As Feng Xiaotian passed through the barrier of storm and icy fog, the sight before him made him hold his breath for a moment.
The interior of the ruins is much larger than it appears from the outside. The dome is so high that the top is not visible, and the four walls are covered with a thick layer of ice, beneath which ancient wind-shaped patterns can be faintly seen.
At the very center was a circular open space, the ground of which was engraved with dense wind-patterned runes, resembling some kind of ancient array.
At the very center of the array, a bluish-white pillar of wind rose from the ground and shot straight to the dome. The swirling gale emitted a low hum, and the entire ruins trembled slightly.
As soon as Feng Xiaotian stepped onto the edge of the array plate, the Wind God Mark on his forehead lit up. A message appeared in his mind—
The Second Trial of the Wind God Nine Trials: The Eye of the Storm.
Assessment content: Move freely within the eye of the storm for the duration of an incense stick burning. You may not leave the storm's range during this time.
Reward: Increases Wind God Affinity by 5%, unlocks the Third Trial.
Feng Xiaotian looked at the rotating column of wind, took a deep breath, and went inside.
The moment he stepped into the storm's range, it felt as if he had been rammed head-on by an invisible wall.
The gale came from all directions, without any discernible pattern—sometimes tearing from left to right, sometimes blowing upwards, and sometimes pressing inwards from all sides simultaneously.
Before he could regain his balance, he was thrown into the air, his back slamming heavily onto the ice, sliding several meters away.
He bumped his lip the moment he landed, tasting a faint metallic flavor on his tongue. He raised his hand to wipe it, finding a thin red streak of blood on the back of his hand.
Feng Xiaotian glanced down at the back of his hand, licked the wound at the corner of his mouth, then sat up. "... Again."
He stepped into the eye of the storm for the second time. This time, he lowered his guard beforehand, concentrating his Soul Power in his legs and waist, attempting to use Wind Attribute Soul Power to counteract the storm's impact.
But the wind was too chaotic; it wasn't a force from a single direction, but rather like countless invisible hands tearing at him simultaneously. He barely managed to stand firm for three breaths before a sudden, horizontal gust of wind lashed out, sending him flying once more.
The third time, the fourth time, and the fifth time.
Each time, they managed to hold on by a single breath longer than before, but each time they couldn't escape being thrown away.
Feng Xiaotian's clothes had been cut in several places by the wind blades, and his face had been scratched by ice particles, but he seemed not to feel it. He got up, adjusted his breathing, and stepped into the center of the storm again.
After the 10th or so attempts, he finally found a delicate balance.
He didn't use his Soul Power to withstand the wind; instead, he adjusted his posture according to the direction of the wind—if the wind came from the left, he leaned slightly to the left; if the wind came from the right, he shifted slightly to the right.
As the wind blew upwards, he took advantage of the momentum to gather his strength, and then regained his balance upon landing.
The key to this test is not to fight the wind, but to let it glide past you.
This time, Feng Xiaotian successfully stood firm amidst the storm.
Feng Xiaotian looked down at his feet, then looked up at the swirling column of wind above him, a slight smile playing on his lips. He tried lifting his foot and taking a step. The step was steady.
He took another step. The second step was steady.
But the moment he took his third step, a sudden gust of wind slammed into him from the side, causing him to lose his footing and be thrown off balance, crashing onto the ice once more.
This time he lay there for a long time, gazing at the dome, panting heavily, his shoulders rising and falling slightly.
After a long while, he chuckled.
"... He can walk at least three steps now."
He sat up, but instead of immediately getting up to try again, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to feel the sensation of those few steps he had just taken.
How the wind flowed, how his center of gravity shifted, why the third step failed—he replayed these thoughts in his mind over and over again, breaking down, chewing over, and digesting every detail.
He knew that this assessment couldn't be rushed. Fortunately, if he could take three steps today, he could take five steps tomorrow, and ten steps the day after.
Meanwhile, on the ice outside the ruins, Shui Bing'er gently landed on Little Frost's back.
"Master, that stinky man went inside. Where do we go now?"
Shui Bing'er touched Little Frost's dragon neck. "Take me to the Second Trial site for the Ice God's inheritance."
"Alright! Hold on tight, little master!"
Little Frost Shuang flapped its wings and flew towards the other side of the glacier. It flew very steadily, no longer deliberately jolting as it had when it carried Feng Xiaotian, for fear of shaking Shui Bing'er off.
After flying for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Little Frost landed in front of an ice cave.
This ice cave is smaller than the previous ice lake, and its entrance is covered by a semi-transparent ice curtain, like a natural doorway.
"Young master, we've arrived. I've never been inside before, but I can sense the presence of the previous owner."
Shui Bing'er slid off Little Frost's back, walked to the ice curtain, and gently touched it.
The ice curtain did not stop her; the moment her palm passed through, a blue ripple spread out from the point of contact, as if unlocking some invisible lock.
She turned and glanced at Little Frost: "Wait for me here."
"Yes! Keep it up, little master!"
Shui Bing'er passed through the ice curtain and entered the ice cave.
The ice cave was small but very well-organized. The floor was as smooth as a mirror, and the walls and dome were covered with fine ice crystals, resembling some kind of ice array carved with runes.
A huge ice flower pattern is etched on the ground in the very center, with six petals, each pointing in a different direction.
Shui Bing'er stood in the center of the ice flower pattern, the Ice God Mark her forehead slightly warm. A message surfaced in her mind—
Ice God Inheritance Trial - Second Trial: Ice Crystal Formation - Hundred Crystal Array.
The test involves condensing one hundred perfect hexagonal ice crystals within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, ensuring they remain suspended in mid-air without falling or breaking.
Rewards: Ice God Affinity increased by 5%, Ultimate Ice evolves (intermediate to high-level), Second Soul Ring age increased by 500 years (yellow to purple).
Shui Bing'er stared at the message in silence for a moment. One hundred... She hadn't even managed to condense a single complete one yet.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and the Ultimate Ice slowly circulated within her body.
She raised her right hand, palm up, and her Soul Power slowly seeped from her fingertips, condensing into the shape of an ice crystal in the air.
It was hexagonal, with uneven edges and several tiny cracks on the surface—before she could fix it, the ice crystal shattered.
"... the first one didn't work."
She adjusted the rhythm of her Soul Power output, no longer pouring it in all at once, but slowly filling it in.
The second attempt yielded a much better-shaped ice crystal than the first, but the edges were still not smooth enough.
She held her breath, adjusting the flow of her Soul Power extremely slowly, trying to smooth out that tiny flaw—
The edge of the ice crystal flickered slightly, and a crack appeared.
The second one broke.
Shui Bing'er looked at the ice powder in her palm, undeterred. She paused for a few breaths, then closed her eyes again. This time, she slowed down her pace, as if sculpting a tiny work of art with her fingertips.
The Soul Power flowed slowly, and ice crystals piled up one by one, gradually forming a hexagonal outline. The edges became smooth, and the surface became transparent.
She opened her eyes.
A perfect hexagonal ice crystal floated in the palm of his hand, its shape flawless, its edges smooth, and its surface without any cracks.
It slowly rotated in her palm, refracting a faint blue light.
Shui Bing'er stared at it for a long time, then smiled softly.
The ice crystal hovered for about five breaths, a fine line appeared on its surface, and then it shattered, turning into fine ice powder that fell into her palm.
But she was not disappointed—at least, she proved that she could bring something whole.
Five breaths, then ten breaths, and then an incense stick's time.
She gently blew away the ice jelly in her palm, closed her eyes again, and began her next attempt.
The snowstorms in the Far North do not record time.
Feng Xiaotian lay on the ice at the edge of the storm, his body aching all over, but a smile played on his lips—he had taken three steps today.
Shui Bing'er stood in the center of the ice cave, with the last ice crystal before it shattered floating above her palm. Although it only lasted for five breaths, it was the first time she had condensed a perfect hexagon.
The two were in different places, doing different things, but both were working hard.
Success is still a long way off, but at least we've taken the first step.