Skywater City.
Skywater Academy.
"The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow has appeared in the Extreme North?"
Hearing the news Shui Yue'er had brought back,
Shui Bing'er's slender fingers tapped unconsciously against the table. Her cascading gradient hair of icy blue framed her profile, making her thoughtful silence seem all the more cold and distant.
After a brief pause, her red lips parted slightly:
"Later, I will set out for Sharp Blade Town."
"This journey is perilous. I will not demand any of you come with me."
Xue Wu frowned at her words.
"Sister Bing'er, when you broke through to level fifty, you entered the Icebound Forest to hunt a Spirit Ring—yet even then, there was no word of Li Zhexian."
"Are you certain he is still in the North?"
"I am certain."
Shui Bing'er nodded, her tone resolute.
She paused, and in her ice-blue eyes flickered a ripple of emotion almost too subtle to perceive.
"At the Spirit Master Tournament… he took a single gold coin from me, and in return kicked Hu Liena, who had humiliated me, off the stage."
"Li Zhexian is my friend. Even if I cannot be of help, I must at least go."
Shui Yue'er giggled, slipping her arm through her sister's.
"Of course I'm going too!"
"It'll be just right to see how strong that freak has become after a year and a half!"
Her snowy cheeks puffed slightly as she huffed.
"Hmph! And I still need to ask him—sending wine without showing his face, what kind of friend is that!"
Xue Wu and the other girls exchanged glances, then all nodded firmly.
"We're going too!"
Shui Bing'er lowered her voice.
"No need to inform the teachers."
"On this journey, we'll act according to the situation. Above all, prioritize your own safety."
...
"Bah, these bastards' noses are sharp as dogs. Just one day, and the town's already crawling with new faces!"
"Tomorrow our heads will be tied to our belts as we plunge into the Extreme North. Tonight—we drink!"
A few burly men spat on the ground, cursing.
Oscar sat nearby, echoing their words, his tone unconsciously carrying the same coarse grit.
His gaze drifted toward the young man cloaked in black at the center of the group.
"Captain Ji… do you think we can really get the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow?"
Li Zhexian didn't answer.
He stepped forward into the noisy tavern.
Perhaps because tomorrow they'd be risking their lives, tonight the tavern was more crowded than ever.
Laughter, curses, and clinking cups pierced the ears. The smell of sweat and cheap liquor thickened the air, suffocating yet intoxicating.
But—
When that figure in a black cloak appeared at the door,
The noisy tavern fell strangely silent for a few moments.
Even the flames in the fireplace dimmed slightly.
As Vice Commander of Snow Bear Mercenary Group—one of the Four Great Nercenary Groups—and with such a startlingly young face, the name "Ji" carried weight in Sharp Blade Town.
Oscar followed slightly behind Li Zhexian, feeling the many gazes of awe, and unconsciously straightened his back.
The tavern owner hurriedly scurried over, sweat beading on his forehead. "Lord Ji, my apologies, tonight we're full—there are no seats left…"
Before he finished speaking, rough voices rang out one after another:
"Oi! Vice-Commander Ji, sit here!"
"Lord Ji, honor us, sit at our table!"
"Tonight's drinks are on me if Lord Ji joins us!"
Li Zhexian replied calmly.
His gaze swept the tavern.
Finally—
It paused for a moment on a corner table by the window.
"There. We'll share a table."
With that—
He strode straight toward the window seat.
Only when he got closer did he see—
Seated there were seven beautiful young women, utterly out of place in this crude, murky tavern.
Around them lingered a pure, chilling aura of ice-element Spirit Power, as though they had cleansed the very air in this small corner.
Oscar's eyes went wide instantly.
"You… what are you all doing here?!"
Back at the Spirit Master Tournament—
Shrek Academy had clashed with Skywater Academy several times.
He held a deep impression of this sole all-female academy that made it into the finals.
Shui Bing'er glanced at Oscar once, but her gaze did not linger—instead, it fell upon the young man in the black cloak.
Meanwhile, Shui Yue'er and the other girls curiously sized up Oscar.
"Huh? Aren't you that food-type Spirit Master from Shrek?"
"What happened to you? You've changed so much!"
Oscar felt a bit embarrassed under their scrutiny.
Out of habit, he pulled out a chair for Li Zhexian.
It was a long table that seated ten. With seven girls plus Li Zhexian, only one seat remained.
Given his current rough state, Oscar felt too self-conscious to sit and chat with these "old acquaintances."
As for the mercenary men who had followed Li Zhexian, they clearly kept their distance from the girls in Skywater Academy uniforms, showing both respect and unease.
Thus—
Everyone wisely dispersed, squeezing themselves into other tables.
Leaving the long table by the window to only Li Zhexian and the seven from Skywater.
Li Zhexian tilted his head back and downed a mouthful of strong liquor, his throat bobbing, saying nothing.
The seven women of Skywater furrowed their brows, seemingly enduring the stench in the air, their gazes occasionally flicking toward the tavern door.
Minutes passed.
Yet the usual tavern scene of mercenaries harassing maidens did not occur.
For two reasons.
First—Skywater Academy's name carried weight in the North. In this barren land without a single Titled Douluo, Skywater Academy stood as one of the strongest human powers.
Second—mercenaries who lived on the edge of death preferred mature women with broad hips, not untouchable noble maidens.
Shui Yue'er watched the young man across from her, cloaked in black, as he drank cup after cup with startling ease, as though it were fresh spring water instead of harsh liquor.
Her curiosity piqued, she lifted her own cup and cautiously sipped.
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
The burning liquid shot like fire down her throat, making her petite face flush red, eyes misty as she gasped with her mouth open.
After much effort, she finally recovered, casting a glare at the "culprit" across from her and muttering under her breath:
"What kind of taste is that…"
"How can anyone drink something this harsh?"
"It's nothing like the wine Li Zhexian had!"
Shui Bing'er glanced sidelong at her sister.
Shui Yue'er immediately leaned close, whispering:
"That guy loved wine the most—we waited all day in the tavern and he never showed up…"
Just as Shui Bing'er was about to reply—
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the young man across from them had filled another glass.
With a slight flick of his wrist, the cup slid smoothly across the table and stopped before her.
"Mm?"
Her brows knit slightly.
Li Zhexian raised his eyes, gaze sweeping over the seven girls of Skywater Academy.
"The prodigies of Skywater Academy—are you here for the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow too? Looking to take a share?"
Shui Bing'er did not touch the cup.
Her ice-blue eyes met his, voice calm.
"And why not?"
Li Zhexian shook his head.
"Of course you can."
"But the dangers in the Extreme North are beyond anything the Icebound Forest can compare to."
"Take my advice—return to Skywater City."
Shui Bing'er's expression didn't change. Her tone remained cool.
"Thank you for the concern."
At that, with identities as they were, Li Zhexian said no more.
He could faintly guess why these seven had come to such a chaotic place, and a quiet warmth stirred in his heart.
...
The next day.
Morning light barely broke through.
Howling winds swept the snow into a swirling storm.
Groups of mercenaries, brimming with murderous intent and the fever of adventure, surged forward in great numbers—toward that mysterious land, the Extreme North.