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He rushed at extreme speed.
With no cold current available to manipulate, he had no choice but to summon an ice wall as an obstruction.
However, in the next moment, a figure, like lightning, shattered the ice wall with a punch that suddenly stopped right in front of the Ice Daoist’s face.
Then, it withdrew.
In an instant.
The ice wall melted away.
Flames extinguished themselves.
All that remained were the howling cold currents resuming around them, and the female Cultivator, standing there stunned.
The breaking of the ice wall wasn’t just a shattering.
In her heart, it seemed that an invisible wall was also silently crumbling.
"Ice has its limit, while water knows no bounds..."
"Tussling over abundant mana..."
"Yao Piao... Dharma Dao... flaws..."
In a daze, she seemed to see again the many exchanges of the past years.
Memories that had flashed by were now moving frame by frame before her eyes.
She finally saw clearly the details that she hadn’t cared about before.
"So it turns out... you had known where the flaw was all along, even hinting at it many times."
"I was fixated on form but forgot about substance."
"Ice, born of water, colder than water... made of water, yet colder than water!"
"So that’s how it is, that’s how it has always been..."
In that moment, as if receiving sudden enlightenment, she finally understood.
Wang Ba and the Ice Daoist had merely touched on the issue, and now that they had determined the victor, they ceased their exchange to summarize the gains and losses.
Wang Ba then turned around to say something to the female Cultivator, but upon seeing her, he couldn’t help but be startled.
The female Cultivator still looked the same as before.
But he keenly noticed.
The indifferent aura that had once surrounded her had now diminished considerably.
As if the once exquisite ice sculpture had turned into a living person, filled with much more vitality.
Looking at Wang Ba, her eyes also carried a hint of a smile.
Just like one would regard their own junior family members.
"This..."
Despite Wang Ba’s astuteness, he was still utterly taken aback.
A smile then appeared on the female Cultivator’s face:
"You learn quickly. There isn’t much more I can teach you at this point, except that when you reach the Nascent Soul stage, you need to master the corresponding Divine Skills. If you don’t understand something, and I’m still around, you can come and ask me."
"Senior..."
Wang Ba opened his mouth to speak.
Her smile was incredibly beautiful, yet he strangely felt uncomfortable.
Mainly because he had become accustomed to her indifference, and now suddenly facing this... enthusiastic and lively disposition, he found it somewhat hard to accept.
The female Cultivator waved her hand lightly, speaking in a lighthearted manner:
"My surname is Mu Lian, with a single name, Xue. I have known your master for many years. You may call me Martial Aunt Xue... That’s right, after so many years, your master hasn’t taken a partner, has he?"
Wang Ba: "Uh..."
He was no fool; as soon as the senior before him finished speaking, he quickly came to a realization.
Considering his master’s awkwardness during their conversation, he didn’t hesitate for a moment and emphatically shook his head saying:
"For all these years, my master has been alone, steadfastly guarding Wanfa Peak. I have only been his disciple for a few decades. When he stepped into Immortal Ascension, he almost died... Sigh..."
Sure enough, Wang Ba saw a flicker of distress in Martial Aunt Xue’s eyes.
While it was as he expected, Wang Ba couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
His master had always been rugged and unrestrained, unconcerned with appearance, even to the point of being slovenly.
Yet he never thought his master would have such a peerless beauty with a matching cultivation as a confidante.
Thinking of this, even though he didn’t understand the full story, he nonetheless said:
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry."
```
"My master is currently in Chen State, unable to leave due to important Sect matters. Since Martial Aunt hasn’t seen master for many years, why not accompany this disciple to Chen State for a reunion?"
He had assumed this Martial Aunt would agree, but to his surprise, she pondered for a while before deciding to decline:
"I still have some matters to attend to... Chen State, is it? I will head there once I’m done."
Wang Ba was taken aback and did not feel it appropriate to ask further questions.
The female Cultivator also took the time to give detailed guidance to the Ice Daoist.
Afterward, she said to Wang Ba:
"You may leave this Incarnation here with me, or you can make your own arrangements. However, I’ve noticed his control of Mana is unexpectedly exquisite. Be careful, and you could keep him by your side... Of course, the Northsea Continent is even more suitable for cultivating the Ice Dao."
Wang Ba pondered for a moment and thanked her for the advice.
Some time passed.
Ying He and Li Yingfu finally returned on their iron ship.
Wang Ba took the opportunity to bid farewell to the female Cultivator.
She didn’t try to keep them, only once again sharing advice on Cultivation before insisting on seeing Wang Ba and the others off.
"Thank you for your kindness, Martial Aunt, but since the Ice Daoist is here, let him stay and practice more."
Wang Ba declined her courtesy, and before leaving, he left her with a gift of purple stalactite. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
The female Cultivator readily accepted it with a smile.
Wang Ba then gathered the Azure Fire Paulownia Tree, Erya, and the Wu Monkey King.
Afterward, the iron ship carrying everyone flew toward the south.
The towering column that pierced the heavens shrank and vanished behind them.
Atop the dome.
The female Cultivator in white sat cross-legged on top of an Ice column, gazing at the vanishing silhouette of the iron ship.
Her gaze seemed to reach beyond the boundless distance, looking towards the other shore.
"Chen State, hm... Wait for me."
...
"Heading southwest to the Northsea Continent?"
The snowstorm howled.
On board the iron ship, Ying He was slightly taken aback.
Wang Ba nodded:
"We should still have a month or two before the Path of North Sea closes, so we should make it in time, right?"
Ying He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then glanced at the Ice Daoist standing beside Wang Ba, clothed in white robes and emitting a cold, unwelcoming aura, and then nodded:
"We wouldn’t have enough time if it were before, but with him here, free from the influence of the cold flow, we could make the trip. Even if we’re short on time, it doesn’t matter."
He had already witnessed the advantages of this Ice Daoist on the Northsea Continent.
The cold flow that other Cultivators desperately avoided was like a gentle breeze to him. Far from hindering the iron ship’s flight, it actually accelerated its speed.
They were not traveling through the sky this time but were instead flying directly from the northern plateau toward the south.
Their speed was not much slower than before.
Wang Ba slightly nodded his head.
Spiritual Sence swept subconsciously over the fragment of the blade’s point he had taken out from his sleeve.
"Martial Uncle Xumi told me to go southwest to find an old friend from Sword Lodge and give this to them... Now that Ice Daoist is here, it’s the perfect time to make the trip."
"Who could it be? Someone like a close female friend to master?"
He looked at the point of the blade:
"Could this be a token of affection?"
He wasn’t someone who liked to pry.
But the thought of Martial Uncle Xumi’s aloof demeanor made him curious.
If it really was a close female friend, what would she look like, and what would her Cultivation Base be?
The iron ship continued its flight.
Racing wildly through the wind and snow.
After several days of flying,
They finally saw a vast expanse of densely packed icebergs.
