The meeting gift had already been given, and everyone had become familiar with each other's faces. The few Fierce Beasts soon went their separate ways. They had known each other for who knows how many years—these old-timers didn't have the leisure or interest to gather together for something like playing mahjong.
Unless Lin Yun or Di Tian specifically summoned them, they usually minded their own business.
"Master, I need to return to the Extreme North for a while." After the other Fierce Beasts departed, the Ice Emperor suddenly spoke to Lin Yun.
"Oh? Why?" Lin Yun looked at her in puzzlement.
"Because this little one is about to reach one hundred thousand years." The Ice Emperor lifted her tail, on which Qing'er was hanging, a smile of mixed helplessness and joy appearing on her face. "The hundred-thousand-year threshold is crucial for soul beasts. Passing this stage will bring about an earth-shaking transformation."
"To put it more concretely, it's an evolution of the bloodline. Even among the same species, a soul beast below one hundred thousand years and one above are completely different beings. Although the Star Dou Great Forest is indeed safer, the best environment for our Ice Jade Scorpion to evolve is still the Extreme North. Only there, under the ultra-low temperatures, can Qing'er's ice attribute undergo the greatest metamorphosis."
"One hundred thousand years already… that fast?" Lin Yun barely paid attention to the rest of her words. He already knew that a soul beast reaching a hundred thousand years would transform.
Even a weakling like the Soft Bone Rabbit, once it broke through that threshold, could compare with the Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape in the worldview of Douluo Dalu I. Though there was some author's plot patching involved, it still showed how significant the hundred-thousand-year stage was for a soul beast.
What Lin Yun cared about more was Qing'er's cultivation level.
He only knew that he had fed her quite a bit of Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow—at most five pieces. Yet just those few pieces had somehow raised her cultivation from three thousand years all the way to one hundred thousand?
The Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor exchanged glances, shrugged, and spread their hands helplessly.
"Master, you're underestimating the effect of Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow," Snow Emperor explained earnestly. "Its efficacy is immense even for Bing'er and me. Each piece contains vast and pure energy."
The Ice Emperor nodded. "Indeed, Master. Our Ice Jade Scorpion race already has a high life level. Moreover, this little one consumed a substance perfectly suited to our ice attribute. Although she hasn't officially broken through to the hundred-thousand-year level, the undigested energy in her body will be enough for her to cross the threshold and directly pass her first heavenly tribulation."
The classification of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts was quite interesting.
Once a soul beast reached that stage, it corresponded to a human Titled Douluo. Depending on species strength, their combat power ranged from level 91 to 94.
At that point, they could spend thousands of years deciding whether to face their first heavenly tribulation after one hundred thousand years or to transform into human form.
If they chose to endure the tribulation, they would gain the power of a level 95 Super Douluo—but they would then lose the chance to take human form.
A soul beast that had not faced the tribulation would have a pure red soul ring (like Zhang Lexuan's eighth ring), while one that had passed the tribulation would have an additional golden pattern.
Each further tribulation added one more golden stripe.
100,000 years (no tribulation) — Level 91–94 Titled Douluo
100,000 years (one tribulation) — Level 95 Titled Douluo
200,000 years — Level 96 Titled Douluo
300,000 years — Level 97 Titled Douluo
For example, the Ice Emperor, at thirty-nine thousand years, corresponded to level 97. The original work stated this explicitly. Because of her race's innate strength and the advantages of ultimate ice and the Extreme North environment, she could even pummel Xuanzi in battle.
Now, at forty thousand years, she was equivalent to level 98. With her elemental advantage and soul beast physique, she could go head-to-head with Long Xiaoyao without falling behind—only lacking a soul core, which made her endurance weaker than that of a true Limit Douluo.
Back to Qing'er—after her tribulation in the Extreme North, she would become a once-tribulated Ice Jade Scorpion King, comparable in power to a level 95 Super Douluo and nearly invincible among level 96 opponents.
Once she got used to her newfound power, Qing'er could easily crush Yan Shaozhe.
This trip back was clearly the Ice Emperor giving Qing'er some extra special training—otherwise, Qing'er might have ended up like the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, powerful but clueless on how to use her strength.
After all, she had too little combat experience.
Still, it was unbelievable—just five pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow, and in under five years, Qing'er had gone from a three-thousand-year, human Soul Sect equivalent, to a level 95 being.
Even Lin Yun was dumbfounded.
That's a cheat more outrageous than his own!
She's literally skyrocketing straight up!
No wonder the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm could reach a million years just by munching on this stuff. Sorry, Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Ice Marrow—I should never have compared you to Energy Amethyst!
Compared to you, Energy Amethyst is just a knockoff trinket!
Staring at the two women and one scorpion before him, Lin Yun tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle, emotions complicated. He had been the one to obtain the Mystic Ice Marrow, yet he hadn't personally benefited at all.
But then he thought again—these two women and the scorpion were either his wives or his pet. The sense of loss instantly vanished.
The Ice and Snow Emperors, along with Qing'er, had helped him tremendously and would continue to do so in the future. Treating the Mystic Ice Marrow as an investment, Lin Yun had already earned back his share. Besides, the marrow's effect on him wasn't even as good as the celestial herbs, which refined his physique, while the marrow merely force-fed soul power.
If he had consumed all forty-five pieces himself, sure, his cultivation would have soared—but his time ability wouldn't have developed, the Solar Scripture would never have formed, and his blood-energy soul core and self-created techniques would be nonexistent.
Every gain comes with loss.
Though he gave up rapid power growth, he gained two stunning wives and a ridiculously strong little scorpion pet!
"There are still six or seven pieces of Mystic Ice Marrow with Di Tian. Take them with you when you leave," Lin Yun said with a grin, pulling the two Emperors into his arms and kissing each of them on the lips.
A deep kiss!
Mmm~ suddenly, it felt like he'd profited again.
"Ah… Master, isn't that a bit too much?" the Ice Emperor murmured shyly.
Unlike the bashful Snow Emperor, she was long used to Lin Yun's occasional affection. What she found questionable wasn't the kiss but that Lin Yun wanted to give her all the remaining Mystic Ice Marrow.
The Ice Emperor herself knew just how precious the marrow was. Something that rare should be saved for emergencies. With Qing'er's powerful Ice Jade Scorpion body and the five pieces she had already consumed, her foundation was more than solid enough—comparable even to the Ice Emperor herself. Taking more wouldn't make much difference now; it'd just be force-feeding energy like Lin Yun had done before.
Too wasteful—it would be better used during heavenly tribulations or stored as a contingency.
"In the future, you're going to be my queen. How could the Ice Jade Scorpion clan not have its next ruler?" Lin Yun raised an eyebrow. "Xue'er doesn't have a clan, but you do. You need to think about your people too."
As for using it for tribulation?
That was outdated thinking. Once Lin Yun ascended to the God Realm, the entire soul beast race would rise with him. By then, what heavenly tribulation would even exist?
(End of Chapter)
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