[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces":3,"chapter-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-359":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon of a Thousand Faces",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2270005,4431,"Chapter 359","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-359",359,"\u003Cp>The mountains lay right before them, and clouds hovered right beside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A phenomenon that theoretically required climbing to great heights to witness was encountered clearly not long after entering the Klo Canyon region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li En saw the dense lightning on the dark clouds nearby, his scalp prickled—he suspected that even he would die instantly if he stepped into such clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I now understand why those dark elves never come here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten minutes ago, the sky was clear and blue; the next moment, dark clouds and lightning appeared within sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden cold made Li En shiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, hailstones and blizzards crashed down, giving the squad a taste of environmental diversity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of hellish place is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just entering, it had been a mildly warm autumn day; the next instant, freezing cold arrived with shocking suddenness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within just a few kilometers, shattered ice crystals, heavy snowflakes, hail, and ice storms made Li En’s party feel as if they had stumbled into an ice plane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More bizarre still, when Li En turned back, the direction they came from remained bathed in autumn skies, as if nothing had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Put on your winter gear immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En took a deep breath; flames boiled around him, and within the black dragon’s armor, the bloodline’s magic gradually brought warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others were not so lucky—the warriors from Huicheng shivered from the cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ease of movement, they wore only a single layer of tight-fitting clothing or thin wool beneath their armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Metal armor in this environment did not retain heat—it became frozen chunks stuck to their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In combat, extreme heat or cold could turn cheap metal armor into metal coffins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had already learned of the local conditions hurriedly switched to their backup winter gear, but inevitably, the group’s progress would be severely hindered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This damn place—how do locals even survive?” Alekne rubbed her frozen hands and exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark elves were not a cold-resistant race; their famed racial traits were moderate magic resistance and spellcasting talent. Their Changnian  mild underground climate left them with abysmal resistance to extreme weather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll handle it.” The Valkyrie Alekne glanced at her sister, then gripped her hand again—the two merged into one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a holy knight apprentice bearing divine flame, she naturally ignored the natural cold before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Locals? They don’t exist—there are no locals here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, if druids weren’t so skilled at regulating climate and forcibly creating a “natural zone” amid extreme weather and environments, that cult could never have survived here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En glanced at his “apprentice”—to be honest, her performance exceeded expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark elves were never known for physical strength or stamina; a holy knight lacking physical endurance was something Li En had never seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had persisted, diligently training her stamina and resistance—far exceeding expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s real—the rumors are true!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most excited of all was Ma Dun, the archmage who had joined as a mercenary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve detected two elemental sources—these must be the origin of this bizarre environment. Afterward, let’s investigate that direction. The parameters are unbelievable—at least 200% above current elemental concentration. No wonder those from the Mage Kingdom came here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Dun, holding his compass-like instrument, told Li En with a beaming face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a mage—especially an evoker—how could one resist the chance to approach elemental secrets?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two elemental sources? Which two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, one is definitely an ice elemental plane, the other seems to be… fire. Ice and fire? Why hasn’t it exploded yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En fell silent, looked up at the drifting snow, then turned toward the slowly boiling volcano in the distance—he suddenly felt incredibly lucky that this place hadn’t blown sky-high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go—whenever there’s time, check it out. But we’re short-handed; go as far as you can, don’t get yourselves killed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evokers often studied conjuration as well, because many evocation spells aren’t merely about controlling or transforming elements—their earliest foundations lie in the conjuration system known as “elemental summoning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As previously mentioned, that system uses “magic” as currency to summon “elements” via spatial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the origin of these elements? The so-called elemental planes.\u003C\u002Fp>",684,"2026-06-19T21:45:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","36eba4936e4f76b092f2abb2b33072049eef402b3505fa62b31ef663da4b49fe","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-360","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-358",362,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-cover.jpg"]