"What about you?"
Snow Empress looked at Su Yu and asked.
Su Yu spread his hands and said, "The first trial of the Ice God's Nine Trials: cross the Ice God's Long Steps, climb 999 levels of the Ice God's staircase, within a time limit of one year."
"999 levels of the Ice God's staircase?"
Snow Empress widened her eyes, doubting if she had heard wrong.
"You didn't hear wrong; it's exactly 999 levels."
Su Yu sighed helplessly, "Women…"
Hearing about this trial, even Su Yu couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Without thinking too hard, Su Yu already knew that the higher up the Ice God's Long Steps, the greater the pressure would be.
Every ten steps would likely bring a whole new level of pressure.
What's more, he had to climb all 999 steps—tripling Snow Empress's challenge.
The additional 666 steps at the end? He didn't even dare imagine how much harder they would be.
This Ice God… what a petty woman she was to come up with something like this.
"999 levels of the Ice God's staircase… the Ice God sure is ruthless."
Mu Wu clicked his tongue in amazement, rubbed the bump on his head, and shivered.
Their Ice God was narrow-minded.
It was bad enough that she punished him with divine power, but now she was messing with the young master during the trial.
Climbing 999 levels of the Ice God's Long Steps, under maximum pressure—forget others—even Mu Wu wasn't sure he could pass.
After all, these steps tested not only the body but also mental strength.
He could already imagine how much Su Yu would suffer.
And most importantly, this was only the first trial.
What about the trials afterward? Wouldn't they be even harder?
Mu Wu silently broke into a cold sweat for Su Yu. Truly, one should never offend a woman—this was too brutal.
"999 levels of the Ice God's staircase… is it even possible to finish?"
"Su Yu, how about you apologize to the Ice God?"
Snow Empress suggested worriedly.
Hearing that Su Yu's trial was three times as difficult as hers, even Snow Empress, with her calm demeanor, couldn't stay composed.
"Apologize?"
"It's just 999 steps—child's play, nothing more than a trivial matter. I refuse to believe that it can defeat me."
"As for that Ice God, that old virgin who's been single for 10,000 years, once I ascend to the Divine Realm, I'll settle the score with her sooner or later."
Su Yu raised his head and boldly declared.
Snow Empress was speechless. Su Yu might seem accommodating to her at times, but in reality, he was incredibly stubborn.
While she had a bit of a tsundere personality on the surface, this man's pride ran deep in his heart.
Once Su Yu made up his mind, there was no changing it.
In the heavens, a certain proud and petty deity gritted her teeth furiously.
"10,000-year-old virgin?!"
"Fine, fine, you dare insult me like this?"
"And you even plan to settle the score with me in the Divine Realm?"
"Alright, I'll be waiting for you, you little brat!"
The prideful yet petty goddess gripped her icy spear tightly.
"Alright, it's getting late. Let's head out first. We'll attempt to climb the Ice God's staircase starting tomorrow."
Su Yu said calmly.
Snow Empress nodded, having no objections to Su Yu's plan.
After glancing once more at the now-dim, dark blue spear on the stone platform, Su Yu turned around and left.
...
Early in the morning, after breakfast, Su Yu and Snow Empress returned to the small island.
Standing at the foot of the mountain, looking at the densely packed, ladder-like Ice God's Long Steps, Su Yu and Snow Empress both showed a hint of eagerness.
After exchanging a glance, Su Yu and Snow Empress moved toward the Ice God's staircase.
The staircase was shrouded in a thick, icy blue glow, rippling slightly like flowing water.
When Su Yu stepped onto the staircase, a completely different sensation hit him.
If the first time he had stepped on the Ice God's staircase, the light of the Ice God brought a refreshing and comfortable feeling, then this time, as soon as his foot landed, an invisible pressure followed, as if trying to push him backward.
Not only that but there was also a needle-like sensation that seemed to pierce directly into his soul.
This was a dual test of both body and soul.
Narrowing his eyes, Su Yu stepped firmly onto the steps.
Instantly, an invisible pressure enveloped his body, seeping into every pore.
Fortunately, the pressure wasn't too strong yet. Su Yu endured it and climbed 100 steps in one go.
Compared to Su Yu, Snow Empress struggled much more.
Her body wasn't as physically strong as Su Yu's, so her progress was slower.
When Su Yu reached the 100th step, Snow Empress had only just reached the 50th.
"Little Snow, don't push yourself too hard on your first attempt at the Ice God's Long Steps. If you can't keep going, stop and rest. Don't get hurt."
Standing on the 100th step, Su Yu, still relaxed, advised Snow Empress.
"I understand."
Snow Empress nodded slightly, determination shining in her beautiful eyes as she continued to climb.
70 steps.
80 steps.
100 steps.
When Snow Empress finally reached Su Yu's side, she could feel the pressure.
That overwhelming, water-like pressure surrounded every part of her body equally, pressing down on her.
Even the soul power flowing inside her seemed to be suppressed, making it more sluggish to circulate.
Snow Empress frowned slightly, but her beautiful eyes sparkled as she noticed the benefits of the Ice God's light.
"Su Yu, the Ice God's light seems to have the effect of refining soul power!"
Training under this kind of pressure might initially make the movement of soul power feel sluggish, but with persistence, the soul power would become more refined.
Even though her ultimate ice soul power was already incredibly pure, the Ice God's light still seemed to work.
This was undeniably a delightful surprise.
"The trial itself is also a process of improvement. It's not just about the rewards after completing the trial. The trial itself is a significant form of assistance."
Su Yu said softly.
God trials weren't just about the rewards—they were also about what one could gain during the process.
Sometimes, the benefits obtained during the trial could be unimaginable.
"I understand."
Snow Empress nodded thoughtfully.
Su Yu patted Snow Empress's shoulder and said:
"I'll head up first. You should proceed at your own pace. Stop wherever you feel comfortable and focus on cultivating."
"Don't rush. Take your time to adapt."
Giving Snow Empress an encouraging look, Su Yu continued his climb.
Su Yu's pace remained swift. After undergoing the Ice and Fire Tempered Body, his physical strength was on par with that of an ordinary Level 98 Super Douluo.
His physical power was terrifying.
He pushed through the immense pressure and climbed directly to the 300th step.
Standing on the 300th step, Su Yu's expression finally grew serious.
The pressure here was still manageable for him.
But the pain coming from his soul was particularly bothersome.
If the 100th step felt like having nails driven through your palms, then the 300th step was akin to having bullets pierce through your bones.
Su Yu's brows furrowed tightly, but he pressed on without stopping.
Having undergone the Ice Empress' bone-remodeling process, he could still endure this kind of pain.
400th step.
450th step.
500th step.
Upon reaching the 500th step, Su Yu's legs finally gave out, and he plopped down heavily on the staircase.
The pain at the 500th step was on an entirely different level compared to the 300th. If the 300th step was like being shot through the bone, then the 500th step was no different from having your leg sawed off with a steel blade—without anesthesia.
The scraping of the bone to remove poison might just feel like this.
The level of pain at this stage was difficult for even Su Yu to endure.
What's worse, on this Ice God Staircase, one also had to constantly endure the omnipresent pressure, as if submerged deep under the ocean.
The combination of pain and pressure was an immense test of one's endurance.
"This is only the 500th step, and there are still 499 steps left," Su Yu muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching.
If the 500th step was akin to scraping poison from the bone, wouldn't the steps beyond it be comparable to the 18 levels of hell?
Enduring this level of pain for such a long time—how does one not go insane?
No wonder Mu Wu had cryptically mentioned that this trial could raise one's spiritual power. If you could survive this ordeal, how could your spiritual power not grow?
This was more brutal than self-harm.
"The Ice God is one extreme old woman," Su Yu grumbled inwardly.
Climbing stairs... Sea God Trial only applied pressure, while the Ice God added both pressure and pain.
Suffering builds character, is that it?
The more pain you endure, the more pain you'll continue to endure.
Su Yu rolled his eyes and continued climbing. He wanted to see just how far he could push his limits.
When Su Yu reached the 557th step, the pain became unbearable. He lost focus for a moment, his foot slipped, and he was instantly flung backward by the Ice God's light.
At that moment, Su Yu was like a cannonball, shooting toward the base of the mountain.
If he landed hard, even if it wasn't life-threatening, it would certainly leave him dazed.
The rebound force of the Ice God's light was no joke.
"Su Yu!"
Seeing this, Snow Empress was startled and cried out in alarm.
Just as Su Yu was about to hit the mountain base, a dragon's roar echoed, and a curvaceous figure caught him mid-air.
Su Yu felt as though he had landed on a soft cushion, not as hard as he had imagined.
He couldn't resist looking up. A mature woman with ice crystal dragon horns was gazing at him, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
"Oh, it's Bing Bing. Thanks," Su Yu said, smiling faintly when he recognized her.
The Ice Dragon, Bing Bing, landed gracefully and set Su Yu down.
"Young Master, please continue your trial. I'll always be here," Bing Bing said.
"Then I'll leave it to you." Su Yu smiled, patted her shoulder, and headed back to the Ice God Staircase.
This time, Su Yu climbed quickly and reached the 500th step again. Instead of continuing, he sat cross-legged.
For now, this was the most suitable place for him.
He needed some time to adapt to the tormenting pain while bearing the pressure.
Of course, this was also to temper his soul power and improve his cultivation.
...
A month quickly passed.
Su Yu had progressed from the 500th step to the 600th step.
At the 600th step, the pain had intensified again—it now felt like his muscles were being forcibly torn apart.
The pain was so excruciating that Su Yu almost found it exhilarating.
In terms of sheer pressure, the 600th step wasn't a problem for Su Yu, given his strong physique. But the pain was pure torture.
Every day, after finishing his climb, Su Yu felt as though his body no longer belonged to him.
The torment seemed to penetrate deep into his soul, creating an indescribable sensation of ecstasy.
Over the course of the month, Su Yu's mental state deteriorated to the point where he didn't even feel like being close to Snow Empress.
His spirit was so drained that he couldn't handle anything else.
After each session, all he wanted to do was sleep—he didn't want to think about anything else.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Su Yu opened his eyes.
It was already 4 p.m. He had started training at 8 a.m., meaning he had been at it for nearly eight hours. Humans have limits, and Su Yu wasn't at the stage where he could surpass humanity altogether.
He felt that he really couldn't continue today.
"That's enough for today," Su Yu sighed, getting up and heading back down.
Soon, Su Yu reached Snow Empress, who had climbed to the 170th step—a significant improvement.
But Su Yu knew this was just the beginning; it would get much harder later on.
The combination of pressure and pain would eventually leave anyone feeling powerless.
Snow Empress, after all, was still only a Soul King. Even with her Ultimate Ice, her physique wasn't particularly strong.
Her burden was already considerable.
"Little Snow, let's stop here for today. Come down and rest with me," Su Yu said, extending his right hand.
Snow Empress opened her eyes, her icy-blue pupils dim and dull, as though they had lost their luster.
Eight hours of continuous torment had brought her to her limit as well.
"Alright," Snow Empress replied softly, reaching out her delicate hand to take Su Yu's fingers.
Su Yu gently pulled her up and held her in his arms. Then, with swift movements, he carried her down the Ice God Staircase.
Once they reached the base of the mountain, all the pressure vanished, and their bodies immediately felt lighter.
The sudden relief made Snow Empress momentarily unsteady, and she collapsed into Su Yu's arms.
Su Yu quickly steadied her, though he wasn't in great shape either.
With the pressure gone, exhaustion surged from the depths of his soul.
Su Yu felt his mind go numb, as though it was completely blank, and he had no desire to think about anything.
Shaking his head, he retrieved a Soul-Nourishing Leaf from his soul tool and placed it in Snow Empress's mouth.
He also took one for himself, chewing it casually. A refreshing sensation surged through his mind, instantly clearing away much of the numbness.
These Soul-Nourishing Leaves were, of course, from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Aside from the immortal herbs, Su Yu had brought plenty of other medicinal plants with him.
After resting for a while and letting the effects of the leaves take hold, both Su Yu and Xue Di felt much better.
"Little Snow, go take a bath first. Later, I'll take you somewhere," Su Yu said softly, stroking her hair.
"Where to?" Snow Empress asked curiously.
"You'll find out when we get there," Su Yu said with a smile.
Snow Empress blinked but didn't press further.
The two returned to the palace. Su Yu quickly finished his bath and sat on the icy jade bed to meditate.
Soon, Snow Empress also finished bathing. She wore an elegant ice-blue dress and walked gracefully toward him.