Suppressing the urge to beat up a certain idiot, Lin Yun turned and left.
"Has anything unusual happened in the Star Dou Forest recently?" Lin Yun casually asked.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, everything in the Star Dou Forest is normal, with no unexpected occurrences," the Myriad Demon King replied.
This was the most typical state of affairs. Regardless of Lin Yun's presence, the Star Dou Forest remained the Star Dou Forest. He had only been away for a short time—no matter how hard a butterfly flapped its wings, it wouldn't stir up much of a storm in such a brief period.
"What about the Three-Eyed Golden Lion?" Lin Yun asked again.
"Ah, well..." The Myriad Demon King's tone faltered, suddenly unsure of how to respond.
"Heh, even if you don't say anything, I can guess—she's undergoing her transformation, right?" Lin Yun chuckled.
"Your Excellency truly sees all," the Myriad Demon King admitted helplessly.
With knowledge of the plot and the sudden disappearance of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion—who had been clinging to him before but was no longer there—Lin Yun easily deduced the situation. The little girl must have felt a psychological gap after seeing him always sleeping with the Ice Empress but not her.
It was normal for her to want to take human form.
Back when Di Tian had acted all secretive, Lin Yun had already been suspicious. What surprised him was that Di Tian and the others had actually allowed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to undergo her transformation.
That was the biggest shock.
Logically speaking, as the bearer of the Star Dou Forest's fortune, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion should never have been permitted to transform. If anything went wrong, it could be devastating for the forest's fate.
But if she did transform, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Once she took human form, aside from the three dogs, no one would be able to tell what she really was. As long as Di Tian kept a close watch, Huo Yuhao would never get a chance to form a spiritual bond with her.
Trying to steal the Star Dou Forest's fortune?Heh, he'd shatter their teeth.
"I don't care what you all are thinking, but the Auspicious Beast must not come to harm. Tell Di Tian that he doesn't need to worry about Gu Yue Na—there's no one right now who can threaten her. But the Auspicious Beast has already drawn attention, and it must be protected at all costs," Lin Yun instructed.
"Understood! I will not fail!" The Myriad Demon King's expression grew serious as he spoke solemnly.
Anyone who even Lin Yun was wary of was bound to be an incredibly dangerous existence. The importance of the Auspicious Beast to the Star Dou Forest was beyond question, and the Myriad Demon King understood this perfectly.
With such a grave command from Lin Yun, he wouldn't let his guard down.
After all, in Peerless Tang Sect, there was only one Xuan Zi.
After dismissing the Myriad Demon King, Lin Yun sat in the courtyard, made himself a cup of tea, and basked in the sunlight while waiting for the Ice Empress to return.
Under the blazing sun, Lin Yun's Golden Dragon King bloodline became extremely active. He could feel his soul power circulating faster, and every cell in his body seemed to be rejoicing in the sunlight.
Once Electrolux successfully created the cultivation method Lin Yun needed, his growth rate would skyrocket.
Time passed slowly.
Before long, a green glow lit up, and the Ice Empress appeared. In her hands, she held an Ice Jade Scorpion about 20 to 30 centimeters long.
The Ice Jade Scorpion species was naturally small. When the Ice Empress had 390,000 years of cultivation, her body length was 1.5 meters. After enduring the 400,000-year tribulation, she grew to 1.8 meters.
The Ice Jade Scorpion she held now had a cultivation of around 3,000 years, making it look absolutely tiny compared to her.
The Ice Empress could control her size at will, but this little one would have to reach the 10,000-year level before it could start altering its own form.
"Your Excellency, I'm back," the Ice Empress bounced over to Lin Yun, presenting the slightly trembling Ice Jade Scorpion to him.
Lin Yun took the small scorpion, cradling it in one palm while stroking its smooth, cool exoskeleton with the other.
It was truly beautiful.
Its entire body was a sky-blue color with a hint of green, and its shell was smooth and radiant. Its nine-segmented tail looked as if it were carved from jade, and its crystalline yellow eyes resembled two exquisite gemstones. It was like a living work of art.
Of course, it couldn't compare to the Ice Empress' true form, but it was still undeniably beautiful.
"Thank you—I really like it!" Lin Yun said with a smile.
Sensing the friendly aura emanating from Lin Yun, the small Ice Jade Scorpion no longer felt afraid and instead gazed at him curiously.
This was a royal-class Ice Jade Scorpion—the same kind as the Ice Empress. Given time, it was guaranteed to surpass the 100,000-year threshold. Among the entire Ice Jade Scorpion race, there were fewer than ten of its kind.
Of course, Lin Yun was unaware of this.
"As long as Your Excellency likes it. I only hope that you will treat my kin well," the Ice Empress said, her eyes full of affection as she gently petted the small scorpion.
Lin Yun nodded, then pulled the Ice Empress onto his lap.
Having spent countless nights as Lin Yun's personal pillow, the Ice Empress wasn't shy at all. She naturally settled into his lap and even chipped off a small piece from the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow, placing it in Lin Yun's hand.
The little Ice Jade Scorpion's eyes sparkled as it stared at the piece of Profound Ice Marrow.
'So fragrant! I want to eat it so badly!'
Though it craved the ice marrow, it remained obedient, not daring to move without Lin Yun or the Ice Empress' permission—even though it was already drooling.
"Haha, go ahead and eat! No need to hold back!" Lin Yun chuckled, tapping its head with his finger. Finally, the small scorpion snatched the ice marrow and devoured it in one bite, its eyes glowing with satisfaction.
"Is it male or female? Does it have a name?" Lin Yun asked the Ice Empress.
"It's female and doesn't have a name yet. Would Your Excellency like to name it?" the Ice Empress asked playfully, blinking mischievously.
Bringing Lin Yun a female Ice Jade Scorpion as a pet felt a little like introducing a romantic rival who might compete for his attention. But the Ice Empress wasn't too concerned—after all, this was her kin, and she was the ancestor of the Ice Jade Scorpion race.
She wouldn't dare compete with me for favor!
"A female, huh… Since 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 Empress.
"It is an honor for it to receive Your Excellency's name. I'm sure it will like it," the Ice Empress replied.
"Then from now on, it will be called Qing'er!"
Under the sunlight, the little Ice Jade Scorpion—Qing'er—waved its tiny claws. Though it didn't understand Lin Yun's words, with the Ice Empress acting as a translator, it quickly accepted its new name and seemed quite pleased with it.
Now that Lin Yun had both the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow and Qing'er, he had no reason to stay.
Stuffing both the Ice Empress and Qing'er into his coat pocket, he leisurely strolled back to Shrek Academy.
(End of Chapter)
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