Chapter 376. North Sea Dragon Gate (1)

Shaman's vitality crumbled into remnants, carried away by the wind.

Its body, which was still like a dragon or a Xuanwu, was still there, but at its core, it was just an empty shell.

It was no different from a statue made of ice. There was no flesh or blood. It almost seemed like the rampage just now hadn't even happened.

“We searched the area thoroughly, but we couldn’t find it." Myagmar reported as he returned with a scout.

They had thought that Shaman might have escaped somewhere during the chaos, but they never found a trace of it. Even the warriors stationed above the valley had seen nothing.

"It seems to have been swallowed by the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence.”

Leng Yuefei examined the ice statue before her.

The body, which had once been as black as the legendary Northern Black Dragon, was now just dark in color, and when she rubbed it with her hand, it was clearly made of ice.

The pupils that had once glowed with an eerie, vertical slit still remained. The bloodlust and rage in those eyes had not faded.

Even the fangs that had once torn flesh looked like fragile icicles, ready to snap at a touch.

The Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence absorbed everything that the North Sea contained.

The sky, the earth, the sea. And even the people.

“What a pity.”

Zhou Xuchuan licked his lips at the sight of the ice statue.

He had planned to ask Shaman about their relationship with the South Sea Dragon Gate and other sorcerers, but it was wasted effort.

So he asked Leng Yuefei, wondering if she knew something.

“You mean the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas?”

The North Sea Ice Palace was a multi-ethnic force. It had a mixture of cultures from the Central Plains and even had myths passed down through their lineage.

They also knew much about the stories closely related to the North Sea.

"I’ve never heard that the Sorcerer of the Xuexue Tribe was a descendant of a dragon. But since ancient times, indigenous beliefs have flourished there. It eventually became a center for the North Sea’s sorcery. That they transformed into a dragon isn’t surprising.”

"It wasn't surprising that she transformed into a dragon?”

Zhou Xuchuan looked at Leng Yuefei incredulously.

“North Sea Ice Palace Master, it seems that you're the only one thinking that.”

Zhou Xuchuan pointed behind him with his thumb.

The North Sea Ice Palace group couldn't approach the ice because of the power of the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence, so they were watching and muttering from afar.

"I-I can't believe it even after seeing it myself."

"I knew that the Xuexue Tribe's sorcery was extraordinary, but..."

"Not only had they created a blizzard, but then they transformed into a Xuanwu?"

It seemed like this was a sight that, even from the perspective of a person of the North Sea, was hard to believe.

Considering their reaction, Leng Yuefei’s calmness stood out.

"If you're truly curious, finish cleaning up what's in front of us and ask the prisoners of the Xuexue Tribe later. Moreover, isn't there something more important?"

At the end of Leng Yuefei’s gaze was the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence.

It was blooming like a flower on the shattered shell.

“You're right."

The cause of the abnormal weather, the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence.

It was an artifact, an expression of the Great Nature, and a natural disaster all at the same time.

“Considering compatibility, you’re better suited than I am. I’ll keep it in place, so destroy it.”

Leng Yuefei didn't show greed like Nor or Shaman.

Far from being eager for power, she had a repulsive look on her face.

Zhou Xuchuan had been a bit worried that the Palace Master might have been blinded by greed, but his fears were unfounded.

"Okay."

***

The incident at the precipice of the North Sea ended in this way.

The civil war surrounding the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence also came to an end. No one betrayed out of greed. No one switched the artifact for a fake.

Zhou Xuchuan and Leng Yuefei destroyed the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence with their full power in front of everyone, leaving no trace behind.

As a supreme artifact, it took everything they had, even as members of the Six Empyrean Overlords, to destroy it. But they succeeded.

The abnormal weather stopped immediately after the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence was destroyed. The snowstorm stopped as if it had been an illusion.

The dark clouds that had been seen for so long cleared, and the sun that had not been seen properly for years appeared.

“Long live! Long live!”

“Long live the North Sea Ice Palace! Long live the North Sea Ice Palace Master!”

“Long live the Sword God, Zhou Xuchuan!”

The news of the civil war’s end and the destruction of the Ten Thousand Year Ice Essence spread quickly across the North Sea. As the saying went, a horse without legs could travel a thousand miles, and the rumor spread in an instant.[1] Praise poured in from every direction.

It was unusual for the names of the people of the Central Plains to be known in the North Sea. Since there was almost no exchange, people didn’t know much about each other.

Except for those in high positions like Leng Yuefei who needed to know the surrounding situation, even the Six Empyrean Overlords were only known by their titles.

“The Mount Hua Sect? Isn’t that the best sect in the Central Plains?!”

“They say the Sword God’s cultivation is so great that..."

"He's a hero! A hero!”

Helping the North Sea had actually been for mutual benefit, but the general public had no way of knowing the true story.

Even so, from the perspective of the people of the North Sea, they were heroes who had solved the worst food shortage in their history.

As the names of the North Sea Ice Palace, the Mount Hua Sect, Leng Yuefei, and Zhou Xuchuan spread, so did praise.

The North Sea people came out for the first time in a long while to wash themselves in water or to walk and play in the snow.

Although the weather was still cold, it was warm by North Sea standards, so they even held a feast.

Meanwhile, the North Sea Ice Palace focused on cleaning up the aftermath of the civil war.

The Sakha and the Xuexue Tribes immediately announced their intention to surrender due to the loss of their leaders, their Great Warriors, and their elders.

Even the cause of the civil war had disappeared, so there was no reason to fight anymore, and their energy had long worn out.

The North Sea Ice Palace accepted the intention to surrender. However, they made a peace agreement with a few conditions.

"What should we do with the prisoners?"

"Well, shouldn't they pay for it?"

"Are you saying that we should accept it for money?"

"Food would be better than money."

“I disagree. The Sakha and the Xuexue are in worse situations than the main palace. In particular, the Xuexue has lost most of its warriors in the civil war, and hunting has also been disrupted. If we ask for food, they will lose their sense of reason and attack.”

"I agree. It would be the same as massacring them. The various tribes of the North Sea will criticize the Ice Palace.”

From the North Sea Ice Palace’s perspective, they also had to consider the situation in the North Sea.

After much thought, they decided that asking for food was excessive and instead chose to leave it in the form of a debt.

As the North Sea Ice Palace could not let go of all hostility, they released most of the prisoners except for the key figures who had resisted.

Since they were already struggling to feed the residents of the Ice Palace, keeping the prisoners for a long time would only bring losses, so they dealt with the matter quickly.

On another note, before releasing the prisoners, Zhou Xuchuan went to see the Xuexue Tribe captives and asked about the power of Shaman.

"It's the Dragon Gate (龍文).” Among the captives of the Xuexue Tribe, there was one who assisted Shaman.

“Dragon Gate?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s a spell that has been passed down since ancient times.”

The captive spoke clearly, even though he was afraid. It seemed that he thought he would die if he couldn’t answer properly.

“We, who have grown up in a place where food has long been scarce, have relied on the prayers of our great leaders and sorcerers. Among the leaders of the past, there was one who transformed into a dragon and freely controlled the snowstorm, allowing them to hunt prey with ease. The spell he left behind is the Dragon Gate.”

"As expected."

Zhou Xuchuan didn't know if the man was telling the truth or not. However, he knew it was possible to create special techniques and spells by imitating the power of dragons.

While he wasn't entirely certain, the South Sea Dragon Gate also had such techniques. However, they were created by modeling them after the power of dragons. So, it was a reasonable explanation.

However, this raised a possibility.

Could the Four Sea Dragon Kings actually be referring to humans?

The true identity of the South Sea Dragon Palace was an underwater cave.

The Dragon King’s power was both martial arts and water arts.

The North Sea Dragon Palace did not exist, but its power was passed down through sorcery.

Zhou Xuchuan wondered if the Four Sea Dragon Kings had once been humans, but had become myths through their god-like achievements.

If that’s the case... the East Sea Dragon King and the West Sea Dragon King...?

He wasn't certain, but it was a very possible guess.

“The ultimate goal that humans can achieve is the Harmony Realm, and to look beyond that, one has to cross a certain limit. If that means giving up being human and becoming a dragon..."

Zhou Xuchuan forgot about the prisoner in front of him and was lost in thought, only coming back to his senses after a moment.

“Could I possibly see some literature on sorcery?”

“T-that's...”

The captive hesitated with a frightened expression. It seemed he was more afraid of something else rather than being unwilling to reveal the tribe’s secrets.

“It’s okay. I won’t get angry, so tell me.”

“Only Shaman knew about the Dragon Gate...”

“Ha!”

Zhou Xuchuan sighed. A look of regret appeared on his face.

“They didn’t bring in a successor?”

“N-no. The successor is inside our tribe's treasury. It was just that they hadn't come out with us. However, their skills are still lacking, so the Dragon Gate, which belongs to high-level sorcery, most likely..."

“Is that so?”

Zhou Xuchuan nodded.

It’s really too bad.

He had also learned the Southern Jungles' sorcery. He had thought that he would now have the chance to learn the North Sea's sorcery arts with respect to the Dragon Gate, but it was impossible.

Above all, it was regrettable to think that the secret of the power of the North Sea Dragon King would never be revealed.

Even Shaman, the best in North Sea sorcery, couldn’t perfectly master the Dragon Gate, so it was natural that they had not taught it to others.

Their final transformation was not that of a perfect dragon.

If they had fully transformed, they would no longer exist in this world. They would have vanished into the sea or sky, carrying the Yeouiju in their mouth.

In terms of martial artists, it would be the realm of an immortal. If he had used it perfectly, he would not have been defeated so easily.

Most importantly, it was impossible to communicate with them using the Dragon's Roar.

The Dragon's Roar wasn't a sound-based technique like the Lion Roar meant to overwhelm the enemy. It was basically the foundation of a dragon's voice and a means for them to communicate.

If Shaman had really become a dragon, then communication should have been possible. That inability meant it was incomplete.

Zhou Xuchuan agreed, but still felt regret, asked a few more questions, and then dismissed the prisoner.

Three days later, the North Sea Ice Palace wished to honor Zhou Xuchuan, who had helped them, as a hero, but he firmly refused.

He had already spent more time in the North Sea than he intended. He wanted to return as soon as possible.

The day before his departure, Zhou Xuchuan met with Leng Yuefei to talk.

“Sword God, as the leader of the Ice Palace, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you. Also, as promised, as soon as the civil war is over, I will lead all forces to join the Allied Forces.”

Leng Yuefei clenched her fists against her left palm and bowed slightly. Zhou Xuchuan was surprised to see her greet him first.

A person who was at least sixty years old, a senior of the

gangho

, and the leader of the Ice Palace had bowed.

This was not something ordinary.

“...North Sea Ice Palace Master. May I ask you one question?”

“Of course.”

“How old are you?”

“This year will be my seventy-seventh birthday.”

“Seventy-seventh birthday?” Zhou Xuchuan asked in surprise.

He knew Leng Yuefei was at least sixty, but he didn’t expect her to be seventy-seven. She was older than he thought.

“How could she be seventy-seven with that appearance?”

Leng Yuefei looked like she was in her late twenties or early thirties. She looked way too young for her age.

Unless she was a special case like the Juvenile Fist Emperor, it was impossible to explain.

“It’s partly a characteristic of the martial arts of the North Sea, but in my case, it's a bit special. It’s because of my Manifestation of One’s Path.”

“If it’s the Manifestation of One’s Path...you mean that freezing power?”

“Yes.”

Leng Yuefei nodded.

“The moment I surpassed the extreme, at the same time I gained absolute power, my body and mind also froze.”

“Your mind froze?”

Zhou Xuchuan made an expression that seemed to say,

“No way.”

Someone’s face appeared behind Leng Yuefei.

“That’s right, Sword God. My ‘emotions’, including my five desires and seven passions of lust, are not functioning properly.”

1. The word for horse and speech is the same in Korean. I would have changed this to something like, 'Rumors spread like wildfire', but it's such a funny phrase and fits the warring kingdom's vibes that I kept it. ☜