Breaking the First Seal with the Power of Heavenly Tribulation

Just as Xue Chen's mind was reeling, immersed in the chaos of discovering the earth-shattering secret within his own body, Ice Emperor and Xiao Bai keenly sensed his abnormality from the outside.

"Eh? This brat's aura... it seemed to fluctuate just now, didn't it?"

Ice Emperor frowned, staring intently at Xue Chen inside the cocoon of light.

Xiao Bai also let out a low growl: "Xiao Chen's expression looks a bit off. Is he struggling too much with the absorption?"

Suspended in mid-air, Snow Emperor's ice-blue eyes flickered the moment Xue Chen's internal seal was touched by his own spiritual power, causing a subtle ripple.

Her perception was far sharper and more profound than that of Ice Emperor or Xiao Bai, and she vaguely sensed a fluctuation in Xue Chen's life essence.

That fluctuation was obscure yet powerful, carrying a vast, ancient aura that felt foreign even to her—it was definitely not from the Far North, nor from any power system she had ever known.

A trace of faint shock and suspicion crossed her beautiful face, and her spiritual power flowed like invisible water, attempting to probe deeper.

However, it seemed to be tightly intertwined with the core of Xue Chen's life; she could discern nothing, seeing only a void of chaos.

This... where could it have come from?

Waves surged in Snow Emperor's heart. She vaguely sensed that Xue Chen's origins were likely far more complex and astonishing than she had imagined.

Since this was not something she had set, it could only be related to Xue Chen's birth, or rather, to his life before he was abandoned in the Far North.

Just as these thoughts raced through Snow Emperor's mind, Xue Chen below seemed to have quickly regained his composure.

He shook his head, temporarily suppressing his various speculations about the source of the seal and that lingering chill.

Regardless, the thunder power before him, which he could absorb to strengthen himself, was a tangible opportunity!

Since this first seal had already loosened under the impact of the thunder punishment, he might as well take this chance to use the subsequent strikes to break through it in one go!

He simply stopped thinking about the maddening mystery of the seal and threw himself heart and soul into absorbing and refining the massive thunder power surrounding him.

Guiding that violent yet pure energy, he struck again and again at the first seal, which was already covered in cracks.

The two emperors kept a constant watch on Xue Chen's state. Seeing that he had returned to normal after only a brief anomaly, and that his speed of absorbing the thunder power was actually increasing—his blood roaring like a dragon and his aura climbing steadily—their hanging hearts finally settled.

Though puzzled, at least Xue Chen was in no danger for the moment; on the contrary, he was benefiting.

Before long, the cocoon of thunder light, formed by the convergence of the first two thunder punishments, was entirely absorbed into his body.

The massive energy surged through his meridians, tempering his physique and nourishing his Martial Soul. Yet, although the first seal was covered in cracks and its ghostly light had dimmed, it remained stubbornly intact, refusing to break completely.

Xue Chen looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at the thunder tribulation still swirling and brewing above the Ice Crystal Palace.

The third thunder punishment was condensing within it, its terrifying aura causing the very space to distort.

I'll gamble on it! This thunder punishment doesn't seem to harm me at all; in fact, it's a great tonic!

Xue Chen thought to himself, his eyes resolute.

"Xiao Chen, how are you?"

Seeing that he had finished absorbing, Ice Emperor immediately stepped forward to ask, her tone filled with concern and curiosity.

"Aunt Ice, I'm fine. I feel better than ever!"

Xue Chen swung his fist, feeling the surging power within him, and said excitedly:

"It seems like I'm the one who triggered this thunder tribulation, and I can absorb its power. Since the punishment isn't over yet, it would be a waste not to take it!"

As he spoke, he looked up at the peerless white figure above the dome and shouted aloud: "Mother! Help me!"

Hearing this, Snow Emperor looked down at her son, whose eyes were burning with anticipation.

She saw the excitement and trust in his eyes, and she also sensed the abnormality within his body.

Although placing Xue Chen directly into the center of the tribulation seemed risky, the anomalies of the previous two strikes and his excellent state after absorbing them both indicated that this tribulation was indeed more of a stroke of fortune for him.

A trace of hesitation flashed across her beautiful face, but it was quickly replaced by resolve.

She chose to trust Xue Chen's judgment and the secrets he held—secrets that even she could not fully fathom.

"Very well!"

Snow Emperor's cold, ethereal voice rang out without the slightest hesitation.

She raised her jade hand slightly, and a pure, gentle stream of ultimate ice soul power, like the warmest swaddling cloth, instantly enveloped Xue Chen.

This power was not meant to block the thunder, but to form a stable protective barrier, shielding Xue Chen from the turbulent energy currents while lifting his body as he ascended.

Under the tense gazes of the two emperors and Xiao Bai, Xue Chen was steadily carried by Snow Emperor's soul power. He passed through the hole in the roof of the Ice Crystal Palace, rising higher and higher, until he finally hovered directly beneath the black hole of thunder, where purple-gold lightning surged, no more than a few dozen yards away from Snow Emperor.

Only here did Xue Chen truly feel how terrifying this third thunder punishment was.

The sheer, oppressive weight felt tangible, making it difficult for him to breathe. The air around him was filled with violent lightning, crackling with explosive roars.

The two Thunder Martial Souls within him manifested uncontrollably; the phantom of the Thunder Dragon Emperor circled behind him, letting out a long cry, while the Radiant Thunder Dragon Spear solidified in his hand, its tip pointing toward the heavens, emitting a longing hum.

"Come!"

Xue Chen gripped the dragon spear tightly and roared at the sky, his eyes devoid of fear, filled only with boiling excitement and a thirst for power!

As if responding to his provocation, a brilliant light, impossible to describe, suddenly ignited at the center of the thunderous black hole.

A pillar of thunder, thicker than the previous two and of a much deeper color, tore through all obstacles between heaven and earth and struck down fiercely toward Xue Chen, who was suspended in mid-air!

This time, the Snow Emperor did not move to intercept.

She simply hovered quietly to the side, the chill radiating from her body restrained, her ice-blue eyes locked unblinkingly onto Xue Chen to ensure that if any uncontrollable accident occurred, she could provide assistance at the first possible moment.

The pillar of lightning had not yet arrived, but the terrifying pressure already made Xue Chen feel as though his body were about to shatter.

Yet, he gritted his teeth, circulating all the soul power within his body frantically to push the power of his Thunder Dragon Emperor martial soul to its absolute limit, while simultaneously raising the Radiant Thunder Dragon Spear to meet the destructive beam of light head-on!

"BOOM!!!"

A deafening roar swallowed every other sound.

The pillar of lightning generated by the tribulation instantly engulfed Xue Chen's figure completely.

As Xue Chen hovered beneath the lightning tribulation, the moment the third pillar crashed down and swallowed him whole, the agonizing pain and tearing sensation he had anticipated did not occur.

There was no outside interference this time; the moment the lightning touched his body, its violent nature vanished entirely, leaving behind only the purest, most primordial thunder energy, which was impossibly gentle.

This power resonated intensely with the Thunder Dragon Emperor and Radiant Thunder Dragon Spear martial souls within him, as if they had all originated from the same source.

It transformed into a vast torrent of energy, surging madly into every limb and bone of his body!