Chapter Summaries

Lieutenant Colonel Grayling approved an exceptional promotion and three First Class Merits for Gao De’s disaster-relief achievements. While waiting in Dorne for Sea Sentinel’s rewards, Gao De received gifts from Marquis Drake: a shop in Vantorenn District and a thirty-year-old Dragon Bird Blood Fungus.

• Lieutenant Colonel Grayling judged Gao De’s ability, conduct, and potential exceptional, then approved his promotion to sergeant and set conditions for later advancement.
• Lieutenant Colonel Grayling awarded Gao De three First Class Merits for destroying the Wind Dragon’s energy core, averting disaster losses, and sacrificing his Phantom Spirit.
• Gao De checked the business and seed purchases at Walmart Magic Materials Shop, then stayed in Dorne while awaiting Sea Sentinel’s rewards.
• York arrived on behalf of Marquis Drake and awarded Gao De a prosperous shop in Vantorenn District and a thirty-year-old Dragon Bird Blood Fungus.
• York explained that the fungus could help Gao De condense mana, raise his mage rank without side effects, strengthen his constitution, and slightly extend his lifespan.

Gao De received a Dragon Bird Blood Fungus and a valuable shop from Marquis Drake, then attended the Auckland disaster relief military merit announcement. He earned a promotion to Sergeant-Mage and an unexpectedly large merit award, and went to the Mage Tower to exchange his merits for Spell formulas.

• York, the Steward, told Gao De that the Dragon Bird Blood Fungus could increase his mana and lifespan, and Gao De decided to take it to the Northern Territory for Flora to inspect before consuming it.
• Gao De examined the property deed for Royal Clockwork, a shop on Regent Street that Marquis Drake had awarded him.
• A Sea Sentinel staff member summoned Gao De to the Abyssal White Tower for the Auckland disaster relief military merit announcement.
• The lieutenant colonel mage announced that Gao De had earned three First Class Merits, ten Second Class Merits, and ten Third Class Merits, and promoted him to Sergeant-Mage.
• When other mages questioned the generous award, the lieutenant colonel mage ordered them to raise objections directly rather than gossip.
• Gao De left for the Mage Tower to exchange his merits for Spell formulas.

Gao De examined the First Class Merit Exchange List and spent a First Class Merit on a Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed, then used his remaining merits to choose an advancement potion and several spell formulas. The chapter left him with his exchange selections made, including the Panacea Draught spell formula.

• Gao De found Spell Permanency on the First Class Merit Exchange List but decided not to spend his First Class Merit on a spell he could not use for many years.
• Gao De reviewed rare advancement potions, rune constructs, anti-magic equipment, and limited-time treasures before discovering the Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed.
• Gao De exchanged one First Class Merit for the Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed, valuing its healing and plant-growing benefits for the Northern Territory.
• Gao De selected Greenvine Spirit Dew from the Second Class Merit Exchange List to aid his advancement to the Second Circle.
• Gao De spent his remaining merits on Long Range Shot, Know Yourself and Your Enemy, and Panacea Draught spell formulas.

Gao De collected new spell formulas and supplies, learned sixteen spells, and returned to Dorne with Flora for the Pentecost Festival. After watching an Elixirist brew a potion, Flora became curious about why elixir-making was difficult.

• Gao De exchanged merits for thirteen First Circle spell formulas and received a Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed and a Circle Advancement Potion from Old Neil.
• Gao De bought materials for sixteen Spell Elixirs, brewed them at Walmart Magic Materials Shop, and drank them to learn the spells.
• News of Gao De's three First Class Merits spread among the Sea Sentinels and Dorn City's nobles, attracting both interested allies and people seeking to buy his merits.
• After four days constructing Spell Models, Gao De gathered his new seeds and other supplies and pulled Flora from the Northern Territory to the Plantagenet Dynasty.
• Gao De took Flora to Dorne's Pentecost Festival, where they watched an Elixirist brew and give away a Cooling Fire-Relief Potion.
• Flora asked Gao De what made brewing elixirs difficult.

Gao De discovered that Flora could easily distinguish medicinal properties and judge how to brew elixirs, then took her to a festival where she won a ship model by solving sea riddles. After Flora sent a wish for Phoenix’s revival downstream, Gao De returned with her to the Northern Territory and prepared to process his gains and advance to the second ring.

• Gao De realized Flora could identify medicinal properties and assess how to complete an elixir with unusual ease.
• Gao De brought Flora to a ship-model stall, where she used the craftsman's hints to answer the riddle of the octopus and win her chosen model.
• Flora wished for Phoenix to become as lively as the festival, and Gao De wrote “Revitalize the Northwest” with her name on the ship before they released it into the river.
• Gao De returned with Flora to the Northern Territory and checked Yggdrasil, which had reached 171 months of growth and a land mana concentration of 50–77.
• Gao De decided to spend his stay in the Northern Territory processing his latest gains and advancing to the second ring.

Gao De brought the Oddity Egg to the Northern Territory and decided to let it absorb Astral Energy in hopes of creating an Astral Oddity. As Valar Bay’s forest farm and port continued to grow, he gave Elder Gain a Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed to contract and learned that Sunaifa was helping expand the workforce on the Mount Valar tunnel.

• Gao De discovered the Oddity Egg could absorb Astral Energy and placed it in Yggdrasil’s branches, asking the tree to care for it.
• Gao De brought Flora back to the Northern Territory, where she showed him the Jewel Sweetberry saplings and led Forestry Office workers to plant new tree species.
• Gao De gave Elder Gain the Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed, and Elder Gain successfully formed a contract with it.
• Gao De praised Elder Gain’s detailed forest farm map and learned that Valar Bay’s sacred land and port were both expanding rapidly.
• Elder Gain told Gao De that Sunaifa had arranged for merchant ships to prioritize buying Rapid Excavation Spell Elixir ingredients, and Gao De decided to join Flora and plant Elder Gain’s tree seed.

Gao De and Elder Gain brought Flora a Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed to plant, and Flora transformed the surrounding soil and explained how to cultivate it. She also found a way to grow Dragon Bird Blood Fungus using a Frostscale Basilisk Hatchling, then began planting Buzzing Tree seeds while Gao De returned to Phoenix.

• Flora diagnosed damage to a newly planted tree and helped the Forestry Office plant more than forty tree species.
• Flora planted the Spirit Spring Dew Tree Seed in transformed native soil and instructed Elder Gain on its care.
• Flora explained that Dragon Bird Blood Fungus could be cultivated with materials from the Frostscale Basilisk Hatchling, and Gao De agreed to grow a lower-quality crop from its spores.
• Gao De presented Flora with Buzzing Tree seeds and set a first-stage goal of ten thousand trees.
• Flora began selecting land and planting the Buzzing Tree seeds as Gao De rode back to Phoenix.

Gao De inspected the Valar Tunnel and recognized acting Minister of Construction Piert as a resourceful, capable engineer. After reaching Phoenix, Gao De prepared to consume the Dragon Bird Blood Fungus and advance to the peak of the first ring.

• Gao De stopped at the Valar Tunnel and met Piert, the acting Minister of Construction.
• Piert showed Gao De the tunnel’s progress and explained how Permafrost Vine reinforced its walls and how its design followed Gao De’s Phoenix expansion map.
• Gao De praised the Frostborn Mages working at the tunnel and departed for Phoenix, reassured by Piert’s abilities.
• After arriving in Phoenix, Gao De entered his cultivation room with the Dragon Bird Blood Fungus and prepared to break through to the peak of the first ring.

Gao De consumed the Dragon Bird Blood Fungus and advanced to the late stage of the First Circle, then reviewed Phoenix’s development reports. He ended by asking Flora to crossbreed Bloodcrystal Barley with Frost-Resistant Wheat to cultivate Northwest Barley No. 2.

• Gao De removed the Dragon Bird Blood Fungus spores and entrusted them to Flora for planting.
• Gao De consumed the Dragon Bird Blood Fungus, raised his lifespan from 335 to 340, and reached First Circle completion with 211 Mental Strength.
• Gao De chose to spend a week adapting to his increased mana before attempting Circle advancement, then rested until evening.
• Sunaifa and Aisha brought Gao De reports on Phoenix’s construction, trade, education, and future plans, which he reviewed.
• Gao De told Sunaifa to ease the work pace and described plans to train new civil servants through adult education.
• Gao De showed Sunaifa, Aisha, and Flora Bloodcrystal Barley and asked Flora to crossbreed it with Frost-Resistant Wheat to create Northwest Barley No. 2.

Flora revealed the hidden cultivation requirements of Bloodcrystal Barley, prompting Gao De to launch plans for breeding Northwest Barley No. 2 and building a farm in her honor. After reviewing Phoenix’s grain strategy and other affairs, Gao De spent Source Points to enhance his rare spells before his imminent advancement.

• Flora explained that Bloodcrystal Barley required acidic soaking to break dormancy, iron-rich soil, and barren land, rather than blood or crimson earth.
• Gao De ordered Flora to hybridize Bloodcrystal Barley with Frost-Resistant Wheat and told Sunaifa to prepare Flora's Bounty Farm.
• Sunaifa reported that the Frostwolf Clan and Winter's Hammer were buying Northwest Barley No. 1, and Gao De instructed her to keep negotiating with the Frostwolf Clan before lowering the price.
• Gao De discussed Phoenix’s development and administration with Sunaifa and Aisha until nightfall.
• Gao De used his six first-circle Source Points to enhance Long Range Shot, Know Yourself and Your Enemy, and Panacea Draught.

Gao De enhanced three utility spells and drafted plans for a second Northern Territory city at Valar Bay. After calculating that his Second Circle advancement had a seventy-five percent success rate, he decided to attempt it the next day.

• Gao De spent his remaining Source Points enhancing Artisan's Blessing, Diagnose Disease, and Decompose Corpse.
• Gao De drafted guidelines for building a second Northern Territory city at Valar Bay to ease Phoenix's growth and develop the port and Sacred Tree domain.
• Gao De reviewed the stages and dangers of advancing from First Circle to Second Circle, including the low success rate and risks of repeated failures.
• Gao De calculated that the Greenvine Spirit Dew, his advanced Mental Strength, and the Fifth Order spirit land raised his advancement success rate to seventy-five percent.
• Gao De decided to attempt Circle Advancement the next day and returned to refining the construction proposal.

Anna studied Aesir script at Phoenix First Academy, made a new friend, and passed Gao De’s assessment of her rune talent. Gao De then drank Greenvine Spirit Dew beneath the Icejade Wutong to begin advancing to the Second Circle, and his mana started crystallizing.

• Anna attended a Shadow Lesson with the other students and agreed to help Perl with Common Tongue in exchange for help with Aesir Language.
• Gao De reunited with Anna and Aisha, then tested Anna’s knowledge of New Standard Runelore and confirmed she had passed.
• Flora identified three of the nine medicinal properties in Greenvine Spirit Dew, while Gao De considered creating a sample library to aid future formula research.
• Gao De went to the Phoenix Core Spirit Land, where Sunaifa guarded him as he prepared to advance to the Second Circle.
• Gao De drank Greenvine Spirit Dew, and its medicinal power fused with his Liquid Mana as mana crystallization began.

Gao De advanced to Second Circle Mage, then awakened the powerful Icekin bloodline of Anivia. His transformation released the power of Truefrost, which stirred the bloodlines of Icekin throughout the Northern Territory.

• Gao De crystallized his Mana Pool, opened a Second Circle Spell Starsea, formed a Fire Elemental Body, and increased his lifespan to 415 years.
• Gao De awakened a specialty and was offered a choice of dormant bloodlines, including a colossal Icekin bloodline tied to Anivia.
• Gao De chose the Icekin bloodline, and silver-white streams of power enveloped him as he heard an ancient hymn.
• Sunaifa saw Gao De's body turn ice-blue as his blood transformed, and she recognized the rising power of Truefrost.
• Icekin bloodline bearers throughout the Northern Territory heard the hymn and began chanting along.

The author reviewed Volume Two, discussed Gao De’s progression and the novel’s traditional leveling structure, and thanked readers for their support. The author announced that Volume Three would be titled Twin Flowers and that updates would pause for one or two days.

• The author summarized Volume Two’s expansion of the Northern Territory and Plantagenet Dynasty maps and Gao De’s emerging identities as King of the North and Sea Sentinel Mage.
• The author explained that Gao De became King of the North first, and the prophecy followed from that fact.
• The author discussed Gao De’s slow leveling, the large gaps between power levels, and the need to build his abilities across six areas so he could fight stronger opponents.
• The author described the novel as a long, old-school leveling story and promised to finish it properly despite slow updates and occasional breaks.
• The author announced that Volume Three would be titled Twin Flowers and that they would take one or two days off to rest and plan its main plot.

Gao De awakened the Truefrost Bloodline, causing a hymn to resonate across the Icekin Tribes and stirring doubts among Winter's Hammer elders. He gained inherited knowledge and powers, began cultivating the Truefrost Secrets, and realized the bloodline could help him reach the Fourth Circle.

• The hymn faded, and Winter's Hammer's elders debated whether the phenomenon came from the prophesied King of the North, while Yarna listened without declaring her position.
• The Truefrost Tribe's elders announced that Gao De had awakened the Truefrost Bloodline, and Icekin in Phoenix celebrated the news.
• Gao De received the Truefrost Secrets and extensive inherited knowledge, and his bloodline constructed the Freezing Touch cantrip in his Spell Starsea.
• Gao De gained greater cold resistance and temperature perception, then confirmed he could cultivate the Truefrost Secrets and drew in faint silver-blue mana.
• Gao De identified Truefrost Bloodline as his Second Circle Specialty and recognized that, like Sunaifa, he could potentially reach the Fourth Circle after awakening his bloodline.

After advancing to Second Circle, Gao De considered his new abilities, the prophecy surrounding his Truefrost Bloodline, and the Northern Territory’s political and magical development. He faced a shortage of suitable magic-tree seeds for Frostborn Mages’ contracts, but a turning point emerged that afternoon.

• Gao De advanced to Second Circle, gained Nature’s Speech, and assessed his mana, cultivation prospects, and need to master more spells before advancing further.
• Sunaifa congratulated Gao De on awakening the Truefrost Bloodline, but neither of them knew who Anivia was.
• Sunaifa told Gao De that she had announced his awakening to Phoenix and that Winter’s Hammer and the Frostwolf Clan would soon learn of it; Gao De let her lead the Northern Territory’s unification efforts.
• Gao De retrieved six Second Circle Spell formulas from Phoenix’s treasury and continued prioritizing Phoenix’s development.
• Gao De considered the scarcity of Contracting Sacred Items and the difficulty of producing second-rank Magic Tree Seeds, while reserving Jewel Sweetberry seeds for basic mage education.
• That afternoon, the problem of finding suitable magic-tree seeds for Frostborn Mages showed a turning point.

Gao De learned that Flora had cultivated an Everfrost Oak whose Icy Spirit Fruit seeds could support a lasting magic-tree inheritance, and he ordered the tribe to begin growing them. He stayed in the Northern Territory to oversee its many demands and watched Piert supervise road construction in Phoenix.

• Flora told Gao De that the Everfrost Oak produced Icy Spirit Fruits whose seeds could grow into more trees, and Gao De ordered the Frostborn Mages to contract with the seeds and gather Ice Elemental creature blood.
• Flora explained that combining the four Elemental magic trees through grafting could create a Third Tier Four-Element Magic Plant Tree, and Gao De named Yggdrasil’s domain Flora’s Forest.
• Gao De decided to remain in the Northern Territory while he gathered potion ingredients, managed the tribes, and let Truefrost Secrets advance faster in its native environment.
• Gao De watched Piert and his workers lay a road foundation in Phoenix, and Piert stopped them when he spotted a potentially cracked stone slab.

Yarna persuaded Helica to consider capturing the new king of the Truefrost Tribe, revealing that a powerful member of the Ram Clan was staying with Winter's Hammer. Helica agreed to support Yarna's plan, but only after postponing her answer for half a year.

• Yarna warned Helica that Sunaifa's expansion and the new king's awakened Truefrost Bloodline threatened the Frostwolf and Winter's Hammer clans.
• Yarna proposed using hidden Frostborn Mages from both clans to seize the new king when he traveled from Phoenix to Valar Bay.
• Helica resisted, fearing Sunaifa's retaliation, so Yarna revealed Icebreaker's origins and the Ram Clan's connection to Winter's Hammer.
• Yarna explained that a Ram Clan member of at least fifth-ring strength was staying with her tribe and could help defeat Sunaifa if she attacked.
• Yarna asked Helica to help capture and escort the new king, and Helica offered her wolf cub as a gift if Yarna returned in half a year.

Helica rejected Yarna’s proposal to ally with Winter’s Hammer and chose neutrality, while Winter’s Hammer ordered its Phoenix agents to capture Gao De during one of his trips to Valar Bay. Unaware of the plot, Gao De continued cultivating and prepared to construct a new spell model.

• Helica refused Yarna’s offer, arguing that her tribe had nothing to gain by taking either side, and Yarna left after warning her not to regret it.
• Morris summoned Milo and Alek to deliver Yarna’s order: they would ambush Gao De on the road to Valar Bay, capture him, and return him to Winter’s Hammer.
• Milo objected that Sunaifa and Catherine would pursue them, but Morris reminded him of his past betrayal, and Milo reluctantly agreed to help.
• Milo arranged for the city gate guards to notify him if Gao De left Phoenix.
• Gao De cultivated near the Icejade Wutong, completed the materials for a Spell Elixir, and prepared to construct its Spell Model after finishing models for Summon Mount and Web Shelter.

Gao De oversaw new agricultural projects and Phoenix’s completed first-phase road network while continuing to gather source and develop his spells. After testing Bloodied Visage on the hunting party’s prey, he spent his new Second Circle Source Point to upgrade Summon Mount.

• Gao De learned that Northwest Barley No. 2 had been cultivated, inspected it with Flora, and directed the Ministry of Agriculture to improve its yield while prioritizing other farmland.
• Gao De named the low-spec Dragon Bird Blood Fungus Icelizard Blood Fungus and agreed that future farmland could be cleared in the snowfields between Phoenix and Valar Bay.
• Gao De inspected Phoenix’s completed main roads, tested their strength and underground pipes, and praised Piert and the Ministry of Construction.
• Gao De mastered Bloodied Visage, tested it on the hunting party’s captured prey, and obtained his second complete Second Circle source.
• Gao De spent his new Source Point to upgrade Summon Mount, gaining Equipment Sharing and Spirit Guardian.