Shui Bing'er sat cross-legged on the ice, the Ice God Mark her forehead slightly warm. A message surfaced in her mind—
Ice God Inheritance Trial - First Trial: Passed.
Rewards: Ice God Affinity increased by 5%, Ultimate Ice evolves (beginner to intermediate), First Soul Ring age increased by 500 years (yellow to deep yellow).
Before she could even fully perceive the changes in her body, she heard Feng Xiaotian's voice coming from the edge of the frozen lake. "... I passed the First Trial too."
Shui Bing'er turned her head to look. Feng Xiaotian stood by the frozen lake, the cyan Wind God Mark on his forehead glowing faintly, echoing her icy blue mark.
Feng Xiaotian lowered his head and touched the mark on his forehead, a slight smile playing on his lips, " First Trial complete, Wind God Affinity increased by 5%, Second Trial unlocked."
"I'm different from you. The First Trial only gives affinity; the Soul Ring rewards don't start until the Third Trial. The Wind God said we should adapt first, and the real rewards will come later."
Shui Bing'er asked in confusion, "Then why did I get Soul Ring upgrade on my First Trial?"
Feng Xiaotian thought for a moment, recalling what Wind God had said before, and then said, " Wind God said that the core purpose of placing the inheritance here is to help Ice God find a successor."
He adjusted your assessment system—each test will reward you with Soul Ring upgrade, allowing you to continuously grow as you complete the tests and inherit the power of the Ice God as soon as possible.
He glanced at the mark on Shui Bing'er's forehead, his tone becoming more serious. "So the assessment he set for you had a different pace than mine."
Shui Bing'er nodded to indicate that she understood, then stood up, her steps much steadyer than before. After merging with the Heart of the Ice God, her perception of ice had become clearer than ever before.
The frozen lake beneath her feet, the icicles overhead, the ice crystals suspended in the air—everything seemed like an extension of her body, which she could manipulate at any time if she wished.
Feng Xiaotian observed the changes in her, his gaze lingering for a moment on the mark on her forehead. "How are you feeling?"
"It feels like... something more." Shui Bing'er looked down at her palm, where an ice flower had condensed, more solid and pure than before. " The Ultimate Ice is much more stable than before, and the flow of Soul Power is smoother."
"That's good." Feng Xiaotian nodded, then raised his left hand and looked at the cyan mark on his palm. "My reward here is an increase in Wind God Affinity, but how exactly to use it... we'll have to wait until the Second Trial to find out."
Just as Shui Bing'er was about to speak, the Ice God Mark on her forehead suddenly felt slightly warm. A childlike voice entered her mind through the mark. "Little Master! You succeeded!"
Shui Bing'er paused for a moment, then asked, "You are...?"
"It's me! The Frost Dragon! Come out and see me!"
Shui Bing'er walked to the entrance of the crevice. The Frost Dragon was lying at the entrance. When it saw her come out, its huge head immediately came closer and gently touched the mark on her forehead with the tip of its nose. Then it let out a low, almost docile whimper.
"Little master! You're even more handsome than your previous master!"
Shui Bing'er's lips twitched very slightly; she almost couldn't hold back her laughter.
Feng Xiaotian followed behind and, seeing this scene, chuckled, "What's it doing?"
"... It's being affectionate with me, calling me 'little master'."
"I didn't realize it was so good at being affectionate."
The Frost Dragon immediately raised its head, its vertical pupils coldly glaring at Feng Xiaotian, and a low growl, clearly tinged with disdain, rolled from its throat.
"Little master, why is that stinky man out here too? And why is he standing so close to you?"
Shui Bing'er patted the dragon's neck, suppressing a laugh, and asked instead, "What's your name?"
The Frost Dragon said somewhat dejectedly, "I don't have a name; my previous master didn't give me one." It paused, then said excitedly, "Why don't you give me one, young master?"
Shui Bing'er thought for a moment and said, "Then... how about the name ' Little Frost Shuang'?"
The Frost Dragon proudly flapped its wings and excitedly said, "Ah, I have a name now! My name is ' Little Frost.' It's a nice name, I like it, thank you, little master!"
After Little Frost calmed down, Shui Bing'er asked, " Little Frost, do you know where the Second Trial test for the Wind God is held?"
The Frost Dragon tilted its massive head, and then an image entered Shui Bing'er Ice God Mark—
Deep in the Far North, there lies a ruin shrouded in storms and icy fog, surrounded by steep ice peaks, making it impossible for ordinary Soul Beast to approach.
"Little master, I've been to that place. It's cold and windy there, so I didn't dare get too close, but I know the way. I can fly you there."
Shui Bing'er relayed what she knew to Feng Xiaotian: " Little Frost said she knows where it is, but that place is very dangerous; ordinary Soul Beast can't get close."
Feng Xiaotian's eyes lit up. "Then let it take us there."
The Frost Dragon's ears immediately drooped, and it breathed a blast of icy air at Feng Xiaotian.
"Little master! Is this stinky man going to get on my back too? He's so weak! He's not allowed to get on my back!"
Shui Bing'er glanced at Feng Xiaotian, remained silent for a moment before speaking, "He's my... friend, let him come up, okay?"
The Frost Dragon was silent for a moment, its ears drooping even more, like a child whose toy had been taken away.
After several breaths, it reluctantly lowered its body a little, giving Feng Xiaotian a gesture that said, "Hurry up and get on top of me."
"Alright, alright, since the little master said so... you stinky man, hold on tight, if you hurt me, I'll throw him off."
Feng Xiaotian couldn't hear its words, but he could feel that the dragon's eyes were full of disdain, disdain, and utter disdain.
He gave a wry smile and turned over to sit behind Shui Bing'er.
The Frost Dragon suddenly stood up, flapped its wings, and deliberately shook its body before taking off— Feng Xiaotian grabbed the dragon scales to prevent it from slipping off.
"... You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
The Frost Dragon didn't turn around, but a string of silvery laughter echoed in Shui Bing'er's mind.
"Hehe, that startled him!"
Feng Xiaotian had no idea that he had been tricked by a dragon.
The Frost Dragon flapped its wings and soared into the sky, its enormous wings cutting through the wind and snow as it flew towards the Far North.
The cold wind, carrying icy particles, lashed against their faces, but the icy blue aura surrounding Shui Bing'er protected them both, shielding them from most of the chill.
After flying for about half an hour, the glacier beneath our feet began to become rugged. The ice peaks grew higher and higher, the snow thicker and thicker, and sparse ice mist began to appear in the air, curling into thin white ribbons in the wind.
The Frost Dragon slowed down, circled once in the air, and then descended into the narrow pass between the two ice peaks.
After passing through the mountain pass, a breathtaking view suddenly appeared before us—a massive ruin shrouded in storms and ice fog, like the spine of a giant beast embedded deep within the glacier.
The surface of the ruins is covered with a thick layer of ice, but the ancient stone walls exposed beneath the ice are faintly visible, with wind-shaped patterns carved on them.
Feng Xiaotian's forehead felt slightly warm, and the Wind God Mark lit up automatically.
"This is it," he said.
The Frost Dragon landed on the outskirts of the ruins, its massive claws slamming into the ice with a dull thud.
It dared not approach the entrance to the ruins—the storm carried an unsettling aura, the pure power of the Wind God, which naturally clashed with its ice attribute.
Shui Bing'er slid off the dragon's back and looked up at the ruins. Just as she was about to walk forward, the Frost Dragon gently touched her back with the tip of its nose.
"Young master... this is the territory where the Wind God's legacy is located; I cannot go in."
"Okay, let's go in then." Shui Bing'er turned around and touched its nose. "You wait for us here."
The Frost Dragon hesitated for a moment, then nuzzled her with its head. "Alright then... little master, come back soon."
Shui Bing'er turned and walked towards the ruins. Feng Xiaotian followed beside her, and the two of them passed side by side through the barrier of storm and ice mist, disappearing into the light and shadow at the entrance of the ruins.
The Frost Dragon lay on the ice outside the ruins, resting its head on its claws, gazing towards the entrance, and letting out a muffled growl.
"Little master, please come back soon... Don't let that stinky man bully you..."