Ninth In the World

While staring at the continuously-falling Thunder Tribulation streaks, Di Jiu knew that he would die this time for sure. There was currently only a dozen thunder streaks. Based on how his Tribulation Transcendence was usually like, the first wave should include 81 streaks and there should be a total of nine waves. This meant that there would be a total of more than 700 thunder streaks.

A dozen thunder streaks had almost killed him. How could he survive the several hundreds of thunder streaks following after them?

Di Jiu hastily took out a communication pearl, determined to send a message to Nong Xiuqi before he died.

However, he was bewildered when no more thunder streaks rained down after that dozen landed. Rumbling sounds could still be heard. Clearly, it would take some time before the next wave of thunder streaks landed.

Feeling extremely pleased, he quickly put the communication pearl away and consumed several grade-nine healing immortal pills. Then, he communicated with the Nomological Qi Circulations and frantically circulated the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art and the Starry Sky Art.

His wounds swiftly healed and his cultivation started to surge once again. Boundless Immortal Essence was released from the Starry Sky meridian with each Nomological Qi Circulation, as it battered the shackles of the Immortal Emperor cultivation level.

Something within Di Jiu rumbled and his body emitted blood. Di Jiu took no heed of any of these things. He knew that there was still a chance of survival even though his Thunder Tribulation this time exceeded the power of an ordinary Immortal Emperor Thunder Tribulation by far.

This also meant that the Thunder Tribulation this time was akin to an ordinary Thunder Tribulation, which included a total of only 81 thunder tribulation streaks. Usually, when he was undergoing Tribulation Transcendence, each wave would contain 81 thunder tribulation streaks. Nine waves meant nine times 81 streaks.

According to what had happened earlier, the first wave consisted of 2-9 thunder tribulation streaks. There should be 63 streaks coming afterward.

Di Jiu knew that he would definitely not be able to survive more than 700 thunder tribulation streaks. Alas, it would be a different case if there were only slightly over 60 thunder streaks. He was confident that he could transcend them successfully.

Moreover, he did not need to wait for the other 60 plus thunder streaks to land before he could attain the Immortal Emperor Realm.

Of course, Di Jiu knew very well that his definition of an ‘ordinary’ Thunder Tribulation was considered extraordinary by the average perfected Immortal Supremacy cultivator.

Di Jiu’s bones had just recovered when the sky rumbled again. The third wave of nine thunder streaks landed.

…

“Big Sister Ziyu, this place is covered with snow…” When one looked out of the aircraft, they saw that the area outside was covered by a thick layer of pristine white snow.

Shen Ziyu nodded her head. “The temperature of the Ural Mountains has decreased. It is normal to hit negative degrees. We should be getting close. Let me check the map…”

She had yet to complete her sentence when the aircraft suddenly jerked. The engine stopped working and the aircraft started to lose control.

“Oh no! The engine is ruined!” Then, the aircraft experienced a free fall.

Nong Xiuqi could tear the aircraft apart and use the flying sword or Aegis Gale Spell to escape. However, she had just started cultivating and was therefore severely lacking an adaptability to change. She could only watch helplessly as the aircraft fell.

By the time she came back to her senses, Shen Ziyu had already activated the emergency landing button.

A massive parachute shot out of the aircraft. Then, the rate at which the aircraft was falling finally slowed down.

Bam! The aircraft crashed onto the ground, disappearing into the thick layer of snow.

“I’m sorry for dragging you down along with me.” In the cockpit, Shen Ziyu was looking apologetically at Nong Xiuqi, who was standing beside her.

Nong Xiuqi shook her head. “No worries, Big Sister Ziyu. After all, I had already decided to put myself to the test. Plus, we are fine now.”

This time, it was Shen Ziyu who shook her head. “That may be the case, but we might not be able to climb out of here. The snow is more than several hundred meters deep. Ever since the Earth’s climate changed, snow accumulates several meters deep every year. The snow has never melted before.”

“What happened to the aircraft just now?” inquired Nong Xiuqi dubiously.

Shen Ziyu replied apologetically, “That was my fault. The engine of my aircraft can resist the cold even at a lower temperature. Previously, there was suddenly a fierce frosty mist current that instantly froze the engine and thus caused the aircraft to fall…”

“Let us quickly leave this place then. We should think of a way to get out.” Nong Xiuqi unbuckled her safety belt.

Shen Ziyu shook her head. “We can’t leave. The temperature out must be around minus 100 degrees Celsius at best. That mist current, for example, had a temperature below minus 100 degrees Celsius. Here, at least, we still have some oxygen. We would either freeze or suffocate to death if we left the aircraft.”

Then, Nong Xiuqi realized that she could utilize the Qi Circulations to breathe internally, which would allow her to survive for a couple of years. Shen Ziyu, on the other hand, practiced ancient martial arts, which relied on external breathing. The two methods were completely different. She could thus walk outside in the snow, while Shen Ziyu could not.

“Big Sister Ziyu, we won’t be able to stay in the aircraft for too long. Now that the engine is ruined, I’m afraid that the oxygen will be used up quickly…” As she spoke, Nong Xiuqi scanned the area with her Spiritual Force. The range of her Spiritual Force was close to several dozen kilometers when she was not buried under snow. As it was, she could still sense anything in a circumference of several kilometers.

Alarmed, Shen Ziyu realized that they could not possibly live in the aircraft for long as well.

Nong Xiuqi did not wait for Shen Ziyu to take any action before unsheathing her flying sword and slashing open the aircraft.

“Alright.” Shen Ziyu knew that Nong Xiuqi was right. Death would await them even if they stayed within the aircraft.

“You own a storage ring?” Shen Ziyu stared at Nong Xiuqi in surprise. Even she did not own a treasure like a storage ring.

Nong Xiuqi nodded her head. “Yes, Big Brother gave it to me.”

She did not know that this storage ring was worth nothing to Di Jiu, who possessed a mountain of them. If she had known this, she might have added, “I will ask Big Brother to give one to you when we leave this place.”

Meanwhile, Shen Ziyu’s emotions were in turmoil. This storage ring was simply too expensive. Each and every one of them was a national treasure. She had never heard of any individual who possessed one, no matter how powerful they were.

“Xiuqi, if you survive this, never tell anyone that you own a storage ring from now on. Also, do not use it in front of anyone else,” cautioned Shen Ziyu solemnly when she came back to her senses.

She lamented Di Jiu’s mysteriousness, for he had been able to give Nong Xiuqi a treasure like this storage ring.

However, she immediately remembered Di Jiu’s character. He had risked his life to help her obtain the Red Xue Flower in the past after all.

It was regretful that such love could only remain a beautiful memory.

Shen Ziyu sighed. Let bygones be bygones.

The underground snow was very dense, but being a Foundation Establishment cultivator and possessing a Spiritual Force, she was still able to pave a tunnel in the snow quickly.

Shen Ziyu was an ancient martial arts practitioner at the Semi-Core Realm. Despite following Nong Xiuqi, she experienced increasing difficulty moving forward as time passed. The cold outside was something she could resist, but the lack of oxygen proved to be torturous. At the moment, she was relying upon and circulating the small ball of True Qi within her, which helped her breathe internally.

Fortunately, Nong Xiuqi moved at a very fast speed. Within an hour, the two of them reached the entrance of the cave. By then, Shen Ziyu’s lips had turned purple.

She immediately felt that she could breathe again after Nong Xiuqi pushed aside the huge rock blocking the cave entrance. This was the very first time she felt that oxygen, something so easy to overlook, was so important.

“Xiuqi, how did you know that there was a stone cave here?” questioned Shen Ziyu, who looked puzzled.

Nong Xiuqi did not conceal the truth. “My Spiritual Force can scan this area. Cultivators develop their Spiritual Force after cultivating to a certain extent…”

Shen Ziyu’s jaw dropped. She could not believe that a technique of immortal cultivation was so powerful. She had obtained such techniques. If she didn’t still have some morals and wits or know that some things should not be spoken, she might already have asked Nong Xiuqi to teach her how to cultivate.

There was no need for Shen Ziyu to request this, as Nong Xiuqi actively suggested it. “Big Sister Ziyu, I will teach you how to practice cultivation later. The air is indeed flowing here, but we are still stuck underneath the snow after all. If we wish to leave this place in the future, you should at least learn how to breathe internally through Qi Circulation.”

“Ah!” exclaimed Shen Ziyu. Cultivators knew how to breathe internally through Qi Circulation? Then, she said, “But Di Jiu was the one who taught you what you know. If you teach me all that…”

Nong Xiuqi shook her head. “It’s alright. Big Brother did not say that I could not impart this cultivation technique to others. He only helped me unblock my meridians before I started cultivating…”

Nong Xiuqi could not help but lean on the stone wall and vomit.

“Are you alright?” Shen Ziyu quickly held onto Nong Xiuqi. Her expression changed when her hand grabbed onto Nong Xiuqi’s wrist. She then asked, “Xiuqi, are you pregnant?”

Upon hearing the word ‘pregnant’, Nong Xiuqi stared at Shen Ziyu in disbelief. Was she pregnant? How could it be possible? How could she possibly have gotten pregnant when Big Brother had been absent for two years?

Shen Ziyu evidently thought of this as well and her expression became just as strange.