Chapter 535: End of the Ice Field Arc

Chapter 535: The End of the Snowfields Arc

The following day.

Gu Siewei was handling the lingering aftermath of the previous night.

The prince's diplomatic delegation had been utterly wiped out, and she had to find a way to explain it.

Offending Prince Emerald was one thing, but if it provoked hostility from the human empire toward Frostred City, seeking aid in the future would become an impossible task.

Gu Siewei was plagued by a profound headache.

The prince's delegation had perished almost the moment they set foot here.

Worse still, Prince Emerald was an adversary.

Gu Siewei found herself entirely at a loss for what to do.

Levi stepped inside. "Siewei, do you have a moment? There is something I want to tell you."

Hearing his voice, Gu Siewei looked up, setting her quill down. "What is it?"

Levi said, "I intend to leave Frostred City."

Gu Siewei looked at him in surprise. "Where are you going?"

Levi explained, "Lox is dead, and those backing him undoubtedly know that Sanxi and I are here."

"If we remain, we will only bring catastrophe upon Frostred City."

"Sanxi and I plan to depart from the Far North Icefields."

Gu Siewei rose from her chair. "Is that truly necessary? Even if Prince Emerald knows you are here, they cannot openly dispatch a large force this far."

"If it is merely a few high-tier practitioners, we can fully handle them with our current strength. Even if they send a legendary practitioner, we can manage."

Levi’s expression grew solemn. "It is not just Lox. The Holy Church of Light is involved as well."

Upon hearing this, Gu Siewei’s face stiffened.

She remembered now.

Levi also harbored grievances with the Holy Church of Light.

Gu Siewei fell into a prolonged silence, her heart torn by deep ambivalence.

She longed to be with Levi, yet she could not abandon Frostred City to follow him away.

If she deserted Frostred City, the settlement would almost certainly perish in the impending demonic scourge.

To protect Frostred City or to follow Levi—she could only choose one.

Levi smiled faintly. "Do not make this look like a final farewell. I will return for you sooner or later."

"This is merely a temporary departure for a short while..."

Gu Siewei gazed at Levi, remaining silent for a moment before nodding with great reluctance. "Very well."

She walked over to Levi and threw her arms around him.

"You must return."

Levi held her tight, leaning close to her ear to whisper, "Rest assured, I absolutely will."

Levi also informed Gu Ze of his departure.

Gu Ze remained quiet for a moment, then smiled at him. "Safe travels."

He knew that the vast world outside was the true stage meant for Levi.

Watching Levi's retreating figure as he turned to leave,

Gu Ze suddenly called out once more, "You brat, you better return! Siewei is still waiting for you!"

Levi paused in his tracks for a brief second, then replied without looking back, "Of course."

Before leaving the Far North Icefields, Levi intended to perform one final, grand deed.

Levi and Sanxi stood atop a snow-capped mountain.

A figure materialized behind the pair.

Monice spoke, "It is done. All the demonized beasts and infected variants in the vicinity of Frostred City are gathered down there."

Levi said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Monice stared at Levi's back, offering no reply.

"By eliminating these corrupted creatures, Frostred City will enjoy a period of peace."

Levi looked down at the swarming masses of demonized beasts clustered below the mountain.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A blazing meteor tore through the sky and plummeted downward.

It struck the gathering hordes of magical beasts below, the erupting fiery light instantly engulfing every creature.

The terrifying shockwave kicked up a wall of snow that resembled a tidal wave.

The snowy peak beneath Levi’s feet trembled violently as massive sheets of snow broke away, triggering a cataclysmic avalanche.

No survivors remained at the base of the mountain.

Levi and Monice made their way down the peak.

"Alright, this is far enough. We part ways here."

Levi turned to face Monice as he spoke.

Monice stood rooted to the spot, her gaze lingering on Levi for a quiet spell.

Suddenly, she inquired, "Do you wish to see what I look like now?"

Levi started slightly, then smiled. "You have never even shown Siewei. Are you truly willing to show me?"

Monice raised both hands and removed her helmet.

"I must look like a monster by now. I simply did not want to break her heart."

Monice spoke with a tinge of melancholy.

Levi looked upon Monice's face, now etched with dark veins, and her eyes, which had turned a crimson black.

There was a peculiar, corrupted beauty to her appearance.

Levi suppressed his smile, his expression turning earnest. "No, you have not become a monster."

"You are human, and you always will be."

"Thank you for your consolation," Monice said.

Levi shook his head gently. "It is not consolation. In truth... you look quite beautiful right now."

A flash of astonishment crossed Monice's features.

Then, she burst into a sudden laugh.

"Ahaha, I never imagined you possessed such eccentric tastes. Aren't you afraid I might tell Gu Siewei?"

Li Wei deliberately said, "Then you must absolutely keep this secret for me and don't tell her."

Monis smiled slightly but did not respond to Li Wei's words.

Li Wei said, "This time I really have to go. No need to see me off."

He turned around, waved his hand, and walked toward the distance with Sheng Xi.

Monis stood in place, holding the helmet as she watched Li Wei depart into the distance.

Boom! Whooosh! Whoooosh!

A fierce gust of wind came from afar, icy frost brushing against her cheeks.

Monis narrowed her eyes slightly.

She saw a massive figure soar into the sky.

Sheng Xi transformed into a great dragon, carrying Li Wei as they flew toward the edge of the Far North Ice Plains.

The howling cold wind whipped Li Wei’s robes loudly.

He opened his eyes wide, watching Sheng Xi pierce through the clouds, blinding sunlight shooting into his eyes.

Li Wei squinted slightly, feeling the Solar Flame power within him rapidly intensify.

Waves of heat penetrated his skin, nourishing the sun within the sea of his heart.

Looking down below, beneath his feet was an endless ocean of clouds stretching to the horizon; he could no longer see the snowy plains underneath.

Sheng Xi flew straight toward the sun.

Taking advantage of this perfect opportunity, Li Wei sat on Sheng Xi’s back and began cultivating the Solar Flame Visualization Technique.

Cultivating facing the blazing sun clearly accelerated his magical energy growth.

Unconsciously, the sun vanished, leaving only starlight scattered across the heavens.

The moon fell behind Li Wei, gradually receding further away.

They flew continuously for three days and nights.

Sheng Xi descended, breaking through the cloud layer, revealing a continuous range of snow-capped mountains ahead.

These mountains separated the Far North Ice Plains from the Northern Wastelands.

Li Wei opened his eyes and looked downward, still able to glimpse the orc tribes living beyond the mountain ridge.

When the orcs raised their heads and saw the great dragon flying overhead, all were stunned motionless, unaware that objects had slipped from their hands.

"A flying dragon! A flying dragon! A flying dragon!"

Someone chased after Sheng Xi at full speed.

Before long, Sheng Xi disappeared from the orcs' sight.

Li Wei patted Sheng Xi’s back and said, "That’s enough. Letting them know we’ve already left the Far North Ice Plains is sufficient."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Xi responded to Li Wei with a sound.

Gradually slowing down, she glided toward the ground.

Just before landing, her form became enveloped in light, shrinking until she resumed human shape.

The figures of Li Wei and Sheng Xi vanished into the vast expanse of the Northern Wastelands.

News of the dragon race appearing in the Northern Wastelands spread swiftly, soon reaching the territories of the Human Empire.

Central Continent.

Fertile Emerald Territory.

Within a grand manor occupying an entire hillside, the eldest prince of imperial lineage sat upon his throne listening to reports about the giant dragon spotted in the Northern Wastelands.

"I understand. You may withdraw now."

"As you command."

The Emerald Prince had lived for over a thousand years.

Throughout the entire Human Empire, only a select few knew how he managed such longevity.

Now, even the Emerald Prince faced the threat of death as his lifespan drew near its end.

Gazing out the window at the lush green trees,

How he wished life could be like these trees—eternal and enduring.

Turning back toward the letter before him, the Emerald Prince murmured, "Loks... have you failed?"

"What kind of opponent did you encounter? To die there yourself..."

He crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it to the floor.

"Loks dying would have been one thing, but losing the Sighing Armor of the Demon Dragon King—that’s unforgivable."

"Now, there's nothing left but to rely on him."

The Emerald Prince walked outside.

"Dragons... truly enviable lives: powerful and long-lived."

...

Sacred Mountain of Light.

Inside the Temple of Radiance, the Holy Maiden and Minos stood before the statue of the God of Light.

Minos bowed his head low, chanting prayers to the divine being.

After a moment, the Holy Maiden spoke, "Minos, you should personally make the journey and bring him back to me."

Minos nodded. "I understand."

The Holy Maiden warned, "Be cautious. Unknown terrors might lurk within the Far North Ice Plains. The Eight-Winged Angel Raselle has been missing for half a year."

Minos replied solemnly, "I will take care."

The Church of Divine Light learned from the deity himself that the Eight-Winged Radiant Angel Raselle had gone missing.

However, the specific reason remained unknown.

All they knew was that Raselle had gone in pursuit of the apostle of the Demon God.

Yet, merely the strength of the apostle alone shouldn’t have been enough to defeat an Eight-Winged Radiant Angel empowered by divinity.

This could only mean that the Far North Ice Plains likely concealed some unforeseen formidable force.

Minos departed the Sacred Mountain, heading toward the Northern Wastelands.

Western Desert Wasteland.

Ancient Battlefield. Countless undead began to stir.

Marching toward the Human Empire.

Turbulent times approached.

The North was about to witness a great war.

On the other side of the Human Empire, another war was about to erupt—one that would shake the very foundations of the world’s order.

The crystal atop the Elemental Tower blared its alarm.

All mages looked up in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

This was the first time the Elemental Tower had ever issued such a warning.

Not even when the legendary Lich King led millions of undead in an assault upon the tower had this alarm been triggered.

All the elders of the Elemental Towers convened urgently, their faces grim as they deliberated the movements of the ancient battlefield's undead legions.

"It is almost certain—all the undead from the entire ancient battlefield are heading toward Storm City."

"Damn it—what does he intend to do?"

"I told you before—he is no longer human. You cannot judge his intentions by human standards anymore."

"What good does talking do now? Notify Storm City and the Human Empire at once!"

"All legendary mages, except Zephyr, prepare for area-of-effect forbidden spell strikes along the way."

Of course, the Elemental Tower could not simply allow the undead hordes from the ancient battlefield to crash into the Storm Wall.

They intended to unleash forbidden spells—to eliminate as many undead as possible across the widest range.

Yet even those spells, famed for their vast reach, could not halt the coming undead apocalypse.

They could only slow its advance.

Though individually weak, when countless undead gathered, they spontaneously gave rise to a supernatural phenomenon known as the Shroud of Death.

The Shroud of Death drastically reduced the damage dealt to the undead by forbidden spells.

Any living being who fell within the shroud would swiftly be transformed into one of the undead.

That was the true undead apocalypse.

A catastrophe beyond nature itself.

Mapleleaf City, Sixth Floor of the Mage Tower.

Li Wei, having replaced Torresta as the tower's master, opened his eyes.

After Torresta’s death, the Mapleleaf Mage Tower had experienced a period of unrest.

Only after Li Wei conjured an illusionary form of Torresta to take command did peace return.

However, there were always those who doubted whether Torresta truly lived.

Again and again, people tested Li Wei, probing for truth or deception.

Fortunately, the power Li Wei left behind sufficed to deal with these challenges.

But as time passed, the strength of his illusory body waned while enemies grew bolder in testing the tower.

He began to feel overwhelmed.

After all, when he created the illusion, Li Wei himself had only just reached the fourth tier of magehood.

Now, however, there was no need to worry.

Because soon—the real body would return.

The voice of the magical steward echoed through the sixth floor:

"Tower Master, Vice-Chancellor Karmal of the Magic Academy requests an audience."

"Let him come up."

The Magic Academy was a newly established professional institution recently founded within Mapleleaf City.

Previously, the city housed only academies for knights, warriors, assassins, and archers.

It wasn’t until Oats brought several powerful mages from the Central Continent that the Northern Xuan Kingdom finally gained its own magic academy.

To compete for students, the Magic Academy constantly challenged the influence of the Mage Tower.

And Oats turned a blind eye.

After all, the Magic Academy belonged to his faction, whereas the Mage Tower obeyed orders without pledging allegiance.

Oats had long harbored grievances against them.

In the past, his forces were too weak to act openly.

But as the overall strength of the Northern Xuan Kingdom steadily rose, the Mage Tower no longer held any weight in Oats’ eyes.

During Li Wei’s absence, Oats had already annexed the Southern Marsh Kingdom.

The Marchal Kingdom teetered on collapse.

Northern Xuan had become the primary force defending the northern frontier against the Orcish Empire.

Thus earning recognition from the Human Empire.

Once the Marchal Kingdom fell, Northern Xuan would stand alone as the bulwark against the Orcish threat.

Securing the most crucial frontier authority within the Human Empire.

Of course, the arrogant nobles of the Central World never regarded lands beyond the Icewall as part of the empire proper.

They scorned remote and barren kingdoms like those of the north.

Noble bloodlines stretching back millennia had long since rotted away.

Content merely to protect what little land they possessed, they lacked ambition to expand the empire’s borders.

Unaware of the significance of frontier authority.

Only a rare few among the empire still carried grand aspirations.

One such individual stood firmly behind Oats.

Karmal appeared on the sixth floor of the Mage Tower.

His gaze fixed upon the figure of Torresta facing away from him, irritation flickered in his eyes.

What right did a mere fourth-tier archmage have to play the role?

Why should he pretend before me?

Karmal offered a noble’s bow and said, “Torresta, have you given thought to our previous discussion?”

Without hesitation, Li Wei replied, “Give up. It will never happen—not now, not ever.”

The Magic Academy sought to merge with the Mage Tower.

Officially, it claimed to centralize magical education resources so that Northern Xuan’s mages might enjoy better learning conditions.

But everyone saw clearly the wolf beneath the sheepskin.

(End of Chapter)