Chapter 55: Welcome to the North
Year 834 of the Falling Stars Era, February 1st, the Far South Land.
The melting snow from the lofty peaks of the Western Mountain Range formed countless rivers. These rivers flowed eastward, disappearing into the Central Black Forest without a trace. Those that surged southward entered the Far South Land, passing through numerous forests and plains, eventually converging into the sacred land of the elves—the Lake of Eternal Thousand Islands.
The Eternal Lake was so vast it could be called an inland sea, dotted with thousands of islands, scattered like stars embedded in the azure surface.
The lands surrounding the Eternal Lake were the territory of the elves. Countless elven tribes and cities, large and small, were distributed along the lakes and rivers. But only the most powerful and prosperous elven factions could claim an island within the lake as their core stronghold.
Because that was where the Tree of Life was planted.
Only the environment of the islands on the Eternal Lake could allow the Tree of Life to grow. Any elven faction without a Tree of Life could never rise to prominence.
And at the very center of this lake-sea, on the largest island, grew an incomparably towering tree. Its branches and leaves soared beyond the clouds. The sheer area covered by this colossal Mother Tree of Life surpassed that of a city. The royal court of the elven clan lived here, breathing in harmony with the giant tree.
On the central island, beneath the shade of the giant tree, stood a bare hillock. A young elf was carrying the head of a giant beast, walking along a dirt path toward the hilltop. He was undoubtedly a genius, but for the entire world, that was all he was.
The Great Elder spoke calmly to his disciple: "If you want to become strong, you cannot stay only in the jungle, fighting those mad dragons and wild beasts. You must leave this forest and see the other strong ones beneath the sky—the wastelands, the snowfields, the deserts, the deep seas. You must witness and experience every corner of this world with your own eyes. Only then can you truly grasp the essence of nature."
"Nature is by no means only forests, nor is it only grass and trees."
Having said this, the Great Elder stood up. The seemingly aged elven elder, when upright, possessed a majestic and towering stature. He spoke loudly to the pondering young elf: "I have here a quota to follow the esteemed Nature Mentor to the Northern Empire. You can go and take a look."
"Witness the bearing of the pinnacle figures of this era."
Year 834 of the Falling Stars Era, March 1st, Moldavia in the North.
At this time, fierce winds drove black clouds, casting deep shadows over the mountains and plains. A sky-obscuring blizzard poured down. The cold, gloomy wind, carrying dry air, swept across heaven and earth, freezing all remaining moisture into ice, enveloping everyone in a chill.
The March blizzard was the last and most severe snowstorm of winter in the North. The freezing ice wind from the Sea of Bewilderment swept across ice fields, mountains, and wastelands along its path, finally blocked by the Ural Mountains, forming a great blizzard that covered the entire North.
And a group, utterly out of place in this pale white world, was marching through the snow and ice.
This group numbered less than twenty, but each seemed to possess Gold-rank strength. They rode Dragon Blood Warhorses provided by the Imperial Military Department. At the very center was a simple wooden cart pulled by a Ground Dragon.
This wooden cart was brimming with vitality. Even in the snowy weather, green leaves spread from the wooden roof. Each leaf was inscribed with a complete natural rune, and every branch could form a complete natural spell.
This cart alone was a Transcendent item surpassing Gold-rank. Combined with the dozen or so Gold-rank experts in the surrounding escort, it was enough to conquer a small nation.
The wind and snow blew, causing a rider's hood to be blown back, revealing pointed ears beneath.
This was an elven group.
They were heading towards the center of the Great Aias Mountains in the North, towards the Great Aias Volcano.
Ira quickly pulled his hood back on and tightened his windproof collar. He muttered a low complaint: "By the heavens, this snow has been falling for three days now, hasn't it? When will it stop?"
The Great Elder Madara beside him shook his head and said: "Three days? Good child, the North is the northernmost part of the world. The duration of blizzards here is measured in months."
The blue-haired elf immediately fell silent, riding his horse somewhat dejectedly, following the group forward.
Having followed the diplomatic mission of the esteemed Nature Mentor all the way, this young elven genius had indeed come to realize his previous shallowness.
The altitude sickness of the Western Mountains, the deserts and blizzards of the Northern Empire—these were indeed completely different environments from the humid jungles of the Far South. In this land that made him feel extremely uncomfortable, Ira had to admit that his strength was greatly reduced. If he were to fight a local expert of the same rank, the outcome of life or death would be decided within five seconds.
"I was indeed somewhat arrogant and complacent before, like a frog at the bottom of a well."
Frankly acknowledging his own shortcomings and weaknesses, Ira was, after all, a genius among the elven clan. He already understood what he lacked—adaptability to the world and comprehension of nature. Once this journey ended, having witnessed this vast world, his strength would surely advance further. Catching up to the Prince Grantor he had previously admired would not be difficult.
But, what exactly did his teacher mean by 'pinnacle'? He wondered curiously.
And just then.
Ira suddenly raised his head, looking around in surprise. He sensed a surge of hot wind.
A warm breath came towards them, enveloping the entire group.
"Boom!!"
The already overcast sky instantly became even darker. Lightning and thunder flashed within the clouds. The rolling black clouds completely blocked all light from the sun, plunging heaven and earth into darkness.
The slowly advancing elven group stopped.
The sound of the blizzard and wind gradually turned into the patter of rain. The snow, enough to blot out the sky, transformed into a torrential downpour within just a few seconds.
A rain that was not cold, but could even be called warm, descended upon the southern ice field of Moldavia. In the darkness, a flash of lightning streaked across, illuminating the entire world for all to see. By this light, Ira seemed to vaguely see a large expanse of silver-white light flickering ahead.
Then, the sound of uniform footsteps shook the earth.
Squad after squad of elite armored knights, riding sturdy Dragon Blood Warhorses, led nearly two hundred Silver-rank Steel Puppets to the front of the group. They stopped on both sides of the elven convoy, as if to escort it forward.
Among them were even knights riding Winged Sky Horses. Their strength, without exception, had touched the boundary of Gold-rank. Although they were not as strong as the Gold-rank experts in the elven group, this was an elite diplomatic mission carefully selected from the entire elven clan. And here, this was merely the strength of a single territory.
Ira watched this scene with some shock. The elite quality and vigorous aura of these knights made him feel that even the Royal Guard of the royal court was no better. But soon, his attention was drawn to other things.
For instance, high in the sky, amidst the thunder, were long, drawn-out roars.
It was the prolonged sound of a dragon, appearing with the lightning, echoing among the clouds.
Within the rolling black clouds, a massive creature appeared and disappeared, seemingly flying freely through the sky filled with thunder, roaring loudly.
Looking up at the clouds, Ira could vaguely see a huge figure occasionally breaking through the clouds, revealing parts of its body.
A black carapace that seemed to absorb all light, a sleek and ferocious body. This black dragon, with a pair of eerie, skeletal-like wings, carried a huge steel ring on its back. It shuttled through the thunder, rain, lightning, and wind. Fierce lightning struck its carapace but was completely absorbed, leaving no trace of a wound.
The hot wind grew stronger. The weather no longer felt like deep winter, but more like a summer rainstorm. The golden crystal on the black dragon's chest emitted a light like the sun, illuminating half the land beneath the sky.
"By the heavens... Is it the power of this dragon that turned the blizzard into a rainstorm?!"
Ira Ellis muttered in disbelief. This was the first time this young man had witnessed power capable of changing the weather. The golden crystal on the black dragon's chest, shining like the sun, filled him with fear. The elf knew that the terrifying energy contained within could kill him over and over again in an instant.
"No."
But the old man beside him shook his head seriously: "It's not this dragon."
He looked up at the sky and clouds with a shocked expression, towards the back of the black dragon.
As a being at the Ultimate Peak, the Great Elder Madara naturally saw more clearly.
If this life radiation, terrifying enough to change the entire weather, was a blazing sun...
Then this dragon was merely a chariot dragging that sun forward.
At the same time, a male voice, overpowering the wind, came from the sky.
"Esteemed Nature Mentor."
He spoke in a low but clear voice, overpowering the thunder and rain, addressing the elven group:
"Welcome to the North."