Why is my anime art style so weird?

Is this considered lucky? Because he didn't have any dark thoughts of killing and stealing.

However, her actions immediately reminded Xu Ming of a term—old silver coins.

Looking back now, it's not without reason that she was able to survive until now with a group of naive and innocent girls under the brutal rule of General Yantou.

This can be considered the wisdom of the weak.

The Snow Maiden Clan Chief ignored Xu Ming's strange gaze and opened the box on her own.

One of the boxes contained a light blue, crystal-like flower. The moment the box was opened, a white mist immediately sprayed out, and then the entire exterior of the box was covered with a layer of white frost.

The other box contained a thumb-sized, translucent blue pendant that still faintly emitted a blue glow, making it look quite beautiful.

Needless to say, this should be the Ice Crystal Flower and magical artifact that the Snow Maiden Clan Chief promised to give to Xu Ming.

After receiving the two items from the Snow Woman Clan Chief, Xu Ming casually handed them to Erina.

"Thank you, Dad!"

"Erina, whose hair has now turned silver, said sweetly."

Just as Xu Ming was about to speak, he noticed that the Snow Maiden Clan Chief sitting opposite him had several changes in expression, as if she had something to say but hesitated to speak.

Chapter 315 Dangerous Ritual

Is there a problem?

Xu Ming looked at her with some curiosity.

The Snow Maiden Chieftain's lips twitched, and a very hesitant expression appeared on her face. She stammered out her words.

"The Ice Crystal Flower is used to purify the bloodline of your shikigami, and it requires a special ritual performed by our Yuki-onna clan. Also..."

She hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and finally told the truth.

"Because your shikigami is not a pure-blooded Yuki-onna, there may be some risks during the ritual, causing the power of her bloodline to go berserk and out of control..."

Xu Ming's face immediately darkened.

"Why didn't you tell me about something so important sooner?"

The Snow Maiden clan chief knelt down immediately, responding to Xu Ming's anger with a dogeza (a deep, prostration gesture).

"I am so sorry!"

Xu Ming's expression was unpredictable, and his gaze toward the Snow Maiden Clan Chief repeatedly carried a hint of murderous intent and anger.

If the first dogeza (a form of prostration) made Xu Ming feel the sincerity, then the subsequent dogezas gradually made him feel somewhat annoyed.

The reason why people in China take kneeling so seriously is because kneeling is about abandoning dignity, and one can truly feel the sincerity of the person kneeling.

But if everyone were like the Japanese, using kneeling as a way to shirk responsibility, then kneeling repeatedly would be meaningless.

The boy cried wolf—it's a very simple truth.

This guy was probably afraid that Xu Ming wouldn't put in the effort, so he played a trick and told Xu Ming most of the information, but concealed the important information that the bloodline purification ritual had certain risks.

Although dividing the enemy forces and luring them deep into their territory aligned with Xu Ming's own plan, the fact that the other side had pulled this tactic still left Xu Ming feeling deceived.

Seeing the Snow Maiden Clan Chief bowing her head, looking like she was accepting punishment, Xu Ming stood up irritably and paced back and forth in the room.

The other party remained kneeling on the ground, motionless, in the standard dogeza posture.

Xu Ming breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't suffered any losses, but he was very annoyed.

After a while, Xu Ming stopped.

What are the chances of danger during the ritual?

The Snow Woman clan chief slightly raised her head, glanced at Erina beside her, and said cautiously:

“We’ve never encountered a case like hers before, so…”

The subtext is that even she can't guarantee the probability of the risk.

Xu Ming fell silent, and for a moment the atmosphere in the room became frighteningly heavy.

After a while, Xu Ming's expression relaxed slightly.

He turned to look at Erina, who was standing silently to the side.

"Erina, what are your thoughts?"

If you're unwilling, there's no need to force yourself. When it comes to improving your skills, the worst thing you can do is be impatient for quick results; we'll take it slowly..."

Erina, with her silver hair, was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Dad, I know you're doing this for my own good."

But I also want to become stronger, so I can be a help to my dad.

Erina's eyes were very firm.

Xu Ming sensed Erina's determination in her eyes.

Xu Ming sighed and turned to look at the Snow Maiden Clan Chief.

"Let's rest up tonight and hold the ceremony tomorrow morning."

"Hi!"

The Snow Maiden chieftain answered loudly, but she didn't look up until Xu Ming left the house...

Early the next morning, Xu Ming led his shikigami to the Yuki-onna clan chief's ice house once again.

The Snow Maiden Chieftain was already prepared.

The central hall of the house had been cleaned up, and a very complex circular magic circle was drawn on it with the blood of an unknown animal.

The Snow Woman clan chief changed into a solemn and simple light blue Chihaya dress and held a Kagura bell painted with gold lacquer.

Xu Ming nodded to her as a greeting.

"We're here. When does the ceremony begin?"

The Snow Maiden chieftain answered meekly:

"The ceremony is ready and can begin at any time."

Xu Ming turned to look at Erina, his eyes filled with a question.

"Don't worry, Dad."

Erina smiled in response.

"Let's begin now."

Xu Ming didn't waste any time, leaving Erina behind, and led the other shikigami to a corner of the house.

"Please sit in the middle of the magic circle."

The Snow Maiden clan chief pointed to the magic circle in the center of the room.

Erina sat down as instructed.

"First, drink this potion made from ice crystal flowers. Then I will activate the magic circle, sense the power within you, and try to guide and control it..."

The Snow Woman clan chief repeatedly reminded Erina of the precautions.

Erina nodded nervously, then subconsciously looked at Xu Ming.

Xu Ming met Erina's gaze, immediately gave her a thumbs up, and nodded with a smile.

After receiving comfort and encouragement from Xu Ming, Erina gradually relaxed.

She took a wooden cup from the Snow Maiden chieftain and drank the liquid inside, which emitted a blue fluorescent glow, in one gulp.

The Snow Woman Clan Chief stood beside the magic circle, jingling the Kagura Bell in her hand as she softly sang a mysterious song.

The song conjured up an image in Xu Ming's mind of a snow-covered plain swept by a blizzard in the dead of night, surrounded by darkness and loneliness, with a blurry, aloof figure standing silently deep within the snowfield...

As the cool, melodious singing filled the air, the magic circle surrounding Erina began to glow with a pale blue light. Soon, this light surpassed the fire in the room, illuminating the entire room as if it were floating in water, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

"Well!!"

Erina suddenly let out a painful groan, immediately making Xu Ming lose all interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery in the room.

Just then, a thick 'white mist' emanated from Erina's body.

The white mist quickly spread in all directions, covering everything it encountered—straw mats, iron pots, tea tables, and so on—with a thin layer of white frost.

Seeing this, Xu Ming couldn't help but clench his fists.

At this moment, the Yuki-onna clan chief, who had already stopped her Kagura dance, hurriedly shouted a reminder:

"Feel the power within you, tame it, control it!"

Erina, however, seemed to have lost track of what she was saying.

Swish!

Suddenly, sharp icicles appeared on Erina's body.

These icicles pierced her body directly, protruding from her skin and drawing out a large amount of blood.

This clearly indicates a state of uncontrolled internal energy.

Xu Ming's expression changed drastically.

Is it going to fail?

"Do not resist this power! Try to merge with it and make it your own power!"

The Snow Maiden Chieftain seemed to be getting anxious, her expression gradually turning impatient as she rapidly gave instructions from the side.

However, the immense pain inside her body caused Erina to lose all awareness of the outside world.

She kept groaning in pain, and more and more icicles covered her body.

Xu Ming suddenly stood up from his seat. He knew he couldn't stand idly by any longer; he had to do something.

Chapter 316 The Ceremony Successfully Completed, Volcano, and Demon Monkey

Thinking of this, Xu Ming immediately pressed his hand against the black and white crystal flower on his chest.

Seele, if you can hear me, please help me...

The crystal flower flashed with a barely perceptible luster, as if it had sensed Xu Ming's thoughts.