The voice that had spoken earlier belonged to a teenage girl.
She was tall and slender, with a figure that curved in all the right places. Her long, aquamarine hair cascaded over her shoulders like smooth, icy silk.
Her features were delicate and her complexion fair, while her autumn-water eyes held a frosty aloofness—yet behind that chill, there was an unmistakable resilience.
She wore a light blue academy uniform tailored to fit her form, perfectly accentuating her slim yet toned waist.
Intricate frost patterns were embroidered at the hem and cuffs of her skirt, resembling crystallized ice—perhaps a symbol of some significance.
Her jade-like legs stood proud beneath the skirt, long and shapely with just the right amount of firmness.
Standing beside her were two middle-aged women clad in instructor uniforms. Both of them had their eyes fixed warily on the battlefield, adopting a stance ready to strike at any moment.
"Second Soul Skill: Absolute Zero Impact!"
A sharp cry came from the girl who was fighting the giant wolf. Behind her, a dolphin-shaped spirit materialized.
With a wave of her hand, a spiraling ice lance surged forward, wrapped in an intense chill as it shot toward the opposing direwolf.
AWOO—!
The direwolf was smart—it had already prepared to evade before the attack arrived.
But perhaps due to severe injuries, it failed to move its hind leg in time. Although the core of its body dodged the strike, its rear limb was struck dead-on.
The point of Impact didn't bleed or burst open, but a layer of frost visibly formed on the surface, spreading rapidly over its body.
Thud—!
The wolf collapsed, howling in agony as if the attack had completely crushed its spirit.
"Hehe, got it!"
The girl who had unleashed the skill saw that the wolf remained on the ground, unable to rise. She wiped the sweat from her brow with a dainty hand and strode forward, her long legs graceful as she approached the beast.
"Hmph, still trying to resist me? How's it feel to be frozen solid by yours truly?"
She stood before the direwolf. By now, half of its body had already been encased in frost. The wolf's head exhaled cold mist as it whimpered miserably.
"Yue'er's talent and combat ability aren't bad at all."
One of the instructors watching from the side gave an approving nod at the girl's performance.
"Mhm, she's nearly on par with Bing'er now. No wonder they're the top two talents in our academy."
The other instructor smiled and nodded as well.
This year's students were all quite strong. In the upcoming Soul Master Tournament, their academy stood a good chance of placing well—maybe even competing for the top three.
That said, it was only a chance.
They understood very well the kind of monstrous talent that other academies would be sending.
Not only were the Five Elemental Academies historically on par with each other, but they also had to contend with the Imperial Royal Teams—and worst of all, the seed teams from the Spirit Hall.
The Royal Teams were manageable.
But facing the Spirit Hall's elite? That was another matter entirely.
Those were the future elites of Spirit Hall—past teams had already claimed the championship for several consecutive tournaments. Whether in tactics, talent, or soul power levels, they overwhelmingly surpassed both the Empire's teams and the Five Elemental Academies.
"This Frostscale Direwolf is an ideal match for Yue'er's martial spirit. Let's see what kind of soul skill she'll obtain."
The Instructor looked approvingly at the girl now standing atop the wolf's head, her smile soft.
"Either way, this is the best-suited soul beast for her. I'm sure she'll be very satisfied."
"Yue'er, enough playing around. Finish it off and start absorbing the soul ring—we can't linger here for too long."
The girl beside the instructor, whom she had referred to as "Bing'er," was none other than Shui Bing'er. She was a student at Tianshui Academy and the current captain of the academy's tournament team.
Seeing that no soul ring had yet emerged from the direwolf, she realized it still clung to life, and urged her sister to end it quickly.
"Mm-hmm."
Hearing her sister's call, Shui Yue'er didn't hesitate. She gathered her soul power and launched a fatal strike at the wolf's head.
AWOO—!
The direwolf let out one last unwilling howl before its life slipped away.
Buzz—
As it died, a pale purple soul ring rose from its body and hovered above the corpse.
From its color, it was clear: this was a soul ring nearing two thousand years of age.
"Sister, Teacher, I'm going to start absorbing the soul ring now. Please protect me."
Shui Yue'er's eyes gleamed with anticipation. Without a care for the prickly grass beneath her, she sat down cross-legged to begin the process.
"Alright, Yue'er. Just focus on absorbing it. We'll make sure nothing disturbs you."
One of the instructors nodded. The three formed a triangle around Shui Yue'er, standing close to her and ready to respond to any unforeseen danger.
For soul masters, absorbing a soul ring was a pivotal moment in cultivation.
If forcibly interrupted or disturbed, the consequences could be dire.
During absorption, both the body and spirit became tightly bound to the soul ring. Any disruption could cause the soul ring's power to rebound onto the absorber.
At best, it would result in soul power regression and minor spiritual injury.
At worst, it could lead to shattered meridians, mental collapse, permanent idiocy—or even death.
That's because soul rings were generally of a higher level than the soul master's own.
The higher the ring's age, the greater the risk.
But risk and reward went hand in hand. If one had the strength and spiritual fortitude to endure it, then a higher-tier soul ring would bring undeniable gains.
Most soul masters' third soul ring was typically yellow. Only those with exceptional talent and physique, backed by powerful soul masters, could attempt a purple one.
Shui Yue'er, at this very moment, was absorbing a thousand-year purple soul ring.
If she succeeded, it would not only validate her talent—it would also mark a leap in her strength.
The absorption continued. The higher the soul ring's age, the more difficult the process.
Gone was her earlier playful expression. Sweat beaded on her brow, her delicate brows knitted tightly together. Her face flushed red, visibly straining with pain.
"Yue'er…"
"Shh. Don't distract her. She can handle it."
Shui Bing'er kept glancing back, concern etched on her face. But the instructor gave a gesture of silence. From her experience, she judged that Yue'er absorbing a third-ring-level purple soul ring was well within her capacity.
It was simply a matter of time.
"ROAR—!"
Just as the trio stood guard in tense silence, a beastly roar suddenly echoed from the forest—deep and forceful, laced with tremendous soul power.
"Not good!"
One of the instructors—her cultivation at the Soul Sage level—sensed it instantly. A high-level soul beast was rapidly closing in on their location.
_
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