Scarlet King Stymied, the Auspicious Beast as a Hostage

"Scarlet King, save me!"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion cried out in panic as she was lifted up.

"Auspicious Beast!"

Scarlet King flew into a rage. Six crimson eyes from his three canine heads fixed on the Ice Empress, but the next moment, they turned bewildered.

"The aura of a Beast? Extreme Ice? You're the Ice Empress of the Extreme North?"

The Ice Empress looked calm and composed, even slightly amused.

She had not expected the one guarding the Auspicious Beast to be the Three-Headed Crimson Demon Mastiff, ranked eighth among the continent's Fierce Beasts.

Even before her breakthrough,

his cultivation had been inferior to hers, much less now.

"Ice Empress, are you trying to start a war between the Star Dou Great Forest and the Extreme North? Put the Auspicious Beast down at once!"

Scarlet King roared repeatedly.

The sonic attack unleashed by all three heads at once was enough to knock out Soul Beasts older than ten thousand years on the spot.

Fortunately, Zi Yao stood behind the Ice Empress and remained unharmed.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't dare kill the Auspicious Beast. Once I've finished what I came to do, I'll naturally let her go without harming a single hair on her."

The Ice Empress spoke fearlessly.

"Then let's see whether you have what it takes! Hell Dark Flame Wave!"

All three of Scarlet King's canine heads gathered immense Soul Power fluctuations at once, firing blazing crimson spheres of energy from their mouths.

The Ice Empress ranked one place above him on the Fierce Beast Ranking, but he did not fear her.

They were both Three-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

The difference in their strength was not that great; it mainly depended on bloodline talents.

Besides, this was the Star Dou Great Forest, his home ground. If they truly fought, it was uncertain who would win.

He was somewhat unconvinced as well. They were both Three-Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. The Ice Empress's cultivation was only slightly higher than his, so why could she act so arrogantly before him?

His Hellfire was close to the extreme and was suppressed by the Ice Empress in terms of attributes.

But he also possessed part of the pureblood True Dragon Bloodline. As the ancestor of Soul Beasts, the True Dragon Bloodline was undoubtedly one of the noblest existences. Even the Ice Empress's Ice God Bloodline was difficult to compare with it.

Three hellish waves, each ten meters in diameter, shone with dazzling crimson light. The Hellfire immediately raised the surrounding temperature by several hundred degrees.

The Ice Empress did not move. One hand still held the Auspicious Beast by the scruff of her neck, while the other rose. The aura of a Four-Hundred-Thousand-Year Beast erupted without concealment, and a chillingly frigid presence burst from her entire body.

"Eternal Frost Domain!"

In an instant,

an icy storm swept across a hundred li. The trees and ground froze in moments, while even space and time seemed to slow.

This was not even the strongest form of Extreme Ice. It was said that the strongest Extreme Ice could even halt time and space, though that was merely a legend. Even the Snow Empress had not cultivated to such a level.

The three hellish waves were engulfed by the freezing storm, and the power of Hellfire was swiftly suppressed in every respect by the Extreme Ice.

That was with the Ice Empress holding back.

The Eternal Frost Domain was her innate skill. It could instantly freeze a thousand li, and even outside the Extreme North, it could create a favorable battlefield.

The Three-Headed Crimson Demon Mastiff stood atop the ice, all three pairs of eyes solemn and filled with disbelief.

"Four Hundred Thousand Years? You broke through? How is that possible? The continent hasn't seen a Heavenly Tribulation of that level in recent years!"

The Ice Empress merely snorted and did not answer.

"If I had not broken through, you might have been able to contend with me. But now, this Emperor is a true Four-Hundred-Thousand-Year Beast. If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

Scarlet King suppressed his humiliation and fury, but there was little he could say.

A gap of a full Hundred Thousand Years was simply too great.

At present, he truly was no match for the Ice Empress.

But he remembered that the Ice Empress had clearly not yet taken that step. She had even been left with hidden injuries from her previous Heavenly Tribulation.

Yet now, not only had those hidden injuries healed, but the Extreme Ice at her origin had become even more terrifying. She had even silently broken through the Four-Hundred-Thousand-Year bottleneck.

What had happened in the Extreme North?

"Ice Empress, I truly am no match for you. But think carefully. The Auspicious Beast's life concerns the safety of the entire Star Dou Great Forest. If anything happens to her, you'll have to bear the fury of more than half the Beasts among the Ten Great Beast Kings. Even if the Snow Empress came, she could not protect you. Are you truly going to do this?"

"Stop using them to threaten this Emperor. I only came to Star Dou to handle something. Once I'm done, I'll naturally leave. The Auspicious Beast is merely a hostage. Who knows whether you'll go find Di Tian and Bear Lord for help? I need some guarantee of my own safety too, don't I?"

The Ice Empress said as she gave the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in her hand a little shake.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion looked utterly aggrieved, her head hanging low.

She had only come out to find prey and have a meal. Not only had her prey been stolen, but now she was being used as a hostage.

This Imperial Auspicious Beast truly had no dignity left.

After several seconds of silence, Scarlet King asked warily,

"Are you sure you'll honestly release the Auspicious Beast? You aren't planning to take her to the Extreme North, are you?"

His suspicion was not without reason.

The Extreme North had coveted this Auspicious Beast for more than a year or two. Every place where Soul Beasts gathered longed to have such an Auspicious Beast.

"Stop making wild guesses. I have no desire to offend Di Tian to the death."

The Ice Empress said flatly.

The name of Di Tian, the Beast God, still carried enough weight. After he had narrowly defeated the Evil Emperor alone back then, his title as the number one Fierce Beast in the world had been firmly established.

Even if the Snow Empress were here, she would not choose to offend Di Tian to the death.

After struggling inwardly for a moment,

Scarlet King let out a faint sigh. He could not defeat her, and the Auspicious Beast was in her hands. What choice did he have?

He raised his three heads guiltily.

"Auspicious Beast, I trust those two wouldn't dare lay a hand on you. The moment you escape, release your aura, and I'll come protect you!"

"You... I..."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was left speechless, unsure what to say.

The Ice Empress left with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and Zi Yao.

Along the way, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion wore a blank expression, her eyes dim.

Even Scarlet King had been unable to take her back from this Fierce Beast. The other, stronger Fierce Beasts were in secluded cultivation.

Who knew what inhuman things this human and Beast would do to her?

"Xiao Yao, we need to hurry with the Soul Hunting. We may have this Auspicious Beast as a hostage, but who knows what changes might arise."

The Ice Empress said vigilantly.

"Mm, we really do need to hurry."

Zi Yao nodded, a trace of worry appearing on his face.

When it came to the number and variety of Soul Beasts, the Star Dou Great Forest was undoubtedly second to none.

But the Star Dou Great Forest was simply too vast. He was not a local Beast, and relying on luck to encounter the Soul Beasts he needed would be rather difficult.

A sudden idea struck him, and he looked at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in the Ice Empress's hand.

Didn't they have a guide they had just captured?

He placed a hand on the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's head. Her fluffy fur felt exceptionally pleasant beneath his palm as he asked gently,

"Auspicious Beast, where do the top Mental Attribute Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest live?"

"Forget it, you hateful human! I'll never tell you anything!"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion bared her teeth.

"If you help us sooner, we can release you sooner. Otherwise, Ice Sister will have no choice but to carry you around by the scruff of your neck through more than half of Star Dou."

"You wouldn't want the dignity of an Imperial Auspicious Beast to vanish completely, would you?"

Zi Yao said with a light laugh.