Chapter 186: Sister, Perhaps I Can Help You Overcome the Ice-Fire Tribulation!
The Emperor’s Corpse had emerged and was relentlessly pursuing Lin Qi’an and his companions while inexplicably ignoring Xi Chao.
This was the essence of the “Destined Child.” Even in the face of mortal danger, their fortune always shone through.
Lin Qi’an muttered, “Fox, I’m starting to seriously suspect you’re the source of this bad luck!”
Bai Jiuli quickly protested, “Don’t spout nonsense… My luck might not be great, but you can’t just pin this all on me!”
“Not great?” Lin Qi’an raised a brow. “Your fortune is pitch black. If the ‘Destined Child’ is Heaven’s favorite, then you’re the child Heaven abandoned!”
Bai Jiuli’s voice rose in indignation. “How do you even know my luck is bad?!”
At the entrance, Yu Xianglan was still standing guard.
She had chosen not to venture further after entering the stone gate, fully aware of her limited abilities. Instead, she volunteered to stay behind and secure the entrance.
Suddenly, she felt a terrifying aura ripple out from the depths, followed by a distant rumble. Her heart clenched with fear.
“What’s happening…” she murmured, her voice shaky.
Before she could gather her thoughts, Lin Qi’an and his group burst out from the stone gate, looking utterly frantic.
“What happened in there?” Yu Xianglan asked, bewildered.
“No time to explain—run!” Lin Qi’an yelled as they raced past.
But outside, the ever-enthusiastic undead villagers were still gathered, waiting. They immediately surrounded the group, cutting off their escape.
Just then, a deafening boom shattered the air.
The stone gate exploded, and the Emperor’s Corpse, clad in its blood-red robes, strode out. The overwhelming aura it exuded swept across the surroundings, instilling terror in all who felt it.
The undead villagers, upon seeing the Emperor’s Corpse, dropped to their knees and began kowtowing fervently.
“Ancestor!” they chanted in unison.
The oppressive aura of the Emperor filled the air, leaving Yu Xianglan trembling so violently that she could no longer move her legs.
With undead villagers blocking the front and the Emperor’s Corpse pursuing them from behind, the situation seemed utterly hopeless.
“This is it…” Yu Xianglan’s voice trembled. “No wonder no one who enters ever comes out alive. It’s terrifying…”
Zhao Yunji and Lin Liuli, pale and despairing, shared her sentiments.
The Emperor’s Corpse was far beyond anything they could handle. Even with just a fragment of its aura, it was insurmountable.
Xi Chao appeared from the depths, laughing maniacally.
“I’ve never been so delighted in my life! Lin Qi’an, even you are helpless today. This is perfect!” He seemed almost drunk with joy. After all, Lin Qi’an’s strength meant nothing when a true monster was on his side.
“Lin Qi’an, today is the day you die!” he shouted, his voice booming with confidence. “And you, Lin Liuli, you ungrateful wretch! I treated you so well, and yet you refused me. Now, even if you beg, I wouldn’t spare you!
“Today, all of you will die here!” His voice echoed triumphantly, carried by the night wind.
Zhao Yunji: “…”
Lin Liuli: “…”
Lin Qi’an sighed. “There’s no other choice. For now, let’s hide inside.”
He activated the Lotus Realm, and with a ripple of space, the four vanished.
Xi Chao stood stunned, “They have a spatial artifact? I don’t believe they can escape so easily!”
The Emperor’s Corpse, now without its immediate targets, paused. It stood motionless, seemingly waiting.
—
Within the Lotus Realm.
“What is this place?!” Yu Xianglan exclaimed, looking around in awe.
“It’s another space. For now, it’s safe,” Lin Qi’an explained calmly.
Yu Xianglan marveled at the artifact. A spatial device capable of securing safety in such dire situations was nothing short of incredible.
Zhao Yunji and Lin Liuli finally relaxed a little, breathing sighs of relief.
“While we can hide here temporarily, we can’t stay forever. Once the forbidden ground’s exit opens in two days, we’ll have to leave,” Lin Qi’an said, analyzing their predicament.
“But that Emperor’s Corpse will still be out there,” Lin Liuli pointed out grimly.
Lin Qi’an nodded. “Which means we have two options: escape or defeat it.”
The others stared at him, their expressions filled with disbelief.
“Defeat the Emperor’s Corpse? Are you serious?” Yu Xianglan asked hesitantly, her tone full of doubt.
Lin Qi’an shook his head. “I don’t think escape is feasible. If it catches up to us, there’s no way we’ll survive. Our best bet is to find a way to defeat it.”
Zhao Yunji nodded firmly. “Then let’s try!”
“We need to muster our strongest abilities. Every bit of extra strength increases our chances of success,” Lin Qi’an continued, his tone steady.
Bai Jiuli looked at him incredulously.
Facing that monstrosity was an impossible task, and yet Lin Qi’an was suggesting they fight it? To her, it sounded utterly insane!
Had Lin Liuli known earlier that an Emperor’s Corpse lurked within, she never would have allowed Lin Qi’an to risk his life by entering.
“It’s a shame… If I could overcome the Ice-Fire Tribulation and achieve the Perfect Glazed Body, I’d be far stronger,” Lin Liuli lamented.
Lin Qi’an had initially planned to seize Xi Chao’s Mystic Ice Flowing Fire Jade to help Lin Liuli through her tribulation. But plans seldom kept up with changes in circumstances.
Fortunately, he had another idea. With his extensive dual cultivation experience with Su Xueni, coupled with the Divine Frost Sword and the Nine Yang Divine Fire, he wielded powerful forces of both ice and fire. Perhaps, he thought, he could substitute the Ice-Fire Jade with his own abilities.
“Sister, I might be able to help you through the Ice-Fire Tribulation,” Lin Qi’an offered.
“What?!” Lin Liuli’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise. “Are you sure? The Ice-Fire Tribulation requires immensely pure and powerful ice and fire to temper the body. Once begun, there’s no turning back.
“If it fails, you won’t get a second chance. You’ll never be able to achieve the Perfect Glazed Body again.”
“I’m certain,” Lin Qi’an replied calmly.
Lin Liuli hesitated but eventually nodded. “Alright… I trust you.”
But then, as if struck by a thought, her expression changed. “Wait, no! Forget it. This isn’t appropriate.”
“Why not?” Lin Qi’an frowned.
“During the Fire Tribulation, all my clothes will be burned away!”
“And?” Lin Qi’an blinked, confused.
“Don’t play dumb, you brat!” Lin Liuli’s cheeks turned crimson.
Zhao Yunji, catching the implication, quickly turned her head, blushing furiously and avoiding eye contact.
“It’s not a big deal. I’m not interested in you, so I won’t look,” Lin Qi’an replied, deadpan.
“Say that again?!” Lin Liuli’s eyes widened in indignation, her whisk almost striking Lin Qi’an.
“Um… I said I’m not interested in you. What’s wrong with that?” Lin Qi’an asked, bewildered.
“N-Nothing.”
“If there’s nothing wrong, why are you hitting me?”
“Just because! Got a problem with that?”
Yu Xianglan, observing their exchange, muttered to herself, “Why does their conversation sound like playful flirting? Aren’t we at a life-or-death moment here?”
“All right, I’m helping my sister through the Ice-Fire Tribulation. The rest of you should wait outside,” Lin Qi’an announced.
He led Lin Liuli to a secluded courtyard and shut the door behind them. The two sat facing each other on the ground.
“I’m starting now,” Lin Qi’an said as he activated the Nine Yang Divine Fire.
Golden flames engulfed Lin Liuli’s body, marking her forehead with a flaming seal.
The Perfect Glazed Body required surviving five tribulations to purify the flesh, cleansing it of all impurities to achieve its peak potential.
Soon, Lin Liuli’s robes began to melt away under the intense flames.
Bai Jiuli exclaimed indignantly, “Pfft! Didn’t you say you wouldn’t look? Isn’t this exactly the opposite?!”
“Shut up! No one’s treating you like a mute. Don’t you know it’s disrespectful to look? Go away!” Lin Qi’an barked back.
Bai Jiuli scoffed. “As if you’re some saint! Hah, you’re trying so hard to sound convincing—I almost believed you!”
Fortunately, Lin Qi’an and Lin Liuli were only siblings in name and shared no blood relation. Thanks to the sheer purity and power of the Nine Yang Divine Fire, Lin Qi’an smoothly guided her through the Fire Tribulation. The flaming seal on her forehead gradually faded away.
With the Fire Tribulation complete, it was time for the Ice Tribulation.
Lin Qi’an summoned icy energy to envelop Lin Liuli, covering her in a frost so frigid it mirrored the harshest winters.
“So cold…” Lin Liuli murmured unconsciously, her eyes closed as the chill overtook her senses.
Her body, instinctively reacting to the cold, moved closer to Lin Qi’an, wrapping her arms tightly around him for warmth.
Lin Qi’an froze, unable to move, ‘This is impossible! How am I supposed to help you like this?!’
Bai Jiuli, rolling her eyes, muttered, “Pervert,” before deciding to stop watching altogether.
After some time, Zhao Yunji hesitantly entered the courtyard to check on their progress.
What she saw left her stunned—Lin Liuli clinging tightly to Lin Qi’an in an embrace.
“Lin Qi’an, you—!” Zhao Yunji gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Caught in her gaze, Lin Qi’an flushed red. “What? I’m helping her through the tribulation! Don’t let your imagination run wild. Go on, shoo!”
Flustered, Zhao Yunji quickly turned and fled, her face bright red.
‘What on earth is going on here?!’ she thought to herself.