Douluo: The Throne of Ice

Chapter 7 Separation, Entering the Inner Circle

The Snow Empress's voice was noble and carried an undeniable air of authority. Even the aftershocks caused the two Title Douluos to involuntarily take a step back, and the atmosphere around them darkened once more.

Xu Jiujiu held Shu Yan's hand tightly, desperately telling herself to stay calm, but facing Xue Di, it was all in vain.

Shu Yan's pupils contracted slightly, his throat went dry, and a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead. His blood surged and boiled within him, and even his martial soul seemed to be summoned. The next moment, a sudden chill descended, and ice and snow covered the flowers and plants. A blurry ice-blue figure appeared behind Shu Yan, and four soul rings rose from beneath his feet. The Snow Empress's gaze was fixed on the blurry figure behind Shu Yan, and her expression darkened slightly. Shu Yan felt as if the world had turned pale at this moment. He sensed an absolutely cold and undisguised overwhelming killing intent emanating from the Snow Empress!

A terrifying aura surged from Xue Di's body. A trace of blood spilled from the corner of Shu Yan's mouth. He then uncontrollably staggered back a few steps. Xu Jiujiu, whose soul power was even lower, was directly overwhelmed and could not breathe. He collapsed to the ground.

A hint of astonishment and gloom flashed in Xue Di's eyes. After a moment, the surrounding pressure dissipated again. Shu Yan coughed violently twice, his body swaying slightly. Xu Jiujiu trembled all over, his eyes glazed over, staring blankly at the scene before him.

"The Ice and Snow Maiden Martial Soul, huh... It's truly unfair that a human can possess a bloodline of the same origin as mine."

For some reason, Xue Di's voice carried a hint of self-mockery, but the next moment, her voice abruptly changed, speaking in an almost irrefutable tone:

"You cannot remain in the human world. You must return to the far north with me. I do not wish to kill you. If you behave yourself, these three humans may still have a chance to live."

Shu Yan's thoughts churned wildly. He considered every possible way to break the deadlock, but ultimately discovered, to his dismay, that it seemed he had no choice at all…

Looking at Xu Jiujiu lying limp on the ground behind him, Shu Yan's eyes flashed with a hint of pity. He forced himself to calm down, then turned his head slightly. When his gaze fell on Xu Jiujiu, it softened again. He mouthed a few words, and Xu Jiujiu's pupils shrank sharply, but before she could speak, she let out a whimper and collapsed.

Shu Yan then turned to look at the two Title Douluos and mouthed the same words softly:

"Go quickly, don't worry about me, I have a way to protect myself."

Nebula Douluo and Shattered Star Douluo had bloodshot eyes and their soul power was flowing rapidly within their bodies. But the next moment, Xue Di only let out a soft snort, which made them both cough up a trace of blood from the corner of their mouths. After forcing themselves to calm down, the two quickly analyzed the situation. Then, they gritted their teeth, looked at Shu Yan with guilt, and then quickly fled away with Xu Jiujiu.

……

Only after the three figures completely disappeared into the horizon did Shu Yan finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He may have fantasized about all of this happening, but he never imagined it would happen so suddenly and swiftly. As his thoughts were in turmoil, Xue Di's clear and cold voice rang out from behind him again, abruptly interrupting Shu Yan's complicated mood.

"You seem to care a lot about that human woman."

Shu Yan slowly turned around, looked at Xue Di, who was a head shorter than him but whose aura was a hundred times stronger, and then nodded slightly.

"I've known her since I was young. She was like an older sister to me when I was young, and she's also my lover now."

Xue Di snorted coldly, and then spoke:

"I never dreamed that the bloodline of the Ice and Snow Maiden would appear in a human, let alone a man. But since you possess the same bloodline as me, you are, in any case, one of my people. Come with me back to the far north; that is the most suitable place for you."

Shu Yan gently exhaled a breath of stale air. His white hair, now the same style as the Snow Empress's, which had been transformed by the awakening of the Ice and Snow Maiden's essence, fluttered gently. A serious glint flashed in Shu Yan's eyes as he spoke:

"Snow Empress, I think we can have a good talk..."

The Snow Empress snorted coldly again, and then Shu Yan felt a dizzying sensation. When he opened his eyes again, the surrounding scenery was rushing past at a speed that the naked eye could not perceive, and the Snow Empress's cold voice echoed in Shu Yan's ears.

"If you have anything to say, then wait until we return to the inner circle and speak to me slowly. Otherwise, I advise you to keep your mouth shut."

Shu Yan: …………

……

The far north, the core area.

Unlike the outer and mixed circles, the core circle does not have the same violent wind and snow barrier as the outside world; in fact, it is eerily quiet.

Looking around, all that could be seen was a ground covered in white snow. In the distance, several continuous snow-covered mountain ranges could be vaguely seen. Occasionally, a distant roar of a beast would echo across the vast ice plain. Layers of snow and wind rose and fell, and the cold air was so intense that even Shu Yan couldn't help but feel a chill.

Snow Empress gazed ahead with her azure eyes, her expression calm. Her right hand gripped Shu Yan's collar, lifting him like a chick. Wherever she passed, a howling wind swept through, and ice and snow scattered in all directions like broken waves. Even when they occasionally encountered a few soul beasts roaming the ice plains, they all knelt down on all fours and bowed their heads in worship upon sensing Snow Empress's aura. These soul beasts were at least 50,000 years old, demonstrating just how exalted Snow Empress's status was in the far north.

When they reached a lifeless ice field, the Snow Emperor lowered its altitude. Through the gaps in the clouds, Shu Yan could vaguely see a palace-like building. At the same time, the already frigid temperature plummeted again, almost to the point where the temperature alone could kill anyone below the Soul Sect level.

Snow Empress gently landed with Shu Yan, and Shu Yan saw the entire palace for the first time. Looking at the magnificent ice palace in front of him, Shu Yan was momentarily stunned.

While he was still in a daze, the Snow Empress had already started walking into the palace. Seemingly noticing that Shu Yan hadn't followed, the Snow Empress frowned slightly, then turned back and said in a less than pleasant tone:

"Those guys in the inner circle have always been extremely sensitive to and disgusted by the scent of humans. If you don't want to die too quickly, stick close to me."

Shu Yan suddenly snapped out of his daze and quickly followed the Snow Empress's steps. As soon as he stepped into the main hall, a bone-chilling cold instantly spread throughout his body. The temperature inside the hall was even lower than outside, making him, who possessed the Ice and Snow Maiden Martial Soul, feel somewhat uncomfortable for a moment.

The Snow Empress's steps were elegant and rhythmic. In the blink of an eye, she had already sat on the throne at the head of the main hall. The hem of her white dress was casually scattered on the ground, and her slender right leg was crossed over her left, revealing a section of her fair and jade-like calf.

The ice-blue high heels exuded a chilling aura, and from Shu Yan's angle, one could see Xue Di's flawless, perfectly sized feet, as white as jade.

Perhaps it was Shu Yan's subconscious gaze that made Xue Di feel uncomfortable, for a gloomy look flashed across her face. The next moment, Shu Yan felt an extremely terrifying pressure suddenly descend upon him, forcing him to kneel down. His knees smashed into the ice-forged ground, creating a small dent, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth once again.

"Human, you'd better put away your filthy gaze, or I won't mind helping you solve the problem at its root."

Xue Di's words were like icy coldness. Shu Yan coughed lightly, and the pressure on his body suddenly eased, allowing him to slowly get up.

What kind of situation is this? He didn't see it on purpose. With Xue Di's posture, anyone who has to look up at her is bound to notice her...

After forcibly suppressing the surging blood and qi within him, Shu Yan took a deep breath, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and then said:

"Snow Empress, I think we need to have a serious talk..."

Xue Di propped herself up with one hand, her posture slightly languid. She looked down at Shu Yan and then spoke:

"You are my kin. Staying in the far north, or even better, staying by my side, is the most suitable place for you. This is the land most suitable for your growth. I can provide you with endless cultivation resources, enough for you to cultivate to the so-called Title Douluo realm without any pressure. As for the soul bones that you humans crave, I can also do my best to satisfy you..."

……

(End of this chapter)