Chapter 482: The True Ice Phoenix
At the peak of a mountain stood an old, weather-beaten wooden cabin. This was the boundary between the Far North and the human world. On one side of the cabin stretched the endless world of snow and ice, while on the other, the human world lay faintly visible.
Inside the cabin, however, an extraordinary phenomenon was unfolding.
An illusory ice-blue lotus bloomed grandly above the mountain peak, casting a stunning blue hue over the sky. An invisible wave of energy radiated outward, stirring all the surrounding ice elements into a frenzy as they surged toward the cabin. Even though Dai Yao had tried his best to seal the space, the power of the blue lotus was beyond his ability to contain, and some of its energy still leaked out.
"What… is this?" Xue Wu's beautiful eyes widened as she gazed at the ice-blue cocoon enveloping Shui Bing'er.
"This is normal," Dai Yao replied, observing the cocoon surrounding Shui Bing'er. "She should emerge soon, Xue Wu. Prepare yourself—she may look very different from the Bing'er you knew."
Dai Yao chuckled, already familiar with this transformation scene. He had witnessed it several times now with Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, Ning Rongrong, and Feng Wutong. Every one of them, after absorbing a lotus, experienced a complete metamorphosis. Their spirits evolved in quality, and their appearances grew more stunning as imperfections disappeared, as if they had been reborn.
Shui Bing'er would likely experience the same.
Xue Wu nodded, thoughtful.
After half an hour, with a delicate cracking sound, the cocoon began to break apart, and Shui Bing'er's form emerged under Dai Yao's and Xue Wu's gazes.
"Bing'er?! Is that really you?" Xue Wu's eyes widened in disbelief, her expression stunned by the breathtakingly beautiful girl before her.
The girl in front of her bore some resemblance to Shui Bing'er, but her aura and appearance had transformed. This was Shui Bing'er in an enhanced, perfected form. Before, Shui Bing'er was already a peerless beauty, but now her beauty reached an irresistible, all-consuming level—a beauty strength of ten!
Upon hearing Xue Wu's exclamation, Shui Bing'er was about to respond but then noticed she was entirely unclothed. Just as she instinctively moved to cover herself, Dai Yao gently draped a robe over her shoulders and said with a smile, "It's alright."
Under Dai Yao's gentle gaze, Shui Bing'er's exquisite face flushed a deep crimson. Other than that one incident in the Star Dou Forest, no man had ever seen her like this. She was fully committed to Dai Yao, but standing before him like this still made her feel bashful.
At the same time, a thought popped into her mind: Why does he seem so familiar with this?
After Shui Bing'er slipped into a long dress, she reappeared with an elegant and composed demeanor, leaving Xue Wu awestruck.
"Xue Wu, of course it's me! Who else would it be?" Shui Bing'er teased.
Just moments ago, as she changed, she'd used her spirit power to create an ice mirror, and her new appearance had astonished even herself. But more importantly, she felt a vast difference between her current self and her former self.
Her proud Ice Phoenix spirit spread its wings, brimming with a beauty and strength it hadn't possessed before.
Compared to before, her Ice Phoenix now possessed a soul, giving it a life-like presence. Her spirit techniques, though unchanged in nature, were now vastly more powerful, with effects that would surely be her enemies' nightmares.
Her spirit power surged within her, roaring like a river compared to the calm flow she'd known before.
No wonder Feng Wutong and Zhu Zhuqing had been so remarkable during the Soul Master Tournament. After absorbing the Blue Lotus, she finally understood their strength.
"Ice Phoenix…" Dai Yao murmured in amazement, watching Shui Bing'er's spirit take form. "Bing'er, your spirit may not have changed outwardly, but internally, it's undergone an extraordinary transformation. I can sense it. This isn't the same Ice Phoenix; it now has the soul of a true phoenix."
Shui Bing'er's Ice Phoenix spirit had ascended to a level that no other ice-aligned bird spirit could surpass.
"Thank you, Dai Yao," Shui Bing'er said, gazing at him with warmth in her eyes.
Dai Yao smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "There's no need for thanks. So, what will you both do now? Are you coming back with me to Hanhai City, or would you prefer to return to Tianshui Academy?"
Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu exchanged glances, the question already settled in their minds. They both wanted to be with Dai Yao in Hanhai City, but Hanhai was an unfamiliar place for them, filled only with strangers aside from Dai Yao.
Both Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong were powerful and well-known figures within their respective clans, whereas Bing'er and Xue Wu were joining halfway through, and their presence might cause tensions. Shui Bing'er had seen first-hand the prejudice and struggles that some commoner students faced at Tianshui Academy. She feared that Hanhai's complex social fabric might bring challenges for her and Xue Wu.
They'd already thought it over: the best course of action was to remain at Tianshui Academy, gradually strengthen their ties with Dai Yao, and wait until he completed his God trials and was free from the judgment of the world.
"I'm sorry, Dai Yao, but we'll stay at Tianshui Academy for now. If you want to see us, you'll find us there. And if you send word, we'll come to Hanhai as soon as we can," Shui Bing'er said with unwavering gaze, her words filled with heartfelt sincerity.
Dai Yao instantly understood their considerations and replied, "Alright, I understand. Give me a little more time, and we'll be able to be together without concern."
The three of them left together, heading toward the Tiandou Empire's border. Knowing this was their last bit of time together, they cherished every moment, even taking a brief stay in an inn to relive their memories of the Star Dou Forest.
Shortly after they departed, however, powerful figures began to converge on the wooden cabin.
"It's here! I felt the energy here just moments ago!" An elderly Spirit Douluo, his white hair blowing in the cold wind, spoke excitedly as his eight spirit rings glowed in anticipation.
"All the ice elements in the area gathered here… I could feel their reverence for this energy. With this treasure, I'm sure I'll break through to Title Douluo!" Another slender Spirit Douluo appeared, glancing around with a fervent gaze. His eyes locked onto the wooden cabin as he clenched his fists with excitement.
"Hmph! This treasure belongs to me," sneered a third figure, a powerful Spirit Douluo who had just arrived. He scanned the two others with disdain, confident in his strength. As an eighty-ninth-level Spirit Douluo, he was the strongest among them. With this treasure, reaching Title Douluo—or even Super Douluo—was within his grasp.
They were all powerful figures from hundreds of miles around, each drawn by the allure of the energy they'd felt emanate from the north. Yet, what they sought had already vanished.
Suddenly, a suffocating cold filled the northern sky, and a terrifying aura descended upon them. Despite their strength as Spirit Douluo, they found themselves unable to move under this oppressive power.
A beautiful figure approached from the depths of the Far North, her voice as cold and unyielding as the thundering storm itself.
"What happened here?" Snow Empress's gaze lingered on the wooden cabin, sensing a faintly familiar presence before turning to the human Spirit Douluo trio.
Days later.
A small shadow in the sky rapidly grew larger as it approached the boundary of Hanhai City before descending to its gates—Dai Yao had returned.
Greeting the disciples guarding the perimeter, he headed straight for the Sect Hall. As he pushed open the doors, he found Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, and Ning Rongrong chatting together with bright smiles.
But the moment Dugu Yan saw Dai Yao, her smile vanished instantly, while Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's expressions took on a hint of amusement.
"Oh, so you remembered to come back?" Dugu Yan huffed coldly, folding her arms
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