Douluo: Legacy of the Rusted Spear

At that moment, the Blue Silver King immediately rallied all the Blue Silver Grass in the forest, gathering their power of faith to empower the thousand-year Blue Silver Grass throughout the core area and the entire forest.

In an instant, the entire Blue Silver Forest was blocked off by a web of Blue Silver Grass that filled the sky. Beyond that, thousands of Blue Silver vines blotted out the sun as they surged toward Shui Bing'er's group in the core area.

"We're out of time!"

Realizing something was wrong, Dean Shui immediately unleashed his spirit skill, knocking out and freezing the blue bird that had lost its Blue Silver Grass protection. He took it along with the phoenix bird.

Li Xianyue led the way, Elder Li brought up the rear, and several Spirit Kings guarded the flanks. Along their path, they left only scorched traces of flame. Nearly one-sixth of the entire Blue Silver Forest was burned away.

Finally, after breaking through the last Blue Silver blockade and losing nearly one Spirit King and two Spirit Ancestors in the process, they managed to escape.

Their faces were all haggard and disheveled, especially Li Xianyue and Elder Li, who were drenched in sweat, their spirit power severely depleted. If the two of them hadn't frequently used fire-attribute spirit skills, they surely would have perished today.

Looking back at the scorched Blue Silver Forest behind them, Dean Shui said with great relief, "Thank goodness we had you and Xianyue—two fire-attribute spirit masters—with us. Otherwise, we really would've had trouble getting out of that eerie forest!"

"No worries. As long as the youngsters are safe, that's what matters."

Elder Li, who was being supported by others, never would have imagined that a Blue Silver Forest could be, in some ways, even more dangerous than the Star Dou Great Forest. Those Blue Silver Grass plants were like cockroaches—endless, relentless, impossible to kill. The family's losses from this spirit hunting expedition were truly massive.

When Elder Li looked at the perfectly preserved phoenix bird ice sculpture they had brought out, his eyes filled with joy.

"Young clan leader, with this ten-thousand-year phoenix bird, once you reach level 60 and absorb its spirit ring—"

Before he could finish, Dean Shui waved his hand in refusal.

"A ten-thousand-year phoenix bird that we worked so hard to obtain should naturally go to the most talented youngster in the clan. Only then can the Shui family become even stronger. This was also my late father's cherished wish."

Dean Shui immediately handed the frozen blue bird to Shui Bing'er.

"Bing'er, take this and go with your Aunt Yue to a quiet place to absorb the spirit ring!"

"Mm!"

Shui Bing'er took the frozen little blue bird and, led by Li Xianyue, went to a relatively quiet location. After all preparations were complete:

"Bing'er, kill it!"

As the ice block gradually melted under Li Xianyue's first spirit skill, Shui Bing'er picked up a dagger and stabbed it into the little blue bird's abdomen. A yellow spirit ring slowly emerged.

"This type of spirit ring is very compatible with your martial spirit. Just as little Iggy said, it can make up for your Ice Phoenix's phoenix essence. You must endure the pain that comes with it."

According to Li Xianyue's speculation, when absorbing this spirit ring, the cold syndrome in Bing'er's body would fully erupt. But after that eruption, there was a high chance the syndrome would be completely cured.

"Aunt Xian, I understand!"

Shui Bing'er immediately stepped naked into the steaming hot bath. The spirit ring, guided by her spirit power, positioned itself above her head as overwhelming energy surged into her body.

Sure enough, not long after she began absorbing it, an intense cold spread rapidly from Shui Bing'er's body. The hot bathwater froze solid, and the entire tent filled with frost. Shui Bing'er's complexion became as pale as a corpse.

Li Xianyue immediately deployed her first and second spirit skills, releasing waves of flame around Shui Bing'er to reduce the cold syndrome's extreme effects.

"I should have had her take a piece of whale glue before absorbing the spirit ring. Maybe that would have made things easier for Bing'er."

Finally, after three hours, as the effects of the cold syndrome eruption weakened, Shui Bing'er's complexion returned to a normal, healthy flush. She felt incredibly light—something she'd never experienced before. Hugging Li Xianyue directly, she said excitedly:

"Aunt Yue, I'm better! My illness is cured! I'm now a level 23 Spirit Grandmaster!"

"Good, good, good! Big Brother didn't misjudge him. That boy Iggy is quite something! But..."

Li Xianyue pointed at Shui Bing'er's body, instantly making her blush crimson. Even during her past cold syndrome treatments, she had never been so improper. She never imagined she'd be like this today.

How embarrassing! She sank back into the water, her heart turning toward Ignaz in the west.

"How is Big Brother Iggy doing now? He hasn't even written me a letter—what an unreliable man."

Meanwhile, not far away, Dean Shui was looking at the frozen phoenix bird before him. Though it wasn't ice-attribute, its powerful soul beast bloodline was causing cracks to appear in the ice seal.

"I need everyone to continue reinforcing the phoenix bird's seal. It was so hard to find one with relatively suitable attributes in this world. If we let it escape, all our efforts these past days will be completely wasted."

"Understood, young clan leader."

Dean Shui and the other ice-attribute spirit masters continued reinforcing the phoenix bird's seal. The powerful ice force prevented the severely injured phoenix bird's wounds from healing too quickly.

Based on his observations, it would be most suitable for Bing'er or Yue'er to absorb this ten-thousand-year soul beast once they reached level 50, with an excellent chance of obtaining a spirit bone as well.

Just think—its child dead, and the mother phoenix bird severely injured and imprisoned by the same group of people—how could it not be furious? How could it not be enraged? If they killed it immediately, how could it not drop a spirit bone?

After resting for the night, they covered the frozen phoenix bird with red cloth and carefully transported it back to their clan.

The moment they returned to Skywater City, Dean Shui received news from Vast Sea City. He stumbled and actually fell to the ground.

"Dean, sea soul beasts have been rioting recently. Little Iggy went to sea and hasn't returned. I've sent people to search desperately for news of him, but there's been no word at all."

Reading this message and recalling everything that had happened before, Dean Shui suddenly pictured Ignaz dying under the siege of numerous soul beasts.

But then he shook his head. That was completely impossible. Ignaz had a very steady personality and was extremely shrewd—he would never act without certainty. He must be hiding out on some small island, waiting for the beast tide to end.

"Ignaz... what a familiar name. Uncle, what are you sighing about?"

At that moment, Shui Yue'er, who was passing by, suddenly poked her head out from behind Dean Shui, smiling brightly. He nearly had a heart attack.

Dean Shui quickly put away the letter in his hands and gently held Shui Yue'er with both arms. "It's nothing. You little rascal, instead of going to find Bing'er, what are you doing here with me?"

"Aunt Xian and Second Uncle asked me to tell you to go to the clan's council hall for a meeting."

"I understand. Go find your sister and play!"

After teasing Shui Yue'er for a bit, Dean Shui headed toward the council hall.