As a Fire Elent Creature, Dangross never imagined that one day he would arrive at the base of Ice Creatures. Nor did he ever imagine that while still an Elf, he would face the highest ruler of Malaya Ice Mountain.
Now, all those unimaginable things have co true one by one.
When they sprang up from the bottom of the ina River under Troysha’s guidance, Dangross faintly saw a crevice of ice hidden in the mountain ravines.
Through the bright and clear ice, he could clearly see pillars standing in the ice, stretching deep into the layers and surrounding a palace. That’s the core area of Malaya Ice Mountain, the base of Ice Creatures.
And in front of the doors of this Crystal Palace, there was a vast mist of snow, within which a four-ter-tall human-shaped silhouette could be faintly seen.
According to Troysha’s introduction, the figure hidden in the snow mist was Frost Isel.
Although Dangross knew that following Angel, he would eventually et this "old friend" from the Region of Fire, at this mont, he still felt a bit dazed.
This daze persisted until Angel truly walked into the crevice ice layer, stepping into the boundless wind and snow.
"Troysha said you wanted to see ? For the future of the Tidal World?" This was a voice with a chilling tone, appearing without warning, and it was impossible to hear its source amid the wind and snow, as if it ca from all directions.
Angel halted his steps and looked up.
Although he saw nothing, Angel could feel that in the depths of this obscuring storm, there was a pair of eyes silently staring at them.
"Yes." Angel nodded slightly: "Not just for the future of the Tidal World, but also concerning Mr. Feng."
The snowstorm howled for over ten seconds before the cold voice spoke again: "...Then continue forward, I’ll be waiting for you at the end."
After speaking, the snowstorm gradually lessened until it disappeared.
With the snow gone, their vision was unobstructed; they could see the ice pillars on either side of the crevice ice layer, and the Crystal Palace standing at the end of the pillars.
The only difference was that the faint human-shaped silhouette that was previously visible in front of the Crystal Palace had now vanished.
"The one who spoke just now..." Dangross swallowed his saliva: "Was that Frost Isel?"
Though Dangross appeared to be murmuring to himself, he was actually addressing Troysha, the rmaid figure floating mid-air beside Angel.
Troysha glanced at Dangross and said slowly: "Besides His Highness, who else do you think it would be?"
Dangross was stumped and didn’t speak any further. While he’s usually bold, that doesn’t an he’s foolish; being in the enemy’s base, surrounded by those who gaze at him with hostility, it was better to keep a low profile now.
Dangross hugged the Blood Night Shelter tightly, pretending he didn’t exist. Seeing this, Troysha sneered, softly uttering: "Coward."
Dangross heard this, and his eyes turned red with sha and anger, but given the current environnt, he remained silent.
Troysha also refrained from further provoking Dangross, turning instead to Angel: "Ahead is His Highness’ palace, sir, please follow ."
Angel nodded, stepping towards the end of the ice layer along with Dangross.
Several minutes later, they stood outside the doors of the Crystal Palace. Looking forward from here, they could already vaguely see shadows flickering inside the palace, as if there were many creatures gathered within.
Troysha also noticed Angel’s gaze and explained to him: "Those are Elental Sprites."
According to Troysha, apart from Frost Isel and The Sage Akimo, only Water and Ice Elental Sprites could freely enter and exit this Crystal Palace. Other Elental Creatures, including Troysha, must receive Frost Isel’s consent to enter.
"His Highness didn’t let in, so I can only escort you here." Pausing, Troysha whispered to Angel: "As long as you co with friendliness, I believe His Highness won’t make things difficult for you."
It was clear this was Troysha reminding Angel.
Angel: "I understand."
Troysha also nodded, saying no more, and gently transford into a mist, disappearing from view.
Angel glanced at his sides, a flying pig, a three-headed dog, and the concealed Speedy, then said: "Let’s go in."
After speaking, Angel did not hesitate and stepped directly into the Crystal Palace.
...
The interior of the Crystal Palace was even larger than Angel had imagined, and the decorations inside also surprised him.
It resembled a vast Four Seasons Theater, with each corner of the Crystal Palace corresponding to a different seasonal scene: spring flower gardens, sumr old trees, autumn fruits, winter ice lakes.
Nurous Ice Sprites moved back and forth within this "Four Seasons Theater", with so Water Sprites as well, though they all stayed near the lakes.
The arrival of Angel and his group caught the attention of these Elental Sprites; they all paused their frolics and curiously stared at them.
Though their eyes were filled with intense curiosity, not a single Elental Sprite approached, and those that were close even actively moved away.
Undoubtedly, this was due to Frost Isel’s constraint over them.
Angel himself had no intention of approaching the Elental Sprites either. After glancing around, he finally locked his gaze on the depths of the palace.
An imnse frozen throne.
At this mont, there was no figure on the frozen throne, but Angel could faintly feel the waves of energy emanating from around the throne. Moreover, Earl Mi, in his shadow, sent him a warning signal; there was a high-energy level Extraordinary Life near the throne.
Without a doubt, Frost Isel was nearby the throne.
Having confird the direction, Angel did not hesitate, moving forward.
When he was about thirty ters from the throne, the throne massive enough to support a giant of the sky began to gather wind and snow.
Angel stopped when he reached a spot twenty ters away from the throne. Above, the wind and snow had transford into a woman about four ters tall, cloaked in snow-colored robes, crowned with the Frostbite Crown, holding an icy short staff, her hair a cascade of silver.
Ignoring the difference in size, the appearance of this "woman" was incredibly pleasing to the eye, though her expression remained cold. For a mont, Angel mistakenly believed he was facing Sinafa, the witch from the Frostmoon Alliance.
Though Sinafa had a similarly icy deanor and silver hair like frost, Sinafa also possessed fiery power and eyes reminiscent of burning blood. Thus, Sinafa’s aura was a blend of ice and fire, whereas the "woman" crowned before him was purely a figure of ice.
Being seated on the throne, wearing a crown, and constructed from wind and snow, the arrival could only be the monarch of Malaya Ice Mountain.
"Your Highness Frostbite." Angel placed a hand on his chest and half-bowed. Alongside him, Lobal and Cubic also lowered their heads.
The only one with a raised head was Toby on Angel’s shoulder.
Frost Iser’s gaze swept over Angel, Lobal, Cubic, and lingered on the trembling Dangross before finally settling on Toby.
As he looked at Toby, recalling the ssage sent by Troysha not long ago, a barely detectable glow flickered in his pure white eyes.
Eventually, Frost Iser withdrew his gaze and nodded to Angel: "Did you ntion Mr. Feng earlier?"
Angel nodded: "Yes, I followed in Mr. Feng’s footsteps to co to this realm."
Frost Iser glanced at Toby and then at Angel, murmuring softly: "So it is..."
Angel also heard Frost Iser’s murmur, and a trace of curiosity flitted across his eyes: "Your Highness doesn’t seem surprised by our arrival?"
Frost Iser didn’t respond, not out of pretension but because his gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, seemingly lost in mories.
At this mont, beside the massive ice throne, a hunched figure slowly appeared.
"Because this is destiny." The speaker was the hunched figure.
It was a half-human ice creature with the head of a lizard, appearing very old, its back hunched, and its lizard head drooping nearly parallel with its heels. However, it had two long whiskers that supported the weight of its head, preventing the head from touching the ground.
Angel looked at this ice creature; although he didn’t recognize the newcor, rembering what Troysha previously ntioned, apart from elental sprites, only two beings could freely enter and leave the Crystal Palace. Excluding Frost Iser, the identity of the newcor beca evident.
"Are you... The Sage Akimo?"
"Indeed, I am." Akimo extended a slender hand to stroke his whiskers, smiling serenely.
Affirming the newcor’s identity, Angel curiously asked: "May I know what you ant by destiny earlier?"
Akimo sighed softly: "Your appearance here is guided by destiny."
Upon hearing familiar prophetic rhetoric, a trace of helplessness flashed across Angel’s eyes. Although Akimo hadn’t provided any substantial information, from just this statent, Angel could roughly piece together the backstory.
"Did Mr. Feng say these words?" Though phrased as a question, Angel’s tone was firmly assured.
Akimo: "You know of it? Well, you yourself are a crucial part of this destiny loop; it’s understandable that you know."
Akimo’s answer further confird Angel’s suspicions. However, inwardly, Angel subtly ridiculed; Akimo was definitely deliberately acting profound.
Though Angel was not a wizard of the prophecy system, he had a friend who was a genius in it, hence he had a certain understanding of the prophecy system.
Within the prophecy system, there’s a theory: those within a destiny loop, apart from the executor manipulating the loop, no one will understand the truth of the loop. Because once soone within the loop understands the truth, the destiny loop ceases to exist, a concept akin to "observation leading to collapse."
That’s why Akimo’s statent "You are a crucial part of the destiny loop; it’s understandable that you know" is fundantally wrong.
It’s likely Akimo pieced together so fragnted words from Feng, weaving them into his current statent.
Despite a heightened urge to ridicule, facing a pretentious old man, Angel restrained himself, letting him maintain the act.
Unaware of Angel’s inner thoughts, Akimo continued to reflect quietly: "Ah, destiny, destiny..."
The aged voice, the gaze into the distance, complented by the surrounding echo; if an unwitting person were present, they’d likely be awestruck by the scene.
Yet Angel remained expressionless.
Deep admiration? Far from it. This is simply skilled theatrics.
Angel played along quietly, exclaiming in surprise: "So that’s it... Did Mr. Feng foresee today’s circumstances, unraveling the threads of destiny?"
Akimo this ti chuckled lightly, not directly answering: "If you truly wish to know, have His Highness tell you. If I were to speak, it would be beyond my station."
Angel nodded "understandingly," shifting his gaze from Akimo to the icy throne.
Frost Iser seed to have returned to awareness, softly sighing.
Angel: "Is there sothing troubling Your Highness?"
Frost Iser shook his head, the expression still cold: "I was rely reminiscing."
"About Mr. Feng?"
Frost Iser didn’t deny it: "Yes."
After speaking, Frost Iser didn’t elaborate further, passing over the topic and refocusing on Angel: "Mr. Feng spoke much of destiny’s path, ntioning that perhaps in the future soone might follow in his footsteps."
"So, are you the one he spoke of?"
After Frost Iser finished, his gaze suddenly sharpened, his aura shifting, the pressure surging dramatically as if to scrutinize Angel thoroughly.
Faced with the sudden oppression, Angel remained unresponsive, for the always-ready Earl Mi had already manifested his shadowy form, blocking the pressure.
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