Chapter 16: Transformation, the Xue Di's Choice of Last Resort
Almost out of instinct, the Xue Di raised her jade hand, and an ultimate coldness capable of freezing the soul erupted instantly.
The temperature inside the entire Ice Cave plummeted to near absolute zero. Countless deep blue ice crystals transformed into a storm, carrying a terrifying power to annihilate everything, sweeping toward Lei Chen in an instant!
The ice crystal storm erupted by the Xue Di in her reactive state was formed from her Ultimate Ice Soul Power. It was enough to freeze a thousand miles in an instant; even a Limit Douluo would need to be fully prepared if they were here.
However, when that icy energy, capable of tearing through space, reached about a foot in front of Lei Chen, it dissolved and crumbled silently like snow under a blazing sun, failing to cause even a ripple, and not even brushing against the corner of his clothes.
Lei Chen still stood with his hands behind his back, a smile on his face, as if that violent attack just now was merely a gentle breeze on his face.
Such a sight caused the Xue Di's ethereal eyes to be instantly filled with disbelief.
She had absolute confidence in her own strength. Even if the strongest Beast God Di Tian on the current Douluo Douluo arrived in person, it would be impossible for him to neutralize her attack so effortlessly.
"Empress's Palm: Great Coldness, No Snow!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the Xue Di gave a soft cry, her figure closing in like a ghost. A palm as white as jade pressed seemingly lightly toward Lei Chen's chest.
This palm was one of the Xue Di's three ultimate moves. It seemed to lack any flashiness, but in reality, it concentrated all the power of the Ultimate Ice into a single point. It would trigger upon contact, with enough power to freeze the soul and annihilate life.
"Pa!"
With a soft sound, the palm pressed firmly against Lei Chen's chest.
However, the expected scene of freezing for ten thousand miles and an energy explosion did not occur. Lei Chen's figure didn't even sway. He merely looked down at the slender jade hand pressed against his chest and smiled slightly: "The strength is acceptable, but unfortunately, it's useless against me."
The Xue Di felt as if her palm was pressed against a bottomless starry universe. The ultimate icy power containing her lifelong cultivation poured into the opponent's body, yet it was like a clay ox entering the sea, failing to stir any reaction.
A bone-chilling coldness, this time not from her ice-attribute Soul Power but from the depths of her heart, instantly swept through her body.
She abruptly withdrew her palm, her figure retreating dozens of yards, instantly widening the distance between her and Lei Chen. Her peerless face was filled with unprecedented solemnity and vigilance. The ice-blue radiance around her body surged; she was already prepared for a desperate struggle.
The strength of the person before her had completely exceeded her scope of understanding!
"No need to be nervous." Lei Chen looked at the Xue Di, who was acting as if facing a great enemy, his tone still peaceful. "If I had ill intentions toward you, you would no longer be able to stand here and talk to me."
Before he had even finished speaking, with just a slight thought from Lei Chen, the Xue Di suddenly found that the space within several yards around her seemed to have turned into indestructible Profound Ice, firmly imprisoning her in place. No matter how she tried to circulate her Soul Power, she could not move an inch.
This was not a suppression of energy, but a direct solidification of the laws of space itself—a crushing blow from an absolute level of power.
This effortless move completely crushed the last shred of hope in the Xue Di's heart.
She understood that what the other party said was true. In the face of such an existence, any struggle on her part was meaningless.
After the extreme shock, an unusual calmness took over. She dispersed the Soul Power radiance around her body, her ice-blue eyes staring fixedly at Lei Chen: "Who... are you exactly? Are you a god?"
In her long life's knowledge, only the legendary god-level existences could possibly possess such irresistible power.
Lei Chen smiled and did not directly deny it: "It wouldn't be wrong to call me a god. However, I still prefer to be called the 'Plane Master'."
"Plane Master?" Hearing this title, the Xue Di's pupils suddenly contracted. As a spirit of heaven and earth who had lived for nearly seven hundred thousand years, she vaguely knew the meaning behind this title. It was a supreme existence that stood above all living beings and coexisted with the world's origin!
She lost her voice and said: "Could it be... you are the incarnation of this plane's will?!"
"You can understand it that way." Lei Chen nodded, his tone flat but carrying an unquestionable majesty. "I am this plane, and this plane is me."
"In terms of strength and status, I am roughly equivalent to a First-Rank Deity of the God Realm. Hmm, I'm at the same level as the Ice God that you in the Far North Land believe in."
Having confirmed Lei Chen's identity, the hostility in the Xue Di's heart receded like a tide, and her tone became much gentler: "Respected Plane Master, I wonder for what reason you have descended to this Far North Land?"
Lei Chen did not answer directly but turned his gaze once again toward the Hundred-thousand-year Snow Lotus swaying in the center of the Ice Cave. His gaze seemed able to penetrate all appearances and point directly to the essence.
"Before answering your question, I would like to ask you first." Lei Chen's voice carried a hint of realization. "You stood here for a long time just now, gazing at this snow lotus. Were you hesitating whether to use its origin power to transform into a human?"
Hearing Lei Chen's words, the Xue Di remained silent for a moment, a flash of complexity and determination appearing in her ice-blue eyes. She looked at the snow lotus emitting a faint glow and admitted in a cold voice: "Yes, I indeed have such a plan."
She raised her head, meeting Lei Chen's gaze again, and frankly stated the reason: "My cultivation has now reached the peak of six hundred and ninety thousand years, and I am about to face the seven-hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation. But I feel vaguely that its power far exceeds the previous ones. I... am not certain of passing it."
"Only by choosing to transform into a human can I avoid the seven-hundred-thousand-year heavenly tribulation and seek a slim chance of survival."
Logically, Soul Beasts only have one chance to choose Transformation at the hundred-thousand-year level. Once their cultivation exceeds a hundred thousand years and their origin becomes too powerful, it is no longer possible.
But there are always exceptions. The Xue Di's luck was good; she found this snow lotus that had reached a hundred thousand years. By leveraging the origin essence of the snow lotus, the Xue Di would be able to temporarily seal most of her origin power, thereby successfully transforming.
This was the only path to survival that the Xue Di had found after careful consideration. Only she knew the internal struggle involved. If she hadn't been pushed to a dead end, why would she, the overlord of the Extreme North, be willing to give up the power that stood almost at the peak of the Douluo to gamble on an unknown human future?
Lei Chen listened quietly. After the Xue Di finished speaking, he finally spoke slowly, his voice calm but carrying a convincing power: "Transformation is indeed a choice of last resort. Although it can help you avoid the heavenly tribulation, it will also cause you to lose these nearly seven hundred thousand years of cultivation. Are you truly willing to do so?"
As soon as Lei Chen said this, the Xue Di's heart stirred. She heard the implication in Lei Chen's words and couldn't help but ask: "If I could retain my cultivation and pass the heavenly tribulation, I would naturally be willing. I wonder what advice the Plane Master has?"