When everyone came back to their senses.
The boundless thundercloud layer had already turned snow-white.
Under their feet, the originally desertified region was now covered in frost that stretched beyond sight.
Compared to Xue Di, who had somewhat anticipated this scene within her field of vision.
The others beside her—including Bing Di and even everyone else—couldn't help but swallow hard.
Hearing about it and actually seeing it were two completely different experiences.
"The tribulation clouds… have been frozen!" Xiong Jun stared in shock, mouth agape.
Ning Rongrong was very strong; otherwise she couldn't have defeated him. But this was simply too outrageous.
If she had been serious back then, perhaps…
Xiong Jun couldn't help but shiver.
The cold wind howled, and snowflakes danced in the air.
The sky had been dyed entirely snow-white. The originally thick thundercloud layer seemed as if someone had pressed the pause button.
"What a shocking sight!" A faint glimmer flashed through Xue Di's beautiful eyes.
The skill Ning Rongrong had released wasn't simply freezing matter and leaving it unable to move.
It was true absolute zero—not merely freezing substances like her own ultimate move.
It referred to the stagnation of time and space itself.
Through the frozen ice layer, the leaping lightning still maintained its original state.
Like an arched rainbow suspended motionless in the clouds, just like a creature preserved in amber, frozen in its state before death.
Suddenly, a suppressing ripple spread out, and even Xue Di felt a palpitation in her heart.
"Sword Technique—Void Collapse Dragon: Myriad Transformations"
A clear voice rang through the air.
As the words fell.
The time and space within the thundercloud layer began to flow, accompanied by a sound like an eggshell cracking.
A black slash tore through the boundless, frozen cloud layer.
In the next moment, time and space began to collapse.
The torn space started devouring everything around it madly.
In merely a few seconds, the thick cloud layer formed by the thunder tribulation had completely vanished.
The black rift resembled the unfathomable Mariana Trench—impossible to ever fill.
"Combine!"
Ning Rongrong brought her hands slightly together. The massive rift that had been slowly devouring energy began to heal.
Half a minute later.
The rift that had been continuously swallowing external energy like a black hole was reduced to only faint lines.
Then, bit by bit, it disappeared.
Not a trace remained.
The sky returned to clear blue, with bright sunshine shining down. The scene of dark clouds pressing over the city from the thunder tribulation seemed as though it had never existed.
"Phew—"
After finishing all this, Ning Rongrong let out a long breath. The Liuli Holy Sword in her hand flickered lightly before being stored into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda also turned into specks of light and merged back into her body.
"Done. Job's finished."
Her aura had become somewhat unstable, but she quickly masked it.
Fortunately it wasn't a divine tribulation. If it had been a situation like Lan Fozi's earlier.
Without the accumulation from the previous formations, she really wouldn't have been able to withstand it right now.
Di Tian could no longer sense the aura of the thunder tribulation and knew he had likely passed it.
Perhaps out of pride or something else.
Di Tian looked toward Ning Rongrong. His golden pupils carried a trace of complexity.
Sensing there was no longer any danger, everyone began moving closer to this side.
The ferocious beasts—even Qian Daoliu and the others—looked at Ning Rongrong with shock in their eyes.
Just how terrifying that thunder tribulation had been could be faintly sensed even from up close.
This was not a disaster a soul beast—or even a Limit Douluo—could easily withstand, let alone handle it as casually as Ning Rongrong had.
"Rongrong, you've worked hard."
"Daddy, Grandfather Sword, Grandfather Bone, why are you here?" Ning Rongrong noticed the appearance of Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo, and was quite surprised.
To deal with the thunder tribulation, Ning Rongrong had not extended her perception beyond the range of the clouds.
If she had been distracted, it would have been disastrous if something went wrong.
"Your commotion was a bit too big—even the sect could see it," Sword Douluo said.
"Rongrong, don't always do such dangerous things. Even if you're confident, we still worry."
"That's right." Bone Douluo picked up Sword Douluo's words, his tone carrying a bit of reproach.
"That… I'll be more careful next time." Ning Rongrong gave an awkward smile. "Ah, right—let's head back first! Don't resist."
A black-and-white interlaced Taiji domain appeared beneath Ning Rongrong's feet, enveloping everyone inside.
As the domain array patterns underfoot rapidly rotated, everyone felt a momentary daze.
In the blink of an eye, they had returned to the Star Dou Great Forest.
"This is…"
Ning Fengzhi, who had just regained his senses, looked somewhat stunned.
"Star Dou Great Forest! Speaking of which, Daddy and the two grandfathers are here for the first time."
"I remember I've come here many times myself."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi rolled his eyes.
What place on the entire Douluo Continent hadn't she been to?
The dangerous grounds that other soul masters feared and dreaded were like going home for her.
"Star Dou Great Forest, huh! Come to think of it, when I was young I once dreamed of going deep inside to take a look. I never expected to fulfill that dream in this way," Sword Douluo said with a touch of emotion.
"If Elder Chen Xin likes it, you're welcome to stay for a while," Di Tian said.
"Hm…"
Sword Douluo looked toward Ning Rongrong.
In the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she was the one in charge.
Ning Fengzhi?
Just a figurehead sect master—what could he decide?
Go to Heaven Dou to buy cat girls?
"That's fine too. I was planning to have Grandfather Sword, Grandfather Bone, and Daddy stay here for a few days anyway."
"You just broke through—your strength hasn't stabilized yet. Di Tian's attributes and swordsmanship are both quite good."
"Then we'll trouble you, Senior Beast God."
"No trouble at all." Di Tian laughed heartily.
For others it might not be possible, but for the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect it was different.
Moreover, if not for Ning Rongrong's intervention, he might have perished. Plus, there were things about his master that he wanted to discuss with Ning Rongrong.
"Bi Ji, please take care of Sect Master Ning and the two Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect elders. Don't mistreat our honored guests."
Bi Ji nodded. "Understood."
After some simple chatting, Di Tian suddenly felt as if something was missing from his side.
"Where did Zi Ji go? And the others?"
Zi Ji's true form was the Abyss Demonic Dragon, possessing dragon blood close to Di Tian's own. Even though her strength was weaker, she was still one of his trusted subordinates.
"Zi Ji and Chi Wang decided on soul spirit sacrifice. Besides them, there's also the Myriad Demon King."
"Soul spirit? What is that?" Di Tian frowned. "Sacrifice—what have you all been doing?"
Di Tian felt his head ache. How had he gone to the Dragon Valley for a trip only to come back and find his subordinates playing at sacrifice?
Bi Ji was silent for a moment before speaking. "This is a method we got from Dugu Yan earlier. In general… Ning Rongrong should know about it."
"It has nothing to do with me. I already told Dugu Yan not to spread it around."
"It's your own problem, isn't it!" Ning Rongrong sighed. "The answers you and the Myriad Demon King found about soul spirits are completely different from what you were told."
"Perhaps."
Bi Ji did not refute. When the Myriad Demon King became Dugu Yan's soul spirit, his soul would not perish.
But Zi Ji, Chi Wang, and the two other hundred-thousand-year soul beasts helping Bibi Dong become a god—that was practically gambling with their lives.
It might succeed, but whether any soul would remain afterward was something no one could confirm.
After thinking for a moment, Bi Ji still told Di Tian about their discussions.
"You… you all!" Di Tian's brows shot up. "Couldn't you wait for me to come back before making decisions?"
"Zi Ji is immature, but Bi Ji—you should know better, right?" Di Tian was both angry and amused.
"The Divine Realm has been isolated and can no longer interfere with the mortal world. This is the only chance we have to turn things around," Bi Ji said.
"Di Tian, forget Zi Ji—even I would be willing to sacrifice myself for the future of the soul beast clan."
"You… Bi Ji, you all…!"
This generation of ferocious beasts was really hard to lead.
"Can it be stopped?" Di Tian asked. "If it's just igniting the divine fire, I originally planned to wait until Master returned from the Dragon Valley; I should have been able to do it. But now…"
"Simply igniting the divine fire is not enough to become a first-level god."
The one who spoke was Xue Di.
"Xue Di!"
Di Tian's pupils contracted slightly. "You… this aura… you've become a god!"
As the former leader of the Black Dragon clan, it was impossible for him not to recognize the aura of a god.
He simply hadn't noticed at first.
Soul beasts cannot become gods—so how had Xue Di done it?
Could it be that Xue Di's talent was so peerless that she surpassed even him, the former Dragon King of the Divine Realm?
Impossible!
She was merely an Ice and Snow Maiden, and yet she carried the aura of a first-level god position.
(End of chapter)