282: Chapter 281 Infiltrating the Main Altar

"Ice Flood Dragon King," he spoke, his voice calm, "I do not wish to be an enemy of the Vast Sea Dragon Palace. I am merely a Cultivator in distress, wishing only to heal my wounds and then find a way back to the Eastern Sea. I will not interfere in the affairs of the Northern Territory, nor will I oppose the Dragon Palace."

The Ice Flood Dragon King shook its head: "Too late. You have the dragon essence, dragon blood, and a dragon soul remnant within you. These things are the heritage of the Flood Dragon Race and cannot remain in the hands of an outsider. This King requires you to return to the Dragon Palace with me, hand over the dragon essence and dragon blood within your body, and surrender that saber."

It paused, then said word by word: "If you cooperate, this King can spare your life. If you resist, this King will tear you to shreds and then trample the White Deer Tribe, leaving none alive."

Jiang Hanzhou's expression darkened.

He looked toward Tuerdan, toward Ayiguli, and toward the elderly and children hiding in the tents. The White Deer Tribe had saved his life, given him a place to heal, and offered him trust and warmth. He could not let the entire tribe be buried with him because of his own actions.

"Shaman Turdan," he began, his voice steady, "take care of the clansmen. Do not intervene."

Tuerdan's pupils constricted sharply: "Physician Jiang, what are you going to do?"

Jiang Hanzhou did not answer. He simply turned around and walked toward the frozen sea outside the camp.

"Physician Jiang, you're crazy!" Ayiguli's scream came from behind him. "That is the Ice Flood Dragon King, a Yao Race overlord of the Spirit Communication Realm! Your current cultivation—"

Jiang Hanzhou did not look back, merely saying flatly: "I know. But if I do not go, you will all die."

He walked out of the camp, stepped onto the ice, and headed toward the shore. The Ice Flood Dragon Guard circled overhead, and the Dragon Might surged like a tide, pressing his shoulders down slightly. But he did not stop, merely pushing his Pure Yang True Intent to its limit to isolate the Dragon Might from his body.

He reached the shore, where a wooden boat used by the White Deer Tribe for fishing was tied to a block of ice. He jumped onto the boat, untied the rope, and used his Pure Yang True Intent to propel the wooden craft toward the depths of the frozen sea.

The Ice Flood Dragon King watched him, a hint of amusement flashing in its dark gold eyes: "You wish to fight this King at sea?"

Jiang Hanzhou stood at the bow, the tiger soul saber held horizontally before him, his voice calm: "I do not wish to fight. But if you insist, I will not flee."

The Ice Flood Dragon King let out a low roar, one containing unspeakable rage and killing intent: "Good. You have courage. This King will give you a chance. If you can defeat this King's guard, this King will listen to your explanation. If you lose, you will return with this King to the Dragon Palace and surrender everything."

It raised a sharp claw and gave a light wave.

Thirty ice flood dragons dove down simultaneously, lunging toward Jiang Hanzhou.

Jiang Hanzhou gripped the tiger soul saber tightly and took a deep breath.

The frozen sea was his home turf. Not because of his cultivation, but because of his Tidal True Intent. The essence of Tidal True Intent is water, flow, and guidance. In the Eastern Sea, he guided the gentle ocean tides. In the Northern Territory, he guided the frigid ice tides. And in the frozen sea, the power of the ice tides was stronger than anywhere else.

He pushed his Tidal True Intent to the limit, tapping into the undercurrents beneath the frozen sea. Those undercurrents were bone-chillingly cold and violently unpredictable; under his guidance, they surged from beneath the surface, transforming into pillars of ice-blue water that shot toward the ice flood dragons in the sky.

The ice flood dragons let out sharp screeches, their bodies twisting in the air to dodge the water pillars. But there were too many pillars, dense and layered, covering the entire sea area. Three ice flood dragons were struck, losing their balance in mid-air and crashing heavily onto the ice, smashing massive craters into it.

Jiang Hanzhou gave them no chance to breathe. He stepped off the bow, his body soaring into the air as he slashed with the tiger soul saber. Mystic Ice Tidal Slash, unleashed with full force.

The saber light was ice-blue, containing the persistence of the Tidal True Intent and the frigid cold of extreme ice power, carving a perfect arc across the night sky. Wherever the saber light passed, the air condensed and snowflakes froze in place; the bodies of three ice flood dragons stiffened within the light before being sent flying by the massive impact, falling into the sea.

In one move, he defeated three ice flood dragons.

A trace of fear flashed in the eyes of the remaining ice flood dragons, but they did not retreat. They had received the Ice Flood Dragon King's command; they could not retreat until Jiang Hanzhou was captured.

They opened their massive maws simultaneously, breathing out ice-blue dragon breath. That dragon breath was bone-chilling; wherever it passed, the air condensed into ice and the sea surface froze into frost. Dozens of dragon breaths surged from all directions, sealing off all of Jiang Hanzhou's paths of retreat.

Jiang Hanzhou did not retreat. He pushed his Pure Yang True Intent to the limit, a searing heat surging within him that isolated the dragon breath three feet from his body. He stepped across the ice, his figure darting rapidly through the dragon breath, and with every swing of the tiger soul saber, an ice-blue saber light slashed toward the ice flood dragons in the sky.

One, two, three.

The ice flood dragons fell from the sky one after another, some crashing onto the ice, others falling into the sea. Their scales were covered in saber marks, and blood gushed from their wounds, forming dark red streams on the ice.

The Ice Flood Dragon King hovered in the air, watching this scene with an unspeakable light flashing in its dark gold eyes. It did not strike, merely watching—watching Jiang Hanzhou's saber techniques, watching his control over Dragon Might, and watching his movement techniques that seemed as natural as a fish in water within the frozen sea.

After fifteen minutes, all thirty ice flood dragons were defeated. Some sank to the seabed, some lay panting on the ice, and some struggled to fly back to the Ice Flood Dragon King's side, but they had all lost their combat effectiveness.

Jiang Hanzhou stood at the bow, the tiger soul saber plunged into the deck beside him to support his swaying body. His face was deathly pale, his breathing ragged, and the wound on his left arm had torn open during the intense exertion, blood dripping from his fingertips onto the deck. But his eyes were bright, as bright as the stars in the sky.

He looked up at the Ice Flood Dragon King and said hoarsely: "Ice Flood Dragon King, your guard... I have defeated them."

The Ice Flood Dragon King remained silent for a long time.

Then, it spoke slowly, the killing intent in its voice having largely faded, replaced by an unspeakably complex emotion: "You have my clansman's dragon essence and dragon blood within you, but you did not refine them yourself. Was it the people of the Dragon Abyss Palace who forcibly infused those powers into you?"

Jiang Hanzhou shook his head: "It was not a forced infusion. I refined them myself. In an ancient flood dragon remains in the Dragon Abyss Palace, I found fragments of a dragon essence pearl. I refined it using the Li Huo Golden Body Art, integrating the dragon essence into my own Foundation."

He paused, then said word by word: "I know you might not believe me, but it is the truth. I have no relation to the third-generation palace master of the Dragon Abyss Palace, nor do I wish to be an enemy of the Vast Sea Dragon Palace."

The Ice Flood Dragon King looked at him, and the killing intent in its dark gold eyes gradually dissipated.

"Your control over Dragon Might," it spoke, its voice somewhat calmer, "is not something that can be developed through Acquired cultivation. You were born with an affinity for Dragon Might, or rather, your fate causes Dragon Might to submit to you."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow twitched slightly. He had not expected the Ice Flood Dragon King to be able to see through his fate.

"You are very interesting, human," the Ice Flood Dragon King's voice carried a hint of admiration. "This King has killed countless human Cultivators, but you are different. You carry the aura of the Flood Dragon Race, the Bloodline of the Flood Dragon Race, and the saber of the Flood Dragon Race. You are half a member of the Flood Dragon Race."

It paused, then changed the subject: "But as for your claim that you are not a spy for the Dragon Abyss Palace, this King cannot fully believe it. Therefore, this King will give you a chance."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow furrowed deeper: "What chance?"

"The Black Witch Cult." The Ice Flood Dragon King's voice contained an unspeakable killing intent. "Three years ago, the Black Witch Cult infiltrated the Vast Sea Dragon Palace and stole the Flood Dragon Race's sacred artifact, the dragon soul bead. It is a supreme treasure passed down through generations of my race, containing the dragon soul power of our ancestors. Without it, our race's Bloodline will grow weaker, and the talent of the new generation of ice flood dragons will continue to decline."

It looked at Jiang Hanzhou and said word by word: "This King has sent people to investigate for three years and has finally found the location of the dragon soul bead. It is in the Black Witch Cult headquarters, within the Permafrost Mountains at the northernmost tip of the Northern Territory. This King has sent troops to attack the Black Witch Cult headquarters three times, but the cult's Shamans are protected by the Five Elements Sword Array left behind by the Dragon Slaying True Person, which my race's ice flood dragons cannot break through."

It raised a sharp claw and pointed at Jiang Hanzhou: "But you are different. You are human, you have the aura of the Flood Dragon Race, and you possess the Metal Sharpness True Intent of the Dragon Slaying True Person. You can enter the Black Witch Cult headquarters, you can break through the Five Elements Sword Array, and you can reclaim the dragon soul bead from the hands of the Black Witch Cult."

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils constricted sharply: "You want me to help you reclaim the dragon soul bead?"

"Correct." The Ice Flood Dragon King nodded. "If you succeed, this King will not only refrain from killing you but will also tell you a secret. A secret concerning the ultimate Legacy left by the Dragon Slaying True Person in the Northern Territory, as well as the method to return to the Eastern Sea."

Jiang Hanzhou fell silent.

He had not expected the Ice Flood Dragon King to propose such a deal. Reclaiming the dragon soul bead meant infiltrating the Black Witch Cult headquarters, facing their Shamans, and dealing with the Five Elements Sword Array left by the Dragon Slaying True Person. With his current cultivation, it was almost certain death.

But he had no choice. The Ice Flood Dragon King would not let him go; if he refused, the White Deer Tribe would be trampled. Furthermore, he needed the method to return to the Eastern Sea and wanted to know the ultimate secret left by the Dragon Slaying True Person in the Northern Territory.

"Fine." He nodded. "I agree."

The Ice Flood Dragon King watched him, a hint of satisfaction flashing in its dark gold eyes: "Decisive. This King will give you one month to prepare. After one month, this King will send the Ice Flood Dragon Guard to take you to the Permafrost Mountains. At that time, this King's daughter will accompany you; she is a princess of the Dragon Palace, at the Early Stage of the Spirit Communication Realm, and she will protect you as well as supervise you."

It turned around and began to dive beneath the surface: "Remember, you have only one month. If you do not come after one month, this King will personally trample the White Deer Tribe and drag you out from the ice plains."

Its figure disappeared into the frozen sea.

The Ice Flood Dragon Guard followed it, diving into the depths and vanishing from sight.

Dead silence returned to the ice plains.

Jiang Hanzhou stood at the bow, looking in the direction where the Ice Flood Dragon King had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, he turned around and steered the boat back toward the White Deer Tribe.

One month.

He had one month to prepare.

In one month, he would infiltrate the Black Witch Cult headquarters, reclaim the dragon soul bead, and face the Five Elements Sword Array left by the Dragon Slaying True Person.

He had to recover as much of his cultivation as possible before then.

Jiang Hanzhou took only seven days, not a month.

He did not tell Teng Qinghan about the deal with the Ice Flood Dragon King; he only said one thing calmly when she arrived at the White Deer Tribe the next morning: "Senior Sister Teng, before I go to Ice Sword Mountain with you, I must do one thing first."

Teng Qinghan looked at him, those cold eyes holding no questions, only an unspeakable trust: "What is it?"

"Wipe out the Black Witch Cult's headquarters in the depths of the Mystic Ice Vast Sea." Jiang Hanzhou thrust the tiger soul saber into the snow beside him, the dark gold patterns on the blade shimmering slightly in the morning light. "The Ice Flood Dragon King gave me some intelligence; the Flood Dragon Race's sacred artifact, the dragon soul bead, is hidden in the Black Witch Cult's headquarters. I'm going to take it. Moreover, I suspect that the place where the Dragon Slaying True Person left his dao seed cultivation site is also there."

Teng Qinghan's pupils constricted slightly. She did not ask why Jiang Hanzhou was helping the Ice Flood Dragon King, nor did she ask what deal he had made. She merely nodded, unfastened the pure white longsword from her waist, laid it across her knees, and began to wipe the blade.

"The Black Witch Cult headquarters is deep within the Permafrost Mountains at the northernmost tip of the Northern Territory, three thousand miles from here." Her voice was as cold as ice. "There are three Black Witch Cult outposts along the way, each guarded by a Soul Condensation Realm Shaman. There are only two of us, you are injured, and your cultivation is sealed. How do you plan to fight?"

Jiang Hanzhou took out a hide map from his sumeru pouch, which Tuerdan had drawn for him overnight. The map marked the location of the Black Witch Cult headquarters, the distribution of outposts along the way, the terrain of the Permafrost Mountains, and a secret ice crevice Tuerdan had accidentally discovered in his youth that could bypass the first two outposts and lead directly to the outskirts of the headquarters.

"We won't fight the outposts; we'll go through here." Jiang Hanzhou pointed his finger at the ice crevice. "The crevice cuts through the ice cap of the Permafrost Mountains, and its end is only ten miles from the headquarters. Shaman Turdan traveled it once when he was young; he said the crevice is covered by blizzards year-round, and the Black Witch Cult's Shamanic Power perception cannot penetrate the ice layers."

Teng Qinghan looked at the map, remained silent for three breaths, then nodded: "Fine. When do we leave?"

"Now."

The two did not disturb the White Deer clansmen. Jiang Hanzhou only left a communication talisman in Tuerdan's tent, telling the old Shaman he would return within a month and not to worry. Then, he and Teng Qinghan set out across the ice plains toward the deepest part of the Northern Territory.

The three thousand miles of ice plains took the two only two days and one night.

Teng Qinghan's movement technique surpassed Jiang Hanzhou's expectations. She moved across the snow without a trace, each step crossing several yards, leaving only a string of shallow footprints on the plains. Within her body, Metal Sharpness True Intent and ice-attribute True Intent intertwined, forming a thin layer of Protective Aura that isolated the biting cold wind. Jiang Hanzhou followed behind her, pushing his Wave-Treading Step to the limit; though the wound on his left leg was not fully healed, his speed was not slow at all.

On the evening of the second day, the two entered the Permafrost Mountains.

The Permafrost Mountains were the northernmost range of the Northern Territory, covered in blizzards year-round with temperatures low enough to freeze water instantly. The mountains were grayish-white, the rocks embedded with countless ice crystals that reflected a ghostly cold light in the twilight. Deep in the mountains, a massive black building was faintly visible, built against the mountain and constructed entirely of some kind of black giant stone, its surface carved with dense runes, each flowing with a dark red glow.

The Black Witch Cult Headquarters.

Jiang Hanzhou and Teng Qinghan did not approach from the front. They followed the ice crevice marked by Tuerdan, slipping in from beneath an ice cliff on the western side of the mountain range. The crevice was less than three feet wide, with smooth ice walls on both sides where millennia-old ice had condensed, bone-chillingly cold. The two squeezed in sideways and moved slowly through the crevice.

The ice crevice was even more treacherous than Tuerdan had described. Some places were so narrow that only one person could pass through sideways, and in others, the ice layers had cracked, revealing bottomless ice pits below. Jiang Hanzhou's black wetsuit was torn in several places by ice shards on the walls, and Teng Qinghan's white robes were covered in ice debris. But neither spoke, merely walking forward in silence.

An hour later, the ice crevice reached its end.