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Zi Ji looked at Xuan Ming's bottomless, emotionless eyes, then glanced at the grim-faced Snow Empress and Ice Empress, finally turning her gaze to Gu Yuena. Seeing Gu Yuena nod slightly, she gritted her teeth: "...Yes!"
With that, her figure flickered, transforming into a purplish-black phantom that silently merged into the turbulent seawater below, avoiding the center of Di Tian's battle with the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, and diving towards the probable location of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's lair.
"You..." The Ice Empress's chest heaved with anger, and she was about to say more, but the Snow Empress raised a hand to stop her.
The Snow Empress looked coldly at Xuan Ming, her ethereal voice carrying a bone-chilling coldness: "Xuan Ming, we need an explanation. If you are truly such a ruthless individual, then in the Extreme North Land, we will be unable to obey. Even if heavenly tribulation is upon us, we will not associate with you."
Their pride made them unable to accept such a way of acting.
The atmosphere on the scene instantly became extremely stiff and cold.
The Snow Empress and Ice Empress exuded an aura of frosty aloofness, their faces cold, completely regarding Xuan Ming as a despicable person.
A subtle ripple, hard to detect, flickered in Gu Yuena's silver-purple eyes, but she said nothing, merely watching the earth-shattering battle between Di Tian and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King below, as if tacitly approving Xuan Ming's decision.
Xuan Ming also remained silent, the Blood Spear in his hand radiating a cold, murderous aura. He watched the battlefield, seemingly assessing the situation, or perhaps waiting for news from Zi Ji.
The lines of his profile were hard and cold, without any emotion showing.
Time passed bit by bit in the suffocating silence.
The battle below grew increasingly fierce; Di Tian and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King were both fighting with true fury, each clash seemingly tearing the sky apart and evaporating the ocean!
The hearts of the Snow Empress and Ice Empress gradually sank. They both hoped Zi Ji wouldn't find it, to prevent that despicable plan from succeeding, yet they also vaguely worried that if she didn't find it, Xuan Ming would truly dive into the deep sea himself... With the terrifying control over ice elements he had just displayed, in the depths of this ocean, he might indeed succeed... It was in this complex and oppressive waiting that—
Suddenly!
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's violent attack suddenly paused! Its massive single eye abruptly constricted, and it violently turned its head to look in the direction of its lair's depths, letting out a roar mixed with shock, fury, panic, and disbelief!
"No—!!! Di Tian! How dare you—!!!"
He completely went mad, no longer caring about entangling with Di Tian. His massive body desperately tried to break free, wanting to rush into the deep sea at all costs!
Just as the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's mind was violently shaken and his offensive suddenly slowed due to the disturbance in his lair, Xuan Ming moved!
The ice fire divine crown on his forehead blazed with light, and an invisible yet vast and majestic mental force, mixed with a strange spatial confinement power, instantly enveloped the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's massive body like an invisible shackle!
Cosmos Spirit Stabilization Cover!
Under Xuan Ming's full activation of his half-step divine sense level mental force, this powerful control skill, originating from the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, displayed terrifying power!
Even a powerful being like the Deep Sea Demon Whale King felt as if the surrounding space had solidified into amber, his movements becoming incredibly sluggish, and the circulation of his vast spirit power was greatly suppressed!
"Roar—!!!" The Deep Sea Demon Whale King let out a roar of shock and fury, struggling desperately, but the invisible restraint was incredibly tough, making it difficult to break free in a short time!
And at this very moment, splash—!
The sea surface not far away broke open, and Zi Ji's figure shot skyward!
In her hand, she carefully held a small whale, about seven or eight meters long, entirely translucent light blue, appearing very young and fragile, and continuously whimpering in terror! This small whale's aura was weak, and its cultivation was clearly less than ten thousand years.
This was precisely the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's cub! He had hidden it in the deepest part of his lair, and if not for Zi Ji, as the Hell Demonic Dragon King, being extremely sensitive to energy perception and skilled in stealth, it would have been truly difficult to find!
"Child! My child!" Seeing his cub captured, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's single eye instantly became bloodshot, and he let out a heart-wrenching roar of fury, struggling even more wildly, causing the surrounding sea to boil with his power!
The Snow Empress and Ice Empress saw the small demon whale, and a hint of unbearable pity flashed in their eyes, but they still looked coldly at Xuan Ming, wanting to see how he would proceed.
Xuan Ming slowly stepped forward, hovering before the confined Deep Sea Demon Whale King, his gaze calmly fixed on its single eye, which was filled with rage and despair.
"Deep Sea Demon Whale King," Xuan Ming's voice clearly entered his ears, devoid of any emotion, "There's no need to be so agitated. Capturing your offspring is not for torture or coercion."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King stared at him, roaring: "Human! Release my child! Otherwise, this Emperor will fight you to the death!"
Xuan Ming ignored his threat and continued: "I merely wish to create an opportunity for you and me to have a calm discussion. If you are willing to voluntarily offer yourself as a sacrifice to help me increase my strength, I can guarantee that after your sacrifice, I will properly care for your cub and promise to do my best to revive you when I achieve godhood. As for your wife, as long as she does not actively oppose me, I can spare her. This matter can then be resolved amicably."
"Sacrifice? Dream on!" The Deep Sea Demon Whale King roared.
"If you are unwilling," Xuan Ming's tone remained flat, yet it exuded a chilling coldness that made one's heart palpitate, "I will not use your child to threaten you. Such methods are too lowly."
Upon hearing this, not only was the Deep Sea Demon Whale King startled, but even the Snow Empress and Ice Empress, whose faces were icy cold in the distance, frowned slightly, looking at Xuan Ming with some surprise.
He wouldn't use the cub to threaten him? Then why did he capture it?
Xuan Ming's gaze swept over the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and he continued: "I will release you and fight you fairly. Although with my current strength, I might not be your match head-on... I have absolute certainty of killing you."
He raised his hand, and a tiny wisp of blue lightning, so subtle yet causing all the powerful beings present to feel their souls tremble, flashed and disappeared from his fingertip! That lightning contained a terrifying aura of heavenly judgment and the destruction of all things!
The power of heavenly tribulation!
"Your cultivation is on the verge of a million years," Xuan Ming said slowly, watching the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's suddenly constricted pupils, "If I were to forcibly induce your million-year heavenly tribulation here... do you think you could withstand it?"
In the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's single eye, for the first time, an unconcealable fear appeared! He knew better than anyone how terrifying heavenly tribulation was!
In his current state, relying on devouring to grow and with an unstable foundation, a million-year heavenly tribulation would almost certainly lead to death!
"And I," Xuan Ming's voice was like a devil's whisper, "can intervene at the opportune moment to save you when the heavenly tribulation has struck you down to your last breath. At that time, you will still be unable to escape the fate of becoming my spirit ring and Spirit Bone."
"However, if it comes to that, a blood feud will be thoroughly established. I do not like to leave future troubles when I act." Xuan Ming's gaze swept over the trembling young whale and the deep seabed.
"To prevent your wife from seeking revenge in the future, and to prevent your child from growing up to become my enemy... I will find your wife, kill her as well, and seize her spirit ring and Spirit Bone. As for this, your only child..."
Xuan Ming did not continue, but the icy killing intent had already explained everything.
"Now, the choice is yours," Xuan Ming finally said, "Will you voluntarily sacrifice yourself, preserving a glimmer of hope for life and your family's bloodline, gambling on a future? Or will you force me to induce heavenly tribulation, sending your entire family, neatly arranged, to the netherworld?"
After speaking, Xuan Ming said no more, merely watching him calmly.
The power of the Cosmos Spirit Stabilization Cover still enveloped him, but the deadly oppressive feeling seemed to have lessened somewhat, as if giving him space to think.
The scene was utterly silent.
The Snow Empress and Ice Empress were completely stunned; they looked at Xuan Ming, the contempt and anger in their eyes gradually replaced by an indescribable shock.
They finally understood Xuan Ming's intention!
He captured the cub not to threaten the Deep Sea Demon Whale King into submission at all! That was merely a means, not the end!
His true purpose was to force the Deep Sea Demon Whale King to appear, temporarily control him, and then... offer him a choice!
A choice that seemed to offer options, but in reality, had no way out!
Voluntary sacrifice still offered a glimmer of hope for life and a future.
Refuse? That would be total destruction! And the cruelest destruction, brought about by him personally inducing heavenly tribulation! There wasn't even a shred of luck!
This was even more overbearing than directly threatening with the cub! Even more unquestionable! And even more... heart-palpitating!
He wasn't negotiating; he was pronouncing judgment! He merely offered the other party a "dignified" way to accept the judgment!
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's massive body trembled slightly, his single eye filled with endless struggle, rage, unwillingness, fear... and a hint of deep despair.
He had no doubt that Xuan Ming had the ability to induce heavenly tribulation! The mysterious power that had just confined him, and the unfathomable aura emanating from this human, all proved this point!
Sacrifice? To hand over hundreds of thousands of years of arduous cultivation and freedom? How could he be willing!
Refuse? Under heavenly tribulation, death was certain! And it would also implicate his wife, child, and clan in utter destruction!
This was a desperate choice.
Time seemed to freeze.
Finally, after endless struggle and pain, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's massive head, as if all its strength had been exhausted, slowly, laboriously... lowered.
A whimper filled with endless sorrow, humiliation, and despair, his roar shaking the entire sea area:
"Human... you win... This Emperor... sacrifices!"