Are You Even One to Talk About My Common Sense?

"Calmed down? Then I'll let you go. If you keep this up, I won't go easy on you." With that, Ye Qing released the Ice Empress, though he remained on guard. From what he knew of her, there was no way this girl would simply let things go. He had even thought up countermeasures already.

But unexpectedly, the Ice Empress really did stop attacking. Instead, she lay on the ground with a red face, leaving Ye Qing somewhat at a loss.

"Xiao Bingbing?" Yet the Ice Empress still did not react to that form of address, making Ye Qing feel that something was even more wrong.

"No way... did you break your brain?"

As the saying went, the night before a storm was always quiet. What Ye Qing faced now was the final calm before the storm. Just as he began wondering whether something had gone wrong with the Ice Empress's mind, she gave her response.

She sprang up from the ground. Ye Qing was caught off guard and knocked down by her, and the two returned to their previous position. Only this time, the Ice Empress was on top of Ye Qing. But just as Ye Qing was about to counter her, her words made him laugh.

Because of their human forms' height difference, the Ice Empress sat directly on Ye Qing's stomach after pinning him down. She shook his shoulders and questioned him.

"Even if you were saving me, why did you do it that way?! What if I end up with a baby?! Say something!" But all she received was Ye Qing's laughter.

"Hahahaha, I can't... wait a second... hahaha, let me laugh a little longer."

"What's so funny about that?!" She was thrown off by Ye Qing's writhing body. Looking at him curled up with laughter, the Ice Empress angrily demanded.

"Sorry, I've had professional training. Normally, I don't laugh. But I really never expected the mighty Ice Empress to have so little common sense. You've lived for over two hundred thousand years, haven't you?"

"So what?"

Ye Qing had not expected that the Ice Empress, whose actual age qualified her to be an ancestor to ordinary humans, would ask such a childish question. In that world where information was widespread, even children had some understanding of such things. He knew that the Ice Empress was a huge tsundere and lacked common sense about many matters, but he had never imagined that her understanding of relationships would stop at believing a kiss could cause pregnancy.

"Has no one from your own kind ever courted you? Your clan should be quite large, shouldn't it?"

"No. Those weaklings didn't dare come near me at all. Others managed the clan, so I didn't need to bother with such trivial matters."

Put that way, Ye Qing could understand a little. The Extreme North's climate was frigid. Even when Spirit Beasts reproduced, they hid in sheltered, concealed places such as ice crevices and snow caves. Coupled with the strength of her talent, she had not seen such things for countless years.

No, there had been one bold food item who declared that he would become her mate. Later, while fleeing from her pursuit, he escaped by plunging into the sea and became the power bank he was today.

"Let me ask you something out of curiosity. Since you think a kiss can result in a child, and you like the Snow Empress, then if you succeeded, which of you would be responsible for having the child?"

"Obviously me. The Heavenly Snow Woman is an elemental Elf and simply can't get pregnant. You don't even know that much common sense?"

"Being told that by someone who thinks a kiss can cause pregnancy really annoys me... What right do you have to question my common sense?"

"So... you're sure I won't end up pregnant with your child? Then how do you have a baby?"

"...I'm sure. And I don't want to give you a sex-ed class. When Ah Rou comes back, have her explain it to you. I have another question for you. Are you confident about the Double Heavenly Tribulation?"

"What do you mean, Double Heavenly Tribulation?"

"Just as the name implies, two Heavenly Tribulations in a row. Why do you think I didn't bring you over here? Take a good look at the changes in yourself, and stop thinking about all that nonsense."

"Changes?... Wait... I've reached four hundred thousand years?" The Ice Empress carefully examined her condition and discovered that she had not only crossed the three-hundred-thousand-year threshold, but even broken through the four-hundred-thousand-year mark. Her joy lasted only an instant before her face turned pale. She knew her own condition very well. The three-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation should not be a problem, but whether it was two in a row, an enhanced tribulation with their power combined, or even the four-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation alone, she could not withstand it. And the consequences of failing to survive a Heavenly Tribulation...

Thinking of that, her face filled with worry.

"What else did you expect? You nearly absorbed so much energy that you exploded. If you hadn't broken through, those energies would have cried, okay? Looking at you, don't tell me you weren't prepared at all."

"H-How could that be? It's just a Heavenly Tribulation. It's not like I haven't experienced one before." She would never admit her weakness in front of Ye Qing. Besides, she did not think Ye Qing could help her. During the Snow Empress's previous tribulation, she had believed Ye Qing had only arrived at the end to heal the Snow Empress's injuries. In her understanding, a Heavenly Tribulation was never something one could rely on others to overcome.

And that was indeed true. The more creatures crossed a tribulation together, the stronger the Heavenly Tribulation became. This was a universally accepted principle. Normally, helping someone undergo a tribulation would not only fail to help, but would drag the helper into it as well. Other than an anomaly like Ye Qing, there was no being on the entire continent capable of helping another withstand a Heavenly Tribulation head-on.

As they spoke, Ye Qing could already sense the Tribulation Cloud gradually gathering. Seeing that the Ice Empress still refused to yield verbally, he said nothing and instead pulled her out of Castle's range. Too many people being caught up in it would be troublesome as well.

"What is Uncle doing? It looks like it's about to rain heavily. Why is Uncle leaving now?"

"That's not rain... Is that a Tribulation Cloud? It seems Bing'er has reached that point too. But with Ye Qing there, nothing should happen." The Snow Empress understood Ye Qing's ability to endure Heavenly Tribulations extremely well, so she was not worried at all that the Ice Empress would perish in the Heavenly Tribulation.

Elsewhere, the Spirit Beasts in the forest that sensed this aura once again moved away from the area. Watching the Spirit Beasts evacuate from her territory, Bi Ji felt deeply conflicted. She had work to do again. Although Ye Qing's appearance had brought everyone many benefits, it also had drawbacks. Over the past century, the frequency of Heavenly Tribulations seemed to have exceeded that of the previous ten thousand years.

Neither of them spoke during the short journey. The Ice Empress seemed to be contemplating something, while Ye Qing calculated the degree to which she could withstand the Heavenly Tribulation. To Spirit Beasts, Heavenly Tribulations were both calamities and opportunities. If he bore all of it himself, it would instead affect the Ice Empress's future growth. It was better to keep one's future in one's own hands.

According to his calculations, the Ice Empress would have no problem with the first wave of the Heavenly Tribulation, but that was also her limit. She would likely need help for the second wave. Soon, Ye Qing found a suitable location: an open cliff that seemed well suited for crossing the tribulation. As they waited for the Tribulation Cloud to gather, the Ice Empress spoke.

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