Chapter: The Awakened Ice Phoenix
At that pivotal moment, as Lu Ying absorbed the final trace of the crystalline blood, a surge rippled through the energy of the world itself. The natural order shuddered, as though something ancient had awakened—something the heavens had long kept sealed.
The very air crackled.
Energy, raw and volatile, swirled around her in powerful gusts, tugging at Su Yang's clothes and sending small fragments of stone skittering across the floor. He took a cautious step back, eyes locked on the girl in the center of this storm.
Lu Ying's skin, once pale as snow, now flushed with deep crimson, as though the essence of the ancient blood had saturated every vein within her. That redness was not chaotic—it moved in elegant lines, curling across her limbs like a divine script, forming patterns too intricate to be of mortal origin.
Her spiritual energy merged with the foreign blood in a union that defied logic.
The very essence of the physical and spiritual realms danced around her form, merging, trembling, and reshaping. And then... the mask she wore cracked.
A soft creaking noise echoed through the chamber, and fragments of the mask tumbled to the ground like fallen petals.
Su Yang's breath caught.
What was revealed beneath that mask was nothing short of celestial. Her features were breathtaking, sculpted as if by the hands of the heavens themselves. Her skin glowed like moonlight against fresh snow—flawless, soft, and ageless. Her eyes, wide and deep brown, shimmered with intelligence and hidden sorrow.
Her lips bore the hue of crushed pomegranates, natural and rich, and her body—now gently outlined by the faintest layer of frost—was beautifully balanced, every curve a testament to the elegance of the divine feminine. Su Yang, though not a man easily shaken, found himself frozen, unable to look away.
In that instant, she was no longer just Lu Ying. She was something more. Something awakening.
But beauty is a double-edged sword.
Cracks of ice began to climb once more along her body. Her breath came in short, desperate gasps, and a pained expression twisted her now-unmasked face.
"Lu Ying!" Su Yang called out, alarmed. He rushed to her side. "Are you alright?"
Through clenched teeth, she forced out, "My body… it's freezing from the inside out. I feel like I'm going to shatter."
Her voice trembled as she added, "Maintaining the balance… blending this blood with my spiritual core… it's unbearable."
Su Yang's eyes narrowed. He understood now: the awakening of the Extreme Ice Body was consuming her from within. Her physique—unprepared for such a sudden infusion of power—was fracturing under the strain.
"Then I'll help you," he said, his voice firm and steady. "Channel all of your strength into tempering your body—let the blood reshape you from within. I'll handle the rest."
Without hesitation, he moved in front of her and sat down, legs crossed. Su Yang closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. A swirl of energy ignited in his core, spiraling upward as he summoned the Heavenly True Fire Art.
From his palms, flames of red and gold surged to life.
The chamber, frozen and lifeless a moment ago, now radiated heat and brilliance. He guided the fire with practiced grace, shaping it into a gentle ring that hovered protectively around Lu Ying—not to burn her, but to hold back the deathly cold that threatened to consume her.
The ice encasing her body began to melt. Drips of water slid down her arms, her legs, her face. Her breathing steadied.
Su Yang adjusted the intensity of the flames, careful not to damage her already fragile state. His fire fought the cold—not to destroy it, but to harmonize with it. Slowly, warmth and chill found a tenuous balance.
With a final breath, he leaned forward and gently exhaled his inner flame toward her heart.
In that breath was more than heat. It was trust, resolve, and a silent vow to carry her burden if needed. A spark of his own spirit—his essence—fused into her, helping guide the unruly power inside her toward stability.
As if responding to his will, the painful tension in Lu Ying's face began to fade.
Her body stopped trembling.
The lines of blood-patterned energy on her skin dulled, shifting from crimson to silver-blue. The frost that once threatened to turn her to ice transformed into a soft mist, and the icy aura around her gently faded.
Lu Ying opened her eyes—eyes that now glowed faintly with a blue radiance.
"I…" she breathed. "I feel… whole."
Su Yang allowed the flames to die out, exhausted but relieved. "You've awakened your true body. You're no longer the girl who was called a waste," he said, his voice soft but proud.
Lu Ying sat still, absorbing his words.
Then she smiled. Not the polite, hesitant smile of a girl weighed down by expectations—but a genuine one. A smile that belonged to someone who had finally found herself.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For not letting me break."
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