Chapter 291: Terrifying Lightning Tribulation, Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring

The process of absorbing the divine-bestowed spirit ring was relatively long.

The power of the divine-bestowed spirit ring would gradually increase until it reached the soul master's maximum tolerance before entering the final stage of forming the spirit ring.

During this period, Tian Guozhen successfully broke through to level seventy after a brief period of closed-door cultivation.

Tian Chao and Tian Guocheng also unexpectedly broke through to level sixty after a short retreat—a pleasant surprise.

Soul masters who achieved Black-Level or higher trials were rewarded with a divine-bestowed spirit ring upon their first major breakthrough.

About a month later, the four of them successively completed the absorption of their spirit rings.

"Let's go. This trip has been quite long," Ning Tianchen said as he stretched lazily, putting on his fur coat and tiger-skin cloak.

Upon leaving the temple, the biting cold outside felt like sharp knives slicing into their cheeks, causing pain.

After spending so much time in a warm environment, suddenly facing the harsh cold left everyone struggling to adapt.

Even Tian Guozhen and the others, who had traversed the icy plains for years, shivered uncontrollably.

"It's freezing. I wonder if the next trial will bring us back here."

The content of the second trial hadn't been revealed yet, so no one knew what challenges lay ahead.

---

After more than a year, the area in front of the temple that had previously collapsed was now covered with a thick layer of snow, save for a small opening above that allowed them to leave.

Relying on his flight abilities, Ning Tianchen carried everyone up one by one.

When they first arrived, this region had been a flat icy plain, but now it was riddled with craters.

"Was there a battle here?" the group wondered.

Inside the temple, they couldn't sense anything happening outside, nor did they know about the significant events that had occurred above them.

These uneven craters were clearly not caused by natural factors. It was highly likely that they were the result of battles between powerful soul masters or spirit beasts.

Ning Tianchen ran forward a few steps, then crouched down and pointed at the ground. "Look at these massive footprints. The spirit beast that passed through here must be extremely old."

For a moment, the joy of completing the divine trial and receiving rewards made everyone forget that they were deep within the Extreme North Ice Plains—an area dominated by ancient spirit beasts, including those over a hundred thousand years old.

Tian Guozhen frowned. "Without the Third Elder, we might not be able to withstand attacks from spirit beasts. Everyone, suppress your auras. We need to pass through the territory of these beasts."

As he spoke, he retrieved the terrain map from his spirit tool storage device and examined their surroundings.

"The terrain map drawn by Third Elder is comprehensive. Without interference from spirit beasts, leaving the Extreme North Ice Plains shouldn't be a problem."

The real test was just beginning.

Keep in mind, when they came here, they hadn't lingered around the route and only mapped out a single path. If they encountered a powerful spirit beast and deviated from the route while fleeing, they would almost certainly get lost in this vast icy wilderness.

After donning their white cloaks, the group concealed their presence and moved cautiously forward.

---

A day later, they had just exited the ice plains when the sky suddenly changed.

"Is a storm coming?" Instinctively, the group looked for a cave to take shelter.

But Ning Tianchen shook his head. "No, it's still summer—the days are long. A storm of this magnitude only occurs in winter."

The group stopped in their tracks and gazed into the distance.

Excluding natural factors, only human activity remained as a possibility—no matter how improbable, they had to accept it.

Not long after, Ning Rongrong pointed to a distant mountain peak. "Look, there's an enormous spirit beast on top of that mountain."

Thanks to the spiritual skull she absorbed, her mental power had increased exponentially, allowing her to see farther.

High above the mountain peak, the source of the storm seemed to be located. The large spirit beast standing beneath the storm was likely undergoing the lightning tribulation for breaking through to a hundred-thousand-year cultivation level.

"Should we detour? Once the storm starts, the road ahead won't be easy to traverse," Tian Guozhen said, his face grim as he studied the terrain map.

The snowy mountain where the spirit beast stood was one of the landmarks marked on the map.

If they detoured and the storm grew severe, they could easily lose their way.

"No. For us, passing through at the base of the mountain is safer," Ning Tianchen countered.

The lightning tribulation would only target the spirit beast—it wouldn't attack humans. If they kept a safe distance, the raging thunder wouldn't reach them.

Moreover, other spirit beasts would avoid the area due to the danger. Passing through would allow them to proceed without worry.

"Your idea sounds good, but it's too risky," Tian Chao interjected. "That spirit beast's size covers half the mountain. Its cultivation is likely over a hundred thousand years—or even higher. Passing beneath it leaves us nowhere to hide."

Ning Rongrong added, "I agree with Brother Tianchen. That spirit beast seems focused on resisting the celestial phenomenon. As long as we don't show any aggressive intent, it might ignore us."

For a moment, their opinions clashed, leading to heated arguments.

Tian Guozhen and the others naturally preferred caution, using the snowy mountain as a reference point to detour.

Ning Tianchen, however, suspected that their detour route might lead to encounters with powerful spirit beasts, causing unnecessary trouble. Thus, passing through the base of the snowy mountain was the safest choice.

On the icy plains, their debate remained within limits. Any internal conflict would make it impossible for anyone to leave safely.

As they argued, flashes of lightning illuminated the sky, accompanied by deafening booms that shook the entire snowy plain.

"The power of this lightning rivals a Super Douluo's full-strength attack. My friend, passing beneath the snowy mountain is too dangerous. Let's detour," Tian Guozhen said, patting Ning Tianchen's shoulder.

"Spirit beasts' heavenly tribulations don't attack humans!"

Ning Tianchen sighed inwardly.

Currently, there was no theory on the continent to support his claim. Even if he explained, no one would believe him.

After all, encountering a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast undergoing its tribulation was like finding a needle in a haystack. And who would risk their life to investigate?

After a pause, Ning Tianchen spoke seriously. "Do you trust me? Look carefully. The lightning is targeting that spirit beast with extreme precision—not a single bolt strikes elsewhere."

"I believe there's a connection between the lightning and the spirit beast. It won't attack human soul masters. Moreover, the terrifying intensity of the lightning forces the spirit beast to focus entirely on surviving—it has no energy to spare for us."

"This…" After careful observation, Tian Guozhen and the others reluctantly admitted that Ning Tianchen was right.

Still, they didn't want to pass beneath the snowy mountain.

Since neither side could convince the other, Ning Tianchen reluctantly suggested, "We both have copies of the terrain map. Since our opinions differ, let's split up and meet at the base of the distant snowy mountain."

With that, he took Ning Rongrong and headed toward the mountain.

"Guozhen, what should we do?" Tian Chao grew anxious.

If they split up, both groups might encounter danger.

"There's strength in numbers. Let's follow them," Tian Guozhen gritted his teeth and followed.

Tian Chao wanted to object, but without a copy of the terrain map, he and Tian Guocheng would be stranded here if they didn't stick with the group.

---

Above their heads, thunder roared and lightning flashed continuously.

Ning Tianchen's group walked at the base of the mountain but was never struck by lightning.

"How's that? Trusting Brother Tianchen was the right choice," Ning Rongrong proudly told Tian Guozhen and the others.

They didn't argue.

However, given the chance to choose again, they still wouldn't have agreed to pass through here.

Before experiencing it firsthand, who could guarantee that the lightning wouldn't kill them?

Lightning equivalent to a Super Douluo's full-strength attack—if it struck their bodies, even as Soul Emperors or Soul Sages, they'd die instantly.

As they drew closer to the mountain, the appearance of the spirit beast on the peak became clearer.

Looking up, they saw a golden-scaled dragon over forty meters long and nearly twenty meters tall struggling under the barrage of lightning.

Its body shimmered with radiant golden scales, glowing even brighter under the relentless assault of the lightning.

"A hundred-thousand-year Golden Scale Dragon? His size is enormous!" Tian Guozhen exclaimed in disbelief.

Typically, a hundred-thousand-year Golden Scale Dragon would only be two-thirds this size. In the world of spirit beasts, larger beasts of the same species were invariably stronger—a near-universal rule.

Clearly, the strength of this Golden Scale Dragon far exceeded a hundred thousand years.

Daring not to linger, the group quickly crossed beneath the mountain.

Just as they were about to leave the area, the commotion in the sky suddenly ceased.

Without looking back, they sprinted forward with all their might.

About half a minute later, a tremendous sound erupted behind them.

The Golden Scale Dragon atop the mountain collapsed onto the snowy ground, sending up clouds of snow.

"Did it die?"

Ning Tianchen stopped first and turned to look back.

When a spirit beast undergoes a tribulation, if the lightning suddenly vanishes, there are only two possibilities: either the tribulation was successful, or it failed.

Clearly, this Golden Scale Dragon fell into the latter category.

Had it succeeded, a surge of soul power would have followed. But behind them, there was no movement.

Tian Guozhen and the others were about to urge him to keep running when they saw the scene behind them and stopped involuntarily.

"Faced with such a thunderous bombardment, even our sect leader wouldn't survive. Looks like this guy is done for," Tian Guozhen chuckled. "Though we can't get a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, the value of a hundred-thousand-year soul bone is excellent. Why don't we wait nearby?"

"Once this guy dies, we'll go and retrieve the soul bone."

Ning Tianchen rejected his suggestion. "The intelligence of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast is no less than that of an adult human. To have lived for a hundred thousand years, this spirit beast must possess immense pride. Before dying, it's highly likely to choose self-destruction rather than leave behind its body or soul bones."

This was also why hundred-thousand-year soul bones were so exceedingly rare on the continent.

In terms of time, the number of hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts wasn't particularly low. If they all chose to die naturally, their remains would surely include soul bones that human explorers could collect from their fallen sites. However, in reality, explorers almost never found such soul bones.

"This…" Tian Chao and the others were dumbfounded.

Though their understanding of soul master theory was limited, based on their experience, they didn't think Ning Tianchen was making things up.

After all, even some ten-thousand-year spirit beasts with slightly higher intelligence would choose self-destruction before death—let alone hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts.

The hundred-thousand-year soul bone was right in front of them, yet they couldn't obtain it, which left everyone feeling deeply frustrated.

After some thought, Ning Tianchen decided to take a bold risk.

"He's not dead yet. Let me go talk to him."

Having obtained the divine trial, he possessed the greatest bargaining chip.

Spirit beasts continuously strove to grow stronger in order to attempt crossing heavenly tribulations—all for the chance to one day become divine beasts.

When spirit beasts sacrificed their soul rings and soul bones, they would be resurrected in the divine realm as divine beasts, saving them countless years of effort.

Of course, this idea carried significant risks. If the other party became enraged, Ning Tianchen could easily become collateral damage.

"You're going to approach him?" The group was shocked.

Ning Tianchen tapped the blood-red Asura mark on his forehead and smiled. "For him, a deity represents his only hope of resurrection."

The methods of deities were beyond belief, so Tian Guozhen and the others dared not doubt.

Ning Rongrong stepped in front of him. "Brother Tianchen, Rongrong won't allow you to risk your life. The strength of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast is unpredictable—even a casual attack could kill you."

"With Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone's strength, you'll inevitably obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone in the future. There's no need to rush. Even if the worst happens, you still have the divine-bestowed soul ring, and you can obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring later."

Ning Tianchen patted her shoulder and smiled. "Rongrong, don't worry. I never act without certainty."

Before anyone could respond, he stepped onto the Seven Kill Sword and flew toward the hundred-thousand-year Golden Scale Dragon.

---

While still en route, a voice drifted into his ears. "A successor of a deity, what good fortune you have, young one."

Ning Tianchen was startled at first but quickly formed a suspicion.

Instead of retreating, he accelerated and landed beside the Golden Scale Dragon.

"You recognize the divine trial mark, so you must know a divine trial participant. Was it the God of Light from tens of thousands of years ago?" Ning Tianchen asked.

The God of Light had ascended to godhood just a few tens of thousands of years ago, and during this dragon's lifetime, it was highly likely to have encountered the God of Light.

"Of course." As it spoke, the Golden Scale Dragon's expression carried a hint of pride.

Nearly fifty thousand years ago, the God of Light had visited the Extreme North Ice Plains.

At that time, this Golden Scale Dragon was only over thirty thousand years old and was just an ordinary spirit beast with common bloodline—not even a true dragon.

After being defeated by the God of Light, it became his follower. Before ascending, the God of Light blessed it, completely transforming its bloodline, allowing it to evolve into a Golden Scale Dragon and eventually reach a hundred thousand years of cultivation.

Unfortunately, when the God of Light ascended, he couldn't bring spirit beasts to the divine realm. Thus, the Golden Scale Dragon remained in the Extreme North Ice Plains, guarding the temple.

"That young girl is truly remarkable, but alas, she has just broken through and cannot accept my hundred-thousand-year soul ring. But my time is running out, and my soul ring and soul bone are destined to go to waste."

Ning Tianchen hadn't expected that this Golden Scale Dragon had such a deep connection with the God of Light.

Logically speaking, this dragon was like the guardian spirit beast of the temple. When they entered the temple, the Golden Scale Dragon was likely preparing for the heavenly tribulation and wasn't stationed near the temple.

"I don't know if the predecessor God of Light mentioned this to you, but after you sacrifice yourself, if you're resurrected in the divine realm, you can use the power there to directly transform into a divine beast."

The Golden Scale Dragon hesitated.

The God of Light had indeed told him something similar before ascending.

Namely, using the power of the divine realm could allow him to become a divine beast. Unfortunately, he couldn't follow the God of Light to the divine realm, so the matter was left unresolved.

Upon hearing Ning Tianchen bring it up again, how could he miss this final opportunity?

"Boy, I don't know which deity's trial you've received, but I can't wait for the God of Light's successor to break through to level seventy."

"If you use your current sixty-eight-level strength, my power can make up for the remaining two levels of soul power and help you break through to Soul Sage. But I need you to swear on your martial soul and future godhood. Once you ascend to the divine realm, you must resurrect me and reunite me with the God of Light. If you break this vow, your godhood will shatter, and you'll face eternal damnation."

Ning Tianchen shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't promise that."

The Golden Scale Dragon roared in anger, "Boy, even if I'm on my last breath, you won't be able to kill me, let alone obtain my soul ring or soul bone!"

Ning Tianchen explained, "You misunderstand. The divine trial is fraught with danger—I've only just completed the first trial, and I can't guarantee I'll pass the remaining eight trials."

"If I fail, in a way, I'd still be breaking my promise."

The Golden Scale Dragon suddenly burst into laughter. "Not arrogant—that's promising for your future."

"If you dare swear, I absolutely wouldn't give you my soul ring or soul bone. Boy, your behavior satisfies me."

Ning Tianchen chuckled softly.

He never made promises he couldn't keep, and unexpectedly, his usual actions had paid off today.

The Golden Scale Dragon had a deep understanding of divine trials—likely because the God of Light had spoken to him extensively about them in the past.

After all, entrusting one's life to someone else—if the other party were arrogant, how could the Golden Scale Dragon feel at ease?

Without giving Ning Tianchen a chance to speak, a crimson light pillar shot into the sky, forming a barrier around his body that no one could approach.

---

In the distance, Ning Rongrong noticed the commotion and grew anxious.

"What's happening? Brother Tianchen, please be safe…"

"This…" Tian Guozhen stared blankly at the sky dyed red by the blood-like soul power.

"Guozhen, didn't the sect leader tell you something about this?" Tian Guocheng asked.

Tian Guozhen muttered woodenly, "The sect leader said that when a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast sacrifices itself, its hundred-thousand-year cultivation transforms into pure soul power, shooting straight into the sky. It's a spectacle visible within hundreds of miles."

Ning Rongrong covered her mouth.

A spirit beast's sacrifice meant that Ning Tianchen would undoubtedly obtain a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone!

Tian Chao said gravely, "With such a commotion, will other spirit beasts rush here? Should we retreat quickly?"

Tian Guozhen shook his head. "No need. Spirit beasts won't come. Only hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts can sacrifice themselves. When other spirit beasts see this, they'll only mourn—they won't take any action. Most spirit beasts lack a sense of hierarchy, but they revere the strong."

"The object of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast's sacrifice is also someone they respect. For the next hundred miles of our journey, we won't encounter any trouble."

Ning Rongrong smiled brightly. "For us, witnessing the sacrifice of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast might just be a stroke of good fortune."

Tian Guozhen gave a bitter smile.

With a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone, Ning Tianchen had already left him far behind.

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