Time flew by during cultivation, and in the blink of an eye, the day of departure arrived.
"I really didn't expect Whale Glue to have such an effect…"
After successfully testing the Whale Glue herself, Shui Yun Xin handed a batch of newly purchased hundred-year Whale Glue to Shui Yue'er and instructed her:
"Yue'er, stay at the academy and focus on body refinement. Once your physique reaches its limit, I'll take you to hunt your spirit."
"Mom, that's unfair! I want to go hunt spirit beasts with you too!"
Shui Yue'er hugged the Whale Glue, her lips puffed out so much they could hang an oil bottle, her eyes full of grievance.
Shui Yun Xin pinched her cheek and smiled.
"The environment in the Icebound Forest is harsh, and we don't know how long we'll be gone. Absorb the Whale Glue properly—who knows, you might even be able to absorb a thousand-year second spirit ring."
"Be good."
Shui Bing'er shot her a glare, exerting the natural suppression of an older sister.
"…Fine."
Unwilling as she was, Shui Yue'er could only watch as Bai Mu and Shui Bing'er packed their things and boarded a carriage heading north.
The farther north they traveled, the colder it became.
At first, cities were still visible. Later, only scattered villages remained, until finally there was nothing but an endless expanse of snow-covered wilderness.
Two days later, the three arrived at a forest blanketed in ice and snow.
This was the Icebound Forest.
Cold winds howled, stirring up icy crystals.
The ground was frozen solid like steel, and visibility was low.
"This cloak is woven from Ice Silkworm Silk. It has excellent insulation."
Shui Yun Xin took out an ice-blue cloak and draped it over Bai Mu.
"The Icebound Forest environment is extreme and sparsely populated. There's no telling how many dangers lurk here, so stay close to me."
"Alright, Auntie."
Bai Mu tightened his clothes.
He didn't know if it was because Zygarde was four-times weak to Ice, but in this place, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
"No way. Why should I be the only one freezing?"
With a thought, Bai Mu released Zygarde without hesitation.
"Awoo~"
The moment Zygarde appeared, the icy wind swept over it, making it shiver.
It turned around and gave Bai Mu a complicated look.
It's freezing—why did you let me out?
Bai Mu smiled mischievously.
"The world is covered in ice and snow, silver as far as the eye can see. How could I enjoy such beautiful scenery alone? Of course I had to let you experience it too, Little Soft!"
…You're really something.
Zygarde was speechless.
In the next moment, it voluntarily split its body, merging all surplus Z-Cells back into Bai Mu, reverting to its core form and slipping into his pocket.
Thanks for the hospitality.
Curled up in the warm pocket, it comfortably admired the scenery outside.
"…Amazing."
Bai Mu fell silent.
"Your spirit can actually devolve?"
Shui Bing'er, walking ahead, froze when she saw this.
She had heard of spirit evolution—but spirit devolution was unheard of.
"That's one of its special abilities."
Bai Mu smiled and didn't explain further.
"What a mysterious little fellow."
After being shocked so many times, Shui Yun Xin was already immune.
Scanning the surroundings, she said,
"The Mirror Shadow Beast can refract light and almost blend into ice and snow. It often stays completely still, waiting for prey. Stay alert so we don't miss it."
"Don't worry, Auntie. If it enters my field of vision, I'll definitely notice it first."
Bai Mu grinned.
His sensitivity to light was now extremely high. Unless the beast could turn completely invisible, simple light refraction wouldn't escape his eyes.
Snow drifted through the air as the north wind howled.
Searching for spirit beasts in the snow was far more dangerous and difficult than expected.
On the first day, they found nothing, encountering only a few thousand-year Tundra Bears and Snowclaw Wolves.
The second day was also fruitless.
The third day… the fourth day…
On the fifth day, as they passed by an icy lake, they suddenly discovered several unusual claw marks on a nearby rock.
"It's a Mirror Shadow Beast's trail—it must be active in this area!"
Shui Yun Xin's spirits lifted. Leading the two along the trail, she tracked it for half a day before finally reaching a glacial canyon.
Towering ice walls dozens of meters high lined both sides, with a passage more than twenty meters wide in between.
At the center of the passage stood two massive rocks, resting quietly against the ice walls.
"Aunt Yun Xin, something's wrong with those rocks ahead."
When they were less than fifty meters away, Bai Mu suddenly spoke softly.
"Oh?"
Shui Yun Xin was slightly startled. Without hesitation, she summoned her spirit and raised her hand.
"Ice Seal!"
Her first spirit ring lit up, and the two massive "rocks" were instantly frozen solid.
Buzz—
In the next second, the rocks began to move, struggling violently as if trying to break free.
But Ice Seal, though only a first spirit ability, was extremely powerful—escape wouldn't be easy.
"So this is the Mirror Shadow Beast? How cunning."
Shui Bing'er blinked in amazement.
Looking closer, she realized one of the rocks was actually a giant beast over five meters long, covered in mirror-like scales.
"A thousand-year Mirror Shadow Beast is about three meters long, and it grows half a meter for every additional thousand years."
Bai Mu quickly recalled the information.
"This one is over five thousand years old exactly!"
"Ice Blade Storm!"
Shui Yun Xin spoke softly.
As her fifth spirit ring lit up, hundreds of ice weapons formed above her head and rained down like a storm of arrows.
"Roar—!"
With no room to dodge, the Mirror Shadow Beast—still half trapped in ice—flashed with strange white light as its scales formed an indestructible barrier.
"Interesting. It can actually weaken my spirit ability significantly."
Shui Yun Xin chuckled.
Maintaining the ice blades, she condensed an ice ring and flung it forward, smashing into the Mirror Shadow Beast.
The barrier shattered instantly.
The ice blades seized the opportunity and fell, mercilessly cutting into the beast.
"Roar—!"
The Mirror Shadow Beast howled in pain. Silver light flashed in its eyes as it condensed an ice-blue phantom identical to Shui Yun Xin.
The phantom raised its hand and formed ice blades of its own.
Though weaker, they carried sixty to seventy percent of her original power, whistling toward her.
"Image Projection?"
Bai Mu recognized it instantly.
Shui Yun Xin remained calm. By subtly altering the trajectory of her own ice blades, she forcibly shattered the incoming attacks head-on.
Dozens of sharp blades poured down like rain, sealing off every possible escape route.
Swish—swish—swish!
Ice blades pierced through the scales, blood splashing across the ice.
The Mirror Shadow Beast struggled to flee, but it was already too late.
"So this is the combat strength of a control-type Spirit Saint…"
Bai Mu was deeply shaken.
Unlike their previous encounter with the wolf pack, where chaos was unavoidable—
In a one-on-one fight, Shui Yun Xin was calm, precise, and completely in control.
Before Bai Mu even had time to let Zygarde use Glare to assist, the Mirror Shadow Beast collapsed in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.
It was breathing far more out than in.
"Xiao Mu, hurry and finish it."
Shui Yun Xin spoke quickly.
"Okay!"
Bai Mu reached into his pocket, grabbed Zygarde, and threw it out.
"Awoo~"
Nine streams of green light surged from Bai Mu into the core, and the divine, proud Dragon Hound reappeared.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Awoo—!"
Zygarde opened its mouth, releasing a violent purple pulse that surged forward like a roaring dragon, devouring the Mirror Shadow Beast whole.
Boom!
The explosion shook the canyon.
Whoosh—
Dragon pressure burst outward, dispersing the smoke.
The Mirror Shadow Beast fell completely still, and a deep purple spirit ring slowly rose from its body.
"Go. Absorb it quickly."
Shui Yun Xin withdrew her spirit, her breathing steady, as if the battle had been nothing more than a warm-up.
"This spirit ring is excellent quality. It should grant you a powerful ability."
Shui Bing'er smiled.
"We'll protect you."
Me too.
Zygarde lay quietly beside Bai Mu, eyes alert.
"Alright."
Bai Mu took a deep breath, stepped forward, sat cross-legged, and circulated his spirit power as he began drawing in the spirit ring.