Douluo: The Throne of Ice

Chapter 25 Humans and Beasts, Meeting (1)

"No need to be so nervous. Although I am a soul beast, I am not an unreasonable person. What happened before is in the past, and I'm too lazy to bring it up again..."

She paused, a slight smile curving her lips. She chuckled softly, her voice softening slightly.

"If nothing unexpected happens in the future, we'll probably stay by Shu Yan's side to protect him, and also to properly discipline him..."

Holding Shu Yan's hand for a long time, Xu Jiujiu suppressed her wildly beating heart under his encouraging gaze, then forced a pale smile before whispering with difficulty:

"What you say is absolutely right, senior. I have been very impolite."

Xue Di didn't say anything more, but simply led Bing Di forward with elegant steps.

As Hyotei passed by Shu Yan and his companion, he stuck out his tongue, then gave Shu Yan a provocative look while secretly scrutinizing him for a long time.

After being stared at by Hyotei for a long time, a chill ran down her spine. Just as she was about to speak again, Hyotei's voice suddenly rang out:

"Don't be so nervous. Xue'er and I are actually quite easy to talk to. Besides, this is still your human territory. We and Shu Yan have chosen the same path. Unless you turn against us, I think our interactions should be quite pleasant..."

After taking only a couple of steps forward, Hyotei seemed to remember something, turned around, and said again:

"Oh, I should add one more thing: most of the time, our reputation as soul beasts is much better than yours as humans..."

She didn't know how to answer for a long time, but subconsciously let Shu Yan lead her deeper into the palace. It wasn't until she stepped into a huge palace gate that she suddenly came to her senses.

Looking at Hyotei, who was curiously surveying her surroundings not far away, and Yuki-tei, who remained calm and composed beside her, Xu Jiujiu couldn't help but clench Shu Yan's hand tightly, and then whispered:

"Ayan, I..."

Shu Yan looked ahead, sighed softly, and comforted her:

"Don't think too much about it. Don't worry. I've spent quite a bit of time with the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, and I understand their personalities quite well. You don't need to worry about His Majesty's safety. I made a solemn oath with them that concerns our lives and souls. No one will betray us at the last minute."

"Besides... even if they wanted to make a move, there probably wouldn't be a single powerful individual within the entire Star Luo Empire who could stop them. Don't overthink it, I guarantee with my life that nothing will happen..."

After a long while, his gaze became complicated, but in the end he nodded gently.

Yes, just as Shu Yan said, the Snow Empress alone is enough to make her stand out in the world. It is difficult to find a strong person who can match her in this era, not to mention that she is accompanied by the Ice Empress, who also has a fearsome reputation in the far north. Such a combination is definitely not something that the Star Luo Empire can contend with in a short time.

With mixed feelings, the group passed through one palace gate after another, finally stepping into a magnificent golden hall.

As soon as he entered the main hall, Shu Yan noticed several familiar faces. The first old man standing on the left of the main seat had a ruddy complexion and was none other than the old acquaintance, Shattered Star Douluo. On the right, there were two old men with completely different temperaments. Shu Yan was quite familiar with them. These two were Cheng Gang, the Giant Strength Douluo, and Huang Jinxu, the Heavenly Fiend Douluo, two of the many Guardian Douluos of the Star Luo Empire.

The moment Shu Yan and his companions stepped into the main hall, Nebula Douluo also appeared. A faint low pressure hovered above the hall, caused by the auras of many powerful figures surrounding them. On the main seat of the hall, Xu Jiawei, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes. The gazes of the group met in the air, and the battle had already begun in the shadows.

The next moment, Xu Jiawei stood up from his seat. He looked like a middle-aged man, only thirty-four years old. Time had not left any obvious marks on him. His appearance was still dignified and handsome. Having been on the throne for a long time, he was surrounded by an unparalleled aura of nobility. With just one look, one could feel endless majesty and domineering power.

But unexpectedly, Xu Jiawei remained unusually calm. A gentle, refined smile appeared on his face, and his aura was peaceful. Then, he slightly opened his arms and said:

"Welcome to the Star Luo Empire, two distinguished guests who have traveled from the far north. I am Xu Jiawei, the current emperor of the Star Luo Empire. Here, along with the four retainers, I extend a warm welcome to you two."

As they spoke, the four Guardian Douluo, including Shattered Star Douluo, bowed slightly in the direction of the Snow Emperor and his companion. Several black-robed figures standing on either side also made a gesture to invite them in. Shu Yan watched this scene and couldn't help but admire his brother-in-law's courage and strong mental fortitude.

In this setting, even the usually unruly Ice Emperor, who was always by the side of the Snow Emperor, couldn't help but take things a little more seriously. The two followed Shu Yan and Xu Jiujiu into the hall, and then, under the thoughtful guidance of the black-robed figures, they sat down at a low table less than five meters away from Xu Jiawei. Xu Jiawei waved his hand, and the four Title Douluos also took their seats in turn. The black-robed figures also tactfully left the hall. The next moment, a golden soul power shield rose up outside the hall, isolating all external perception.

Xu Jiawei slowly took his seat, his dignified face unchanged by a smile. He simply raised his wine glass and addressed the two emperors of ice and snow:

"Please do not misunderstand, our actions are merely to warn those with ulterior motives from spying on this place, and we have no malicious intent whatsoever."

The Snow Empress's gaze swept over all the strangers in the hall. Although she didn't think the shield was of any use, she still gave a soft "hmm" as a response.

Xu Jiawei was not surprised by Xue Di's cold attitude. He turned his gaze to Shu Yan, a hint of emotion in his eyes, and then spoke again:

"Ayan has grown up so much. I still remember you as a thin little boy back then, but now you've become a handsome young man. Time really flies..."

Shu Yan chuckled lightly, then said:

"It has been almost a year since we last met, and Your Majesty remains as radiant as ever."

Xu Jiawei chuckled lightly, waved his hand, and then said:

"There's no need to call me Your Majesty. I said it a long time ago: we are family. Just call me Imperial Brother, like Jiu Jiu does. There are no outsiders here. Why are you bothered by those tedious formalities..."

Shu Yan chuckled softly, then said in a low voice:

"Brother..."

Xu Jiawei smiled with satisfaction, then casually chatted for a couple more minutes, and even brought up his marriage to Xu Jiujiu, causing the nervous and worried Xu Jiujiu to blush and lower her head shyly.

The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress watched this scene silently. They both knew that what they were doing now was just a warm-up before the real show began. The most important thing, and the reason why everyone was here today, was scheduled for later. Now that the warm-up was over, the real show was about to begin...

……

P.S.: Just eleven more to reach one hundred investments!!! (cough cough)

(End of this chapter)