"His first soul skill is this powerful?"
Shui Yuehua couldn't help but be shocked. Lin Xiao's very first soul skill was an area-of-effect attack, and its strength rivaled some people's second soul skills.
Even more impressive, the skill had a second phase. After the initial barrage, it created a locking effect that trapped enemies within the burning field—no escape, only death.
And that terrifying, serpentine flame—like a parasitic fire clinging to the bone—turned all of Lin Xiao's skills into something far more menacing, nearly impossible to counter.
Typically, water-type Soul Masters held a natural advantage over fire-type abilities. They could easily douse flame-based techniques by overriding them with water-based ones.
But…
Because of the unique properties of Lin Xiao's corrupted fire—
It was impervious to water. It could burn even without air.
This defied common sense in the world of Soul Masters and left people helpless against it.
What Shui Yuehua didn't know was that Lin Xiao's fire could also burn soul power itself, absorbing energy from enemy attacks to fuel its flames. It was beyond monstrous.
She clicked her tongue in admiration.
"Young man, that corrupted fire of yours is a truly formidable weapon. If we were at the same level, I genuinely can't think of any way to counter you."
"Unfortunately, corrupted fire is powerful… but it harms the user as much as the enemy."
Perhaps that was the balance of the world.
Nothing came without a price. This kind of devastating fire also came with a deadly side effect—harming both self and foe alike.
That was why corrupted fire couldn't grow too strong. Just like Ma Hongjun, who had to constantly purge his flames to prevent them from overwhelming him.
That was also the reason why Lin Xiao's corrupted flame was far stronger than Ma Hongjun's—it hadn't been weakened by suppression.
Thoughts swirled in Lin Xiao's mind.
He'd always suspected that corrupted fire, like a spirit, could evolve. And when it did, it might offer even greater power.
But...
Could he bear the cost?
Lin Xiao shook his head with a bitter smile and dismissed the thought.
He turned to Shui Yuehua and Shui Bing'er.
"Granny Shui, you came here with Miss Bing'er to look for an ice-type soul beast, didn't you?"
Before Shui Yuehua could answer, Shui Bing'er jumped in:
"Big Brother Lin Xiao, just call me Bing'er!"
"Yes! We actually found a 400-year-old Ice Python, but that awful Fire Vulture killed it and ate its gallbladder. I was so mad!"
"So we chased the Fire Vulture all the way here."
Lin Xiao nodded slightly, deep in thought.
In the Star Dou Great Forest, ice-type soul beasts were indeed rare, given the warm climate. But as the continent's largest ancient forest, surely it had some cold-adapted species.
They would just be hidden deep within cooler, darker environments—not easy to find.
Lin Xiao suddenly looked up and asked:
"Granny Shui, do you think a Cold Ice Carp would be a suitable first soul ring for Bing'er?"
"Cold Ice Carp?" Shui Yuehua frowned. "That kind of beast would be an excellent first soul ring for Bing'er. But Cold Ice Carps usually live deep underwater. I already had a hard enough time chasing a Fire Vulture through the sky—how are we supposed to catch something that swims?"
Lin Xiao smiled calmly.
"Simple. We'll fish it out."
Shui Yuehua blinked in disbelief.
She thought he was joking.
But Shui Bing'er's eyes sparkled—she found the idea delightful.
"Okay!"
"Fishing sounds fun! Let's catch a Cold Ice Carp!"
—
The main reason Cold Ice Carp were so hard to catch was the season.
It was late summer, nearing autumn.
There was no ice.
Naturally, Cold Ice Carp wouldn't rise to the surface.
What, would they come up to sunbathe or something?
Since the environment wasn't right—then they'd just change the environment.
And so, Lin Xiao put his plan into motion.
"Hey! Kid! I'm almost out of soul power and I still don't see a single Cold Ice Carp!"
Shui Yuehua cursed out loud.
Lin Xiao's grand idea had been to artificially create an ideal environment for Cold Ice Carp.
He even gave it a name: "The Waiting-for-Rabbits Strategy."
Shui Yuehua had frozen the surface of the river with her soul power, yet still hadn't seen a single sign of the fish.
She was fuming.
If this kid had wasted her time and strength for nothing, her dignity as a Soul Emperor would take a huge hit.
Lin Xiao remained unfazed.
"Granny Shui, you have to give them some time."
"Time for what?"
"Time to swim over."
The truth was, Lin Xiao had learned to read at an early age and spent much of his free time trying to understand the world. Aside from helping the villagers, his favorite pastime had been collecting secondhand books—or scavenging ones people threw away.
He'd read that Cold Ice Carp were extremely sensitive to temperature.
Even small shifts in the water's temperature could be detected by them, and when they sensed cold currents, they would migrate in that direction.
That was why Lin Xiao had asked Shui Yuehua to freeze the river—so they could lure the fish in with an artificially created cold zone.
"Heeya!"
Lin Xiao glanced to the side and saw Shui Bing'er enthusiastically freezing rocks.
Without even realizing it, he smiled.
"Big Brother Lin Xiao! I did it!"
Shui Bing'er ran toward him, holding a fully frozen stone.
Her sky-blue dress fluttered in the breeze, and her innocent little face beamed with joy.
It was the kind of moment that made people believe the world still had beauty in it.
Lin Xiao hurried over and took the ice from her hands.
"You should wrap things like this, silly. Your hands are freezing!"
He gently touched her hands.
So cold.
Shui Bing'er's cheeks turned pink. She whispered shyly:
"Mommy said… when a boy touches a girl, she'll get pregnant…"
"…What?"
Lin Xiao didn't quite catch that.
Shui Bing'er quickly shook her head like a rattle drum.
"Big Brother Lin Xiao! Bing'er didn't say anything!"
Lin Xiao gave her a look—half annoyed, half amused.
He wanted to say Your mom was lying to you.
But then he realized—it was probably her mother's way of keeping her daughter safe from boys. In the end, he didn't have the heart to spoil the illusion.
He didn't want Bing'er to be tricked by some brat in the future.
So without asking, he took her hands again.
He warmed them with his own before letting go.
He didn't notice how flushed Shui Bing'er's face had become.
She was just a little girl—what could she possibly be thinking?
Then Lin Xiao strung the frozen stone onto a rope and pulled out the fishing rod he had prepared earlier.
"Kid! They're really coming!"
Shui Yuehua's voice suddenly rang out, filled with excitement.
Lin Xiao squinted into the distance—and there they were.
A massive school of Cold Ice Carp, moving steadily toward them...
"Bing'er, time to fish!"