Another hour passed. After devouring vast amounts of heaven and earth energy, the massive blood-red ring shining with faint golden light finally absorbed enough power and contracted, condensing into a scarlet spirit ring.
One… two… five… six… seven.
Before Mu Yang's eyes, his ninth God-bestowed spirit ring, the Icefire Immortal Jade Ginseng ring, bore a full seven golden patterns!
One golden pattern represented one hundred thousand years. Seven golden patterns meant that this God-bestowed spirit ring was at least seven hundred thousand years old!
"Seven golden patterns? Tch~! Just this one ring alone carries an age three times the total of all nine of mine!"
Watching Mu Yang condense a ninth God-bestowed spirit ring bearing seven golden marks, Feng Zhen could not help but click his tongue in amazement.
His own spirit ring configuration was not exceptional—ninety-thousand-year ninth ring, seventy-thousand-year eighth ring, forty-thousand-year seventh ring, twenty-thousand-year sixth ring, ten-thousand-year fifth ring. Altogether, his nine spirit rings amounted to barely two hundred forty thousand years.
Compared to Mu Yang's ninth ring alone, which held at least seven hundred thousand years, there was simply no comparison.
"This brat's monstrous talents are endless. Forget a seven-hundred-thousand-year ring—if tomorrow he produced one of even higher age, I still wouldn't be surprised."
Huo Lie, beside him, laughed as he spoke.
It wasn't that Huo Lie was unusually calm—it was that he was already used to it.
Moreover, not long after Mu Yang awakened his Martial Spirit, had he not already learned that Mu Yang had been chosen by a great existence, and was destined for an extraordinary path?
Mu Xiyue's face also revealed a smile. "Recently the Spirit Hall has been stirring quite a lot. Now that Xiaoyang has advanced to Title Douluo, it seems the Academy can finally rest easy."
Even before Mu Yang's advancement to Title Douluo, the strength of the Iceflame Phoenix and the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow had already reached the level of the Limit Douluo realm. Now that he had become a Title Douluo, and not at the mere entry level of the ninth ring, once he unleashed the Martial Spirit Fusion Skill, his power would far surpass their imagination.
By then, even if Spirit Hall held countless powerhouses, even with "Sky Invincible" Qian Daoliu presiding, the Elemental Academy would have nothing to fear.
Shui Yanyu chuckled, reminding them, "Don't forget, Xiaoyang also carries a godly inheritance!"
"Yes, yes! One day, we'll even witness the birth of a true deity from legend!"
Meanwhile, as Mu Yang was attaching his God-bestowed spirit ring and advancing to nine-ring Title Douluo, a cold figure dressed in white entered the northern province's capital city—Zhenbei City.
Walking through its gates, the Snow Emperor ignored the somewhat crowded streets. After spreading her spiritual sense in all directions, she moved straight toward the City Lord's Mansion at the city's center.
Her purpose was simple. Within her spiritual perception, the only eight-ring Spirit Master in all of Zhenbei City was currently inside the City Lord's Mansion.
The culprits who had taken the Ice Emperor were unfathomably strong. Such individuals could not possibly be nameless in the Spirit Master world. By questioning this Spirit Douluo in the City Lord's Mansion, she would most likely gain some clues.
Outside the gates of the City Lord's Mansion, a squad of more than ten guards stood, clad in silver-gray armor with white-feathered crests atop their helms, each holding a gleaming silver spear.
"Halt! This is a restricted place of the City Lord's Mansion!"
Seeing a cold and icy white-robed woman walking directly toward the gates, the guard captain stepped forward to block her way.
Serving as gatekeeper for the City Lord required sharp eyes—knowing who could be bullied, and who absolutely could not.
Had it been an ordinary person approaching, the command would have been simple: "No unauthorized entry. Offenders will be slain."
But as a two-ring Spirit Master himself, the guard captain immediately sensed the dangerous aura from this woman. Added to her peerless beauty and extraordinary temperament, she was either a powerhouse herself or the cherished companion of one. Either way, she was someone he dared not offend.
Snow Emperor's cold eyes swept across the guard captain who had barred her way. Instantly, a terrifying aura of spirit power burst from her body.
In that moment, under the pressure of such overwhelming might, the guard captain nearest her stumbled back again and again, before falling headlong to the ground in disgrace.
Come out!
Her lips barely moved, but her icy voice carried straight into the City Lord's Mansion, reaching the ears of a middle-aged man who had just been shaken by the sudden eruption of this formidable aura.
Moments later, the middle-aged man hurried out to the gates with an anxious expression.
"Greetings, Your Excellency. I am Wu Huan. May I ask, what is Your Title?"
The Duke of Zhenbei—Governor of the Northern Province, Wu Huan—bowed respectfully toward the Snow Emperor, then asked with solemn deference.
Though he was indeed of noble blood, Wu Huan was no wastrel. Just past fifty years of age, he had already cultivated to an eight-ring Spirit Douluo, making him a powerhouse even across the continent.
Yet in the presence of the Snow Emperor, he dared not show the slightest arrogance or disrespect.
For in his perception, this cold white-robed woman before him gave an impression even more powerful than the Sword Douluo Chen Xin he had once met.
"I ask. You answer."
The Snow Emperor's tone was indifferent.
"Yes, yes, please, Your Excellency, ask."
Hearing that tone, Wu Huan immediately understood—this was a mistress not to be trifled with. He quickly responded with utmost politeness.
The next instant, Snow Emperor lifted a jade-like hand. Spirit power surged, and before her two illusory three-dimensional images took form.
One was of an ice-blue phoenix wreathed in flame. The other was of a long-haired figure clad in phoenix-patterned armor.
Though the details were somewhat blurred and simplified—since Snow Emperor had only caught a glimpse at the time—both images still bore seventy to eighty percent resemblance.
Having drawn out the forms of Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er's two Martial Spirit Fusion Skills, the Snow Emperor's voice was deep and cold: "These are the appearances of the fusion skills of a man and a woman. Tell me who they are."
"Dare I ask, Your Excellency, what level are these two Spirit Masters?"
The first image, the Iceflame Phoenix, Wu Huan did not recognize at all. But the second, the Ice Phoenix Flame Shadow—while he had not personally seen it—he had indeed heard descriptions of a similar fusion skill. Though he dared not immediately confirm it.
For others, perhaps, it might be hard to connect this with Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er. But Wu Huan was different. As the Governor of the Northern Province, he was all too familiar with Mu Yang, one of the central figures of the Elemental Academy within his domain.
Of course, this "familiarity" did not mean personal friendship. Rather, as a duke of the Heaven Dou Empire, Wu Huan had gathered much intelligence on Mu Yang—an emerging powerhouse and potential rival of the Empire.
The Snow Emperor replied: "I do not know their exact spirit power level, but their Martial Spirit Fusion Skill is at least of the level of a high-ranking Title Douluo."
At least the level of a high-ranking Title Douluo? That confirmed it! Besides Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er, there was absolutely no other pair in the entire Spirit Master world who possessed such Martial Spirit Fusion Skills and such strength.
At once, Wu Huan hastily said: "Your Excellency, if I am not mistaken, the man and woman you seek are none other than Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er of the Elemental Academy."
For additional chapters
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