As a tribulation bolt of terrifying power came crashing down toward her, the Ice Empress could no longer afford to suppress her strength with her life hanging in the balance. She immediately summoned all her power to defend against it.
Unexpectedly, the bolt dissipated before it could even reach her. The Ice Empress, who had drawn a heavenly tribulation by unleashing her power, froze on the spot...
"Who is it?! Just who is toying with me?! I swear, if I survive this tribulation, I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth!"
Watching the thunderclouds about to take shape, the Ice Empress cried out in fury, her voice raw with anguish. Ever since experiencing the terror of a three-hundred-thousand-year tribulation, she had stayed hidden in the core region of the Far North, sleeping. Afraid that unleashing her power would draw a tribulation, she hadn't dared use too much strength even when chasing the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm back then, lest a tribulation strike midway and kill her on the spot. And today, someone had taken advantage of her sleep to trick her into unleashing her power with a fake tribulation, bringing down a real heavenly tribulation.
Who had she offended?
But the most important thing now was to hold onto her senses and get through the tribulation with all her strength. Looking at the thunderclouds, streaked with purple-black lightning and spanning ten thousand li in every direction, the Ice Empress felt a little apprehensive. There was no way she could escape, so she could only weather the storm head-on.
At the same time, Su Qing had crept closer. The Martial Soul bestowed on him by the Silver Dragon King's divine core couldn't bear God of Destruction Power, so he had switched to Ring Jade. Just in time, before drawing out the unbound God of Destruction Power in the final few bolts, he could use it to conceal his presence and avoid being caught in the tribulation.
"Rumble—"
The thunderclouds roiled, madly gathering their force, like a constipated person desperately working up the urge before heading to the toilet. A heavenly tribulation was much the same: it would either stay silent or make a spectacular entrance, and before it began, it had to gather enough power to slay the life being tested.
Soon, the first tribulation bolt fell. It wasn't very powerful, and its roar was nowhere near as thunderous as the bolt Su Qing had just faced. About three meters in diameter, it was easily blocked by the Ice Empress with a simple circulation of Soul Power.
But right after it came the second bolt, whose power doubled outright, its diameter reaching seven meters. The Ice Empress stared sternly at the tribulation bolt about to strike her, wondering whether she could take it head-on...
"Block it with Ice Empress Pincer."
Su Qing's voice carried through the tribulation and reached her clearly. The Ice Empress shuddered. She hadn't even noticed anyone nearby, and the voice didn't belong to A-Tai or Xiao Bai. Snow Empress was even less likely! Then who was it? But she had no time to wonder. There was no way she could survive a four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation on her own, so she might as well try the advice. She had nothing to lose by trusting him once!
The Ice Empress's reasoning was simple: since she couldn't sense the other party at all, their strength was clearly far beyond hers. If they wanted her Soul Ring, they would have to make sure she survived the tribulation. If they wanted her territory, why not just drive her away? It seemed they had no reason to harm her. At any rate, she couldn't think of one.
"Ice Empress Pincer!"
As the seven-meter-wide tribulation bolt was about to strike, she hurriedly summoned Ice Empress Pincer and held it up before her, circulating Soul Power to block the heavenly thunder. This time, aside from some weakness in her two pairs of massive pincers, she came away unhurt.
But she had no time to think. The third tribulation bolt came right on its heels, a full thirteen meters wide, its power once again twice that of the last.
"This time, use Ice Emperor Bodyguard."
Su Qing's voice came again. His plan was to have her conserve Soul Power and take the first three bolts head-on, then use offensive Soul Skills to cancel the next three before they struck her. That way, the final bolt would gather a great deal of God of Destruction Power and deal the Ice Empress a thunderous blow, killing her outright. As long as he drew out and refined the God of Destruction Power within it, the final bolt would be no threat at all, and the Ice Empress would naturally make it through unscathed.
Would she still go with him once she was no longer facing death? Most likely. No one on Douluo Continent could resist the temptation of godhood, especially Soul Beasts. Besides, even if she refused to go with him, it wouldn't matter. Without death looming over her, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm naturally wouldn't be able to trick her into leaving.
As he thought this through, the Ice Empress blocked the third heavenly tribulation as well. So far, only the hem of her clothes had gotten a little dirty, which eased her mind somewhat. But the seventh bolt was what truly terrified her. The mysterious power contained in the fifth bolt of her three-hundred-thousand-year tribulation had nearly destroyed her. She didn't dare imagine what the seventh bolt of a four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation would be like.
"For the next one, use Ice Emperor Fury and cancel it in midair."
The thunderclouds overhead grew denser, and Su Qing's calm voice rang out.
"If you really can help me get through this tribulation, I'll repay you."
The Ice Empress looked all around but saw no one. She murmured to herself.
"Don't worry. You'll survive. I promise."
Although she didn't know what gave the other party such confidence, the Ice Empress had no choice but to trust him. After all, she had been doomed from the start. Even now, she still couldn't figure out who had set her up and forced her to face her tribulation early.
"Ice Emperor Fury!"
As the fourth tribulation bolt came down, a nearly solid beam of emerald-green light burst from the Ice Empress's chest, shooting straight up to meet the heavenly thunder.
"Creak—crackle—"
The moment the lightning met the beam, which contained the energy of Ultimate Ice, cracks appeared in the light, while frost began to form around the lightning. After the two forces struggled against each other, they shattered together amid a deafening roar.
"Three more..."
"When the next tribulation bolt appears, unleash Eternal Frozen Domain with all your strength, then follow up with Ice Emperor Fury. Don't let the heavenly thunder touch you."
Su Qing continued to guide her. The next few bolts all contained a little God of Destruction Power—not much, so he hadn't bothered absorbing those scraps. But if they struck the Ice Empress, they would gradually wear down her defenses, leaving her more and more exposed to the tribulation until the final bolt, packed with God of Destruction Power, struck at her very core.
"All right!"
At his words, the Ice Empress immediately followed Su Qing's instructions. She was a little concerned about how quickly she was using up her Soul Power, but she understood that if she didn't unleash her Soul Skills with all her strength, she would certainly be badly injured, making it even harder to survive.
As the fifth tribulation bolt descended, the Ice Empress's Eternal Frozen Domain immediately slowed it, allowing her to lock onto it precisely. Then Ice Emperor Fury struck again. The result was the same as with the previous bolt, and she let out a breath of relief. Only two remained.
"For the next one, use sixty percent of your Soul Power to release Ultimate Ice through your Scorpion Tail Needle. Aim at the lightning—don't miss..."
"I never miss!"
Su Qing's words infuriated the Ice Empress. After using Scorpion Tail Needle like an extension of her own arm for all these years, was he really teasing her now?
Before Su Qing could reply, the sixth tribulation bolt came crashing down. The Ice Empress immediately used Scorpion Tail Needle to release Ultimate Ice and meet it head-on. Soon, the immense force pierced straight through the lightning, splitting it in two and sending the halves crashing into nearby mountains.
"Rumble—"
The mighty thunder shook the earth. Hearing the roar from nearby, Su Qing turned to look, and nearly jumped out of his skin. The mountain had been cleaved in two by the lightning, and one half was sliding straight toward him.
"Ice Empress, you're a force to be reckoned with!"