Heavenly Tribulation

Qian Qizhou was just about to speak when the entire space suddenly suffered a violent, unnatural tremor.

It felt as if an unimaginably massive force was slamming against this space from the outside.

"Let's go out and see!" Qian Qizhou decided instantly.

The three figures turned into streaks of light, flying toward the spatial gate without a moment's hesitation.

Almost the instant they left the space, a vast, boundless, and terrifying pressure descended from the sky, causing the three of them to gasp for breath.

They looked up to see that the once clear sky had been completely swallowed by endless, roiling dark clouds.

What made their hearts tremble was that within those churning clouds, countless brilliant golden thunderbolts, heavy with the aura of destruction, were gathering frantically.

Just then, several figures landed near Qian Qizhou and his companions; it was Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, and Gu Rong, who had rushed over upon sensing Qian Qizhou's return.

"Little Zhou, what is this?" Ning Fengzhi asked urgently, not even bothering to ask who the strange woman beside him was.

Chen Xin and Gu Rong also wore grave expressions, watching the terrifying pool of thunder gathering in the sky with extreme vigilance.

The pressure emanating from it was something no human could possibly contend with.

Qian Qizhou was equally bewildered. He stared fixedly at the sky and shook his head subconsciously: "I don't know, I just came out and..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the Snow Empress beside him slowly withdrew her gaze.

With a grim expression, she said, "This is my Heavenly Tribulation."

Ning Fengzhi: "..."

Chen Xin: "..."

Gu Rong: "..."

Qian Qizhou: "!!!"

Guang Ling: "!!!"

The three from the sect froze in place, their pupils constricting. They turned to look at the Snow Empress in disbelief, even doubting if they had heard correctly.

Her... Heavenly Tribulation?

Do humans even have Heavenly Tribulations???

The Snow Empress ignored their shock.

She looked up at the tribulation clouds, which were becoming increasingly violent and boiling as they covered almost the entire horizon. It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid.

She had no confidence in surviving this; trusting Qian Qizhou was, in fact, a massive gamble.

If she won, she would wait for the next hundred thousand years; if she lost... she would vanish into smoke and dust.

Her figure flickered, turning into a high-speed streak of light as she flew toward an area far from civilization.

She had to draw the center of the tribulation away. The power of this Heavenly Tribulation far exceeded her expectations, and its coverage was immense.

If she underwent the tribulation here, the surrounding area would likely be razed to the ground, and countless living beings would be caught in the crossfire.

"Sister Snow!" Seeing this, Qian Qizhou immediately understood her intent.

He said to Ning Fengzhi and the others, who were still in shock: "Sect Master Ning, take the sect disciples away immediately, as far as you can! Do not come near!"

As his voice fell, lightning surged around Qian Qizhou, and he chased after the direction the Snow Empress had taken.

"Qizhou! It's dangerous! Come back!" Guang Ling realized what was happening and shouted in horror.

The might of that Heavenly Tribulation made his soul tremble just from watching from afar; how could a mere Spirit Ancestor approach it?

Ning Fengzhi's face turned deathly pale. He looked at the terrifying sea of golden thunder in the sky, gritted his teeth, and made a prompt decision: "Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, hurry! Organize everyone to evacuate!"

If the sect was gone, it could be rebuilt, but if people died, they could not be brought back to life.

Finally, in a desolate, mountainous region, Qian Qizhou caught up to the Snow Empress.

The moment the two stopped, the golden sea of thunder overhead seemed to have found its final target. The roaring intensified, and the terrifying pressure threatened to crush the very mountain range beneath them.

For the first time, an unprecedented gravity appeared on the Snow Empress's beautiful face.

She looked up at the golden thunder poised to strike, then suddenly turned her head to look at Qian Qizhou, who had followed close behind: "I leave it to you later."

Before Qian Qizhou could respond, she added, "If... I don't succeed, don't force yourself."

Through their time together these past few days, she could feel that this child was different from other humans; his gentle and kind heart was something that could not be hidden by his appearance.

Although his talent was high, he was still just a child after all.

She had lived long enough; if Qian Qizhou couldn't do it, she still hoped he would live well and walk toward a future of his own.

Hearing this, Qian Qizhou's heart sank.

He gripped the Engulfing Lightning in his hand tightly, his gaze becoming incredibly firm: "Sister Snow, you will succeed. I will not fail!"

Looking at the Snow Empress's grave yet calm profile, an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart for reasons unknown.

Upon hearing his reply, the Snow Empress said nothing more, merely nodding slightly before turning all her focus back to the sky.

The chill around her body began to bloom without reservation, preparing to welcome the baptism where destruction and rebirth coexisted.

An incomparably vast and extreme chill erupted from within her body.

Her aura climbed frantically at an unprecedented speed, and countless crystalline ice shards condensed in the air.

Qian Qizhou was forced to retreat repeatedly by this majestic power, his eyes filled with shock.

If he wasn't mistaken, was Snow Empress breaking through? Was she about to cross the seven-hundred-thousand-year threshold?

This process did not last for a very long time, but to the bystander, it felt agonizingly long.

Finally, the light surrounding Snow Empress suddenly retracted, but the pressure she radiated rose abruptly to an entirely new level.

She had officially crossed the threshold of seven-hundred-thousand-year cultivation.

Almost the moment her breakthrough was complete—

"Rumble!!!"

The thunderclouds in the sky grew denser, and endless lightning gathered from all directions at an incredible speed.

If what had come before was merely an appetizer, this was the main course.

The Heavenly Tribulation was about to descend.

Accompanied by a deafening roar, a thick, golden bolt of lightning ferociously tore through the clouds and slammed down toward Snow Empress.

A cold glint flashed in Snow Empress's eyes; she lifted her jade hand slightly, and her massive soul power transformed into a thick ice-crystal barrier to meet it.

"Boom!"

The heavenly thunder collided with the ice wall, erupting with a violent roar and blinding light.

The ice barrier trembled violently, and cracks began to spread across its surface, but it successfully withstood the first strike.

However, this was only the beginning; with Snow Empress's seven-hundred-thousand-year cultivation, she had to endure a full seventy lightning strikes.

The tribulation clouds churned as the second, third, and fourth bolts—golden lightning strikes fell one after another, crashing down frantically without pause.

At the same time, the power of each strike grew stronger than the last, constantly intensifying.

The chill around Snow Empress continued to rise as she cautiously resisted the incoming Heavenly Tribulation.

The tenth... the twentieth... the thirtieth...

Qian Qizhou watched from the side, his heart pounding. Although he wasn't caught in the blast, as the tribulation continued, Snow Empress—while still powerful—was no longer resisting as easily as she had at the start.

He had already tried; there was no way to deflect this Heavenly Tribulation, or it would be judged invalid and start all over again.

He could only let Snow Empress endure as much as possible on her own; otherwise, he couldn't possibly absorb all seventy strikes himself, given his current soul power level.

The fortieth lightning strike! The power of this bolt far exceeded the first; its color was so deep it was nearly dark gold, carrying a terrifying momentum capable of shattering the void.

Snow Empress formed seals with her hands, instantly blooming into a massive Ice Lotus. The lotus rotated, its petals layered and overlapping, guarding her at its center.

"Boom—!!!"

Snow Empress still managed to withstand it, but her face was visibly pale, and her aura had clearly declined.

As time ticked by, her resistance became increasingly difficult, yet only forty strikes had passed; there were still thirty more terrifying strikes of the Heavenly Tribulation to come...

Snow Empress took a deep breath, suppressing the roiling soul power within her body, a trace of determination flashing in her eyes.