[{"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-360":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},2270006,4431,"Chapter 360: The Place Where Fire and Ice Flow Back","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-360",360,"\u003Cp>Walking among these mountains is far too dangerous—I finally understand why those people became moles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though extreme weather—dark clouds, storms, hail, thunderstorms, ice storms—pounded the peaks, visibility remained relatively good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, with far-sight abilities like Dragon Eyes, one could find some directional clues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The compass has turned into a propeller, and the crystal ball used for divination has exploded twice already—I dare not use it anymore. Even if it did work, I wouldn’t dare follow its guidance. How the hell do you find your way in this place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En’s party stepped into the entrance of a cracked canyon. When they moved further in, they saw an entirely new world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, crystals and minerals dominated in red and white tones, scattered with strange flowers and rare herbs; cold and heat coexisted in the same region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My feet are burning, my scalp is freezing—what a hellish place.” One mercenary had already cursed, wanting to strip his lower body bare while wrapping his upper body in a cotton coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the two-toned crystals on the cliffs or the geothermal vents surging from the earth and the colder winds in the air, all seemed to declare an eternal conflict between fire and ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En carefully observed the path ahead, sensing near-volcanic heat energy beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His exceptionally high fire affinity allowed him to sense the “volcano” beneath—the kind that could erupt at any moment, wiping out everyone in one blast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En did not use the \"Eagle\" X-ray ability; before they arrived, the Spirit Soul had warned him: when you perceive others, they may naturally sense you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a realm of this level, gazing carelessly could summon any manner of monster—even adult True Dragons dared only linger at the fringes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to their account, this great demonic realm formed from the collision of two elemental portals, creating a natural high-concentration elemental tide circulation. Normally, isolated elemental portals are gradually erased by the plane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En casually plucked a red crystal and felt its boiling, pure fire element. The white specks inside the red crystal indicated the presence of some ice impurities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pity—if not for those ice intrusions, this could’ve been high-quality catalyst material, an excellent elemental crystal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s still usable now, but its value has dropped from several gold coins to just a few silver coins—no comparison at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mining here must be profitable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Profit with no life to spend it—these crystals’ existence means this place is in a state of ‘elemental equilibrium’ after annihilation. If you remove too many, the balance breaks, and the earth veins unleash a massive elemental explosion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Ma Dun, checking elemental indices and searching for possible paths, stopped the mercenaries who tried to mine the crystals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the unwritten rule of such expeditions is: whatever you find is yours. If you deny these scattered mercenaries and adventurers the right to keep their loot, you’ll face mutiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, these crystals fetch little money—too many impurities. The cost to purify them exceeds buying higher-purity ones. Still, the surrounding derivatives likely hold plenty of high-value items.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those colorful plants and herbs were partly ordinary flora mutated by elemental corruption, but some were valuable alchemical ingredients.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harvesting these derivatives wouldn’t risk shattering the region’s balance and dooming everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, herb collectors have always been here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A demonic realm often means a chance to become rich overnight—though most of these people don’t live long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Victoria?” Li En asked the alchemist; she might have better insight into the value of the surrounding herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need. Let the mercenaries take them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this journey, Li En had hired several mercenaries, including Emma, who provided the support his faction most needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Marsil?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No danger sensed. Let them gather a little. Mercenaries with a guaranteed income won’t cause trouble.” The silver-haired old mercenary oiled his mechanical heavy crossbow with one hand, while his other eye scanned the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the group, three mechanical birds floated slowly, providing Marsil’s mechanical eye with additional overhead views from all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Undying Eagle” Marsil—a combat-oriented great alchemist, or rather, a bizarre hybrid of mechanist and ranger—was a veteran mercenary deeply trusted by Huicheng’s noble circles. In truth, without Dai Niya’s letter of introduction, Li En could never have persuaded this old warrior to join.\u003C\u002Fp>",710,"2026-06-19T21:45:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","33c48c21210d96d8439a14523aa3de287b94c716645dd968ee4f7de005b048a4","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-361","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-359",362,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-cover.jpg"]