The Ice River was one of Heaven Dou's four great rivers. Located on the northern frontier of the Heaven Dou Empire, it originated atop distant icy peaks at the northern foot of the Tianshan Snowfield, following the contours of the mountains northward before flowing east.
Its waters came primarily from melting snow and ice, so their temperature was extremely low.
Even so, it supplied agricultural irrigation and domestic water to the vast lands of the empire's northern Mugaozar (Heavenly Water) Province.
The Ice River was the mother river of Heavenly Water's people.
It also had a peculiar feature: it did not freeze at zero degrees, continuing to flow instead. Only during the three or four winter months, when temperatures dropped to thirty or forty degrees below zero, did it freeze over.
During the eight or nine months outside winter, the Ice River largely blocked incursions by soul beasts from the Far North. In winter, most soul beasts went into hibernation, greatly reducing the number still active.
Thus, the Ice River was also the river that protected Heavenly Water's people.
The "Heavenly Water" in Heavenly Water Province, Skywater City, and the Duke of Heavenly Water referred to the Ice River.
The entire province's residents naturally accepted and identified with the name "Heavenly Water."
For that reason, some also called it the Heavenly Water River.
Beyond that, the Ice River had nurtured the Frozen Forest, with dense woods lining both banks.
The Frozen Forest generally referred to the long belt of woodland along the Ice River's southern bank, which stretched across the entire northern portion of Heavenly Water Province.
Heavenly Water Province was the Heaven Dou Empire's largest province. Its lands were vast and sparsely populated, with most residents clustered around its cities.
Across this expansive land, three major cities were set