Entering the Ice Palace's inner chambers and ascending to the attic, Ming Qi hadn't imagined there was anyone else in the entire palace besides himself.
But the outline of the carved bed behind the curtain was clearly a human figure!
Suppressing his doubts, Ming Qi cautiously peered. The loose curtains allowed him to discern the figure within, and this glimpse left him even more astonished.
The person lying on the carved bed was none other than Bai Bing!
What was going on? Wasn't Bai Bing not in the Ice Palace? Why had she suddenly appeared?
Or, if Bai Bing was already in the Ice Palace, why hadn't she come out on her own?
Filled with doubt, Ming Qi took a few steps forward. Just then, Bai Bing stirred on the carved bed and uttered a whimper, awakening from her deep sleep.
Slowly, Bai Bing rose and immediately spotted Ming Qi standing outside the curtain.
A flicker of surprise crossed Bai Bing's face, then morphed into a smile. "You're here! I've been waiting for you for a long time."
…
Hearing this, Ming Qi was speechless. What did you mean by "waited for me for a long time"? He had clearly been here for nearly a month, yet he hadn't expected you to be here.
"Well, I know this attic is the God Emperor's bedroom, so it's inconvenient for me to just come here casually."
Ming Qi was at a loss for words.
Bai Bing's face was pale, as crystalline as ice and snow. Hearing Ming Qi's words, she couldn't help but chuckle, "You're here, aren't you?"
...
Ming Qi was about to say that he'd been here for over twenty days and couldn't just sit there and wait, when he suddenly sensed Bai Bing's aura was fluctuating, and seemed extremely difficult to control. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you injured?"
Bai Bing stretched lazily, draping her slender legs across the edge of the carved bed. With a lingering fear, she said, "It's not that I'm injured. The Sky-Repairing Project failed, and I narrowly escaped death."
"Huh? The Sky-Repairing Project?"
Ming Qi was stunned. What was this so-called Sky-Repairing Project? How could he have never heard of it? Furthermore, even a powerful being like Bai Bing had narrowly escaped death, which clearly showed that the so-called Sky-Repairing Project was truly a dangerous undertaking.
"The Sky-Repairing Project is enormous, and much of it is classified as divine secrets. It's likely a war that hinges on the destiny of the entire Tianhuang World. Sadly, we lost."
Bai Bing spoke lightly, but Ming Qi was shocked when he heard this.
Anything that could affect the destiny of the Tianhuang World would likely involve the gods. It seems only the City of Gods in the entire Tianhuang World could shoulder such a heavy responsibility, but it doesn't sound promising.
"What would be the consequences if it fails?"
Ming Qi wisely didn't ask what the Sky-Repairing Project was. When it involved divine secrets, it was best to remain in the dark, at least for now.
"The destiny of the entire Tianhuang World has begun to rapidly decline. In a year or even six months, Tianhuang will inevitably undergo drastic changes, order will collapse, and war will rage..." Bai Bing recounted the story, as if telling a story, but Ming Qi was deeply shocked.
"This will continue until a person of great fortune rises and restores the Tianhuang world's numbers. If no one of great fortune emerges, then the Tianhuang world will inevitably face destruction."
Ming Qi's face changed several times. Something concerning the destruction and survival of the entire Tianhuang world, yet coming from Bai Bing's mouth, it felt like a story?
"Since the Sky-Repairing Plan has failed, then the next step is to sit back and wait for death?"
"You could put it this way. No one has mastered the art of counting. Since the Sky-Repairing Plan has failed, if the Tianhuang world is destined for destruction, then no one of great fortune will rise to meet the calamity. Instead, a person of great fortune will soon emerge and enter the world's consciousness."
Bai Bing sighed. Now, the entire Tianhuang world is pinning its hopes on a person who hasn't yet appeared. This always feels like a mockery of the divine realm's incompetence. But the truth is, and not even the gods can change it.
This news shocked Ming Qi for a long time. He felt a little unbelievable. How could the vast world of Tianhuang suddenly be in danger? How could such a vast world suddenly be heading for destruction?
He had no idea how many living beings there were in Tianhuang. He only knew that there were many, many more. No matter how many grudges, hatreds, life-and-death entanglements there were, when faced with destruction and survival, these things suddenly became unimportant.
"Don't you ask me why I asked you to come to me?"
Seeing Ming Qi's continued silence, Bai Bing suddenly asked with a hint of ill intent.
"Well, that's exactly what I wanted to ask."
Ming Qi scratched his head, sitting there, a little afraid to look at Bai Bing. Although this woman was injured, her charm was fully exposed, which was truly overwhelming.
"Actually, there's something I haven't told you."
Bai Bing suddenly said.
"What's going on?"
Ming Qi was a little confused. He hadn't interacted with Bai Bing very often, but he was aware that Bai Bing always looked at him differently, thanks to the incident at Yanzhuang.
"To put it simply, I've tied your tribulation to mine. Or rather, I'm using you as a medium for my tribulation." Bai Bing considered his words and spoke with a rare seriousness.
"Tribulation?"
Ming Qi was confused. He knew about tribulations, but he had never heard of people being tied together to endure them.
"Yes, after entering the Emperor Realm, I'm 90% certain of the other tribulations. However, the tribulation of love remains unknown, so..."
Bai Bing paused, his watery eyes fixed on Ming Qi.
"Tribulation of love? This..."
Hearing this, Ming Qi was stunned. Could it be that Bai Bing was planning a passionate love affair with him?
"What?"
"Uh, this is truly unbelievable."
Ming Qi rubbed his chin, unsure of what to say.
Seeing Ming Qi's embarrassment, Bai Bing suddenly smiled and said, "Although I didn't get your consent in advance, you're not at a disadvantage..."
...
Okay, no disadvantage.
Ming Qi was truly speechless.
"I'm seriously injured this time. My strength is less than 30% of my full potential. I can't even tell what realm you've reached now. Tell me, see if you can surprise me."
Bai Bing said.
"To be frank, I'm probably at the same level as you now."
Ming Qi looked at Bai Bing, suddenly feeling a little uneasy.
"The same level as me?"
Bai Bing didn't react for a moment, but then she exclaimed, "Have you reached the Emperor Realm?"
Ming Qi nodded.
Receiving a positive answer, Bai Bing was completely delighted. She immediately sat up and waved her hand, sending out several icy rays. Ming Qi felt as if the entire attic had suddenly come to life, a sense of isolation.
"Then... let's overcome the tribulation now!"
Bai Bing smiled charmingly and hooked her snow-white finger at Ming Qi.