Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Yan gave a casual explanation, and then led them forward. The three of them soon arrived at a small hill.

"Look ahead."

Standing on high ground and looking into the distance, they quickly discovered something unusual: in the ravine ahead, there was a hole about three meters in diameter emitting wisps of pale blue smoke, which would rise about four or five meters before dissipating with the wind.

Shouldn't we test the waters first?

Ji Mingming was a little worried as she watched Yan walk away so casually, but she still followed with Shuiyue. However, in the process, she had already completed the Cloud Power Possession and activated the Zodiac Transformation.

Just as they arrived at the cave entrance, an invisible aura emanated from Yan, causing the blue smoke emanating from the cave to scatter in all directions. The ground trembled slightly, and a terrifying aura permeated the cave.

"Roar~~~"

With a deep roar, and the earth trembled, a dark shadow flashed, and a monster appeared out of thin air at the edge of the cave.

The moment the monster appeared, it gave all three of them a strange feeling, because the monster looked very familiar.

It has thick, dark fur all over its body, bright and piercing eyes, a body as big as an ox, a single black horn on its forehead, and wings on its back that spread out to the sides of its body, but it does not take flight.

This monster bore an uncanny resemblance to the Qilin pattern on Qi Yue's body, except it had an extra pair of wings. It looked up at the three people before it, exhaling blue breath from its mouth and nostrils, its bright eyes seemingly deep in thought.

"Yan Xiaoyi, don't make a move yet. Among the mythical beasts of the primordial world, there are also divine beasts. Most of them are gentle and kind, and are friends of humans."

Ji Mingming seemed to recognize the divine beast and quickly ran to Yan's side. "This is the divine beast Xie Zhi, a mythical beast similar to the Qilin, except that the Qilin's horn is spiral-shaped, while the Xie Zhi's horn is straight."

The Xie Zhi, also known as the Fa Shou (法兽), is said to die if its horn breaks, and most of them are wingless. It possesses great wisdom, can understand human speech, and will use its horn to attack dishonest and disloyal people.

The winged Xie Zhi is the king of the Xie Zhi clan, and a Xie Zhi's strength increases with age. This particular Xie Zhi is probably over a thousand years old, a truly auspicious beast.

As soon as Ji Mingming finished speaking, the Xie Zhi's voice rang out, "A human who has inherited the bloodline of the phoenix, to be precise, I am three thousand four hundred and sixty-seven years old this year."

"More than three thousand four hundred years."

Upon hearing what the Xie Zhi said, Ji Mingming subconsciously gasped. In her understanding, the strength of these ancient beasts was closely related to their age.

Those below a thousand years are at one level; after a thousand years, their strength will increase to a higher level; and after three thousand years, they will be at yet another level.

The strongest is the ten-thousand-year-old ferocious beast, which would require at least six of the six zodiac guardian deities to possibly contend with, depending on the beast's attributes and abilities.

Fortunately, the ancient beast with three thousand years of cultivation before them was a Xie Zhi. As a magical beast, the Xie Zhi has an extremely strong sense of hatred and only attacks those who are vicious and evil, never harassing humans.

Therefore, the guardian deities of the Chinese zodiac throughout history have never taken any action against the Xie Zhi.

Side Story: Zodiac Guardian Deities (VI) - The Qilin King

"Hello, senior. I'm sorry."

Before the cave on the outskirts of the capital, Ji Mingming quickly bowed to the Xie Zhi and said sincerely, "Senior, we discovered a powerful aura here earlier. We didn't know you were here. Please forgive us for disturbing your rest."

The Xie Zhi raised its large head, flapped its wings, and suddenly took flight. Its speed was so great that it left a trail of afterimages in the air.

Ji Mingming was startled by the sudden movement of the Xie Zhi. She thought the records in the ancient books were wrong and that the Xie Zhi in front of her should have been quite aggressive.

The Xie Zhi leaped into the air and instantly swept past, rushing towards Yan with lightning speed. Anyone who saw a huge monster suddenly pounce on them would likely feel fear.

Yan watched as the Xie Zhi's body instantly enlarged, but there was no fear on his face. A ball of red light condensed directly and flew towards the Xie Zhi.

The red light streaked across the sky, transforming into a spindle-shaped beam of light surrounded by deep red lightning, which even the speed of the Xie Zhi (a mythical beast) could not dodge.

With a loud bang, the light shuttle struck the Xie Zhi squarely in the chest, causing its forward momentum to halt momentarily. A look of surprise flashed in the Xie Zhi's eyes, and a layer of fire appeared on the black fur on its chest, as if the fur at the point of impact was charred.

With a loud thud, the Xie Zhi landed heavily beside Yan, its massive front paws pressing against his chest, seemingly preparing to knock him down.

"senior."

Ji Mingming turned around and finally arrived. In her hands, a three-meter-long red spear of light appeared, which was completely formed by cloud power. The spears pointed at the black horn on the head of the Xie Zhi.

The Xie Zhi's forepaw didn't stomp down; instead, it slashed downwards. Ji Mingming was filled with regret, feeling she shouldn't have trusted the Xie Zhi to be harmless to humans. With that massive forepaw striking, Yan below would surely be disemboweled.

Her gaze was unwavering as she forcefully swung the flaming spears in both hands, sending them hurtling towards the single horn atop the Xie Zhi's head, fueled by her cloud-like power.

"Little girl, haven't you heard? My Xie Zhi's single horn may be a vital point, but it's also my strongest point."

A voice suddenly rang out in the arena, and two black lightning bolts were released instantly. With two soft "poof" sounds, the two spears formed by cloud power disappeared at the same time.

Ji Mingming did not hear Qi Yue's scream. When she opened her eyes, she saw the Xie Zhi neutralize her attack.

Just as the Xie Zhi was about to extend its claws to make a further move against Yan, suddenly a pair of hands as hard as iron grabbed those claws tightly.

"What's your zodiac sign? Why do you give me such a strange feeling?"

The Xie Zhi stared intently at Yan, its eyes suddenly blazing with light. It raised its head and let out a loud, long howl that rolled upwards and soared into the sky. At the same time, blue smoke billowed out from its mouth and nose.

I don't like what you're doing.

Yan was very displeased by Xie Zhi's words, and his gaze toward it gradually became dissatisfied. Under the invisible pressure, Xie Zhi suddenly stopped.

The red light emanating from Yan swept away everything, and the blue light of the Xie Zhi completely collapsed and returned to itself. "Is that enough? I am willing to leave here with you and stay in the capital for a while. I want to meet the current Qilin bloodline."

Ji Mingming glanced at Yan with concern and whispered, "The Xie Zhi is an auspicious beast, and it certainly didn't harm the people."

Yan sized up the Xie Zhi and sneered, "Don't worry, I wouldn't skin it alive over such a trivial matter. At most, I'll just take some blood for research."

"Well... okay..."

Ji Mingming hesitated for a moment, glanced at Yan's expression, and realized that she could not persuade him any further. She could only nod in agreement. With the cooperation of Xie Zhi, they successfully delivered the ancient beast to a villa on the outskirts of the capital. Xie Zhi's miserable life began immediately.

After arriving at the villa, Yan began his research on the ancient bloodline. The only direct source of material for this research was the Xie Zhi. As a result, over the next period of time, the Xie Zhi finally understood how terrifying Yan was.

However, since they had all arrived at the villa, it was too late for it to regret it. Moreover, it then displayed overwhelming power, making it realize that it had no power to regret it and could only silently endure it.

The miserable life of the Xie Zhi, which began in this way, lasted for more than a month. Yan's research on the ancient bloodline was beginning to show results. One day, after this, a group of uninvited guests came to his villa.

"Hai... Sister Ruyue."

That morning, Ji Mingming and Shuiyue were returning from their usual morning run when they saw three figures—one woman and two men—appearing outside the villa. They all looked somewhat familiar, especially the girl.

Beside Qi Yue and Zagru appeared a very cool and stylish woman in white. She was at least 1.78 meters tall, wearing a flawless white suit, with her long black hair tied up on her head, and a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

This girl looks more like a white-collar professional. Her skin is very fair, and her full breasts are incomparable to those of a young girl who has just developed. Her skirt only reaches her knees, revealing a pair of slender and shapely legs.

From the moment she appeared, every movement she made exuded elegance. Her gaze was calm, yet the occasional flash of cold light within it was as chilling as ice.

"Mingming, didn't I tell you to call me Sister Ruyue? Try to avoid mentioning the word 'dragon' in public."

The cold voice seemed devoid of emotion, almost commanding, but the white-clad beauty's gaze towards Ji Mingming was gentle. Although she was only five years older than Ji Mingming, she looked at her as if she were looking at her own child.

Ji Mingming stuck out her tongue and said coquettishly, "I know, Sister Ruyue. I just can't remember, but who told you to be a dragon?"

As she spoke, she looked at Zagru and Qi Yue, "Sister Ruyue, Master Zagru should have introduced him to you, right? This guy is the Qilin of this generation. What do you think of him?"

“I ran into Master Zagru on my way here, but I haven’t talked to him yet. However, this generation of Qilin is just like the records in the books, a bastard who thinks only with his lower body.”

Dragon Girl Hai Ruyue's blunt words immediately turned Qi Yue's face cold, but she did not let him off the hook, coldly announcing Qi Yue's information: "Qi Yue, male, nineteen years old, grew up in the Jingshan Orphanage in the capital."

He left the orphanage at fourteen to live on his own, dropped out of junior high school, and drifted into society, spending his days idly and considered a social outcast… A month and a half ago, he fled after assaulting Yan Xiaoyi, the son of the city bureau chief. Yan Xiaoyi is the owner of this villa, and also your rival.”

Qi Yue frowned slightly and said, "Hey! Miss, are you checking my household registration? And what do you know about what happened between me and Yan Xiaoyi? You're acting like I'm the one who's in the wrong."

A cold glint flashed in Hai Ruyue's eyes. "I don't want to hear the word 'Miss' anymore. Please call me by my name. My name is Hai Ruyue. Also, I have no interest in your feud with Yan Xiaoyi, but compared to you, he is at least more like a human being, not scum."

Qi Yue's face turned ugly, but he didn't immediately turn hostile. Instead, he sneered, "Heh... Should I call you 'sir' instead of 'Miss'? I'm not saying you're that kind of 'Miss,' so why are you getting so worked up? Besides, it seems I'm the King of the Zodiac, aren't I?"

Although Hai Ruyue was a beautiful woman, her cold demeanor made Qi Yue very uncomfortable. Moreover, some of the things Zagru had said recently made him realize his position among the Zodiac Guardians, and he subconsciously wanted to use this to his advantage and suppress Hai Ruyue.

Hai Ruyue glanced at him coldly and said indifferently, "If you can beat me, I will acknowledge you as the King of the Zodiac and be at your beck and call. However, before that, you have no right to command me."

Zagru coughed to break the tense atmosphere before continuing, "Ruyue, Qi Yue is actually a very good person. He has just come into contact with our world and still needs to adapt."

Hai Ruyue said with a stern face, "Since Master has put it that way, then so be it. By the way, Master, who exactly is this Yan Xiaoyi, and why did you keep telling me not to come alone?"

Hai Ruyue looked at Zagru with a puzzled expression. In fact, when she heard that Ji Mingming had been taken away, she wanted to rush to the villa to bring her younger sister back, but Zagru persuaded her to stay after several phone calls. It was only after so many days that the sisters were finally reunited.

"Because he's afraid you'll submit to me. I think what you said earlier was quite good. You don't actually need to submit to the so-called Qilin bloodline; submitting to me would be a better choice."

Suddenly, a voice rang in Hai Ruyue's ears. She turned her head sharply and was met with Yan's smiling face. She immediately tried to back away, but a domineering and powerful wrist grabbed her waist.

"Hooho..."

Just as Hai Ruyue was about to retaliate and teach Yan a lesson, a powerful aura suddenly caught her attention, and a figure flew in front of Qi Yue.

Blue light mist surged rapidly from the Xie Zhi's body and crashed into Qi Yue's body, causing his vest to shatter and reveal the Qilin tattoo pattern.

Qi Yue suddenly felt something burning inside his body. He opened his mouth uncontrollably and let out a long howl. The sound was extremely clear and passionate, and it was not drowned out by the sound of the Xie Zhi.

The Qilin pattern instantly shone brightly, with black and silver light surging out. The huge light and shadow solidified above his body, and the originally flat pattern became three-dimensional. Although it was an illusory light and shadow, it was indeed a huge black Qilin.

The Qilin in the sky and the Xiezhi on the hill look like brothers. The Qilin has no wings, but its body is a size larger than the Xiezhi.

Silvery-brown fur extended from its head and neck to its tail, and its long black and silver horns on its head looked extremely majestic. At each of its four feet, a cluster of auspicious clouds rose, each a different color: purple, blue, red, and cyan. The soft light and shadow constantly shimmered, further emphasizing its superior aura.

The Xie Zhi's body trembled slightly; it seemed very excited and suddenly took a few steps back. "Tens of thousands of years have passed, and finally a new King of Qilin has appeared."

Qi Yue's black hair fluttered without wind, gradually changing from black to silver, while his eyes remained as black as ink. A layer of black scales slowly emerged on the surface of his body, and a spiral-shaped black and silver horn emerged from the top of his head. "Who awakened me?"

The deep voice was filled with majesty; it was definitely not Qi Yue's voice, but rather that of an extremely ancient being.

The Xie Zhi respectfully said, "Great King of Qilin, your servant Xie Zhi respectfully requests your presence."

Two cold beams of electricity shot from Qi Yue's pure black eyes. The powerful pressure even affected Hai Ruyue's movements. Only Yan's expression remained calm and disdainful.

The deep voice from before sounded again, "Winged Xie Zhi, it seems you possess the purest bloodline of the Xie Zhi. Why did you awaken me?"

The Xie Zhi glanced at Yan beside him, and finally said in a deep voice, "Great King of Qilin, your bloodline has actually descended to the mortal world. As a partner and servant of the Qilin clan, I am willing to follow you and serve you from the front and back."

Hai Ruyue murmured to herself beside Yan, "Heavens! So it's true that the legendary Xie Zhi was the Qilin King's companion."

The eccentric 'Qi Yue' calmly said, "Winged Xie Zhi, your Xie Zhi clan's magical beasts still remember the promise of your ancestors. Very good. Since that's the case, then from now on you will become the shadow of my successor. Are you willing?"

"The Great King of Qilin".

The Xie Zhi lowered its head and lay prostrate on the ground, motionless.

This strange 'Qi Yue' turned to Yan and Hai Ruyue and said calmly, "Dragon bloodline descendant, are you wondering why I'm here? In the bloodline inheritance of the Qilin, I shouldn't have appeared."

However, I am the Qilin King, and I possess a divine consciousness that ordinary Qilin cannot match. Therefore, I can remain conscious until my bloodline successor completely integrates the Qilin aura within my bloodline.

However, I wouldn't have shown myself if the Xie Zhi hadn't appeared. My successor will slumber for a while, and as the descendant of the dragon, you must protect his safety.

Hai Ruyue nodded and said, "He was originally one of the guardian deities of the zodiac, and I will protect him."

A dark gaze swept over Hai Ruyue, giving her a feeling of being seen through. "Do you really consider him a partner? No matter who he is, as long as he is the heir of my Qilin clan, he will have a very strong sense of self-respect."

You need to be mindful of your attitude, otherwise, when the seeds bear bitter fruit, you'll be the only one left to bear the consequences...

"Pfft, hahaha... Sorry, I couldn't help it. I wanted to ask, is the selection of the Qilin bloodline so arbitrary? Just any guy can awaken it, and everyone has to cater to his pride?"

Yan, who was standing next to Hai Ruyue, couldn't help but laugh at this moment. The main reason was that this nonsense about the Qilin King was really ridiculous.