Chapter 1948 — 1948: Frozen Palace

"The Great One, huh? Do you know his location?" Yuan asked.

The Dragon Emperor shook his head and said, "The number of individuals who may know his location can be counted on one hand. He loves traveling the Nine Heavens in search for treasures and can be anywhere. When he's not traveling, he's most likely hidden within his own realm or slumbering somewhere in the Starry Sky."

"I see."

"Anyway, going back to the Azure Dragon Clan. They are one of the ten recognized royal bloodlines, but they are ranked last in terms of prowess and influence."

After a slight pause, he added, "In case you are wondering, the Holy Dragon Clan is ranked sixth."

"Their bloodline grants them complete mastery over water, so they established their main dwelling deep on the floor of the Sea of Dragons."

The Dragon Emperor continued to talk about the Azure Dragon Clan.

Sometime later, Yuan said, "I have a good understanding of the Azure Dragon Clan—somewhat. Until I meet and speak with them personally, I can't say I know them. Anyway, it'll take some time before they respond to our offer, right?"

"That's correct," the Dragon Emperor replied. "The fastest we've ever received a response was five weeks, and the longest took nearly seven months. Their timing is unpredictable."

"I'd like to train in the meantime," Yuan said. "Does the Dragon Spiral Mountain have any unique training grounds? Specifically, something related to the yin attribute. I'm working on strengthening my Cold Immunity."

The Dragon Emperor nodded and replied, "Of course. We have special training grounds for those who have graduated from their initial training—what you experienced earlier."

The Dragon Emperor led Yuan back down the mountain, retracing their steps until they returned to the training grounds.

However, instead of stopping at the familiar arenas, where Xi Meili was still engaged in spirited sparring with the young dragons, they continued deeper, heading toward a more secluded area.

When they reached their destination, Yuan found himself standing before five towering pagodas, each emanating a distinct and ancient aura.

After taking a moment to admire their imposing beauty, Yuan shifted his gaze to the large signs hanging above each entrance.

"Four Levels of Inferno, Frozen Palace, Endless Tribulations, Venomous Altar, and the Unyielding Playground, huh?" Yuan mumbled the names written on each sign with intrigue.

The Dragon Emperor began introducing each pagoda in detail, "Each of these pagodas contains a realm of its own, far more vast than their appearance suggests.

This one is the Four Levels of Inferno. It is designed to temper one's resistance to fire, with four ascending levels of difficulty. You can challenge a higher floor as your endurance improves."

He continued, "The first level is intended for beginners with no fire resistance. The second is suited for those with Weak Fire Resistance. The third is for those with Powerful Fire Resistance.

As for the fourth level, it should only be attempted by those who possess Super Fire Resistance. Anything less would be courting death."

"The Frozen Palace follows the same structure," the Dragon Emperor continued, "but it's designed to train one's resistance to cold, which should suit your needs."

He gestured to the next pagoda.

"The Endless Tribulation is for tempering one's body against lightning."

Then to another, "The Venomous Altar sharpens one's resistance to poison."

Finally, he pointed to the last pagoda, "And last but not least, the Unyielding Playground—where gravity is greatly intensified to strengthen one's raw physique and endurance."

After learning about the five pagodas, Yuan asked, "So the Frozen Palace only trains one's cold resistance to Supreme Cold Resistance?"

"Actually, the Frozen Palace has five levels, so you can train your cold resistance past Supreme Cold Resistance. The Unyielding Playground has the most levels since we prefer training our raw physique," the Dragon Emperor clarified.

Yuan nodded, "Alright, I'll be training on the fifth level within the Frozen Palace. By the way, do you have a way to contact me when the Azure Dragon Clan responds?"

"Don't worry, I'll personally come get you when they respond."

"I understand. Have fun."

Without any delay, Yuan stepped into the pagoda dedicated to cold resistance training.

The moment he crossed the threshold, his surroundings shifted. He found himself standing in a vast, snowy expanse, where icy winds howled across an endless frozen plain.

Far in the distance, towering against the pale horizon, stood a massive castle sculpted entirely from shimmering ice—its presence both majestic and foreboding.

Since he already had Supreme Cold Resistance, Yuan didn't feel any discomfort, but it was clear that the training had yet to truly begin.

Without hesitation, Yuan began making his way toward the ice palace.

Even before reaching the gates, Yuan could see a figure sitting in front of the entrance.

When Yuan got near, this figure opened his eyes and spoke, "Since this is your first time here, allow me to give you a brief introduction."

"There are five floors in the Frozen Palace. You can increase the difficulty of your training by heading to the next floor. On each floor, you will not only have to endure the cold, but you'll also have to fight enemies. If they hit you, your body becomes more prone to the cold. If you need to leave, just shout for help and I will come rescue you."

Yuan nodded before asking, "Are you with the Holy Dragon Clan?"

The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "No, I am from the Glacial Dragon Clan—the true owners of this realm. The Holy Dragon Clan merely borrows this training ground from us."

"I see…" Yuan murmured thoughtfully. "So the pagodas are actually teleportation devices."

The Dragon Emperor had purposefully skipped this detail to surprise Yuan.

"What are the rules?" Yuan then asked.

"There is only one rule here," the middle-aged man said firmly. "You are strictly prohibited from disturbing others who are training on the same floor. Violate this, and you will be immediately expelled from the training ground—and banned from returning for one hundred years."

Yuan raised an eyebrow and muttered, "There will be others?"