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Chapter 24: Gift of Defensive Soul Device, Dean Shui's Secret
🕑 Added 2025-07-22 09:40:16 +0000 UTCIgnaz didn't hold back any information, sharing everything he knew about the phoenix-like soul beast with Li Xianyue in detail.
"I see. There's another possibility—it might be in a place where Skyfin Grass grows extremely well, namely that Skyfin Forest."
Dean Shui was delighted to see that the martial soul awakening had found a perfect solution. He glanced at Ignaz and Shui Bing'er, then said to Li Xianyue:
"Sister Xian, both sending messages and hunting that soul beast will take time. Besides, Bing'er's cold syndrome could flare up again at any moment. Why don't you stay in Vast Sea City for a while?"
Dean Shui paused mid-sentence, immediately pulling Ignaz to his side before continuing:
"We could show you around and let you experience the ocean's beauty. Once we hear back from the clan, it won't be too late to return."
"We were thinking the same thing. It's been ages since I've visited a coastal city like this."
While Li Xianyue said this, she actually didn't want Shui Bing'er to be under excessive surveillance from the clan elders anymore. Moreover, if Bing'er wasn't at Skywater Academy, she might have fallen behind in her studies. But as the director of Skywater Academy's External Affairs Department—even if only temporarily—Li Xianyue had some insight into cultivating ice-attribute martial souls.
Li Xianyue turned to look at Shui Bing'er and asked,
"Bing'er, what do you think about staying in Vast Sea City for now?"
"Aunt, I'll follow your lead."
Shui Bing'er replied happily. To be honest, she hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.
Afterward, Dean Shui sent someone back to the clan with a message, while he personally invited the four of them to a banquet to celebrate Shui Bing'er's upcoming freedom from her cold syndrome.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
During this period, seemingly through the deliberate matchmaking of Dean Shui and Li Xianyue, the relationship between Ignaz and Shui Bing'er began to blossom. The two had become close friends who could talk about anything.
Just as Ignaz finished crafting a soul device shell, he heard footsteps pacing outside the door, along with muffled murmuring:
"Brother Iggy, why isn't he coming out yet? Didn't he promise to take me shopping every three days for proper martial soul training?"
"What exactly is he doing in there? If he doesn't come out soon, then I... then I'm leaving."
Shui Bing'er paced in front of the blacksmith shop, muttering to herself. She'd been in Blue Fish Village for two or three days now, and during that time, Ignaz had basically holed up inside the blacksmith shop. Apart from daily meals and checking on her condition periodically, he rarely came out—nothing like his previous enthusiastic attitude toward her.
Had their feelings grown cold, or had she lost her charm and made Ignaz tired of her?
She peered through the crack in the door toward the interior when suddenly the door swung open from inside. Caught off guard, she stumbled and fell right into Ignaz’s arms. Both their hearts were racing wildly.
With his robust physique, Ignaz didn’t fall from the impact. He remained standing and said teasingly:
"Bing'er, there you go being impatient again. Come on, get up!"
Shui Binger's face flushed red as she quickly steadied herself, her eyes darting around as she said:
"I was just worried about you. If something happened to you, in the future..."
She stopped mid-sentence, her face turning even redder.
"What about the future?"
Ignaz pretended to be clueless, asking curiously.
"I... I... I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Shui Bing'er turned around, her back to Ignaz. Not knowing what to say, her face grew even more flushed, and she wanted nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into.
Seeing her behavior, Ignaz felt somewhat surprised. Wasn’t the Shui Bing'er in his memory supposed to be a cold, aloof ice queen? How had she become like this?
But then he thought about it—Shui Bing'er was only seven years old! How aloof could she really be?
Ignaz immediately placed his hand on her shoulder, making her turn around to face him.
"Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. This is a soul device I’ve been developing recently. It has excellent defensive capabilities and can withstand a regular Rank 3 Spirit Master's third soul skill. I’m giving it to you. If you encounter danger, it can provide some protection."
Shui Bing'er looked curiously at the defensive soul device in Ignaz’s hand and asked:
"This is what you spent three days tinkering with?"
"That’s right!"
"First soul skill, Ice Seal!"
As ice rapidly formed under Ignaz’s feet and spread up to his torso, he immediately channeled his soul power to activate the defensive soul device. A blue energy barrier enveloped him completely, preventing him from being fully frozen. Ignaz said with some displeasure:
"That’s not playing fair. You’ve forgotten what Aunt Xian said—don’t use your first soul skill carelessly. If your cold syndrome flares up again, I can’t save you."
"I know, I know. You're so naggy."
Just as Shui Bing'er finished speaking, Ignaz broke free from the ice seal, quickly ran to her, handed her the defensive soul device, and then walked away without looking back, pretending to be angry.
"Brother Iggy, are you mad?"
"Then before Bing’er absorbs that phoenix-type soul ring, I won’t use my first soul skill casually. Will you take me shopping, please?"
Ignaz nodded silently. Seeing this, Shui Bing'er was very happy, though internally she was complaining wildly:
"Brother Iggy just loves to get angry."
Li Xianyue and Dean Shui, who had been watching from the shadows, exchanged glances before following behind them.
"Big brother, is this really okay?"
For the past three months, Li Xianyue had been following Dean Shui’s advice, letting Ignaz and Shui Bing'er interact with each other to develop feelings. Even if Ignaz didn’t join the Shui family, the family could still indirectly benefit from this boy.
"I’ve always been good at reading people. Little Iggy has many ideas and acts quite boldly. Even though he started with only level 3 innate soul power, in just four or five years his soul power has already broken through to the Spirit Grandmaster level!"
Dean Shui had already formed this idea when writing his previous letter. How many soul masters on the continent had thousand-year second rings? He would be the first in history. Even if his talent wasn’t sufficient later on, how bad could his overall strength be? Bing'er and Little Iggy were a match made in heaven.
"But Bing'er would be most suitable with a beast martial soul master!"
Regarding Li Xianyue’s hesitation, Dean Shui only thought for a moment before directly dismissing it. While it was true that two beast martial soul masters pairing up would benefit their offspring’s chances of awakening beast martial souls or powerful mutated beast martial souls, these weren’t real problems. Who could say what the future held? And opportunities to win over Ignaz were rare!
So Dean Shui replied domineeringly:
"Sister Xian, if those stubborn clan elders have any objections, just let them come find me. Am I supposed to be afraid of them?"
"That’s perfect. With you backing Bing'er, those elders won’t dare be too presumptuous. Why don’t you return with us tomorrow!"
