The Ice Phoenix Martial Soul! Huo Yuhao's Fear

After saying that, Jiang Chen no longer feared the child of destiny. He recognized what lay in his heart and decisively grasped the Ice Phoenix brand.

In an instant, icy blue light shot into the sky. A phoenix's cry rang throughout Shrek Outer Court, bringing a magnificent vision at dawn.

The Ice Phoenix Martial Soul appeared behind Jiang Chen once more. It was no longer the degenerated Azure Bird Martial Soul.

Shrek's Elders were stunned, hardly able to believe their eyes.

Had someone awakened an Ice Phoenix Martial Soul with an Ultimate Attribute?

Could it be Jiang Chen?

For a moment, the Elders set aside their work and hurried to the outer court.

Mu En, who had planned to have a heart-to-heart with Jiang Chen late that night, witnessed the scene and let out a rueful sigh.

Yan Shaozhe.

Look what you've done!

You made Xiaotao give up on Jiang Chen. Now he'd come back, cleared his mind, and awakened. There was no chance he would ever get in the same boat as you again.

Before long, a crowd packed the space beneath the dormitory building.

The sudden commotion woke Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong too. Neither had any desire to go back to sleep.

And they weren't the only ones.

Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and a great many students had also woken with a start, still unsure what had happened.

Just then, the door to Dormitory 109 opened, and Jiang Chen, Xie Huanyue, and the others stepped out.

"Jiang Chen, has your Martial Soul awakened?" Mu En asked, excitement in his voice.

For the first time in centuries, a genius with an Ultimate Attribute had appeared at Shrek. What's more, it was the Ice Phoenix, a top-tier Beast Martial Soul—the totemic brand of the Far North and a symbol of true auspiciousness.

Jiang Chen nodded slightly. He hadn't expected to draw so many people.

Then he waved a hand, and the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul possessed him. The temperature around them plunged, making quite a few people shiver.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stared wide-eyed.

Bei Bei and the others sucked in a cold breath.

It really was the legendary Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, complete with the Ultimate Ice attribute.

"That's right," Jiang Chen said. "I've completely stabilized my bloodline and happened to advance to three rings. My Soul Skills have changed a second time, and I've gained the Ultimate Ice attribute."

"Come to think of it, I have someone to thank for that."

His words had barbs. The sarcasm was aimed squarely at Ma Xiaotao and Yan Shaozhe.

And it was true. Without master and disciple, Jiang Chen had no idea when he would have faced his heart, stepped out from under the shadow of the child of destiny, and completed his Martial Soul Second Awakening.

Mu En was beside himself with excitement.

Good, good, good!

The Ice Phoenix Martial Soul! What a Martial Soul! Even at his age, it seemed he could still place his hopes in the young.

The Jiang Family's Ice Phoenix Martial Soul was unlike other top-tier Martial Souls that appeared in the wild. Their family truly carried the bloodline of a real phoenix. Where it had come from, though, no one knew.

As for Jiang Chen and Xiaotao, even Mu En could do nothing.

From now on, there was no chance for Jiang Chen and Xiaotao.

"Get some rest and prepare for the Freshman Tournament," Mu En said. "As for your Soul Ring, the academy will discuss it and then take you to obtain one."

Jiang Chen cupped his hands slightly, then turned and went back to rest with Xie Huanyue and the others. The academy's teachers began dispersing the crowd.

But the shock of what they had just seen lingered, especially for Huo Yuhao and the others.

"How impressive," Xu Sanshi said enviously. "If I fully awaken my Black Tortoise Martial Soul, will I get a spectacle like that too? Could I gain the Ultimate Water attribute?"

"But how did he do it? A problem like blocked evolution is hard to solve."

"Jiang Chen is connected to Sister Xiaotao," Bei Bei said. "He comes from Shui Bing'er's family of ten thousand years ago—the main branch, at that. Mu En personally invited him into the academy. Even without a Second Awakening, his Azure Bird is a top-tier Martial Soul with formidable attack power."

At his good friend's casual mention, Xu Sanshi vaguely remembered and silently labeled Jiang Chen a lovesick fool.

"So he's a lovesick fool," Xu Sanshi said. "Lovesick fools come to no good end."

Jiang Nannan shot Xu Sanshi a look. Her meaning could not have been clearer.

Aren't you one too?

"Brother Sky Dream, is the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul really that powerful?"

Huo Yuhao turned to ask the million-year Soul Beast, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, within his Sea of Consciousness. Surely someone so experienced could answer him.

The Freshman Assessment was coming up, and he, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao had their sights set on the championship.

But for a surprise like this to appear at such a crucial moment was bad news—especially when he was still a one-ring Soul Scholar.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's expression grew tense.

How could this happen?

Where had an Ice Phoenix Martial Soul come from?

A Martial Soul like that should never have appeared on the continent again.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sighed softly. "Yuhao, I have to be honest with you. There are several kinds of top-tier Martial Souls. One kind is the Evil-Eyed White Tiger: all reputation and no real strength. It only managed to become a god because the Sea God helped it along."

"Then there's the second kind, like the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul. It's top-tier too, but not merely top-tier—it stands at the very peak. No Martial Soul is more qualified to become the Ice God than the Ice Phoenix."

"Jiang Chen is different. His Ice Phoenix has a bloodline, putting it far above the likes of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Even that old man by your dormitory entrance has no true dragon bloodline, which is why he can't become a god."

"I'd planned to find you an Ultimate Ice Martial Soul in the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion. But even if you had the Ice Empress, the Ice Phoenix would still suppress you. At the bloodline level, it would crush you."

"You'd better keep your distance from Jiang Chen. Fighting him would bring far too many uncertainties."

At Brother Sky Dream's words, Huo Yuhao's mouth fell open in disbelief.

Jiang Chen was that strong?

An Ice Phoenix with a true phoenix bloodline, an Ultimate Attribute, and now three rings. The Freshman Tournament championship seemed to be slipping from his grasp.

Even so, Huo Yuhao refused to back down.

So what if it was the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul?

Wang Dong's Martial Soul could evolve into the Light Dragon God Butterfly. If she joined him in unleashing their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, they could surely defeat Jiang Chen.

Huo Yuhao asked, "Brother Sky Dream, between Jiang Chen and me, who has a better chance of becoming the strongest of this era?"

Well...

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hesitated.

How should he put it?

He couldn't crush Yuhao's confidence. Besides, Yuhao really was the one with the most opportunities.

With Electrolux, himself, and the Ice Empress in the future, Yuhao was bound to surpass Jiang Chen.

What did Jiang Chen have, anyway?

Just a phoenix bloodline.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm folded his arms and declared proudly, "You, of course. You're the brightest genius of this era. You have a Million-Year Soul Ring, and you've got me and that Old Rabbit backing you all the way. Once you obtain your Second Martial Soul, you'll definitely be stronger than him."

Hearing that from Brother Sky Dream, Huo Yuhao felt reassured.

He was still the stronger one.

Then Huo Yuhao took Wang Dong's hand. "Wang Dong, let's go back and keep cultivating! I'm feeling a lot of pressure now. We can't afford to slack off anymore."

Wang Dong's mouth twitched.

She was beginning to regret meeting Huo Yuhao.

He had already been a cultivation maniac. Now that he had seen Jiang Chen's Martial Soul Second Awakening, he would work even harder.

Oh well. She was his roommate, after all.

Before long, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong left. Xu Sanshi and the others also headed back to tidy up and prepare for the new day's classes.