Chapter 111: Icewind Valley

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At the northern edge of the Star Luo Empire, near the extreme northern territories, an old man and a young man stood side by side at the entrance to a massive, seemingly frozen valley.

"Wuya, this is Icewind Valley," Shui Yuanchen said, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he looked at the icy landscape before them. It had been years since he last visited this place.

"Will the legendary Ice Phoenix be inside?" Shui Wuya raised an eyebrow. It was his first time here, but when he extended his spiritual sense, he couldn't detect any sign of the Ice Phoenix.

"I hope so," Shui Yuanchen replied with uncertainty. Since the decline of the Shui family, he hadn't seen the Ice Phoenix either. According to family lore, however, the Ice Phoenix's true home was in Icewind Valley.

Without much delay, the two stepped into Icewind Valley. The valley was vast, with all the mountains and cliff walls encased in solid ice, reflecting different scenes throughout the landscape.

Shui Yuanchen and Shui Wuya carefully scanned their surroundings, using their spiritual energy to explore every corner of Icewind Valley. Shui Wuya even summoned his four soul spirits to help in the search.

Hours passed as they thoroughly searched the valley. Despite finding traces of the Ice Phoenix's past presence, there was no sign of the creature itself.

"Do you know anything about the Ice Phoenix?" Shui Wuya asked one of his soul spirits, Ice Emperor, the strongest of the four.

Ice Emperor shook his head. "The Ice Phoenix's origins are quite mysterious. Perhaps Snow Emperor would know, but she's been in a deep sleep for some time."

Shui Wuya glanced at his life soul device, where the Snow Emperor had been resting since their journey to the Sun Moon Empire. He had hoped she would wake soon, but there was still no sign of her stirring.

Perhaps Shui Bing'er would know! The thought suddenly struck Shui Wuya—since the Ice Phoenix had ties with the Shui family through Shui Bing'er, perhaps she held the key to finding it.

He decided to use his soul attachment ability. With a shift in focus, his consciousness traveled to a world thousands of years in the past.

In a desolate snowfield, Shui Bing'er and a group of eight Soul Douluos were trekking through a storm.

"Ancestor, do you know where the Ice Phoenix is?" Shui Wuya's voice suddenly echoed in Shui Bing'er's mind.

"Ice Phoenix?" She was accustomed to Shui Wuya's sudden appearances, but his question caught her off guard.

"Yes, it's a powerful soul beast, a legendary beast of ferocity!" Shui Wuya felt a spark of excitement, but as his spiritual sense expanded, he noticed that the surrounding environment felt familiar.

"I'm sorry, Wuya. I haven't encountered the Ice Phoenix you're talking about," Shui Bing'er said with a hint of regret in her voice. Though she wasn't entirely sure why Shui Wuya was asking about the Ice Phoenix, she had a feeling that it was crucial to him in the future.

"I see." Shui Wuya's initial excitement faded, replaced by a sense of disappointment. It seemed that Shui Bing'er hadn't yet encountered the Ice Phoenix at this point in time.

"Could you do me a favor, ancestor? If you ever meet the Ice Phoenix, could you remind it not to wander around and to stay in Icewind Valley?" Shui Wuya quickly shifted his request. Even if Shui Bing'er hadn't encountered the Ice Phoenix yet, if she took his advice, it could potentially change the course of history thousands of years later.

"Of course, I'll remember that, Wuya," Shui Bing'er replied, taking his words to heart.

Just then, the snowy landscape was rocked by a violent rumbling sound.

"Boom!"

The ground began to crack, and fierce icy winds erupted from the fissures, along with a terrifying aura rapidly surging from the depths.

"Form a formation! Protect Bing'er!" The eight Soul Douluos surrounding Shui Bing'er immediately moved into position, forming a protective barrier with their combined soul power. Their cultivation at the Soul Douluo level was formidable, but the fierce energy from the cracks indicated that something far more powerful was emerging.

Shui Wuya, still attached to Shui Bing'er's consciousness, recognized the terrifying aura. This was one of the ancient lairs of the Snow Emperor!

"Ancestor, something's wrong—it's the Snow Emperor!" Shui Wuya's mind raced as he realized the grave danger Shui Bing'er and the others were in.

Shui Bing'er paled at the mention of the Snow Emperor.

As the terrifying aura reached its peak, an enormous creature burst from the fissures, hovering over the snowfield. Its sharp gaze swept across the group with a judgmental glare.

"Humans, you have trespassed!" The Snow Emperor's voice was as cold as the wind that followed it. The mere sight of the creature caused the eight Soul Douluos and Shui Bing'er to feel their blood surging, as if on the verge of exploding.

The Snow Emperor raised a hand, unleashing a blast of ice and snowstorm directly at Shui Bing'er and the Soul Douluos.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

The Soul Douluos quickly joined forces, creating a soul power barrier to block the attack.

However, as the icy storm hit the barrier, it shattered with a resounding crash. The shockwave caused the Soul Douluos to stagger and spit blood from the force of the impact. The situation was dire, and the group was in desperate need of a miracle to survive the Snow Emperor's wrath.

The icy storm struck, leaving the eight Soul Douluos and Shui Bing'er coughing up blood. Their breathing became shallow, and their faces turned ghastly pale. This was the sheer power of a 700,000-year-old soul beast.

"Ancestor, let me take control of your body!" Shui Wuya's voice echoed in Shui Bing'er's mind as the Snow Emperor prepared for another attack. In a critical moment, Shui Bing'er relinquished control to Shui Wuya.

"Ice Emperor, Octagon , Dream, White Mountain—lend me your strength!" As soon as he took control of Shui Bing'er's body, Shui Wuya sent his command back to his original body in the future.

In Icewind Valley of the present day, the four soul spirits guarding Shui Wuya had noticed his sudden silence. They had stood by, ready to protect him if needed. Now, as they felt his command, they didn't hesitate, channeling almost all their spiritual energy into Shui Wuya's spiritual world.

"Boom!"

Back in the ancient snowfield, Shui Wuya, now controlling Shui Bing'er's body, unleashed an overwhelming surge of spiritual power. The sudden outburst created shockwaves in the surrounding area, sending chills through the air and capturing the attention of the Snow Emperor. Shui Wuya, drawing on the combined power of his soul spirits, was prepared to confront the formidable soul beast.

(End of chapter)