Rewards: Two Hundred Thousand Years of Cultivation! Exemption from Heavenly Tribulation?! Star Dou Great Forest Stunned!

Seeing this familiar true form, Ice Empress froze in the Extreme North, then let out a shriek:

"That's me, that's me! It really is me!"

The Sky Screen's text appeared:

[Identity: Ice Jade Empress Scorpion · Ice Empress]

[Territory: Extreme North]

[ cultivation: Three hundred and ninety thousand years]

[Race: Empress of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan, master of Ultimate Ice]

[Reason for ranking: Ranked second among the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North, she possesses the highest level of Ultimate Ice.

Her body is peerlessly strong, and her attacks are fierce and domineering.

As the empress of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan, she wields absolute dominion over the Extreme North.

Though her lifespan is nearly at an end and she is trapped by the Four Hundred Thousand Year Tribulation, her combat power is so formidable that, on her home ground in the Extreme North Ice Plains, even a level-ninety-nine human Titled Douluo would struggle to withstand her.]

Looking at the introduction on the Sky Screen, Ice Empress's excited expression suddenly fell. She pouted and muttered, clearly dissatisfied:

"What? Only tenth place?"

"I have three hundred and ninety thousand years of cultivation! And I'm at the bottom?"

She had thought she would at least make the top five. She hadn't expected to be the first one revealed.

Snow Empress gently stroked Ice Empress's head and said softly:

"Making the list is already a great blessing.

"It means this mysterious Sky Screen recognizes your strength.

"And since you're in tenth place, that means there are nine beings in this world stronger than you... Learning about the outside world this way may not be a bad thing."

Although Ice Empress complained, the anticipation in her eyes hadn't faded in the slightest.

She knew that making the list meant a reward!

And for her, with the Four Hundred Thousand Year Tribulation looming, any reward could be a lifeline!

While Ice Empress was still grumbling about her ranking and Snow Empress was gently comforting her, the image on the Sky Screen abruptly froze.

Then a line of even more dazzling golden text appeared, radiating what seemed to be the aura of the supreme Great Dao!

[Rewards for the ranking are being issued]

[Tenth place: Ice Jade Empress Scorpion · Ice Empress]

[Reward: Directly increase cultivation by two hundred thousand years! And... exempt her from every heavenly tribulation incurred by this increase!]

The instant these words appeared, the entire Douluo Continent seemed to pause.

Before anyone could recover from the outrageous reward, a majestic pillar of golden light pierced through the Extreme North's eternal blizzards and dark clouds. It descended straight from the heavens, bathing Ice Empress's enormous, breathtaking form with unerring precision!

"What is this...?"

Ice Empress felt an unprecedented warmth envelop her. It wasn't the scorching heat of flame, but a gentle warmth that seemed to come from the very source of life.

Then the Soul Power in her body began to surge at a terrifying speed, so fast it frightened her!

Three hundred and ninety thousand years...

Three hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine years...

Boom!

Without the slightest resistance, the bottleneck that had troubled her for so long and filled her with worry day and night—the Four Hundred Thousand Year mark—shattered under the golden light as easily as a sheet of paper.

At the same time, Ice Empress instinctively curled up and looked toward the sky, bracing herself for the terror of a heavenly tribulation.

Yet above her, there was nothing but warm golden light. Not a single thundercloud showed any sign of gathering!

"Really... no heavenly tribulation?!"

Ice Empress's emerald eyes widened in disbelief.

But that was only the beginning.

The golden light didn't fade. Its vast energy continued to surge through her body.

Four hundred and fifty thousand years... five hundred thousand years... five hundred and fifty thousand years...

Her cultivation continued to soar until it finally settled at the terrifying level of five hundred and ninety thousand years. Only then did the pillar of light connecting heaven and earth slowly fade.

Ice Empress's already crystalline body now shone even more brilliantly. Every plate of her carapace shimmered with a heart-stirring, emerald-green glow, and the cold radiating from her was several times stronger than before. The surrounding space seemed on the verge of freezing under the extreme cold.

Feeling the surging, oceanlike power within her and a lightness she had never known before, Ice Empress stood stunned for a long moment before she finally came to her senses.

"Waaah!!!"

A shriek of pure, overwhelming joy rang across the entire Extreme North Ice Plains.

Ice Empress excitedly waved her two enormous pincers, her long green tail lashing back and forth behind her as she smashed the surrounding mountains of ice to pieces.

"That's me, that's me! It really is me!"

"Xue'er, look!

"I really broke through!

"And I went straight to five hundred and ninety thousand years!

"There was no thunder tribulation!

"Really, no thunder tribulation!

"Waaah, I don't have to die!"

Like a child who had just received her favorite toy, Ice Empress rolled excitedly through the snow. The dignity of a mighty ruler had vanished without a trace.

Beside her, deep shock filled Snow Empress's usually cool, snow-bright eyes.

She stared blankly at Ice Empress, whose aura now fully rivaled her own and whose life force was even more vigorous. Her red lips parted, but for a long time, she couldn't say a word.

She had ascended to the heavens in a single step.

This was truly a single-step ascent!

Just by making the list, Ice Empress had been spared two hundred thousand years of painstaking cultivation—and had escaped a tribulation that would have meant certain death for nine out of ten!

The Sky Screen's power was simply appalling. It even... surpassed her understanding of "god"!

"That's wonderful... Bing'er, this is wonderful."

After a long while, Snow Empress finally came to her senses. A heartfelt smile appeared on her beautiful face, but deep within that smile was a longing she had never felt before.

Even the tenth-ranked contestant had received such an heaven-defying reward.

If she could make the list too... might that mean there was hope of overcoming her approaching seven-hundred-thousand-year limit?

Star Dou Great Forest, Life Lake.

After a silence like death, heavy panting broke out, rumbling like thunder.

Every Ferocious Beast stared fixedly at the lingering golden light on the Sky Screen, their eyes practically bulging from their sockets.

If the earlier ranking of "hidden experts" had merely given them a spectacle to watch, then Ice Empress's "reward" had ignited the most primitive longing and madness deep in their hearts!

"Two hundred thousand years of cultivation... and she's exempt from the heavenly tribulation?!"

Ten Thousand Demon King's dry, barklike face twisted beyond recognition, and his voice trembled.

"How is that possible?

"Heavenly tribulations are the laws of Heaven itself. The Sky Screen can just erase them at will?

"This... this is a miracle!"

Drool ran from all three of Scarlet King's heads. His eyes brimmed with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"That Ice Empress sure got lucky!

"Two hundred thousand years of cultivation, just like that, and she doesn't even have to get struck by lightning!

"If I could make the list..."

But no one reacted more fiercely than Xiong Jun.

The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, built like a mountain, paced back and forth irritably. Every time his enormous paws hit the ground, the earth shook with a thunderous rumble.