Under Shui Bing'er's lead, Xiao Lin quickly found the members of the Tianshui Team.
"Xiao Lin!"
"You're actually still alive?!"
…
The moment Xiao Lin appeared, several members of the Tianshui Team stared at him in shock.
They had imagined the possibility that he might still be alive—but they had never imagined he would be this lively and energetic.
Looking at him now, it wouldn't even be impossible to claim that he had killed the Medusa Serpent.
"Xiao Lin, don't mind them. Please check on our teacher first."
Shui Bing'er shot the others a slight glare, then led Xiao Lin to Shao Wanqing's side.
Shen Liuyu had placed Shao Wanqing against a large tree and stepped back.
The moment Xiao Lin saw her, he immediately understood her condition.
"Don't worry. She can still be treated."
His calm tone immediately reassured the Tianshui members.
Kneeling beside Shao Wanqing, Xiao Lin placed his hand on her head.
Her injury wasn't severe.
When Meimei (the Medusa Serpent) attacked Xiao Lin, she had used her full strength. But when she later unleashed a spiritual attack on Shao Wanqing, she had needed to charge it first.
So that spiritual attack had already been weakened.
The only uncertainty was by how much.
Additionally, Shao Wanqing was already at the Soul Emperor level. Though she didn't know how to actively use spiritual power, her mental strength wasn't weak.
Xiao Lin guided his own spiritual power into her sea of consciousness. After planting a seed that would gradually condense and stabilize her mental energy, he withdrew.
"Alright. No major problem. With rest and recuperation, she should recover in a few months."
"A few months?"
Shen Liuyu looked puzzled.
"If she recovers naturally, yes—months. If you have spiritual recovery treasures, that would speed things up."
Xiao Lin spread his hands and glanced at Shui Bing'er, as if to say: I've already treated her. If you want medicine to speed it up, that's a separate charge.
Shui Bing'er clenched her teeth lightly at his money-minded look, but maintained a calm tone.
"Thank you. We will not go back on our word."
Soon after, she asked everyone to swear a martial soul oath.
However, this time Yu Hairou objected.
"Wait. If Shui Bing'er hadn't insisted on bringing Shen Liuyu here to obtain a soul ring, would we even have gotten into trouble?"
"And now we each have to pay Xiao Lin two million gold soul coins—or equivalent resources?"
Yu Hairou's face was filled with reluctance. From one perspective, they wouldn't have needed to pay anything at all.
But it was also true that Xiao Lin had saved them.
"Yu Hairou, if you're unwilling, you can leave."
Shui Bing'er's face turned icy. "Hunting soul rings always carries risks. Do you think going somewhere else guarantees safety?"
Internal conflict within Tianshui Academy.
Xiao Lin wasn't a judge. He quietly stepped aside from their argument.
He had saved them partly out of moral principle—and partly for compensation.
But those who were saved should never deny that debt.
He could choose not to take payment—but they shouldn't refuse to give it.
That was the principle.
And honestly, Xiao Lin himself felt that demanding twenty-five million gold soul coins had been excessive.
For these students to convince their families to provide such a sum as repayment for saving their lives—they'd probably need to at least reach the Soul Emperor level first.
Well. Let's see how it ends.
He could accept a slightly lower amount—but not Yu Hairou's attitude.
…
After some time, the argument finally ended.
Shui Bing'er approached Xiao Lin apologetically.
"Xiao Lin, the amount you asked for really is too much. Our Tianshui Team truly can't afford that."
"So I'm willing to offer twenty million gold soul coins as repayment for saving our lives."
Xiao Lin's eyes widened.
Though slightly reduced, that was still acceptable.
He had originally exaggerated the amount while inside Meimei's stomach to pressure their teacher.
But now Shui Bing'er was offering to repay it herself?
Did he accidentally step into a romance novel?
Soon, Shui Bing'er clarified.
She, Shui Yue'er, Xue Wu, and Shen Liuyu would share the repayment.
However, Xue Wu and Shen Liuyu couldn't immediately produce enough funds, so they would owe Shui Bing'er for now.
As for Shui Yue'er—being Shui Bing'er's twin sister—it didn't matter who paid.
"Alright. So how will you pay?"
Seeing their sincerity, Xiao Lin waived the extra five million he had inflated earlier.
"Part gold soul coins. Part resources from my family. And part Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow."
Shui Bing'er smiled apologetically.
"The money and resources will take some time. As for the Profound Ice Marrow—it was discovered accidentally when my family was searching for an Ultimate Ice soul beast soul ring for me."
"The coordinates are in the core region of the Extreme North. It's guarded by a hundred-thousand-year soul beast."
By revealing this, Shui Bing'er was practically exposing one of her future opportunities. If true, the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow alone far exceeded twenty million gold soul coins in value.
"I can't give you all of it. I'll still need it for cultivation in the future. So I can only share part."
She explained why the compensation was divided into three parts.
"When I need the Profound Ice Marrow, I'll inform you. We'll go to the Extreme North together."
"As for safety, don't worry. My family will deal with the hundred-thousand-year soul beast. We'll seize the Profound Ice Marrow while they hold it off."
Her proposal left Xiao Lin unable to refuse.
Though, truthfully, he didn't particularly value the Profound Ice Marrow.
He knew of it—it was the treasure that allowed Tianmeng Ice Silkworm to cultivate to a million-year level.
But how massive must that treasure have been to sustain a million-year cultivation?
He doubted the one Shui Bing'er's family found would cause any qualitative transformation for him.
With the Ice Dragon King and the abundant ice-attribute spiritual energy of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he wasn't worried about his Ultimate Ice growing weaker.
What truly interested him was the hundred-thousand-year soul beast guarding it.
A hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
And a hundred-thousand-year soul bone.
"What kind of hundred-thousand-year soul beast is it?"
Shui Bing'er immediately understood his target.
A hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone were priceless treasures. Even if she had some goodwill toward Xiao Lin, she would never give that up.
Seeing her silence, Xiao Lin realized he had gone too far.
He smiled lightly.
"If it's not the Titan Snow Demon King, then forget I said anything."
Compared to the Ice Empress and Snow Empress, the Titan Snow Demon King's strength attribute combined with Ultimate Ice was far more suitable for him.
As for soul ring age limits?
He could simply have the Ice Dragon King plunder vast amounts of ice-attribute spiritual energy in the Extreme North to nurture his soul rings and soul bones further.
(End of Chapter)