Chapter 31: The Ice Dragon’s Secret and a Timeless Encounter

Achoo!

However, with that sudden sneeze, the two were instantly pulled back to reality, the surrounding white snow serving as a stark reminder that they were still shivering from the biting cold.

Xian Yuan immediately retrieved two sets of snowsuits from her spatial ring, handing one to Murong Fier to combat the frigid temperatures.

‘So empty.’

After Murong Fier donned the attire, she couldn’t help but feel a distinct emptiness in the front, though she understood this was natural, given that the clothes belonged to Xian Yuan.

‘So tight.’

Xian Yuan, on the other hand, had to exert considerable effort to pull on her own snowsuit; the front was excessively tight, making it somewhat difficult to tuck everything in properly.

‘What an indecent body.’

Murong Fier cast a scornful glance at Xian Yuan, thinking to herself that she truly wondered if this girl ever realized how utterly indecent her own physique was.

****

Not long after, the two arrived at the majestic summit of the enormous mountain.

‘So vast.’

Upon seeing the mountaintop, Xian Yuan exclaimed in awe; the plateau stretching before them was immense, her spiritual sense estimating it to be approximately 110,000 square units.

“Outsiders dare to abduct our princess? They deserve death.”

Just as Lan landed steadily on the mountaintop plateau, two Ice Demon Dragons, several times larger than Lan, appeared before Xian Yuan and the others.

“Roar! Roar!”

Lan immediately positioned herself in front of Murong Fier, roaring defiantly at the two massive dragons.

“Lan, who are they?”

Observing Lan’s furious expression, Xian Yuan looked at her with concern, utterly unsure whether these two sudden arrivals were friends or foes.

“Roar! Roar!”

Lan roared at the two dragons, unleashing an intense pressure that instantly stunned them, making them hesitate to move.

“Lan.”

[They are the clan guards, protectors of our kin.]

Hearing Lan’s telepathic message, Xian Yuan reined in her aura; she was here to investigate, not to cause trouble, otherwise, she would have just given those two dragons a taste of a crippling defeat!

“Hmph.”

One of the demon dragons snorted coldly, but refrained from further action out of deference to the princess’s status.

“Awoo! Awoo!”

At this, Lan roared a few more times, signaling for the two dragons to lead them to her father.

“Awww.”

The two demon dragons responded, and though extremely reluctant, they deferred to the princess’s status and led the two into a forest entrance atop the Mount Taiyun.

“Awoo! Awoo!” The two demon dragons let out deafening roars, relaying their message to their king.

Soon, the tangled undergrowth at the forest entrance began to recede, revealing a winding forest path.

[Come in quickly!] A powerful, incomparable telepathic invitation urged Xian Yuan and her companions to step onto the path.

As they departed, Xian Yuan playfully made a face at the two demon dragons.

‘How childish,’ Murong Fier thought, watching Xian Yuan and wondering why the Flame Emperor (TL Note: A powerful, revered figure whose specific identity is not yet revealed.) and others held Xian Yuan in such high regard.

As they ventured deeper, numerous Ice Demon Dragon hatchlings emerged from the snowy forest, curiously observing the unfamiliar beings before turning to Lan, beside them, with excited chirps.

“Awoo! Awoo!” Lan waved her claws, making the hatchlings even more excited, and they began to run and play among the trees.

“Awoo~~~” Suddenly, a delicate female voice resonated, and a light blue demon dragon slowly emerged, radiating a soft glow and a warm aura.

Following her, a dark blue demon dragon appeared beside her, its entire body covered in ice, its eyes shining brightly as it stared at Xian Yuan and Murong Fier.

‘This dark blue demon dragon must be the king of the Ice Demon Dragons,’ Xian Yuan mused, gazing at the two dragons. She had intended to make some notes in her record book, but considering the potential for error, she abandoned the idea.

“Daughter, you’ve finally returned.” The light blue demon dragon looked at Lan tenderly, stepping forward to gently caress Lan’s dragon whiskers with her claw.

“You can speak?!” Xian Yuan was stunned. She had previously believed Lan could only communicate telepathically, but this gentle, caring female voice shattered Xian Yuan’s impression that Ice Demon Dragons couldn’t speak.

“Humans, why have you come to this place?”

The dark blue demon dragon fixed its gaze on Xian Yuan, its tone laced with wariness.

“Uh, we are here to survey the ecosystem. Would it be possible for you to accommodate us?” Xian Yuan glanced at the dark blue demon dragon, then spoke respectfully.

“Do you humans have yet another plan? Do you intend to wipe out our Dragon Clan?” the dark blue demon dragon said coldly.

“This…”

Xian Yuan was momentarily speechless, filled more with confusion than anything else. ‘Humans wiping out the Dragon Clan? What in the world? How does the Long Family of Yan Province’s Nine Dragon Region explain this?’

‘Could the Long Family have allied with other forces to exterminate the Dragon Clan?’ Xian Yuan felt a cold sweat break out. If that were true, the Long Family would be truly ruthless!

Lan, meanwhile, was letting out soft roars beside them, seemingly trying to comfort the dark blue demon dragon. However, the dark blue demon dragon did not fully cease its vigilance; it merely relaxed slightly.

“Lan, stop being mischievous.”

Lan, upon hearing this, let out a few reluctant roars before finally retreating in resignation.

“Esteemed King, this is not a human scheme; it is merely the wish of the young lady of the Xian Family. Would it be possible for you to make an exception?”

Murong Fier stepped forward to speak, feeling a touch of guilt, primarily because she was quite unaware of what had transpired in the Qiyuan Realm during ancient times.

“Xian Family? Do you know Xian Muyan?”

The dark blue demon dragon looked at Xian Yuan, seemingly discerning a hint of Xian Muyan’s appearance in Xian Yuan’s features.

“You know my great-grandmother?”

Xian Yuan was also taken aback. Xian Muyan was indeed her great-grandmother; how could this demon dragon know her?

“You are Xian Muyan’s granddaughter, then. Is she still alive?”

Upon hearing Xian Muyan’s name, a hint of sorrow flickered in the dark blue demon dragon’s eyes.

“She’s doing very well, actually… eating heartily every day, sleeping soundly, and without any signs of senile dementia.”

Xian Yuan knew there had to be a story between the dark blue demon dragon and her great-grandmother. ‘Could this be Great-grandmother’s old flame? Has my great-grandfather been cuckolded? This is a shocking tale!’

Immediately, a mischievous thought surfaced in Xian Yuan’s mind: if this were true, she could use it to get her great-grandmother to help her avoid getting beaten by her father when she returned home.

“Ah, she’s not dead yet? Can an ordinary human truly live for 2,000 years?”

Now it was the light blue demon dragon’s turn to be astonished. Could an ordinary person without cultivation truly live for two millennia?

“Uh.”

At this, Xian Yuan understood. The time flow in the main Crow Feather Region (TL Note: The primary region, which operates on a different time flow than the Qiyuan Realm sub-zone.) was different from that of the Qiyuan Realm, with a ratio of 1:10. Although the Qiyuan Realm was technically named Yan Province’s Crow Feather Region Qiyuan Realm, functioning as a subordinate town of the Crow Feather Region, it did not enjoy the same time flow as the main region.

“So, what exactly happened…”

Xian Yuan spent a few minutes explaining the entire sequence of events, leaving both the dark blue and light blue demon dragons somewhat astonished. In contrast, Murong Fier remained quite calm; as a young lady from a prominent family, she was already aware of such matters, and her own identification card had been processed at the Crow Feather Region police station.

“No wonder.”

The dark blue demon dragon stroked its whiskers with a claw, its vigilance towards Xian Yuan and Murong Fier having completely subsided. After all, it owed Xian Muyan a debt of gratitude, and without Xian Muyan, its Ice Demon Dragon clan would likely have perished in ancient times.