Chapter 68: Ice Jade Scorpion, Qing'er (Requesting Subscriptions)
Suppressing the urge to beat that fool black and blue, Lin Yun turned and left.
"Has anything unusual happened in the Star Dou Great Forest recently?" Lin Yun asked casually.
"Reporting to the respected one, all is normal in the Star Dou Great Forest. Nothing unexpected has occurred," the Ten Thousand Beast King replied.
That was as it should be. With or without Lin Yun, the Star Dou Great Forest remained the Star Dou Great Forest. He had only been away for such a short while. Even if a butterfly flapped its wings until they broke, it would not stir up a storm so quickly.
"What about the Three-Eyed Golden Lion?" Lin Yun asked again.
"Ah, this…" The Ten Thousand Beast King hesitated, suddenly unsure how to answer.
"Hehe, even if you don't tell me, I can guess. That girl must be undergoing transformation into human form, right?" Lin Yun chuckled.
"As expected, the respected one sees through everything." The Ten Thousand Beast King could only admit helplessly.
With his knowledge of the story's flow, plus the fact that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had suddenly vanished—and considering that before her disappearance, Lin Yun slept each day with the Ice Emperor in his arms, not her—the little girl naturally would feel left out.
It was normal that she would choose to transform.
The mysterious behavior of Di Tian back then had already aroused Lin Yun's suspicions. The only thing that surprised him was that Di Tian and the others would actually allow her to transform.
After all, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion bore the fate of the Star Dou Great Forest. Di Tian should never have permitted her transformation. Any mishap could deal a devastating blow to the forest's destiny.
Still, transformation had its benefits. Once transformed, no one except those three dogs could discern her true body. As long as Di Tian kept her close, Huo Yuhao would never have a chance to form an attribute bond with her.
Scheme to seize the fate of the forest? Hah, he would crush their teeth instead.
"I don't care what your thoughts are, but the Auspicious Beast must not suffer any mishap. Tell Di Tian that he need not worry about Gu Yuena—no one can threaten her for now. But the Auspicious Beast is already being targeted. She must be kept safe," Lin Yun warned.
"Yes, I understand!" The Ten Thousand Beast King's expression turned solemn.
Anyone who even Lin Yun regarded with caution could not be trifled with. The Auspicious Beast's importance to the Star Dou Great Forest was beyond question, and the Ten Thousand Beast King was keenly aware of it.
Faced with Lin Yun's grave instructions, he would not allow failure. After all, in Absolute Tang Sect, there was only one Xuan Zi.
After waving for the Ten Thousand Beast King to withdraw, Lin Yun sat in the courtyard with a cup of tea, basking in the sun while awaiting the Ice Emperor's return.
Beneath the blazing sun, his Golden Dragon King bloodline surged with vitality. He could feel his soul power flowing faster, every cell in his body rejoicing under the light.
Once Electrolux succeeded in creating the cultivation method he needed, Lin Yun's growth speed would rise immensely.
Time passed slowly.
Before long, a bright green light flashed. The Ice Emperor's figure appeared, holding in her hands an Ice Jade Scorpion about twenty to thirty centimeters long.
The Ice Jade Scorpion clan was small in size to begin with. At three hundred ninety thousand years of cultivation, the Ice Emperor's body length was one and a half meters. After surviving the four-hundred-thousand-year tribulation, her size grew to one point eight meters.
The scorpion in her hand, with roughly three thousand years of cultivation, was tiny compared to her—practically miniature.
The Ice Emperor could change her size freely, but this little one would only be able to do so after reaching the ten-thousand-year level.
"Respected one, I am back." The Ice Emperor hopped cheerfully to Lin Yun's side, handing over the trembling Ice Jade Scorpion.
Lin Yun accepted the little scorpion, resting it gently in one palm while his other hand stroked its smooth, chilled carapace.
It was truly beautiful.
Its entire body was sky-blue with a hint of light green. The smooth, glossy shell shone brightly, while the nine-segmented scorpion tail looked as if carved from jade. Two crystal-yellow eyes glittered like gems, making it as beautiful as a piece of art.
Of course, compared to the Ice Emperor's true form, it still fell short, but it was undeniably beautiful.
"Thank you, I really like it!" Lin Yun said with a smile.
Sensing the warmth radiating from him, the Ice Jade Scorpion no longer trembled. Instead, it lifted its head curiously to look at Lin Yun.
This was a royal-blooded Ice Jade Scorpion, similar in rank to the Ice Emperor. As long as it continued to grow, it was certain to surpass the 100,000-year level. Within the Ice Jade Scorpion clan, such existences numbered fewer than 10 in total.
Naturally, Lin Yun was unaware of this.
"As long as the respected one likes it. But I hope you will also treat my clansman kindly," the Ice Emperor said softly, stroking the little creature with a look of pity.
Lin Yun nodded, pulling her into his arms and seating her on his lap. Having served as his pillow for countless nights already, the Ice Emperor no longer felt shy. She sat naturally and split off some powdery fragments from the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, placing them in Lin Yun's hand.
The little Ice Jade Scorpion's eyes lit up instantly, its gaze fixed on the fragments.
'So fragrant! I want to eat it so badly!' It longed for the Profound Ice Marrow, but without permission from Lin Yun or the Ice Emperor, it dared not move—even though it was already drooling.
"Haha, go ahead, eat! Don't hold back!" Lin Yun said with amusement, tapping it lightly with his finger. The little Ice Jade Scorpion immediately devoured the fragments in one bite, its eyes glowing with satisfaction.
"Is it male or female? Does it have a name?" Lin Yun asked the Ice Emperor.
"It's female, but it doesn't have a name yet. Would you like to give it one, respected one?" the Ice Emperor asked playfully with a smile.
Although bringing a female Ice Jade Scorpion to serve as Lin Yun's pet felt somewhat like introducing a rival for affection, the Ice Emperor did not mind. After all, it was her clansman, and she was the Ice Jade Scorpion clan's progenitor.
It wouldn't dare compete with her anyway!
"A female… its body is mostly blue-green. Let's call it Qing'er. What do you think?" Lin Yun lifted the little scorpion and looked at the Ice Emperor.
"To receive a name from the respected one is its honor. I believe it will like the name," the Ice Emperor replied.
"Then from now on, it will be called Qing'er!"
Under the sunlight, the little Ice Jade Scorpion, Qing'er, waved its pincers. Though it could not understand Lin Yun's words, with the Ice Emperor there to interpret, it quickly accepted its new name and looked very pleased.
Now that he had both the Profound Ice Marrow and Qing'er, Lin Yun saw no need to linger.
Stuffing the Ice Emperor and Qing'er into his pocket, he strolled back toward Shrek Academy.
(End of Chapter)
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 8 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 64 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/anish_44