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The Ancestral Cave, a once unremarkable cave from ten thousand years ago, became a sacred site for the Shui family after their Ice God ancestor left a soul phantom within it. Since then, each generation of Shui family patriarchs and ultimate Douluo would enter the Ancestral Cave to experience the grandeur and power of their ancestors.
"When Shui Yuanchen and I entered the cave back then, we only made it ninety-nine steps. Every few steps, we encountered a soul phantom of an ancestor. You must be cautious," Shui Canglan's voice echoed in Shui Wuya's ears as he prepared to enter the Ancestral Cave.
Shui Wuya nodded silently, then stepped into the Ancestral Cave without further hesitation.
Outside, Shui Canglan's heart tightened with concern for his patriarch. "Sigh! The patriarch is a prodigy and will undoubtedly surpass my achievements. Why should I worry?"
"Which ancestor defeated me again? Ah, yes, it was the long-lived ancestor known for his mastery of health preservation—Shui Changsheng," Shui Canglan's thoughts drifted back to the past.
Inside the Ancestral Cave.
"Boom!"
Instantly, a terrifying soul power pressure descended upon Shui Wuya. The interior of the cave was significantly larger than it appeared from the outside, illuminated by flickering azure light.
Shui Wuya took his first step and immediately felt the overwhelming pressure, as if a towering mountain were pressing down on him.
"Truly formidable!" Instead of feeling disheartened, Shui Wuya's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Even his uncles, Shui Canglan and Shui Yuanchen, had not managed to take a hundred steps in the Ancestral Cave. He was eager to discover his own limits.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
...
Ten steps.
As Shui Wuya braved the pressure and took his tenth step, the surrounding space suddenly fluctuated, and a long-haired phantom rapidly materialized before him.
Shui Wuya examined the figure closely, and his eyes filled with astonishment.
This long-haired phantom was none other than Shui Changsheng, a prodigious talent of the Shui family from twelve hundred years ago!
According to family history, Shui Changsheng had reached the rank of ultimate Douluo before the age of fifty, making him the greatest genius of his time.
Although Shui Changsheng never broke through to demigod status, he defied fate and extended his life span by over four hundred years, far surpassing the typical lifespan of a soul master.
"Junior Shui Wuya greets Senior Shui Changsheng."
As Shui Changsheng's soul phantom solidified, Shui Wuya immediately bowed in respect.
The soul phantom of Shui Changsheng seemed to nod slightly, but then he raised his hand, and a white beam of light shot directly at Shui Wuya.
Not daring to be careless, Shui Wuya quickly channeled his soul power and activated his ice-sealing soul skill. As the white beam approached, he conjured an ice wall in front of himself.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
The white beam collided with the ice wall, producing a series of explosive sounds.
However, the ice wall only held for a few seconds before the destructive energy within the white beam shattered it into pieces.
Realizing that his soul skill defense was insufficient, Shui Wuya swiftly summoned the Ice God artifact, infusing it with a surge of immense soul power.
"Ice God's First Style: Hundred-Zhang Barrier!"
In an instant, the artifact coiled around Shui Wuya's left hand, releasing another ice wall with the force of a tidal wave.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The explosions continued to reverberate, but this time, Shui Wuya successfully blocked Shui Changsheng's attack.
"It's impolite not to reciprocate. Ancestor, take this!" Shui Wuya knew that to advance further in the Ancestral Cave, he had to defeat Shui Changsheng's soul phantom.
In an instant, Shui Wuya wielded the Ice God artifact, unleashing a formidable strike.
"Ice God's Seventh Style: Blazing Mountain!"
With a powerful shout, Shui Wuya's Ice God artifact moved at lightning speed, conjuring a vision of a flaming ice mountain that surged towards Shui Changsheng.
In a flash, Shui Changsheng grasped a spectral sword with his right hand. As he slashed downward, a terrifying sword aura erupted.
"Boom!"
The Ancestral Cave was filled with deafening explosions and dazzling lights, creating a spectacular and chaotic scene.
After several seconds, the explosions ceased, and the surreal images faded away. Shui Wuya stood firm, with the Ice God artifact orbiting him.
Shui Changsheng, holding his sword in his right hand and with his left hand behind his back, appeared significantly more transparent.
Seeing Shui Changsheng's weakened state, Shui Wuya prepared to continue the fight. However, before he could act, Shui Changsheng sheathed his sword and smiled approvingly.
"You did well," Shui Changsheng said calmly.
Shui Wuya, taken aback, quickly bowed in respect. When he looked up again, Shui Changsheng's soul phantom had vanished.
"Shui Changsheng truly lived up to his reputation as a prodigious genius who lived for four hundred years. Without the Ice God artifact, I would have needed a prolonged battle to earn his recognition," Shui Wuya reflected on their encounter. Although he had a slight advantage, Shui Changsheng's honor and integrity led him to acknowledge Shui Wuya.
After a moment, Shui Wuya collected himself and proceeded deeper into the Ancestral Cave.
This time, he took fifteen steps in one go.
As he was about to take the sixteenth step, a colossal spiritual force surged from within the cave.
Simultaneously, a white-haired figure, cloaked in a radiant nine-colored robe, appeared before Shui Wuya.
Sensing the overwhelming spiritual pressure, Shui Wuya instantly recognized the figure without seeing his face.
This was none other than Shui Dongliu, an ancestor from 3,400 years ago, renowned for his formidable spiritual power and revered as a demigod.
…
While Shui Wuya faced the challenges of the Ice God's sixth trial in the Ancestral Cave, a crucial meeting was underway at Shrek Academy.
In the Sea God Pavilion, attendees included not only the Pavilion members but also all titled Douluo warriors of Shrek Academy and the young prodigies.
"The situation has become clear. We all know the strength of the Shui family. We face two choices: submission or destruction. We must decide quickly," Elder Xuan, the Sea God Pavilion Master, broke the prolonged silence, setting the tone for the meeting.
Recently, Shrek Academy had been facing intense internal conflict and indecision. As the continent's premier academy for ten thousand years, they no longer possessed the untouchable power and confidence they once had.
(End of Chapter)