The sky above Yingxue Mountain Villa was thick with dark clouds, and lightning flashed with dazzling brilliance. Against the backdrop of the snow, it looked even more eerie and terrifying.
The white-armored guards at the villa's entrance all looked up at the mountaintop in surprise. The rolling dark clouds now hovered above the Ice Palace like an ancient black dragon, continuously spewing out dazzling lightning.
The captain of the guards frowned in thought, then burst into laughter. "The person who just arrived must be extraordinary. Look at the dark clouds and lightning above. He's most likely undergoing a tribulation. Judging by the appearance of either a Saint Tribulation or an Emperor Tribulation."
The fellows nearby nodded in agreement. The dark clouds covering the sky made it clear that this was no ordinary tribulation.
But then again, who was this person, and why would he choose Yingxue Mountain Villa to undergo a tribulation? One must know that once the tribulation thunder descended, the slightest mistake could destroy the entire villa.
Upon realizing this, the guard captain frowned again. If this man truly destroyed the entire mountain, how would he explain himself to the Divine Emperor when he returned?
"Well, that man has the Divine Emperor's token. I suppose if that were to happen, he wouldn't blame us."
The guards weren't stupid; they figured it out quickly. They sat there quietly, watching the strangely shifting calamity clouds and thunder.
But not long after, the guard captain stood up, his eyes narrowed, and gazed off into the distance.
Following his gaze, he could see someone flying towards them at a rapid speed. Both their speed and momentum proved they were at least a master of the Emperor Realm.
"Why are there people joining in the fun at this hour..."
The captain of the guards grumbled inwardly, but he dared not show any disrespect. Seeing the approaching person, he quickly and respectfully said, "Greetings to the Divine Emperor Tongxuan."
"No thanks."
Ye Tongxuan waved his hand casually, then ignored the guards and headed up the mountain.
The calamity clouds and thunder appeared above Bai Bing's private residence. That must mean Bai Bing was undergoing a tribulation. But Ye Tongxuan couldn't figure it out. Wasn't Bai Bing participating in the Sky Repair Project? Why was she at Yingxue Mountain Villa at this hour?
Thinking of this, Ye Tongxuan turned to the captain of the guards and asked, "Is Sister Bing back?"
Hearing this address, the captain's mouth twitched, and he vaguely replied, "I haven't seen the Divine Emperor return."
"Oh?"
Ye Tongxuan frowned, perplexed. If Bai Bing hadn't returned, then what about the calamity clouds? Furthermore, he hadn't heard any news about the Sky Repair Project in recent times.
This was truly bizarre!
He knew that Yingxue Villa was Bai Bing's abode for the dead, and ordinary people were forbidden from entering, let alone undergoing tribulations there.
After a pause, Ye Tongxuan suddenly remembered something and asked, "Has anyone been here recently?"
"Well, it's like this. Over half a month ago, a man arrived bearing a token from the Divine Emperor, and we let him in."
The captain of the guards answered honestly.
"Oh? Is this true? Did that man leave?"
Ye Tongxuan's brows flickered, sensing this was not a good sign, and he asked hurriedly.
"No, I haven't seen him since that day."
"Okay, I get it."
Ye Tongxuan responded hastily, then quickly ascended the mountain. The path to the summit was lined with a formation barrier set by Bai Bing. If an outsider were to fly through it, the barrier would immediately activate itself. Ye Tongxuan knew this, so despite feeling inexplicably resentful, he didn't dare fly directly to the mountaintop ice palace. Instead, he could only walk up step by step.
Surviving a tribulation could be considered a truly earth-shattering event, but since everyone in the Divine Realm was a highly skilled cultivator, their curiosity about such matters naturally waned.
At that moment, in the sky above the Divine Realm's capital of the gods, three people soared, gazing towards Baiai City.
One of the three had a graying beard and a thin frame, but his eyes were gleaming, revealing him to be a formidable cultivator. To his left stood a gorgeous woman in red, seemingly in her twenties. Her skin was voluptuous, her spirit vibrant, and her eyes sparkled with life. She was breathtaking at first glance.
To the old man's right stood a burly man, perhaps in his forties. His face was covered in a thick beard that stood like thorns, his eyes as large as an ox's. His complexion, however, appeared pale and frail, suggesting serious injuries.
"Xuanwu, look at that Bai Bing girl! She's truly reckless. How long has she been back? And she's already risking her life to overcome the tribulation? I think she's truly tired of living."
The man pointed in the direction of Baiai City and spoke in a muffled voice.
The old man narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and said, "Qinglong, it's not necessarily that the girl isn't smart. You know, at this point, it's time for us to find a way out."
A gleam of light flashed in the man's ox-eyed eyes, but then dimmed. "I'm afraid there's no hope for us in this lifetime."
The old man Xuanwu remained silent in thought. They all knew the current situation well, but they simply kept things to themselves.
"Haha, when disaster strikes, everyone flees. It seems Tianhuang's fate has run out. If we don't find a way out, I'm afraid there won't be one."
The beautiful woman in red said in a deeply mournful tone.
"Suzaku, could it be that you've already found a way out?"
Qinglong asked, frowning.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, he had to admit it. With the failure of the Sky-Repairing Plan, the entire Divine Realm was already on the verge of collapse. It was inevitable that everyone within the Divine Realm would harbor their own concerns. After all, no one wanted to sit idly by and wait for death after learning of the crisis. Although there was no outward sign of conflict, the situation had probably already begun in secret.
"Brother Qinglong, you're joking. How could I possibly possess such power? This entire Tianhuang is like a giant bird's nest, and we are merely the eggs within it. If the nest collapses, how can the eggs remain intact?"
...
Zhuque's metaphor was perfectly apt, but coming from an Emperor Realm expert, it smacked of irony, even including herself.
"Haha, even if one breaks through to the Martial Emperor Realm, transcending the confines of heaven and earth is still incredibly difficult."
Xuanwu sighed to himself and turned away.
The remaining Suzaku and Azure Dragon exchanged a glance before also departing.
…
Ye Tongxuan climbed to the top of the mountain and headed straight for the Ice Palace. As expected, after only a few steps, he stepped onto the protective barrier. Circles of long dragons of ice and snow instantly emerged from all directions, entwining themselves around him.
A fierce glint flashed in Ye Tongxuan's eyes. He extended his hand and blasted out several dazzling beams of light, scattering the incoming snow dragons.
"Hmph, what right do you have to occupy Bingmei's palace and even activate the protective formation? Today, I will bring you death!"
Ye Tongxuan shattered the protective formation and slipped into the Ice Palace.