The White-Feathered Ice Luan was slammed heavily to the ground by Tom's blow. A savage beastly instinct surged within it, and it let out a strange cry before flapping its wings and soaring high into the air.
Radiating a cold white light, the Ice Luan fixed its icy gaze on Tom, who was hurriedly climbing down the rope. The air around it solidified into shards of ice that continuously fell to the ground.
Having landed a solid hit on the Ice Luan, Tom saw this terrifying scene and climbed faster and faster. What else could he do—wait around to get beaten?
A terrifying wave of extreme cold gathered in the Ice Luan's mouth, condensing into a terrifying beam of white light that shot toward Tom. Wherever it passed, pillars of ice formed in its wake.
Shui Yunying's expression changed drastically. That was the Ice Luan's strongest innate skill—Mystic Cold Ice Beam.
The White-Feathered Ice Luan was one of the most powerful avian-type soul beasts, largely because of this innate ability.
Mystic Cold Ice Beam was immensely powerful. Its frigid energy could penetrate humans and soul beasts alike. Even if it didn't kill instantly, the residual cold could seep into the bones and corrode the victim to death later.
"Big White, stop! Don't hurt the cat!"
As she spoke, Shui Yunying's seven soul rings flared into view. In the next moment, she transformed into a White-Feathered Ice Luan herself and shot into the sky, attempting to intercept the attack.
She had heard from the Shui sisters before how deeply attached Shen An was to the cat and mouse. Now that Shen An had saved Shui Yuer, she couldn't just stand by and let an accident happen.
The Ice Luan had deep affection for the Shui family. Upon hearing her cry, it instinctively tilted its head to the side. Shui Yunying, flying at full speed, managed to block most of the Mystic Cold Ice Beam.
But a small portion of the ice beam still struck Tom, and the chilling air instantly froze him into a large block of ice, rope and all.
With a whoosh, the frozen Tom crashed to the ground. Jerry rushed over anxiously, pulled out a hammer, and gave the ice a solid whack. The block shattered into pieces, revealing a shivering Tom.
Back in human form, Shui Yunying shot a glare at the Ice Luan and immediately ordered, "Bing'er, go fetch the Heavenly Water Spirit Elixir! We need to give this cat some fast, or the cold will seep into its bones, and it won't survive."
"I'll try to drive out part of the cold energy first. Hopefully, there's still time."
As Shui Yunying turned around while speaking, she happened to witness the scene of Jerry shattering the ice block with a hammer.
Ice that even thousand-year soul beasts couldn't break—just shattered in one hit? Shui Yunying was dazed.
Already trembling from the cold, Tom began to shake even more violently after hearing Shui Yunying's words.
What? I'm going to die?
Like a magnet, Tom immediately clung to Shen An, his cat eyes filled with fear as tears streamed down.
Shen An quickly comforted him, "It's okay, it's okay. You'll be fine."
Of course he'd be fine. Like Shen An always said, no matter what happens—even if the world ends—Tom won't die.
But it was as if Tom couldn't hear him. He dug out a cat-sized hole on the spot, pulled out a tombstone from who-knows-where, and lay trembling in it.
Then, as if remembering something, he got up and pulled out a piece of paper, quickly scribbling out a will.
"My last words: I, Thomas Jasper Cat Sr, hereby bequeath all my possessions—those placed with my owner Shen An—to charitable organizations."
Then he picked a yellow flower nearby, held it to his chest, and continued trembling. A translucent cat soul the same size as Tom even floated out of his body.
Shen An looked like he had seen a ghost. Was this cat seriously so spineless that it let its soul escape from fear?
He grabbed Tom's soul and shoved it back into his body, then pulled Tom out of the pit.
Peeling back Tom's eyelid, he solemnly said, "Tom, that yellow flower you're holding is called the Nine-Rebirth Revival Herb. If you eat it, you won't die."
Tom eyed Shen An suspiciously. Really?
Shen An pointed at Jerry and declared with a deadly serious face, "I swear on Jerry's life that I'm telling the truth. If I'm lying, then if you die, Jerry will go with you."
Jerry's face instantly turned green. Why swear on his life?!
Hearing Shen An make such a vicious vow, Tom no longer doubted. He immediately shoved the little yellow flower into his mouth and swallowed.
"Well? After eating it, don't you feel warm all over? No more aching back, no more sore legs, full of energy?" Shen An followed up with a little psychological suggestion.
Tom hadn't felt much at first, but after hearing Shen An's words, he instantly felt the cold vanish from his body. His whole feline self felt amazing.
Thinking he wouldn't die after all, Tom even did a happy backflip.
Seeing this, Shen An smiled. As everyone knew, Tom was a cat driven entirely by belief. As long as he believed something worked, it absolutely would.
"Maybe in the future, when I invite people over, I can brag that my cat can do backflips," Shen An mused.
Shui Yunying was stunned. As a city lord, she had seen her fair share of treasures. But was this Nine-Rebirth Revival Herb for real?
If it was, why were there so many identical plants growing in the courtyard? If it wasn't, how come the cat was fine after eating it?
"Maybe… I should have the Ice Luan hit me once and try eating the so-called revival herb myself," she thought privately.
The herb worked too fast. Immediate results—better than even their prized Heavenly Water Spirit Elixir. How could she not be tempted?
Just then, Shui Bing'er arrived in a hurry, holding a small jade porcelain bottle that contained the Heavenly Water Spirit Elixir.
Seeing Tom alive, flipping, and full of energy, her hurried steps slowed. She looked around blankly, unsure whether Tom still needed the elixir.
"Shen An, this is a specialty of Tianshui City—Heavenly Water Spirit Elixir. It nourishes the body and is excellent for healing injuries. Please accept it," Shui Yunying said with a smile.
Since she'd brought it out, there was no taking it back. Besides, the Ice Luan had hurt the cat first—an apology was only right.
"Then thank you, Aunt Shui," Shen An replied politely. He knew full well that if he refused, Shui Yunying would only feel awkward.
"Haha, it's already late. I'll arrange rooms for you to rest tonight. Tomorrow, I'll have Bing'er and the others give you a proper tour of Tianshui City."
Soon after, Shui Yunying had three rooms prepared for Shen An's group. Tom and Jerry immediately jumped onto Shen An, sticking to him like glue. No matter what, they refused to be separated from him.
Deep into the night, when all was quiet—
Shui Yunying snuck into the courtyard, rubbed her full chest with a pained wince, and muttered, "Ugh, that Big White really didn't hold back."
She walked to the patch of so-called Nine-Rebirth Revival Herbs, pulled one out, and swallowed it without caring about the dirt on the roots.
It was bitter and astringent, but Shui Yunying, a Soul Sage, was no pampered girl. She focused on sensing any changes in her body.
"Huh? Nothing? My injuries aren't improving. Did I not eat enough? I'll grab a handful and try again."
"Peh! Still useless!"