Chapter 528: Ode to the Frozen Winter (Final Chapter of This Volume)

The dense magical energy within the sacred land fell upon Gao De like a cloud waterfall, descending upon him as he sat beneath the ice-jade phoenix tree.

This was the essence of a fifth-rank sacred land; under the continuous operation of the Greenwood Longevity Scripture, it flowed ceaselessly into Gao De’s body, merging with the medicinal power released by the Green Vine Soul Dew.

The two converged within his mana pool, then merged into his liquid mana.

As their continuous influx persisted, each drop of Gao De’s liquid mana swelled, its surface shimmering with intricate, imperceptible patterns, its color deepening further.

Swell, swell, swell again.

Gao De had no time for deliberation.

He drew a deep breath and continued refining and absorbing the medicinal power.

Finally, when the liquid mana expanded to a certain size, the fine surface patterns could no longer bear the strain and began cracking at a visible rate.

Each crack oozed tiny specks of golden light, like fireflies suddenly igniting against a night sky.

The magical energy and medicinal power continued surging into the liquid mana.

Like pouring oil onto fire.

After the gold, emerald-green flames burst forth from the cracks, illuminating Gao De’s mana pool as if it were burning with emerald fire.

Crack!

The next instant, a sharp crack exploded within Gao De’s body.

He shuddered violently.

One drop of liquid mana, its surface cracks reaching critical depth, shattered outright.

Yet the shattered liquid mana did not splatter into smaller droplets—it froze instantly, as if struck by sudden cold, solidifying into countless thin, cicada-wing-like emerald crystal petals, fine and numerous.

Each petal was so thin it revealed palm lines, its edges glowing with molten-gold veins, its core crystallizing a single point of jade-green light.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

As if triggering a chain reaction.

The shattering sounds merged into a rapid drumming, like heavy rain on banana leaves.

With the first drop of liquid mana shattering, the other fifty-nine drops within Gao De’s body began exploding in succession.

Likewise, each shattered drop solidified into countless fine emerald crystal petals.

These emerald petals drew toward one another, spinning in a vast vortex above the mana pool, radiating brilliant light.

The flying petals formed a dazzling stellar whirl above the mana pool; when they collided, they emitted clear, resonant chimes, as if countless jade chimes rang simultaneously.

Most astonishingly, the instant the sixtieth drop of liquid mana shattered into a thousand petals, all spinning petals froze in unison.

As if summoned by a hidden call or bound by an unseen law, they began spiraling inward, converging toward the center of the mana pool.

As they spun, the golden veins along their edges automatically fused into complete patterns, while the jade-green core points merged like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

Zing—

With a deep, resonant chime like a great bronze bell, all petals seamlessly fused into a perfect octahedral emerald crystal core.

Within the crystal, a pulsing aura of emerald-gold light throbbed like a living thing, while sixty wave-like patterns drifted across its surface.

After forming, the entire crystal sank abruptly, settling into the exact center of the mana pool, fixed there like a divine needle anchoring the sea.

A heavy sensation arose naturally.

The crystallization of mana had completed, smooth and without a single mishap.

The abundant magical energy from the fifth-rank sacred land, combined with the assistance of the top-tier enhancement potion, Green Vine Soul Dew—such unparalleled conditions made failure unthinkable; if there had been even the slightest hesitation or obstruction during crystallization, Gao De would have had to seriously question whether he had truly trained hard enough.

Boom!

The ascension continued.

The medicinal power of the Green Vine Soul Dew surged into his mind like sweet rain, nourishing his mental force.

It was aiding him in breaking the second barrier: mental force limitation.

But Gao De had already shattered that barrier long ago; the medicinal power was not wasted—it instead began enhancing the strength of his mental force.

The benefits of an overdeveloped mental force were obvious.

Not only did it grant decisive advantages in mental-force-based spell duels, but it also directly accelerated spell-model construction and cultivation efficiency.

Mental force strength was always better when higher.

With the aid of the Green Vine Soul Dew, Gao De’s mental force, already at 211, rose to 233 in a short time.

This equaled the mental force strength of a mid-stage second-rank mage.

The first two barriers had been cleared successfully.

As Gao De had anticipated—he had prepared thoroughly, and no surprises should have arisen.

Yet he did not relax.

For what came next was the only challenge he had foreseen that could cause his ascension to fail:

Opening the Second-Rank Spell Star Sea!

Within his consciousness space, the dreamlike, magnificent Spell Star Sea.

Countless starlets drifted aimlessly.

At the center of the sea stood Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, like the sun in a heliocentric model—not dazzling, but unmistakable.

Around it, forty-four cantrip spell models orbited like constellations.

Beyond them, countless scattered starlets moved freely.

A magnificent star ring encircled Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, enclosing these starlets and cantrip models as the zero-rank Spell Star Sea.

Beyond the ring lay the first-rank Spell Star Sea, filled with more starlets, each noticeably larger and brighter.

Among them stood fifty-one first-rank spell models, like fifty-one more complex and massive constellations.

At the edge of the first-rank sea, a membrane shaped like an eggshell confined all first-rank starlets within its limited region.

Beyond the membrane lay a dark, abyssal void, like an unfathomable universe.

Whoosh!

At that moment,

Gao De’s mental force guided the remaining medicinal power of the Green Vine Soul Dew, like a river of stars, surging into the Spell Star Sea.

In this process, he also diverted some of his strength to draw in first-rank spell starlets, feeding them into the river of medicinal power.

As more first-rank starlets joined, the river expanded continuously.

Gao De gradually felt the strain, as if burdened by a thousand jin of weight.

Fortunately, before his formidable mid-stage second-rank mental force, this load could not crush him.

This was precisely why mental force limitation was the second barrier.

Only by breaking mental force limitation could one control enough starlets to charge the boundary of the Spell Star Sea and open the second-rank Spell Star Sea.

Gao De’s mental force was the general; the starlets and medicinal power were his soldiers, charging straight toward the eggshell-like boundary.

Boom!

Unlike the multiple attempts required to open the first-rank Spell Star Sea,

this time, due to his sufficient mental force strength, Gao De pulled in starlets to his absolute limit and launched a single, all-out assault on the boundary.

The impact of this river, far exceeding the membrane’s capacity, was staggering—upon collision, the membrane shattered instantly, skipping even the brief moment of cracking and gradual expansion.

With the sound of shattering crystal, countless glittering fragments—like stars, like glass—shot skyward.

Drawn by an inexplicable force within the Spell Star Sea, they formed a brilliant ring, rapidly expanding outward.

To Gao De, the scene resembled the shockwave of a truth explosion from his past life—stunning and beautiful.

Until the expansion reached sufficient scale, all fragments ceased moving, solidifying into a fixed star ring.

Within the ring lay the first-rank Spell Star Sea; beyond it, the newly opened second-rank Spell Star Sea.

In the dark void of the Spell Star Sea, countless tiny lights suddenly ignited,

twinkling, sparkling, bright.

They were the newborn second-rank spell starlets.

Powerful, radiant, and slightly volatile.

Yet in Gao De’s eyes, they were utterly adorable, familiar, filling him with boundless joy.

In fact, with this step complete, his ascension had already succeeded.

The remaining [Elemental Body Transformation], though counted as a barrier, was more like a bonus stage.

Except in rare cases of extreme age or severe injury that rendered the body too weak to endure elemental infusion, virtually no one failed this stage.

At this moment, though his eyes were closed, Gao De clearly saw countless colored light particles drifting through the surrounding space.

A sudden insight arose in his heart—he could now choose one type of these particles, draw it into his body, and undergo elemental body transformation.

By absorbing these elements, he would strengthen his body, gain resistance to the corresponding element, and extend his lifespan.

He had known these steps before beginning ascension; his choice of element was already decided.

He willed it.

The relatively scarce crimson light particles around him instantly glowed brighter, falling like raindrops toward Gao De.

Fire element.

To enhance combat power, one either strengthens one’s strengths or compensates for one’s weaknesses.

Gao De chose the latter.

Whether the Greenwood Longevity Scripture or his current spell system, both were relatively vulnerable to fire-element spells.

Furthermore, in the low-rank mage stage, fire-element conjuration spells were unquestionably among the most powerful and destructive.

Thus, choosing fire element for elemental body transformation and enhancing fire resistance was, in Gao De’s view, an exceptionally cost-effective decision.

The fire element entered Gao De’s body, seeping into every muscle, every drop of blood, every bone, every cell.

That sensation was like soaking in a hot spring—warm and soothing, yet light and floating, pulling him in without resistance.

Correspondingly, his resistance to fire-element spells continued to rise.

This feeling lasted for an unknown length of time; when the final transformation completed, streams of vital energy burst forth from his body and were instantly refined.

In an instant, Gao De sensed his maximum lifespan had surged from 340 years to 415 years.

There is a cultivation art that makes you younger the more you practice: the Greenwood Longevity Scripture.

Thus, all four stages of the Ring Ascension were completed.

This meant Gao De had now entered the ranks of Second-Ring Mage.

But the Ring Ascension was not yet over.

For one final step remained uncompleted.

Awakening a Specialization.

Second time’s a charm.

This time, Gao De did not react with alarm; he simply waited quietly.

He did not wait long.

A vast, heavy consciousness flowed around him like a tide, drifting downward from his crown, washing over his entire body, then reversing along the same path, repeating endlessly.

Each wash sent strange tremors coursing through his entire frame.

After countless washes, the consciousness finally surged into Gao De’s mind.

Heaven’s light bloomed.

Brilliant, dazzling light erupted within his mind, flooding it with boundless radiance and wonder, leaving Gao De utterly spellbound.

The world spun.

Up, up, ever upward.

At that moment, Gao De felt as if gravity had vanished—his consciousness rising endlessly, everything before him blurring, until he ascended into a surreal realm, where his vision finally sharpened.

This realm seemed suspended above the clouds, with countless clusters of clouds—varying in color and size—drifting past his eyes, utterly dreamlike.

Where was this? What were these clouds?

The question flashed unconsciously through Gao De’s mind.

The next instant, an inexplicable message surfaced within his spirit.

【You have mastered over fifty First-Ring spells, completed multidimensional potential evolution of your body, and unlocked the source of spell energy—you are ready to awaken your bloodline heritage. Choose one dormant bloodline within you and awaken it.】

Bloodline heritage?

Gao De had not yet fully grasped it.

At that moment, a pale green cluster, the size of a cotton candy, drifted directly toward him.

He instinctively raised his hand to block it.

The cloud cluster halted against his palm.

Immediately, information flooded into his heart from the cluster.

“Crimson Bloodline—You will gain knowledge of nature; your spells will influence plants.”

Huh?

Gao De, as if understanding, immediately touched another nearby cluster—gray-white in color.

“Darkfolk Bloodline—You gain bonus to stealth spells; you grow stronger in dim environments.”

So that’s how it works.

A sudden clarity arose in Gao De’s mind.

The most primal source of a mage’s supernatural power lies in their bloodline—the most famous being Iceblood, Wolfblood, and Dragonblood lineages.

But this power was too primitive and uncontrollable.

Our ancestors, with their brilliant wisdom, forged the mage cultivation system, allowing one to gain supernatural spells through practice.

The bloodline mage tradition gradually faded.

Now, Iceblood is weakened, Dragonblood is lost, and Wolfblood clings to survival—but this does not mean bloodline power is weak; it merely suffers from severe limitations in transmission.

Bloodline power exists in countless forms.

After countless centuries and generations of interbreeding, every person today carries countless chaotic bloodline forces within them.

Of course, they are all far too faint and impure to awaken, remaining hidden within the body.

But now, he could choose one to awaken.

Gao De stared for a moment at the countless clouds before him, then made a wise decision.

I’ll look at them all first.

Blue cloud cluster:

“Child of the Sea—You will more easily master water-element spells; you gain expertise in swimming and ocean navigation.”

Larger green cluster:

“Longevity Bloodline—You will gain extended lifespan.”

Black cloud cluster:

“Child of Shadows.”

“Dragon Bloodline.”

“Wolf Bloodline.”

“Child of Steel.”

“Soul of the Artisan.”

Gao De wandered through this cloudlike realm, examining each cluster’s bloodline power, dazzled by the sheer variety.

Gradually, he began to discern patterns.

The larger the cloud, the greater the quantity and strength of that bloodline force within him—and the more powerful the awakening’s result.

For instance, Dragonblood was theoretically the strongest—but Gao De’s own Dragonblood was far too faint:

“Dragon Bloodline—You gain knowledge of subdragons and may awaken partial subdragon spells.”

Even if awakened, Dragonblood would grant him only marginal power.

Some bloodline powers were inherently weak, but in exchange, he would gain their full strength.

It was like two people offering you a choice: one has a thousand coins but will give you only ten; the other has only ten coins but will give you all ten—which do you choose?

Gao De wanted them all—but he had no such chance.

Too many choices paralyzed decision-making.

Gao De now felt a blissful, overwhelming dilemma.

Even as he neared the end of the path, he still could not decide which bloodline to awaken.

Then, at the very end, a massive silver-white cloud—dozens to hundreds of times larger than any before—came into view, jolting Gao De’s heart.

The solid, radiant silver light made his pupils contract; the cloud’s surface rippled with the chill of ancient glaciers.

Could it be that his body contained such pure and potent bloodline power?

With shock and curiosity, Gao De reached out toward the cluster.

“Iceblood Lineage—The Anivia blood flowing within you will purify your other bloodlines, granting you pure Iceblood power.”

Gao De stood frozen.

Anivia?

Who was that?

He had never heard the name.

But it didn’t matter—the explanation after it was clear.

“Pure Iceblood.”

No more thought. No more hesitation.

Gao De made his choice.

Iceblood.

The next instant, the vast silver-white cloud split like liquid mercury, exploding into millions of fine silver streams—vast, pure, and overwhelming—engulfing his entire body.

A melodious song, emerging from nothingness, drawing near from afar, sounded in Gao De’s “ears.”

The song was sung in an ancient, utterly foreign tongue—yet Gao De understood its meaning perfectly:

“Wild spirit, you roam everywhere,”

“Destroyer and protector: hear, and listen!”

“Above your currents, vast skies surge with torrents,”

“Clouds like fallen leaves from earth’s withered trees,”

“Blown down by northern winds from tangled branches where sky and sea entwine,”

“Becoming messengers of rain and lightning:”

“They fall upon your ethereal blue waves, like the flowing hair of mad goddesses, gleaming,”

“From the farthest, faintest edge of heaven,”

“To the zenith of the nine heavens, everywhere they sway,”

“Black rain, hail, and flame: oh, hear!”

“Wild spirit! Become me, lend me your edge!”

“Scatter my sealed thoughts across the cosmos!”

Let it foster new life like a withered leaf!

Oh, heed this incantation-like poem,

Let my thoughts, like ashes and sparks,

Be scattered to the world from the still-smoldering hearth!

Let the trumpet of prophecy sound through my lips,

Awaken the slumbering earth!

Oh, North Wind,

If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

Su Nai, closest to Gao De, suddenly changed expression.

At this moment, she heard a faint chanting voice.

Unconsciously, she turned toward the sound’s source—and her gaze locked onto Gao De, right before her.

Coldness was surging forth from Gao De’s body.

Looking up, his skin was already veiled in a faint silver frost, appearing almost translucent, ice-blue.

Faintly, crimson veins emerged within his body.

The blood within them was visibly losing its color.

In its place floated transparent fluid, suspended with ice crystals.

Each heartbeat coated the vessel walls with thin frost, which shattered into finer crystals on the next pulse, spreading along the veins toward his heart.

Whoosh!

The next instant, Gao De’s entire body—including his hair—radiated brilliant, natural silver-blue light.

The radiance was so dazzling that Su Nai instinctively squinted.

Then, a power she found profoundly familiar began slowly rising from Gao De.

“It’s the King!”

“This is… Zhenbing’s power!”

Not just her.

Across the entire Northern Frontier, every Ice-blooded soul trembled at that moment.

All of them heard the same chanting voice—no origin, no reason.

But reverence from their bloodline compelled them to softly chant along with the hymn:

Awaken the slumbering earth!

Oh, North Wind,

If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

(End of Chapter)