beast.

This was no longer something that could be explained by ordinary talent.

Shui Xinlian asked,

"My name is Shui Xinlian, and I am an instructor at Skywater Academy."

"They are all students of Skywater Academy."

"May I ask your name?"

"Qian Chen."

Shui Xinlian silently remembered the name.

"Which family raised you?"

The girls nearby also pricked up their ears.

They all wanted to know what kind of force could nurture someone like Qian Chen.

Qian Chen fell silent for a moment.

Spirit Hall surfaced in his mind.

The Qian Family.

Bibi Dong.

And the snowfield that had nearly claimed his life.

By blood, he truly had been born into the Qian Family.

But that place had never given him even the slightest familial affection.

The ones who had truly raised him were the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress.

Qian Chen quickly pushed those thoughts away.

"I don't have a family."

Shui Xinlian's expression froze.

"No family?"

She simply could not believe it.

How could a child without a family's support reach level fifty-eight at twelve years old?

Moreover, this was the core region of the Far North.

Ordinary people could not even venture deep into the outer regions.

Yet Qian Chen walked alone through the snowstorm, without even carrying anything to ward off the cold.

Shui Bing'er came to Shui Xinlian's side.

She did not continue asking about Qian Chen's origins.

Everyone had a past they did not wish to mention.

Qian Chen had just saved them, and Shui Bing'er did not want to make things difficult for him with a stream of questions.

She raised her eyes to Qian Chen.

Their gazes met amid the snowstorm.

Qian Chen's eyes were clear and calm.

Shui Bing'er recalled the image of Qian Chen standing before the Ice Red-Chain Snake when she had been sealed within the solid ice.

Her fair cheeks warmed slightly.

Shui Bing'er pressed her red lips together and stepped closer.

Only half an arm's length remained between them.

She could even clearly see the small snowflake resting on Qian Chen's long lashes.

Shui Bing'er raised her slender fingers and gently brushed the snow away for him.

By the time she realized what she was doing, her fingertips had already touched the edge of Qian Chen's brow.

A faint warmth traveled through her fingertips.

Shui Bing'er immediately withdrew her hand.

A little more color appeared on her delicate face.

Shui Yue'er stood nearby, looking at her sister and then at Qian Chen.

She could not help puffing out her cheeks.

She had clearly been the first to come over and thank him.

Yet her sister had already moved closer to him than she had.

Shui Bing'er did not notice her younger sister's reaction.

She looked at Qian Chen seriously.

"Since you have no family, would you like to join Skywater Academy?"

"Although Skywater Academy has never accepted male students, I can ask the dean to make an exception for you."

As Shui Bing'er's invitation fell,

the snowstorm fell quiet for a moment.

Several Skywater Academy students looked toward Qian Chen, their eyes full of anticipation.

Since its founding, Skywater Academy had never accepted a male student.

But the person before them was different.

Twelve years old, level fifty-eight Soul King.

One palm strike had sent a fifteen-thousand-year Ice Red-Chain Snake flying.

Such talent was enough to make the academy change its rules for him.

Shui Yue'er quietly stepped half a pace forward.

She looked up at Qian Chen, a faint flush still lingering on her fair cheeks.

"You should agree."

"Skywater Academy is really fun."

"Everyone at the academy is a water-attribute or ice-attribute soul master. Once you come, you definitely won't be bored."

The students beside her nodded repeatedly.

"Shui Bing'er is the most outstanding student in our academy."

"Someone she personally invites will definitely be approved by the dean."

"If you join the academy, we'll be classmates from now on."

Shui Bing'er did not urge him.

She stood quietly before Qian Chen, her aqua-blue eyes fixed on him the entire time.

Qian Chen thought for a moment, then nodded directly.

"Okay."

The answer was more straightforward than anyone had expected.

Shui Bing'er froze for a moment.

She had originally prepared many words to persuade him, but she did not get to use a single one.

After her brief surprise, joy quickly appeared in her eyes.

"Then it's settled."

Shui Yue'er excitedly ran to her sister's side.

She grabbed Shui Bing'er's sleeve, her face full of smiles.

"Big Sister, he agreed!"

"There'll finally be a male student at the academy!"

Shui Bing'er glanced at her younger sister.

"Why are you happier than I am?"

Shui Yue'er gave a light cough.

"I just think everyone should be happy that the academy has recruited such a genius."

After saying that, she secretly looked at Qian Chen again.

The delight hidden in those bright eyes could not be concealed no matter what she did.