Ye Tian froze. He'd never imagined something like this could happen inside his Storage Ring.
"Big Brother, are you that surprised to see me? What are you doing here?" the faint, flickering figure asked Ye Tian.
Ye Tian snapped back to reality. Who else could it be but Ye Bing, the Artifact Spirit of the Profound Ice Pearl? 'I can't believe he can appear before me like this now,' he thought. 'It won't be long before he can form a complete physical body.'
"Ye Bing, I was just checking to see if there was anything I needed in the Storage Ring. I didn't expect you to be able to manifest a body already. This is great news! But your current form looks as fragile as a candle in the wind. Is there anything I can do to help?" Ye Tian asked.
"Just hearing you say that sets my mind at ease, Big Brother. For now, this is the only form I can manage. It's incredibly difficult for an Artifact Spirit to form a complete physical body. I didn't know this before, but when I manifested like this, some strange information appeared in my mind."
"Every Artifact Spirit that wishes to gain a true physical body must pass a terrifying Thunder Tribulation. However, this tribulation can be faced with someone else. In other words, Big Brother, you can pass the Thunder Tribulation with me."
"Once we pass the Thunder Tribulation, my body will naturally solidify. If I don't want a physical body, then I can only remain an Artifact Spirit forever, stuck inside the Profound Ice Pearl. Do you understand what I'm saying?" said the Artifact Spirit, Ye Bing.
Ye Tian found this unbelievable. 'Passing the Thunder Tribulation... such a terrifying ordeal.' He'd been struck by lightning beforeāhe was nearly killed by it when he encountered that Thunder Crow. The thought of having to face lightning again left him speechless.
"Ye Bing, what happens if you can't pass this Thunder Tribulation? Is it dangerous?" Ye Tian couldn't help but ask.
"If I don't pass, the Celestial Thunder will blast me into nothing but dust. The Profound Ice Pearl will also become just an ordinary bead. So, do you understand how dangerous it is now?" Ye Bing said.
"It's that terrifying? Then why do you still want to face the tribulation? How confident are you that you can succeed on your own?" Ye Tian asked, looking at Ye Bing's body, which was like a wisp of mist, ethereal and indistinct.
"It's extremely difficult to become an Artifact Spirit in the first place. For an Artifact Spirit to then gain a physical body... that's what all of us dream of. The reward for surviving the danger is a future without limits. I don't have much confidence on my own, but with you here, Big Brother, I'm confident I can pass," Ye Bing said.
Ye Tian was conflicted. Very few people could stand against Celestial Thunder. He knew full well what the consequences would be if anything went wrong.
This was a gamble, and one he didn't dare to take. Even though Ye Bing was just an Artifact Spirit, in his eyes, he was a brother. He couldn't bear to watch his brother be annihilated right in front of him. The stakes were too high.
"I really can't agree to this. If something happened to you, I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life. You need to think this through," Ye Tian said.
"I'm sorry, Big Brother! You don't have a choice in this. What you're seeing right now is actually a mass of Innate Profound Ice Energy. I've just contained its cold aura, which is why you don't feel the chill."
"Anyone else wouldn't be able to see me like this at all. Although the cold aura I emit is potent, absorbing it wouldn't cause any harm to your body. In fact, if you absorbed it, your cultivation would break through to the Seventh Vein at least."
"Of course, I would also disappear from this world. The only reason I'm telling you this is because you're my Big Brother. You've always taken such good care of me, and I trust you completely."
"It's impossible for me to return to the Profound Ice Pearl now. If I don't pass the Thunder Tribulation, I'll disappear within three months at mostādisappear forever. So, you have three months to think about it."
"If you help me pass the Thunder Tribulation, there's a glimmer of hope I'll survive. But if I don't pass it, your Storage Ring will just become a space with abundant Spiritual Qi. Please forgive my selfishness, Big Brother."
"I didn't want this either, but I received all this information the moment I appeared. I have no other choice. If you hadn't entered the Storage Ring, you might never have known that your Ye Bing had already died," Ye Bing said.
Cold sweat beaded on Ye Tian's forehead. 'This is really forcing my hand.' He had to go whether he wanted to or not. Going meant a chance at survival; not going meant certain death for Ye Bing.
"Alright! After this auction is over, I'll find a secluded place to help you. I hope you can survive. You're my brother, and I still need you for so many things!" Ye Tian said.
If it hadn't been for Ye Bing back then, Ye Tian would have likely burned to death in that fiery passage! Moreover, Ye Bing had also saved Guan Tianshui. Ye Tian felt indebted for these favors and was determined to do everything in his power to save Ye Bing's life.
"I knew you wouldn't abandon me, Big Brother! With your help, I'm sure I can get through this. By the way, what were you looking for when you came in? I've been all over the space in this Storage Ring many times, so maybe I can help," Ye Bing said.
"I came in to see if I could find anything new. The items in this Storage Ring can only be accessed based on one's cultivation level. Now that I've broken through to the Five Vein Realm, I wanted to take a look," Ye Tian said.
"Oh, I see. Well, take your time looking around. I'm going to go prepare what's needed for the Thunder Tribulation. You've been in here for a while, so you should probably get back out soon and not delay your business in the real world," Ye Bing said.
With that, he vanished as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving without a trace. But a question lingered in Ye Tian's mind. 'What exactly is he going to prepare? What can he even equip with a body like that?'
Pulling his thoughts back, Ye Tian swept his Divine Sense across the inside of the Storage Ring. Sure enough, there were now many items he hadn't been able to see before. Half of the Shen Li Palace's entire fortune was inside this Storage Ring; one could only imagine how many treasures it contained.
Of course, there were still many Restrictions that Ye Tian couldn't break through. He would just have to wait for his cultivation to improve before he could slowly access them.
When Ye Tian withdrew his Divine Sense from the Storage Ring, he found himself back in the VIP room at the auction. Zhang Xinlan and Zhou Hongtao were both looking at him.
"Ye Tian, what's wrong? How could you fall asleep at a time like this? You've been out for half the day. Are you too tired?" Zhang Xinlan asked.
"That long? I just closed my eyes to rest for a moment. Did you guys bid on anything? What's the general attitude toward VIP Room Three now?" Ye Tian asked, looking at Zhang Xinlan.
"We haven't bought anything. The auction for today's final, featured item is next, so maybe we can bid then. But... I feel like something is off with you. Is there something on your mind?" Zhang Xinlan asked, noticing his brow was slightly furrowed.