Only rules can oppose rules.
If one cannot counter with rules, then the only option is to endure with sheer physical resilience.
Ye Feng was merely at the periphery of the Thunder Tribulation, facing what could only be considered the "aftershocks" of the calamity.
Even these residual strikes were enough to inflict minor injuries on him. Had Ye Feng dared to charge into the heart of the tribulation, he would most likely have been obliterated by the endless power of Destruction.
Ye Feng's overall combat prowess was formidable, but that was largely due to various stacked enhancements—essentially just "offensive power."
His defensive capabilities were far from matching the strength of his attacks.
Dealing with the minor tribulation composed entirely of Lightning Rule last time had been manageable, but attempting to withstand Snow Empress's "personalized" major tribulation was nothing short of delusional.
The Destruction rules were simply too overwhelming. Without comprehending them first, Ye Feng stood no chance in a direct confrontation.
"Fine. It seems I can't help Snow Empress after all. I'll just have to take a few more hits myself and hope to fully grasp the Lightning Rule..."
Ye Feng sighed, then settled into a suitable spot at the edge of the tribulation, using the peripheral lightning strikes to refine himself.
"BOOM—"
"CRACKLE—CRACKLE—"
Streaks of stray lightning continuously struck this "intruder," yet failed to expel him.
The Thunder Tribulation was utterly baffled.
To it, Ye Feng was merely a "misguided" insect—one it believed could be annihilated with just one percent of its power.
Yet this insect proved unusually resilient. No matter how it struck, it couldn't eradicate him.
The tribulation's intelligence was exceedingly rudimentary, akin to artificial stupidity. It operated strictly by its "programming."
Snow Empress was its primary target, and nearly all its focus was locked onto her.
As for Ye Feng, this "insect" who refused to die, the tribulation paid him no further attention. It merely allocated a fixed, minimal portion of its power—a single lightning bolt at regular intervals—and nothing more...
From a distance, one could clearly see the vast majority of lightning pouring down toward the center beneath the thunderclouds.
Yet a small, inexplicable fraction of the strikes kept lashing out at a remote corner, as if engaged in some dubious, clandestine affair...
...
...
Time passed minute by minute until nightfall.
With the aid of the powerful tribulation, Ye Feng finally achieved full comprehension of the Lightning Rule, elevating his thunder-based abilities to the level of "Ultimate Lightning."
Just like Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Ice, Ye Feng could now freely command all thunder elements in the surrounding space at will!
Not only that, but he had also grasped a sliver of the Destruction rules!
Though minuscule, this understanding was enough to render him impervious to harm within the current intensity of the tribulation.
"BOOM—"
Another bolt of lightning, thick as a human head, crashed down onto Ye Feng, erupting in a shower of sparks against his Dragon Scale Armor.
That was all.
The lightning could no longer harm him. Instead, Ye Feng absorbed its energy, converting it into his own strength.
The destructive rules contained within had been significantly weakened by the Destruction rules Ye Feng himself had comprehended. By the time they struck him, less than half of their original power remained—insufficient to even breach his Dragon Scale defense.
"I wonder how the Snow Empress is doing. Should I go deeper to comprehend more of the Destruction rules..." Ye Feng gazed at the central area still under relentless assault by countless lightning bolts, lost in thought.
The closer to the center, the stronger the Destruction rules became, and the faster his comprehension progressed.
At worst, it would just be more painful—he wouldn't die anyway.
Just as Ye Feng steeled himself to approach the heart of the storm, he suddenly sensed something and sharply looked up into the distance.
The frenzied lightning in the central region was visibly receding at an alarming rate.
The thunderclouds overhead gradually thinned, revealing faint rays of light piercing through the gloom.
"It's ending already?"
Ye Feng was momentarily stunned.
Anyone frequently struck by lightning knew that Thunder Tribulation never came in just one wave—there were always multiple, each stronger than the last.
But this was clearly abnormal.
However, realization soon dawned on him. He turned his gaze toward where the Ice Empress was and murmured, "The Snow Empress must have realized she couldn't withstand the second wave, so she forcibly underwent Shape-shifting using the power of the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus."
The true target of the Thunder Tribulation wasn't the Snow Empress herself—it was the 700,000-year Source Power within her!
Under normal circumstances, such immense Source Power would be impossible for her to seal, making Shape-shifting unfeasible.
But this time, she must have tapped into the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus's power, combining it with her own cultivation to forcibly suppress the 700,000-year Source. With its target gone, the Thunder Tribulation naturally began to dissipate.
Ye Feng flashed back to his Ice Fortress.
"Ye Feng, why did the Thunder Tribulation vanish? Did the Snow Empress succeed?" The Ice Empress, who had been too weak to approach the tribulation and could only wait anxiously, immediately questioned him upon his return.
"She failed, but she's likely undergoing Shape-shifting now."
As he spoke, Ye Feng casually scooped the Ice Empress into his arms and vanished once more.
...
"Whoosh—"
The next moment, Ye Feng and the Ice Empress arrived at the mountain where the Snow Empress had secluded herself.
But the mountain was no longer there—only a massive crater over a hundred meters deep and a kilometer wide remained.
The surroundings were scorched black.
Under the terrifying heat, rocks had melted before being pulverized by the Destruction rules.
The snow had evaporated, exposing the mountain's spine, untouched by sunlight for millennia. Scattered frozen corpses—unfortunate Soul Beasts from who-knows-how-many years ago—could faintly be seen.
At the bottom of the crater lay a radiant Giant Cocoon, its pristine glow stark against the charred devastation.
An intense chill emanated from the cocoon, and hovering above it was the faint projection of a small flower—identical to the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus the Snow Empress had obtained.
Upon closer inspection, the upper part of the Snow Lotus was visibly dissipating at a steady pace.
This was probably the duration of the 100,000-Year Snow Lotus's effects.
After all, the purpose of this 100,000-Year Snow Lotus was to help the Snow Empress suppress her powerful 700,000-year Source Power.
"In the end... did we still fail?"
Seeing this scene, the Ice Empress's expression darkened slightly.
Even someone as strong as the Snow Empress, with the aid of a 100,000-year Snow Lotus, could only stop at 700,000 years.
This world's hostility toward Soul Beasts was simply too great...
"Alright, alright. At least the outcome isn't bad. The Snow Empress will most likely succeed in her Shape-shifting, and then she'll be able to keep you company."
Ye Feng crouched down and spoke softly to comfort her.
"Mmm~"
The Ice Empress nodded gently and slowly leaned into Ye Feng's embrace.
Ever since her Shape-shifting, she seemed to have developed an excessive dependence on him.
But she truly loved this feeling of being protected and cared for.
Compared to her previous lonely existence as a solitary scorpion, exhausting herself to care for an entire tribe, her current life was bliss beyond measure.
(End of Chapter)