The Domineering King of the Netherworld and His Sweetheart

140. Ice Qilin

Translator: Iris Guo

Above the clouds stood a silent but towering palace.

Two intruders broke into the palace before Feng Xi and the King of the Netherworld did, disarming several traps on their way. And so Feng Xi and the Nether King practically breezed through the multiple checkpoints within the palace, one of which was the Ice Crystal Corridor of the Crystal Silkworms.

The Crystal Silkworm was a unique creature found only in the most frigid of lands. Extremely dangerous and lethal, it usually measured around one-tenth the size of a marble.

They would attach themselves to Ice Crystals, lying in wait for a chance to strike at their prey. One careless slip by the intruders and these Crystal Silkworms would burrow into their bodies, devouring flesh and blood while sucking their soul dry. In the end, all that’s left was a shell occupied by the silkworm’s offspring, something no more than a humanoid puppet. It was an act both cruel and chilling.

This was not the first time that the God and Demon Kingdom saw such a sight. Once, some criminals raised a batch of Crystal Silkworms and used them to control humans. With these silkworms, they made puppets out of their victims that heeded their every order. It caused much uproar in the kingdom and stirred big-name factions who were then forced to join hands. The factions later managed to eradicate them, but not before many lives were lost. They managed to kill the mastermind in the end.

While they had successfully eradicated those monsters, the price they had to pay was hefty.

As there was no way to save those possessed by the Crystal Silkworms, they had to burn all of them alive.

The King of the Netherworld explained as he led Feng Xi through the Ice Crystal Corridor of Crystal Silkworms.

“Is there no way to destroy those Crystal Silkworms?” Feng Xi sniffed and asked. He could imagine a group of people infected by the plague but had no way to be saved. In the end, people could only lock them up somewhere, standing powerless as they watched them die.

The Nether King rubbed his hair and said, “A cause will lead to an effect, while an effect must have been born from a cause. Every living being under the sun is destined to have an equally powerful counterpart. Likewise, the Crystal Silkworm must therefore have a natural enemy.”

“What’s the natural enemy of the Silkworms?” Feng Xi asked curiously.

Although that was a tragedy that happened many years before, something similar might happen again since these Crystal Silkworms had resurfaced. It’s good that he learned about this beforehand so that he could protect himself. He must plan ahead before it rains! How wise and smart of him! Hahaha, who knows, he might even get the chance to play the messiah in the future.

“We are in the world of the Ice Qilin. Who, then, do you think counters the Crystal Silkworm, my little Xi?” The King of the Netherworld seemed to have seen through his thoughts.

“The Ice Qilin!” Feng Xi looked at the King of the Netherworld in wide-eyed surprise. He blinked his doe-like eyes as if waiting for the Nether King to affirm his answer.

The King of the Netherworld gave his head a light pat and praised him as he wished, “My little Xi is smart indeed!”

The Ice Qilin is a great find, Feng Xi thought, to think that it’d be the Ice Qilin! This is splendid. Once I form a contract with it, that ability will be mine as well. I might get the chance to play the messiah! Feng Xi chuckled in his head and wondered if the Ice Qilin was a Mythical Beast unafraid of all poisons. Boss had called Ice Qilin a Fire Element Supreme Mythical Beast, but also said that it might just have ice attributes. If that was true, he could use it to barbecue chicken wings and freeze food in the future. Most importantly, it could still fight for him. It’s killing three birds with one stone!

Seeing how the young man let out stifled giggles, the King of the Netherworld simply smiled and said nothing.

Although others had followed them into the palace, they were, after all, not the King of the Netherworld. Without the mighty prowess of the Nether King, breaking in suddenly became a tall order. The Elemental Storm outside is enough to block them at the gate, and so they needn’t worry about being ambushed from behind.

After they’ve cleared even more obstacles, the Nether King did not take Feng Xi towards the Main Hall; instead, they headed for the Side Hall and stealthily infiltrated the palace from there.

Wherever they laid their eyes, they see majestic buildings built with glistening ice. On the outside, it was still imposing and awe-striking, indeed a sight to behold. And it was merely a Side Hall. Feng Xi believed that they would surely be greeted with a sight a hundred times more spectacular when they arrive at the Main Hall. This was so as the Ice Qilin was most likely a vain creature, for it wouldn’t have built such a grand palace otherwise.

Upon seeing the myriad of treasures piled within the Side Hall, Feng Xi could not help but drool.

He sure didn’t expect treasure collection to be the hobby of the Ice Qilin. He recognized almost none of these riches, but that was also the main reason why the Nether King brought him to the Side Hall. Not for anything else, but the treasures collected by the Ice Qilin was already worth the visit.

The world only knows that every part of the Ice Qilin was a treasure in itself, but few knew that its favorite pastime was to collect the most precious treasures of the three realms.

Initially, the King of the Netherworld had wanted to form a contract with the Ice Qilin while it was asleep. However, the two intruders who barged in before them had already awakened the Ice Qilin. As such, he had no choice but to change his plans, bringing Feng Xi to the Side Hall to scour for treasures instead. Looking at how excited the young boy was, the Nether King knew that he had made the right decision. These treasures might be gains most tremendous for the young boy from this trip.

The two of them toured the Side Hall once as Feng Xi nonchalantly cleaned out the Ice Qilin’s trove, throwing everything into his ring without a sparing a second glance. Then, he quietly landed right above the Main Hall with the Nether King. As what the Nether King told him, those two intruders were far less powerful than them two. That was why even a supreme Mystical Beast like the Ice Qilin could not pick up their presence.

And so, Feng Xi and the Nether King blatantly began to watch the show.

Within the Ice Qilin’s Main Hall, there were a total of 49 pillars. Each pillar was thick and massive, but they all had varying heights. Each post’s top was connected by a long stairway, like a gorgeous air ladder spiraling skywards from the shortest pillar to the tallest. At the end of the stairway, there was a tunnel opening. Where it led to was a mystery.

The two mysterious men stood atop the stairs but showed no sign of attacking. Instead, they were looking at the Ice Qilin wrapped around the 49th pillar with leisurely ease.

The Ice Qilin was white from head to toe, and even its fur shone an icy white. It looked just like an ice sculpture. If one did not examine the ice palace’s interior with their spiritual power, they could not see where the Ice Qilin was with just their naked eyes.

That was why Feng Xi could not find where the Ice Qilin was at first no matter how hard he stared. Only until the Nether King hinted for him to sense it with his spiritual power did he finally find the mythical beast.

Wrapped in white flames, the Ice Qilin stood coldly atop the pillar, its body as crystalline as white jade. Its haunting pupils glowed a fearsome blood-red, seeping from it, an icy arrogance. Its crouching stance was powerful yet unbridled, its presence as domineering as a king looking down from the top of the world.

If it had been a pack of demon beasts in front of the Ice Qilin, a thread of horrifying pressure from its bloodline would be enough to make them kneel and submit. Such is the pressure of a King by Birth. The Ice Qilin was born and natured by heaven and earth, and so it was the child of heaven and earth. No matter how far the demon beast has evolved, it could never change the crushing pressure from its bloodline.

However, the two men standing before the Ice Qilin were also powerful Exalt Supremes. Carrying an overpowering, kingly aura, their innate air of regalness was already more than enough hint about their identities.

“The galls of you two thieving old donkeys to disturb my sleep. Don’t think that I wouldn’t dare to touch you simply because you’re an Exalt Supreme!”

An arrogant and domineering voice bellowed from within the Ice Qilin. Even if the Ice Qilin knew how powerful these two men were, it stayed true to its prideful character and did not back down. Instead, he swore at them non-stop from the moment he opened his mouth. The Ice Qilin was so arrogant that it genuinely had eyes for no one else.

While the Ice Qilin had been in slumber for millions of years, it would sometimes travel within to the God and Demon Kingdom, scouring treasures on his way back. He had lived a life much, much longer than those two intruders, and it remembered hearing about them back in the years when they were just getting famous. To the Ice Qilin, those two were just clowns flailing in front of him. Therefore, it could hardly bring itself to spare them any attention.

However, he never dreamed that those men he took as flailing clowns would barge into his sacred grounds one day.

The two intruders looked relaxed and composed, which, to the Ice Qilin, meant unconcealed disrespect. The Qilin was the only one who could look down on others, never the other way around! The Ice Qilin was truly angered. If he let them go without teaching them a lesson, it would be a smear on the name of them Ice Qilins!

“Please quell your anger, Brother Qilin. I have no intention to disturb your peace. It’s just that we are pressed for time since my daughter would be having her birthday in a few days. This birthday means a lot to her. I am here to borrow a simple item, and so long as you’re willing to loan it, I would be more than happy to exchange it with something of equal value. I promise that you will not lose out on this!”

The gold-robed man standing on the 44th ice pillar explained politely, bearing not a hint of rudeness in his tone. From that, one could see that he was telling the truth and that he had most likely come with utmost sincerity to explain his situation.

However, all that the Ice Qilin had for him was contempt and disdain. With an expression ever arrogant, it scoffed, “Old thieving donkey, don’t think that you could bluff your way with me. No matter what you want, I’m never giving it to you. Throw yourself out of here. Otherwise, I don’t mind throwing you both out myself!”

The gold-robed man sighed, as though he had long foreseen such a situation. He wasn’t angry, though. He continued, “What should we do for you to loan us the Spirit of the Ice Qilin? Feel free to ask away. I will get you whatever you want so long as it’s within my limits!”

The Ice Qilin stared intently at the gold-robed man, its blood-red eyes void of any emotion. It sneered, arrogant and overbearing, “I’m telling you to pack yourself up and roll out of here. Would you roll since I’ve asked?”

No matter how mild-tempered the gold-robed man was or how much patience he had, the Ice Qilin had pulled the final straw with that sentence alone. His expression finally darkened. The dominating aura of an Emperor exploded from that man as he finally shed his gentle front.

All in all, he was still a King mightier and greater than anyone else. He was a man above men! Telling him to roll on the floor was much more humiliating than slapping him in public. Therefore, it was an impossible request, no matter the stakes. No King of any nation would never do it, let alone him, the ruler of the realm.

The gold-robed man was so furious that his beard blew upwards in great anger.