dmims Chapter 16: The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress!
Chapter 16: The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress!
"What...what do you want? Don't come any closer!"
Xiao Bai's voice trembled, but she still stood in front of Zhang Qingxuan, who was sitting and absorbing the soul ring, without taking a step back.
【It's all over, it's really over!】
Why did the two most dangerous people in the far north have to show up at this time?!
【Young master, the Purple Cloud Lightning Talisman you gave me… wasn’t it a bit too subtle?】
Hyotei looked at the little fox in front of her who was clearly terrified but still trying to put on a brave face, and a playful smile appeared on her lips.
She didn't care; instead, she found his eagerness to protect his master quite amusing.
"Little fox, don't be so afraid. We just sensed something unusual in the sky and came to take a look."
"I mean you no harm, nor to the person behind you." Her voice was clear and gentle.
Without stopping, she calmly moved forward, as if Xiaobai's slight threat was not worth mentioning at all.
"Stop! Don't come any closer! Otherwise, otherwise I really won't be polite!" Little White was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, its fur seemed to stand on end.
She suddenly pulled out a talisman from her bosom, its purple light shimmering and runes flowing, and held it tightly between her fingers, aiming it at Hyotei.
On the talisman, tiny electric snakes crackled and popped, casting flickering light on her pale face.
Just as tensions were about to rise, another slender, pale hand gently rested on Hyotei's shoulder.
It's Xue Di.
She said nothing, but shook her head very slowly and firmly at Hyotei.
Those icy blue eyes were not looking at Ice Emperor at this moment, but were fixed on the seemingly ordinary talisman in Xiao Bai's hand.
Her mental strength far surpasses that of Hyotei, and her perception is also much sharper.
Deep within that talisman, she "heard" a muffled, destructive thunder, as if compressing and imprisoning a raging thundercloud within a small space.
What made her even more uneasy was that the ancient and majestic aura emanating from the talisman seemed to share a common origin with the dark thunderclouds overhead that refused to dissipate.
She looked up at the sky.
Thick clouds rolled slowly, occasionally flashing with lightning, like the pulse of a sleeping beast.
That was no ordinary thunder; it carried a trace of the will of heaven and earth to judge...
Lightning tribulation!
Even someone as powerful as her held a mixture of awe and apprehension towards the power that symbolized the might of heaven and earth.
Hyotei turned his head to meet Yuki-tei's calm and serious gaze.
They have been together for hundreds of thousands of years, and a single glance is enough to convey countless messages.
She could read a rare solemnity and a clear sense of obstruction in Xue Di's eyes.
Although she was unwilling and was extremely curious about the human who could control lightning, Hyotei stopped as instructed, and even took a half step back with a hint of annoyance, returning to her position next to Yuki.
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you, Sister Xue."
She shrugged, her tone sounding rather helpless, but her eyes still darted curiously between the little fox and the humans behind it.
Even though she had retreated, Xiaobai's tense nerves did not relax at all.
She became even more vigilant, her gaze fixed on the two of them, even her breathing became slow and gentle.
Xue Di ignored Xiao Bai's almost instinctive vigilance; her attention was already drawn to the human youth sitting cross-legged behind Xiao Bai, whose aura was quietly transforming.
Not long ago, she and Hyotei both noticed the thunderclouds that suddenly gathered in the sky—what concerned them even more was that deep within the clouds, a pure and majestic aura of "heavenly tribulation" was swirling.
Their mental energy quietly spread out, and they "saw" the Titan Snow Demon King fighting a human.
What truly stirred their emotions was that the seemingly young human was somehow guiding and manipulating the thunderclouds overhead!
The thunderclouds contain the aura of heavenly tribulation, and they are also controlled by humans...
Does that mean that the Heavenly Tribulation itself could be controlled?
Once the thought took hold, it could no longer be suppressed.
……
After an unknown amount of time, the scarlet soul ring that had been floating in mid-air began to slowly shrink, transforming into a stream of light that entered Zhang Qingxuan's body.
In an instant, Zhang Qingxuan's aura trembled, and a powerful and icy pressure, far stronger than before, flashed by.
His tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and within them seemed to rage with wind and snow, and roar like a giant ape, before finally settling into a deep, calm stillness.
Titan Snow Demon King's 200,000-year soul ring granted him two extremely powerful soul skills:
Frost Armor – Reduces physical damage by 80% and has a chance to freeze the attacker when attacked.
Titan's Might – Strengthens the physical body, causing a dramatic increase in size, and instantly boosting strength, speed, and defense by 300%.
"Um?"
As soon as Zhang Qingxuan regained consciousness, what came into view was his little fox in a tense standoff with two stunningly beautiful women whose auras were as deep as the ocean.
The air was not thick with murderous intent, but rather with a more subtle tension of scrutiny and curiosity.
"Waaaaah!! Young Master! Young Master, you're finally awake!!"
The moment Zhang Qingxuan opened his eyes, Xiaobai almost burst into tears of joy.
No longer caring about her feigned fierceness, she pounced on Zhang Qingxuan like a white lightning bolt.
She gripped his sleeve tightly with both hands, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice choked with sobs, filled with the lingering fear and grievance of surviving a close call.
"If you don't wake up soon, Little White, Little White, they might just catch you and skin you alive to make scarves!"
"You have no idea, my heart was pounding in my chest just now!"
"I've heard people say before that some powerful figures with extraordinary cultivation like to use our fox fur to make coats!"
"Waaah... Little White almost turned into a coat today, so pitiful..."
Zhang Qingxuan was somewhat amused and exasperated. He gently patted her trembling back and said softly, "Alright, alright, stop acting. If they really wanted to do something to you, why would you be standing here complaining to me like this?"
Xiao Bai raised her head, her eyes moist and filled with admiration.
"They're afraid of the Purple Cloud Lightning Talisman you gave me, Young Master!" Her tone suddenly became more confident, and she even turned her head and secretly stuck out her tongue in the direction of the Snow Emperor and the Ice Emperor, with a smug look on her face, as if to say, "My backer has woken up."
My powerful backer has woken up! Let's see if you dare to mess around again!
Zhang Qingxuan shook his head and chuckled, then looked up and stared at the two women who had remained standing still the entire time.
Her snow-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her icy eyes shone like stars. Just by standing there, the surrounding wind and snow seemed to become gentle.
He had a vague idea of who it was—in this far northern core, there were probably no other people besides those two who could make even the Titan Snow Demon King become a background figure.
"I wonder what brings you two here to offer me guidance?" He asked calmly, his tone gentle yet exuding a composed air.
Upon hearing this, Xue Di took a small half-step forward.
The wind and snow seemed to pause slightly at her toes.
She looked at Zhang Qingxuan and asked clearly, word by word:
"I'd like to know, Your Excellency—how much do you really know about the tribulations of lightning in this world?"