To this point, all of Caelus's plans for venturing deep into the Extreme North Land, having weathered numerous dangers and even working behind the scenes with Castorice to calculate various variables, had finally reached a perfect conclusion.
He had successfully obtained a second Martial Soul, as well as a powerful partner who was once a Monarch of the Extreme North—the Ice Empress.
Having acquired the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, a super Beast Spirit, and obtaining the Ultimate Ice attribute, Caelus's overall combat strength had undergone a qualitative leap.
His first Martial Soul, the Regent of Time, leaned towards utility; its Spirit Ability effects were Heaven-Defying, but the Soul Power consumption was immense, and it lacked conventional and powerful offensive and defensive means.
Now, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion Martial Soul perfectly compensated for this shortcoming, greatly strengthening his raw power as a Soul Master.
Whether in attack, defense, or control, Ultimate Ice was one of the abilities at the very pinnacle... Zhang Lexuan stared blankly at the white-haired youth before her, whose temperament had changed significantly.
His eyes, which were originally both gold, had now become heterochromatic—gold on the left and green on the right.
The golden eye remained warm and profound, while the emerald green eye was cold and sharp, making one afraid to look directly at it.
Even his height seemed to have increased by a few inches, his figure becoming taller and more slender.
Against the backdrop of that blood-red spirit ring with four golden patterns, which radiated a terrifying pressure, the current Caelus possessed both the mysterious antiquity of time and the cold majesty of frost, exuding an indescribable and soul-stirring charm.
Zhang Lexuan was momentarily dazed by the sight.
The influence of a Martial Soul on a Soul Master is deep-rooted; having obtained a brand-new, powerful Martial Soul, Caelus's appearance and temperament had inevitably undergone changes.
Caelus also seemed to sense his own changes; with a thought, the Ultimate Ice Soul Power quickly condensed in the air, forming an ice wall as smooth as a mirror.
Looking into the ice mirror, he touched his chin, which now had more defined lines, and nodded with satisfaction.
"I seem to have grown a bit taller, and my eyes have become different colors... Not going to lie, it looks pretty handsome."
As he spoke, he deliberately winked with his gold and green eyes, a hint of a smile on his face.
"Pfft—"
Zhang Lexuan, who had been somewhat dazed by the massive change, couldn't help but burst into laughter upon seeing Caelus's sudden, somewhat narcissistic display of vanity.
She hadn't expected that Caelus, who usually appeared gentle, calm, and calculating, would have such a... silly side in private.
"What, Eldest Senior Sister doesn't think so?"
Caelus turned his head and asked Zhang Lexuan, who was covering her mouth and giggling, with a completely serious expression.
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan stopped laughing and truly gave him a careful look before smiling radiantly.
"Hmm, it is quite handsome, it's just... a bit small."
Her words carried a hint of subtle teasing.
Caelus's face darkened, and he almost blurted out "Try it and see if it's small," but he immediately realized Zhang Lexuan was referring to his age, not anything else.
He could only force the words back down, his expression quite dejected.
"Eldest Senior Sister, don't you know that you shouldn't say'small' in front of a man?"
Caelus corrected her with mock seriousness.
Zhang Lexuan's face flushed slightly, and she gave him a playful glare, scolding him.
"You child, what's going on in that head of yours? To me, you're just a little boy; what's all this talk about being a man?"
She paused, her tone softening with a hint of subtle intimacy.
"Also, just call me Sister Lexuan from now on. Constantly calling me Eldest Senior Sister does feel a bit distant."
"Alright, Sister Lexuan."
Caelus followed her lead, but the gloom regarding being called'small' still lingered in his heart.
It couldn't be helped; in front of Zhang Lexuan, who was significantly older than him, his age was indeed a sore point.
The two had faced life-and-death trials together, including those unspeakable moments of intimacy and embarrassment when Caelus treated her injuries; their relationship could no longer be simply defined as senior and junior.
Zhang Lexuan knew this full well, but given her personality and current situation, she couldn't yet face this subtle change calmly, subconsciously using age as a shield to temporarily escape it.
Caelus naturally saw through her thoughts, but he chose not to break that thin barrier at this moment.
He knew Zhang Lexuan needed time to process and adapt, and at this stage, he didn't intend to invest too much energy into romantic feelings.
He wasn't that he was wary of Xu Jiujiu far away in Star Luo; he wasn't a pure romantic anyway. Moreover, Xu Jiujiu, coming from the imperial family, had a high level of acceptance for such matters. More importantly, he keenly sensed that with Zhang Lexuan's character—soft on the outside but firm on the inside and somewhat stubborn—if he were to take the initiative now, it might cause her to retreat even further.
Rather than expending effort to pursue her, it was better to let things take their natural course and wait for the right moment.
He believed that time would provide the best answer.
When his power, status, and maturity truly rivaled or even surpassed hers, many problems would naturally be resolved.
Furthermore, he wanted to give Zhang Lexuan time to see Bei Bei's thoughts clearly for herself, and then give up on her own.
Otherwise, with Zhang Lexuan's stubbornness and her agreement with the Dragon God Douluo Mu En, things would be very difficult to handle.
The bitter cold of the Extreme North was like a maggot on a bone; even though they had left the core area completely ruled by death and snow, the piercing wind still cut across their cheeks like a knife.
The sky was a leaden gray, an oppressive hue; heavy clouds obscured the sun, making the entire World appear hazy.
Caelus and Zhang Lexuan walked one after the other on the thick snow, each step sinking deep and making a crunching sound; in this desolate snowy plain, this sound became the only accompaniment.
Neither of them spoke, the atmosphere somewhat subtly somber.
Everything that had happened not long ago was like a bizarre dream, yet it was so real that their hearts still held the lingering warmth of thumping excitement.
A four-hundred-thousand-year spirit ring, the inconceivable Fusion of a second Martial Soul, and the blush-inducing intimate contact necessary to heal her... all of this had completely shattered the original relationship of senior and junior, leader and team member.
Zhang Lexuan walked slightly ahead, having already changed into new clothes.
Her steps were steady, but from the way she occasionally tightened her collar subconsciously and her back, which was straighter and even stiffer than usual, her inner self was far from being as calm as she appeared.
She had been thinking, reflecting on what had happened to Caelus—it was an Opportunity enough to shock the continent.
As the Eldest Senior Disciple of Shrek Academy's Inner Court and a future candidate for the Sea Gods Pavilion's Elder, the education she had received since childhood placed the academy's interests and glory as the highest standard.
But now, besides Shrek Academy, there were some other things in her heart.
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