243: Chapter 244 A New Beautiful Girl Makes Her Debut

Speaking of which, although the Ice Bird Country cannot compare to behemoths like Xia Country, the American Empire, or the Bear Country, among the many Western nations, it can still be considered an upper-middle-tier country with a certain degree of influence and strength. It possesses a complete Class Transferee system domestically, has relatively abundant resources, and typically maintains a neutral-to-Western stance in international affairs.

Tashalin, with her exceptional talent as an SS-grade [Frost Resonance] user, was destined to be the center of attention from birth. In the Ice Bird Country, she is the undisputed national-level genius girl, hailed as the "Ice Princess," enjoying the admiration, adoration, and expectations of countless people. Talented young men swarmed around her like a school of fish crossing a river, among whom were many from illustrious families and possessing outstanding talents.

Although her parents placed high hopes on her, they also provided a relatively free and privileged upbringing. Apart from necessary protection and resource allocation, they did not excessively interfere with her choices. Precisely because of this, when she proposed traveling far to Siberia to participate in the dangerous pioneering of that legendary-rank secret realm, her parents, though worried, ultimately agreed out of trust in her and support for her desire to enhance her strength.

However, they could never have dreamed that this seemingly ordinary training expedition would turn into a mad, large-scale massacre targeting the geniuses of multiple countries! When the first scattered, dire news of the camp being attacked, poisonous fog spreading, and heavy casualties reached the country, Tashalin's parents felt their world spin and their hearts twist in agony, believing they had forever lost their proud and beloved only daughter.

Then, a sudden turn of events brought news — Lin Muyang took action, turned the tide, not only dispersing the poisonous fog and capturing the perpetrator, but also performing a miracle, resurrecting many of the dead! This drastic shift from hell to heaven plunged the powerful parents, after experiencing extreme grief, into unbelievable ecstasy and boundless gratitude towards Lin Muyang. In their eyes, Lin Muyang was undoubtedly their daughter's, and even their entire family's, savior, their second parents! This debt of gratitude was beyond repayment, even if they gave everything.

Therefore, when subsequent news confirmed that Tashalin was not only safe and sound but had even actively chosen to follow Lin Muyang to Xia Country, Tashalin's parents, after a brief moment of shock and reluctance, felt more of a sense of relief and a complex kind of contentment. They understood their daughter: proud, with extremely high standards. Anyone who could make her follow so willingly, even with admiration, must possess charm and strength beyond ordinary imagination. Staying by the side of such a benefactor and powerhouse might actually be a better choice for Tashalin's future growth and safety. As for the competition their daughter might face... in the face of absolute strength and a life-saving grace, these things seemed insignificant. They only hoped their daughter could be safe, happy, truly learn, and grow.

However, the direction of public opinion within the Ice Bird Country was not entirely the same as Tashalin's parents' thoughts.

The general public, upon learning that the "Ice Princess" had been saved by Lin Muyang and had followed him, mostly reacted with shock, curiosity, mixed with awe for this Eastern legend, Lin Muyang, and a hint of subtle pride. But among the younger generation, especially within the circles of noble scions and talented youths who had, openly or secretly, admired and pursued Tashalin, no small waves were stirred.

"Tashalin was taken away by that Xia Country man? What does that mean? Repaying a debt? Or was she forced?"

"Lin Muyang didn't just save her alone, why did he specifically take her away? Does he have some other ulterior motive?"

"I heard Lin Muyang is surrounded by beauties. If Tashalin goes there, wouldn't she..."

"With Tashalin's personality, how could she possibly be willing to serve as someone's subordinate, or even a maid? She must have been coerced!"

"Exactly! Maybe he used some kind of mind control! Doesn't Lin Muyang have subordinates skilled in mind control?"

"We must do something! We can't let Tashalin be wronged!"

Jealousy, resentment, suspicion, coupled with the behind-the-scenes instigation by some with ulterior motives, all sorts of rumors based on hearsay and exaggeration began to circulate within the upper echelons and young Class Transferee circles of the Ice Bird Country. Some said Lin Muyang had taken a fancy to Tashalin's beauty and talent, forcibly abducting her; others said Tashalin was forced to offer herself for the sake of her family's interests; there were even more outrageous claims, speculating that Lin Muyang practiced some evil technique that required collecting genius maidens from various countries...

These rumors naturally reached Tashalin's parents' ears, but they merely dismissed them with a smile, even sternly warning some of the most vocal younger family members. They understood their daughter better than outsiders and were clearer about the level of power Lin Muyang represented. At Lin Muyang's level, beauty, power, wealth—these were likely things easily within his grasp, things he wouldn't need to resort to such despicable methods for. Their daughter's choice was most likely from the heart. As for those rumors, they were nothing more than sour grapes from the unsuccessful and deliberate provocations by certain parties.

Tashalin, at the center of the storm, was actually well aware of the uproar her decision would cause back home. But she didn't care. After experiencing the life-or-death despair at the Siberian camp, witnessing with her own eyes the shocking methods of the young ladies under Lin Muyang's command dispersing the poisonous fog, resurrecting the dead, and capturing the perpetrator—especially after personally sensing the profound power beneath Lin Muyang's calm gaze, a power that seemed capable of controlling everything—the pride and reserve belonging to the "Ice Princess" within her heart had long been crushed to dust. In their place was a kind of near-reverent admiration and a determination to become stronger.

She knew very well that this opportunity to follow Lin Muyang might be the only chance in her life to get this close to such a legendary figure. If she missed it, perhaps she would only be able to gaze at his back from afar for the rest of her life, becoming one of the insignificant "geniuses" drowned by the tides of the era. By staying by his side, even if just handling peripheral trivial matters, she could access a broader world, witness true power, and obtain unimaginable resources for growth. Compared to that, what did the domestic gossip and the laments of her admirers amount to?

The journey following Lin Muyang back to Xia Country further solidified her conviction and also showed her what true speed was.

She herself was also a Class Transferee with flight capability. At full speed, flying from the Siberian tundra back to the eastern coast of Xia Country would take her at least two to three hours by her estimate, not counting rest stops and mana recovery time. However, when Lin Muyang temporarily included her in the party and activated that God-Tier Aura called [Power of Wind Control], Tashalin felt as if she had turned into a cannonball fired from its barrel!

...

"Brother Lin Muyang, after this secret realm, you'll be able to summon a new companion again," Lilia said gently with a smile, voicing everyone's thoughts.

The hall was filled with the chatter and fragrance of beauties. Su Daji's fox ears twitched slightly, her face full of curiosity; Gui Wanwan sat sideways on the handle of her giant scythe, swinging her pale legs, her amethyst eyes holding scrutiny and a hint of amusement; Feng Ling maintained an elegant posture, her gaze calm yet holding hidden anticipation; Ao Qingyan was as cool and clear as the moon, but her gaze also rested on Lin Muyang; Mo Mingxue and her sister looked on with a mix of bewilderment and curiosity.

Lin Muyang nodded, a smile also appearing on his face.

"I hope this time, we can get a companion with special abilities," Lin Muyang thought to himself.

Without further hesitation, he walked to the relatively open area in the center of the hall, his expression turning serious as he slowly raised his right hand.

His mind connected with his talent, and mana began to circulate along some mysterious trajectory. The air in the hall seemed to slightly stagnate, and the light dimmed a bit. An invisible, vast, and mysterious ripple slowly emanated from Lin Muyang as the center.

"It's about to start!" Su Daji exclaimed softly, subconsciously clenching her small fists. Mo Mingxue and Mo Yingmei also held their breath, eyes wide open; this was the first time they were seeing Lin Muyang perform a summoning with their own eyes.

*Hum*—

A low hum, as if from the depths of a distant void, sounded. At Lin Muyang's feet, a complex, mysterious summoning circle composed of pure energy materialized from nothingness, rapidly taking shape! The edges of the circle shimmered with a faint silvery-white light, but the light in the core area gradually shifted towards a kind of cold, pale white?

It wasn't the holy milky white, nor the frosty azure blue, but a pale white tinged with a sense of lifelessness and chill, like frost Condensation on a deep autumn morning, or mist lingering in some ancient tomb. As the light flowed, there were faint, subtle sounds like the grinding of bones, and an indescribable, negative-energy-leaning cold aura began to spread.

"This light is a bit eerie," Su Daji said, shrinking her neck and moving closer to Lilia.

Everyone's gazes involuntarily turned towards Gui Wanwan, who sat sideways on her scythe. Gui Wanwan had also put away her playful expression, her amethyst eyes carefully examining the pale white summoning circle, her brow slightly furrowed as if sensing something.

"Don't all look at me," Gui Wanwan said, shaking her head in response to the collective gaze, her tone certain. "This power fluctuation does indeed carry some characteristics of death and stillness, but it's not pure Netherworld power. It's different from the source of my power. Whoever is summoned this time shouldn't be from my lineage."

Hearing this, Lin Muyang also raised an eyebrow. He had originally wondered if it might be Gui Wanwan's mysterious elder sister, or another special existence related to the Netherworld or death. It seemed now there was more to it.

"I thought it might be your elder sister," Lin Muyang said to Gui Wanwan with a smile.

"Definitely not," Gui Wanwan shook her head again, her tone firm. "My elder sister's power is much purer and stronger than mine. If it were her, I'd recognize the pressure emanating from this circle from a world away. This one, while special, probably doesn't reach the level of my elder sister."

Lin Muyang nodded, no longer pondering it, and just naturally reached out to wrap his arm around the slender shoulder of Gui Wanwan, who had leaned closer. His gaze returned to the summoning circle, its glow growing increasingly intense. "Regardless, the style is somewhat similar to yours. When she arrives, you can communicate with her more, see what she's about."

"Alright~" Gui Wanwan leaned against Lin Muyang's shoulder and responded softly, a flicker of interest in her amethyst eyes. She was also very curious about what kind of existence this new companion, who emitted a similar deathly aura yet was fundamentally different, would turn out to be.

Under the gazes of everyone—expectant, curious, scrutinizing—the pale white summoning circle's light reached its peak, almost illuminating the entire hall in a ghastly white. Then, the light converged and condensed inward like a receding tide!

The space at the center of the circle slightly distorted and rippled, as if a stone had been thrown into water. A petite, blurry silhouette slowly emerged from that distorted play of light and shadow, materializing from nothingness, gradually becoming clear.

First to catch the eye was hair like deep-sea ice—short, blue hair, neat and sharp, gleaming with a cold luster under the pale white light. The hairstyle was a cute bangs, just barely covering the eyebrows, further accentuating the doll-like Delicate small face beneath.

She wore a uniquely styled, well-Tailored pale white robe. The robe wasn't the traditional loose style but slightly form-fitting, its edges adorned with dark silver Runes and skeletal decorations made of unknown metal, Ancient and strange. The hem of the robe reached just above the knees, revealing slender calves encased in similarly pale white, metal-kneed long socks. On her feet were short boots of the same style, with slightly upturned toes.

When her form fully solidified, standing steadily in the center of the circle, everyone could see her clearly.

She was about 155 cm tall, appearing particularly petite among the generally tall young ladies around Lin Muyang. Her skin was a near-translucent pale, the kind unseen by the sun for too long, carrying an inhuman coldness. Her features were extremely Exquisite, with a high bridge of the nose and pale pink lips pressed into a straight line. Most striking were her eyes—they were icy blue like a ten-thousand-year-old Cold Pool, the depths of her pupils as if reflecting a snowy wasteland, clear, cold, yet so empty they seemed devoid of any emotional fluctuation. They Just calmly, with a hint of barely perceptible scrutiny, swept over the surroundings before finally settling on Lin Muyang, who stood closest to her.

In her hand, she held a Strange Staff almost as tall as she was, its entire body Entanglement with some kind of pale bone-wood. At the top of the staff was mosaic a diamond-shaped crystal that slowly rotated continuously,内部 as if有灰白色雾气流动, emitting the same cold, lifeless energy fluctuation as the summoning circle.

She stood there quietly, her petite frame exuding a composure and aloofness that starkly contrasted with her appearance, enough to make one's heart palpitate. It was as if she hadn't just been summoned to a completely unfamiliar world, but had merely walked from one room into another.

seem having received prompt information from the summoning system, her icy blue eyes, which seemed devoid of any emotion, shifted slightly, her long, butterfly-wing-like eyelash fluttering faintly. She glanced around the opulent hall full of Eastern charm and the young ladies within, each with distinct, yet incredibly beautiful and powerful auras. Her exquisitely beautiful face showed no expression of surprise or panic; only her slightly furrowed Dai Mei indicated she was rapidly digesting and understanding the current situation.

Soon, her gaze returned to Lin Muyang. Those icy blue eyes, like the most precise instruments, sized him up and down, as if assessing, analyzing. After a moment, she tilted her head slightly, her icy blue short hair swaying with the movement. In an ethereal, crisp voice, yet one carrying a strange metallic quality, she spoke calmly, asking:

"You, are you the Summoner who called me here?"

Her voice was pleasant, but held no warmth, like ice beads falling on a jade plate—clear, cold.

Lin Muyang looked at her, sensing the unique aura she carried—different from Gui Wanwan's " Silent Death," leaning more towards "absolute stillness," "the withering of all things"—especially the Strange Bone Wood Staff in her hand and the grayish-white crystals at its tip. A light of interest couldn't help but shine in his eyes.

"This girl's class... and the aura of power around her seem rather special," Lin Muyang thought to himself.