The Ice Phoenix's beautiful ice-blue pupils contracted sharply. Its speed faltered instinctively, and—for the first time in its life—fear crept into its heart.
It knew better than anyone how devastating its attack was, yet the human before it had blocked it—silently, effortlessly. Not even the faintest hint of energy had leaked out. It had no idea how it was stopped.
That, precisely, was what made it terrifying.
For one of the coldest beings in existence, the Ice Phoenix suddenly felt a chill that came not from the air—but from within.
Turning sharply in the sky, it no longer wished to fight this human. It only wanted to flee, wings beating at their utmost speed.
"Divine Sense Cage."
Wei Xuan's low voice carried a trace of exhaustion but infinite authority. Invisible energy surged through the heavens, unseen but tangible. Even the laws of nature seemed to quiver in submission.
The space surrounding the phoenix froze— Time itself halted.
Its wings stopped mid-beat. Its body stiffened, unable to move even an inch. Even the faintest breath was locked in place.
To the eye, it appeared still as ice. But within, the Ice Phoenix was frantically struggling, its entire reservoir of energy surging violently in resistance.
It was futile.
No matter how desperately it fought, it could not twitch a feather—not even blink.
Wei Xuan glided toward it on his Ice Cloud Wings, moving steadily, controlling his breathing. Each inhalation came slightly ragged—those two secret arts had consumed enormous amounts of his mental energy, leaving him dizzy.
Even after years of recovery, his divine sense had regained only a fraction of its former power—not yet reaching the so-called "god level" of this world. With a mental strength comparable to an Ultimate Douluo, casting both techniques in succession was already pushing the limits of control.
Had he used them at full power, he might have collapsed outright.
The Heavenly Pupils faded. Behind him, the Ancient Ice Dragon Martial Soul manifested, letting out a resonant dragon's roar that echoed through the entire valley.
Three soul rings rose beneath him—three purple halos glowing with rhythm and strength.
Indeed—Wei Xuan's soul rings were all purple.
This was the result of his unique method of soul ring absorption, which allowed rings to grow over time.
After preserving the soul beast's spirit during absorption, the resulting ring gained evolution potential. As the Soul Master grew stronger, so too did the beast's soul—its essence evolving in tandem.
This created a positive feedback loop: the stronger the master became, the stronger the soul—and vice versa.
Over the years, his first ring from the Ice Jade Flood Dragon had risen from seven hundred years to over three thousand. His second ring, from the Saber-Tooth Ice Tiger, had climbed from two thousand to five thousand. And his third—once over six thousand—had now reached nine thousand years, nearly ten thousand.
His first soul ring lit up.
The Ice Flood Dragon's Breath erupted. The Ancient Ice Dragon behind him roared skyward, spewing a surge of freezing mist that filled the air.
Wei Xuan extended his palm, gathering the swirling frost into his hand. The mist condensed rapidly into a two-foot-long ice spear, its gleaming white surface radiating piercing cold.
The spear hovered before his hand. He pushed lightly— and it shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
That single strike drained him. His body swayed, his Soul Power nearly depleted.
At the same time, his divine sense reached into the Ice Phoenix's soul, holding it immobile as the ice spear sped toward its neck.
A sharp metallic clang rang out—the sound of frozen armor cracking.
Then, a split second later, the spear pierced through.
The cage of energy dissolved. A shrill cry of agony tore through the valley as the Ice Phoenix convulsed violently, its majestic body trembling under the force.
Rage and unwillingness burned in its gaze—but soon faded.
With a final, echoing shriek, its body went limp and fell from the sky.
Snow exploded upward as it struck the ground.
The proud, peerless ruler of the Extreme North had perished— and with it, the world lost its only Ice Phoenix.
Had it lived long enough to reach one hundred thousand years, it would have rivaled the three Heavenly Kings of the north. But fate had crossed it with Wei Xuan—a tragedy for the beast, yet perhaps a form of salvation.
For though it died, its spirit would live on.
And bound to Wei Xuan, its future might reach heights it had never dared to dream.
A black soul ring rose from the Ice Phoenix's corpse, its terrifying aura pressing upon the air until even the snow seemed to hesitate in falling.
Wei Xuan dismissed his wings and approached slowly, regulating his uneven breathing.
That single strike had consumed over seventy percent of his total Soul Power.
The soul skill itself hadn't drained much— but the power he infused into the spear had. To pierce the Ice Phoenix's defense, he had concentrated massive energy to increase its density and sharpness.
The strike had been precise: aimed at the beast's weakest point. Only that, combined with his mastery of ice, had made the one-hit kill possible.
His other two soul skills were also offensive but less focused—incapable of delivering such a decisive blow.
As he reached the body, Wei Xuan surveyed the surroundings. With a thought, the Ancient Ice Dragon behind him breathed out another cloud of mist.
The mist spread outward, forming a milky-white dome that enveloped the area.
Within the barrier, both Wei Xuan and the Ice Phoenix's body vanished from sight; their auras completely sealed off.
From a distance, it looked no different from untouched snow.
The valley returned to silence.
Twenty hours later.
The violent energy fluctuations subsided. The white barrier dissolved into drifting mist, revealing the scene within.
Wei Xuan stood tall, calm and radiant.
Four soul rings pulsed around him—three purple, one black—
his aura now several times stronger than before.
He had successfully absorbed the Ice Phoenix's ten-thousand-year soul ring.
His eyes glowed with power; his bearing was sharper, prouder—like the dragon's heir he was.
Because of how tightly he compressed his Soul Power, the level increase was modest— only one rank, placing him at Level 41.
But his strength had transformed entirely.
As he examined his hands, something shimmered faintly between his fingers— a crystalline feathered wing, small enough to hold in one palm, radiating the familiar chill of Ice Phoenix energy.
"...A Soul Bone?" Wei Xuan murmured, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
The fragment was about the size of both his hands pressed together—a miniature of the Ice Phoenix's wing.
During his absorption, a strange power had gathered at his back, distinct from Soul Ring energy—trying to condense into form.
Recognizing its alien nature, Wei Xuan had quickly drawn it out of his body— and now, this shimmering Ice Wing rested in his palm, pulsing with life.
(End of Chapter)