Yinfei and Lanmo

Younier put down the picture book, her eyes quickly glancing at a line of small print in an inconspicuous corner of the back cover: Sang River Illustration Publishing House, Serial Number 2720201.

She memorized it.

Great, this publishing house accepts mail orders!

****

The mainland of Northern Ice Island, on the outskirts of the Polar City of Selunna.

This location is at approximately 70 degrees north latitude, already within the frigid Arctic Circle.

Although the geographical North Pole requires an extremely long trek northward, crossing massive ice sheets to reach, Northern Ice Island itself is the coldest and most desolate region on the planet, second only to Antarctica.

Despite the calendar indicating that spring has long since arrived, the air here remains thick with a biting chill, and the temperature stubbornly hovers around minus thirty-five degrees Celsius.

Therefore, when the massive Yinfei- red dragon body broke through the thick, lead-gray clouds and landed on the land of Northern Ice Island, even this Silver Dragon elder, who was known among the Dragon Race for his cold resistance, couldn't help but shiver violently!

Even with the reputation of being "the least afraid of cold dragon species besides the Blue Dragon," the Silver Dragon was brought back to reality by the polar climate—she was only relatively less afraid of low temperatures, but the Northern Ice Island in front of her was far beyond what the word "cold" could describe!

The icy current seeped in everywhere, and a layer of frost quickly condensed on the Silver Dragon's body, with fine ice shards clinging to the scales around her eyes. She couldn't help but let out a loud sneeze, and the ice armor on her body crumbled and shattered with a "whoosh".

In his disheveled state, a clear snot streamed uncontrollably from his nostril, freezing into a small icicle on the tip of his nose, making him look extremely undignified.

Yinfei even considered turning back and jumping into the seawater filled with floating ice—it was so much warmer in there!

However, Yinfei's ordeal didn't last long; at the edge of the horizon, the goal of their journey finally appeared.

The enormous yet elegant figure of Blue Dragon Lanmo, another elder of the Dragon Race, was clearly visible in the crisp air of the Arctic Circle.

As fellow Saint Rank dragons, Lanmo clearly sensed the unique aura of his kin. Therefore, he left the nest and took the initiative to greet them.

The land of Northern Ice Island is vast and desolate, covering an area of over one million square kilometers, yet it is home to only a few hundred thousand Feather Race adapted to the extreme climate, making it their home where they struggle to survive.

As for the Blue Dragon, there is only one, Lanmo. His clansmen all live at the foot of the snow-capped mountains at the northernmost end of Dragon Valley. The temperate climate there is truly suitable for the Blue Dragon Race to live in.

Not the Arctic Circle here.

Yinfei unleashed her full senses, but there was no other life in the vicinity— the Feather Race of Northern Ice Island were scattered across the boundless white desert, as sparse as stars. It was very difficult to see them without going to their settlements.

Lanmo flapped its dragon wings and landed on the thick snow in front of Yinfei. Unlike the Silver Dragon's individual scales, the Blue Dragon's scales were much wider and not single-layered, but rather overlapping each other like tiles.

This structure provides physical defense and also creates an insulating barrier. Neither wind nor snow nor severe cold can penetrate deep into the layers of scales.

A hint of undisguised envy flickered across Yinfei's heart. She composed herself, raised her Dragon Claw stiffened by the cold, and prepared to get to the point.

"Yinfei." Lanmo's gentle voice rang out, "We... haven't we met for over fifty years?" His dragon eyes reflected Yinfei's current disheveled state. "It's quite unexpected that you would personally set foot in such a frigid place."

"Yes." Yinfei also let out a sigh carrying a white mist, her breath condensing into a cloud of icy dust as it left her mouth.

The last time the two dragons met was at the Land of Ancestral Spirits in Dragon Valley, during Lanmo's inauguration ceremony as the Great Elder of the Blue Dragon. At that time, she had not yet stepped into the Saint Rank and watched Lanmo, who was the focus of attention of all the dragons, with some envy from below the stage.

For more than fifty years after that, Lanmo never appeared in Dragon Valley again. Even at the ceremony when Yinfei was promoted to Saint Rank and succeeded as the Grand Elder, he only entrusted a merchant ship passing through the Northern Lands to send a congratulatory gift.

Fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye, yet upon reflection, it feels like only a short time. Time, like that of a dragon, is so worthless.

"Let's go." Lanmo, clearly aware of Yinfei's discomfort in the low temperature, extended an invitation, "Let's go to my lair to escape the cold and rest for a while."

Yinfei's raised Dragon Claw froze in mid-air.

"Okay!" she replied immediately.

****

With great effort, Yinfei unfurled her dragon wings, which were partially frozen and appeared somewhat cumbersome. Guided by Lanmo, she flew towards the depths of the ice cliff. The ice shards added an extra burden, making her feel as if she were carrying rocks with each flap of her wings.

However, to her surprise and even a touch of envy, Lanmo, who was flying ahead, was as smooth as a mirror, without a trace of ice or even a snowflake on him! In the dim light, upon closer inspection, one could even vaguely see the outline of Lanmo's massive body, seemingly surrounded by a layer of... warm steam?!

"How can you be so warm?!" Yinfei asked curiously.

This completely contradicted her understanding; even Blue Dragon shouldn't act this way.

Lanmo turned his head, a playful smile appearing on his face. "I also hate the feeling of being frozen. So..." he said casually, "I've just mastered some unique little tricks for keeping warm."

Before long, the two giant dragons, one after the other, arrived at a deep cave with a huge ice cliff behind it.

The entrance to the cave seemed unremarkable, barely wide enough for a dragon to pass through. But as Yinfei followed Lanmo closely, carefully slipping into an ancient ice tunnel, the space before them suddenly opened up!

A long-awaited warm breeze, carrying the scent of dust from the depths of the earth, swept over her, quickly dispelling the biting cold clinging to her Yinfei scales and easing her frozen body.

Although the temperature hovers around zero degrees Celsius, compared to the frigid outside, this cave is like a warm, spring-like paradise.

Lanmo opened her mouth slightly, and a breath ignited a row of torches embedded in the side wall. The orange light flickered and shone, the soft glow dispelling the darkness in the cave.

Using the faint, sparkling light, Yinfei looked around and discovered that the cave walls were covered with a vast number of murals! Most of these murals were small in size, with simple and bold lines, and many parts were blurred due to their age, revealing an indescribable sense of vicissitude.

Her gaze swept across the cave's interior, where obvious signs of human excavation were visible everywhere. Primitive and rudimentary living facilities made of bones and rocks were scattered about, and in many corners lay weathered and unrecognizable skeletal remains.

"This is a relic left behind by the Old Humanity," Lanmo's voice echoed in the empty cave as he explained to Yinfei.