Ten-Thousand-Year Heavenly Tribulation (Testing Phase, Please Follow)

Ling Xiao's expression was truly spectacular.

Ice Empress noticed Ling Xiao's reaction, and the corners of her lips rose slightly.

However, she ignored Ling Xiao and directly summoned several little scorpions.

These little scorpions looked exactly the same as the surrounding clan members.

Jade-green shells, flexible upturned stingers, and round little eyes.

Ling Xiao had no idea how Ice Empress could tell them apart.

One little scorpion spoke in scorpion language, "Clan leader, what did you summon us for?"

"It's like this."

Ice Empress's tone turned serious.

She glanced at Ling Xiao, then introduced him to the little scorpions.

"This is Ling Xiao. He is an innate lightning elemental spirit who feeds on lightning by nature."

Upon hearing this, the little scorpions all turned to look at Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao waved his little hand at them and gave them a friendly smile.

Naturally, Ice Empress's clansmen knew of Ling Xiao's existence.

With the commotion Ling Xiao had caused, every soul beast in the Extreme North knew that Snow Emperor had adopted a little monster capable of drawing down heavenly lightning.

After the introductions were finished.

Ice Empress went straight to the point.

"Among our clan, you are the most likely to break through to one hundred thousand years."

Ice Empress sounded calm, but a trace of nervousness was hidden in her eyes.

"So, I want you to attempt the hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation with Ling Xiao's help."

Ice Empress paused.

"However, I cannot guarantee success. Your lives will also be in danger."

After speaking, Ice Empress quietly waited for the little scorpions' answer.

The air froze at that moment.

The little scorpions exchanged glances.

They did not answer immediately, instead beginning to discuss in low voices in the Ice Jade Scorpion language.

Ling Xiao could not understand what they were saying, but he could feel the gravity in the air.

A moment later.

One little scorpion swayed its stinger, its way of raising a hand to answer.

"Xiaoqing, you speak."

Ice Empress called on it.

The Ice Jade Scorpion called Xiaoqing stepped forward and said directly,

"Clan leader, we discussed it. We are all willing to give it a try."

Ice Empress's body trembled slightly.

"You..." Ice Empress hesitated. "This could cost you your lives."

"Clan leader, we are not afraid."

Xiaoqing's tone was especially firm.

"We trust the decision you have made. Please let us try!"

The other little scorpions all nodded.

Ice Empress fell silent.

Looking at the few clansmen before her, complicated emotions rose in her heart.

In the end, Ice Empress made her decision.

"Alright."

Her voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Xiaoqing will go first."

After deciding on who would undergo the tribulation, Ice Empress went to speak with Snow Emperor.

She did not tell Ling Xiao about their conversation, merely saying to him flatly,

"You little freeloader, we've found someone. Let's go give it a try."

Ice Empress spoke casually.

But as Ice Empress's close sister, how could Snow Emperor not know what she was thinking?

Snow Emperor said nothing more. She simply gave Ice Empress's hand a gentle squeeze.

Ice Empress felt the familiar chill of that hand, but the strength in its grip carried silent support.

Ice Empress slowly nodded, then led three Ice Jade Scorpions away from the clan.

The three little scorpions were:

Xiaoqing, Xiaocui, and Xiaolv.

Their cultivations were ninety-eight thousand years, ninety-five thousand years, and ninety-two thousand years respectively.

They were the members of the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan most likely to break through to one hundred thousand years.

Ice Empress had brought all of them out.

This was a gamble.

If Ling Xiao successfully helped them break through to one hundred thousand years, the Ice Jade Scorpion Clan's strength would greatly increase.

Three hundred-thousand-year soul beasts appearing at once would be unprecedented even in the history of the Extreme North.

If they failed...

Ice Empress did not dare imagine that outcome.

The Ice and Snow Emperors flew deep into the Extreme North Icefield with the others.

They needed to find a place open enough and far enough from other soul beasts.

Upon a desolate icefield.

"This place will do."

Ice Empress nodded slightly after looking around.

Xiaoqing would be the first to undergo the tribulation.

Xiaoqing stood in the middle of the icefield, several meters away from Ling Xiao.

"Are you ready?"

Ice Empress's voice came from afar.

Xiaoqing swayed its stinger to indicate that it was ready, then actively urged its soul power to surge.

The true body of the Ice Jade Scorpion began to manifest, its cultivation directly rising to one hundred thousand years.

At that moment, heaven and earth changed color.

Above the Extreme North, the clear skies stretching for thousands of miles were suddenly covered by pitch-black thunderclouds.

The thunderclouds churned, lightning flashing within them.

The hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation had descended.

The Ice and Snow Emperors, watching from afar, both tensed at the same time.

The two little scorpions by Ice Empress's feet were also deeply shocked by the lightning tribulation.

However...

At the very center of the lightning tribulation, Ling Xiao felt no nervousness at all.

On the contrary, an inexplicable excitement welled up from deep within his heart.

Ling Xiao raised his head toward the thunderclouds.

The aura of destruction surged toward him like a tide, making all the blood in his body boil.

That's it!

This is the feeling!

Compared to the heavenly lightning I draw down myself, this life-threatening kind is the real heavenly lightning!

The heavenly lightning born when soul beasts underwent tribulation held only pure destruction, without any gift from the Heavenly Dao.

It contained not the slightest hint of gentleness, only power of annihilation refined to the extreme.

Every soul beast had to face it, seeking a sliver of life within absolute desperation.

This was true punishment.

Yet Ling Xiao had been born precisely to devour this kind of power.

Boom!

The first bolt of heavenly lightning crashed down.

Purple lightning wrapped in an aura of destruction struck directly toward Xiaoqing in the center of the icefield.

Xiaoqing's body shuddered violently, and a crack instantly appeared on its jade-green shell.

It had endured the strike head-on.

Buzz!

Each bolt of heavenly lightning was stronger than the last.

More cracks appeared on Xiaoqing's shell, yet it remained firmly standing.

The heavenly lightning destroyed the fragile parts and allowed tougher parts to be reborn.

After several bolts of heavenly lightning fell in succession.

The cracks on Xiaoqing's shell increased, jade-green fluid seeping out through the fissures.

Just as Xiaoqing was about to be unable to endure any longer.

Ling Xiao moved.

"Hey!"

Ling Xiao kicked off fiercely with both legs, launching himself into the air and colliding head-on with the descending bolt of heavenly lightning.

Boom!

The heavenly lightning pierced from the crown of his head through to his feet.

Lightning engulfed his entire body, its destructive aura exploding violently within him.

Ling Xiao showed no expression of pain. All he felt was utter comfort.

"This is the right feeling."

Ling Xiao narrowed his eyes in bliss.

After entering his body, the heavenly lightning caused his cultivation to surge sharply in an instant.

Sensing outside interference in the tribulation, the heavenly tribulation reacted even more violently.

The thunderclouds churned as their volume expanded several times over.

The heavenly lightning, which had been relatively restrained before, was completely enraged at that moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several bolts of heavenly lightning fell at once, turning the entire icefield into a pool of lightning.

The Ice and Snow Emperors' hearts tightened.

Ice Empress instinctively wanted to rush over, but Snow Emperor grabbed her wrist.

"Xue'er!"

"You can't go over there."

"Once a lightning tribulation is disturbed by outside forces, its power will multiply. If we rush in recklessly, we'll only make the lightning tribulation even more terrifying."