Chapter 418: The Return of the Winter Crown!

The White Dragon Lord extended his mental senses to probe the demiplane's spatial barrier. It was far thicker than a normal one. Had he attempted this when he first arrived, he might not have been able to break out.

But now, having stepped into the Abomination Rank, it would merely take a bit more effort.

He shifted into his nimble draconic humanoid form, channeling spatial energy into his claws. A faint white glow emanated from them. It wasn't blinding, but it looked incredibly sharp, like the cold gleam of a freshly honed blade.

He thrust his claws into the void, piercing the very fabric of space before him. With a forceful tear to either side, a massive, pitch-black spatial rift ripped open in the air. The surrounding air rushed into the gap, creating a howling gale.

Having already decided to leave, he didn't linger. He dove headfirst into the void. Without his power sustaining it, the spatial rift quickly healed itself.

In the boundless void, the White Dragon Lord stood suspended in nothingness. This was the outer spatial layer of the Abyss. It was just as freezing as the Star Realm, littered with floating debris and thick with ominous abyssal demonic energy.

These environmental hazards were tolerable. The real danger lay in the entities wandering this outer layer—horrors that even the Abyss refused to accept, such as Abominations and ancient Evil Entities.

The White Dragon Lord had no desire to look for trouble. He immediately chanted a teleportation spell and vanished. His destination was the Alliance Headquarters on the Blood War Battlefield: the City of Naxxramas.

In the City of Naxxramas, the White Dragon Lord appeared on the Teleportation Platform, bathed in the radiance of the three suns overhead.

Because he made no effort to hide his presence, he sensed a gaze the moment he stepped onto the platform. He turned toward the depths of Naxxramas. There, a pair of bright green wolf eyes watched him. Even from this distance, he could feel the surprise radiating from that stare.

"Long time no see, Sir Engru," he mouthed, knowing the old orc could see him perfectly.

The green wolf eyes vanished. The White Dragon Lord stepped off the platform and merged with the crowds entering the city. Perhaps spending decades alone in a demiplane made him miss the bustle of urban life. He walked slowly, taking his time to observe this city renowned throughout the multiverse.

Even after several decades, the City of Naxxramas remained as lively as ever. Mercenaries from all worlds, internal Alliance members, and unique abyssal goods fueled the city's prosperity. Armed mercenaries, large bands of adventurers, clerics in divine robes, and spellcasters strolled down the streets like ordinary citizens in a mundane town.

Business was booming at the magical weapon shops lining the main street. A continuous stream of customers went in and out to browse the wares, while others haggled with shopkeepers over the counters.

Hearty laughter and the crisp clinking of mugs spilled from the roadside taverns, mixed with the drunken grumbles of those drowning their sorrows. The White Dragon Lord could even hear the rhythmic creaking of wooden beds from the inn rooms above, accompanied by indiscreet moans.

It couldn't be helped. His strength was too great and his senses too sharp. He heard what he was supposed to hear, and everything he wasn't.

After taking a moment to adjust, he suppressed his hearing back to a normal level and continued toward the Alliance Headquarters in the city center. He flashed his arcane mark to the guards at the gate and proceeded unhindered all the way to Engru Ghostwolf's office.

Pushing the door open, he found the old orc sitting leisurely in his chair, pale yellow eyes watching the dragon enter.

"Sir Engru, how have you been lately?"

"Good, very good indeed. Though I must ask, Amos... Sir, where exactly did you run off to all these years?"

The White Dragon Lord walked to the desk, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "As you know, I was schemed against by that bitch. She threw me into the Stomach of the Abyss to fend for myself, but she never expected I'd have a treasure left behind by an entity rivaling a Greater Divine Power."

"But that treasure was meant for me to execute a mission. It teleported me to a certain place, where I completed my task and reaped immense benefits. The moment I broke through that bottleneck, I came straight back."

"Those benefits must have been massive," Engru Ghostwolf couldn't help but sigh in awe.

"Indeed they were. I'm extremely satisfied." The White Dragon Lord nodded. "Sir Engru, has the blood war ended? Did anything major happen while I was gone?"

"Well, you must have plenty of questions. Let me answer them one by one," the old orc said, stroking his beard. "Let's start from when you were sucked into that black hole."

"Thanks to the Ice Elemental you summoned from the Winter Legion, we won that battle with ease. The Blade Sovereign lost two arms and fled with severe injuries, which laid the foundation for our future victories. Hmm... your clone already collected the rewards you earned. Honestly, a lot of people thought you were never coming back."

"After taking down the Viper Temple, the Allied Forces pushed forward and conquered the fortress of Trollope, the Prison Soul Demon. At that point, three of the five demon lords guarding the Blood War Battlefield were gone. Those ancient abyssal lords who had been hiding at home couldn't sit still any longer. They came out and fought us. Three demon lords fell in that battle, and we lost three of our own as well."

"Hmm... counting the Howling Lord who died right at the start, we came out ahead by one."

Though the old orc spoke casually, the White Dragon Lord could easily imagine the apocalyptic clash that must have occurred between the various demon lords and the powerhouses of the Tripartite Allied Forces.

Looking closely at the old orc, the White Dragon Lord noticed that Engru's aura was slightly unstable. He was clearly injured, though not severely.

"Are my friends alright? Alan, the captain of the Boar's Howl Adventurer Group, Mad Axe, Light of the Firmament, and the friends who stayed behind to guard Blackrock Fortress?"

"Well, aside from poor Odom, the rest are still alive. Namagani and that little Gold Dragon sustained some injuries. Namagani went to the Star Realm, and the Gold Dragon returned to Nordhill. I don't know if they've fully recovered by now."

"Mad Axe died?! How did he die?"

"During the siege on the Temple of Ten Thousand Souls belonging to the Prison Soul Demon, he took his enemy down with him. Don't weep for him. He died a glorious death in battle, and his soul has already entered the sanctuary to join his ancestors."

"Also," Engru Ghostwolf looked up at the White Dragon Lord, "you have three fine siblings. After you disappeared, your younger brother and sisters came to the Abyss. They led their armies into the blood war under the banner of avenging you. They performed exceptionally well, especially the one named Elena. She and her teacher teamed up to slay quite a few High-Tier Legendary Demons. The Withered Vine Druid truly is a terrifying class."

The White Dragon Lord nodded. The power to convert life and death was indeed incredibly terrifying.

"Thank you for the answers, Sir Engru. It seems my term hasn't ended yet. What arrangements has the Alliance made?"

"Your clone claimed your rewards and also took on your duties. It dispatched a High-Tier Legendary Orc to guard Blackrock Fortress in its stead. Since the blood war just ended and there won't be any major battles in the near future, I agreed to the arrangement."

An Orc?

The White Dragon Lord thought for a moment and recalled the Orc bodyguard who used to accompany Elena. By now, Elena shouldn't need anyone's protection. Sending the Orc to the Abyss was a good way to avoid wasting resources.

"Very well then. Respected Sir, I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

The White Dragon Lord bowed respectfully to the old orc. He left the office and made his way to the interplanar Teleportation Platform, where he inputted the coordinates for the Winter Temple.

The mission item was in hand. It was time to turn in the quest.

Amidst the towering pillars of the Winter Temple, the White Dragon Lord appeared before the goddess's statue. He looked up at the sculpture of the Goddess of Winter. Though he still felt a powerful, oppressive aura, it was no longer as unbearable as it had been back when he was merely a High-Tier Legend.

The instant he appeared, the Winter Empress and the three great Winter Commanders sensed his aura and immediately teleported into the temple.

Seeing the expectant faces of the Winter Legion's upper echelon, the White Dragon Lord reached into his Dimensional Bag and pulled out the crystal-clear Winter Crown. He had already scanned this crown with his Gold Finger.

[Name]: Winter Crown

[Description]: The Winter Crown is a Divine Artifact passed down by the ancient Goddess of Winter. It serves as the token of the Winter Legion and is an ancient Divine Artifact possessing immense power. Only someone acknowledged by the goddess is qualified to wield it.

Attached Abilities:

[Eternity]: The Winter Crown cannot be destroyed by conventional means.

[Ice Elemental Curse]: Commands Ice Elementals to stay away from a target enemy, rendering them unable to cast ice magic. For those below the Abomination Rank, this permanently strips their right to wield Ice Elementals.

[Lord of the Legion]: The owner of the crown is the master of the Winter Legion and can summon the legion for aid in battle.

[Sovereign of Ice Elementals]: The owner of the crown is the absolute sovereign over all Ice Elementals.

The Winter Crown's attributes made the White Dragon Lord want to swallow it whole.

Take the [Lord of the Legion] function, for example. The Winter Legion was one of the oldest factions in the multiverse, commanding an uncountable number of Ice Elementals. To obtain this crown was to obtain the entire legion. Its owner could launch an apocalyptic war at any given moment.

[Sovereign of Ice Elementals] was even more terrifying. The crown's owner could directly command all the Ice Elementals in the world to execute their will, allowing even a casual strike to carry cataclysmic power.

Reading these attributes made the White Dragon Lord want to abscond with the treasure. However, his reason and conscience forbade it. First, he hadn't earned the goddess's approval, so he couldn't actually use the Winter Crown. Second, the Winter Legion had provided him with too much help during his growth. They had even elevated his bloodline to that of an Ancestral Dragon. He could never do something so ungrateful.

The White Dragon Lord raised the Winter Crown high into the air. The translucent crown radiated a brilliant, dazzling light.

"Legion Commander, I have not failed my mission!"

The Winter Empress extended a translucent icy arm. The Winter Crown automatically flew toward her, gently landing on her head as it magically adjusted its size to fit perfectly.

The instant the crown settled upon her brow, the White Dragon Lord felt as if all the surrounding Ice Elementals had come alive. They were cheering and celebrating the birth of their king.

The Winter Empress closed her eyes to savor the sensation. After a long while, she slowly opened them and looked at the White Dragon Lord standing in the center of the hall.

"Legion Commander, I have brought back the Winter Crown, and I've also uncovered the cause of the previous legion master's death." The White Dragon Lord explained what had happened to Mohotlond, then brought out the remains of both Mohotlond and the Time Dragon.

Staring at the two massive Dragon corpses resting in the hall, the Winter Empress and the three great Ice Elemental commanders remained speechless for a long time.

"Even though Mohotlond lost the goddess's relic, he nonetheless led our legion out of its darkest hour," the Empress finally spoke. "He and his wife are worthy of being buried here."

The Winter Empress waved her hand. The two Dragon corpses slowly sank into the temple floor until they completely disappeared.

"Amos, you have retrieved the goddess's relic and fulfilled the grand wish of the Winter Legion. The Ice Elementals shall forever favor you."

The White Dragon Lord's spirit jolted. The quest item was turned in; now it was time for the reward.

The Winter Empress pointed a finger at him and rapidly chanted a spell. The Ice Elementals in the world converged upon his forehead, forming the glowing symbol of a snowflake. As even more Ice Elementals drilled into the mark, the White Dragon Lord felt his mastery over ice magic soar to yet another level.

An hour later, the magical ritual was complete. The Winter Empress waved her hand, and a Portal materialized before him.

"You may choose one item for yourself from the Winter Treasury."

The White Dragon Lord nodded in greeting to Motznovi, the Winter Commander he knew best, before diving headfirst into the Portal. He emerged in a hidden chamber. Thirty or forty diverse items were neatly arranged within the room. He swept his gaze around—every single piece here was a divine-tier treasure.

A pile of crystals sealing Divinity sat neatly in crystal vials, while an icy-blue Crystal Ball radiated an intoxicating pulse of magical power...

'It seems Her Excellency the Master of the Winter Legion teleported me straight to the deepest part of the Winter Treasury.'

All Dragons possessed an intense intuition for treasure. Following his instincts, the White Dragon Lord walked toward the strongest sensation. It led him to the icy-blue Crystal Ball. The sphere was perfectly translucent, emitting an intoxicating halo of light.

"Scan!"

[Name]: Authority of Winter

[Description]: The Authority of Winter is a Divine Artifact crafted by the Goddess of Winter during her leisure time. It possesses immense power, and only members of the Winter Legion can wield it.

Enchanted Magic:

[Eternity]: The Authority of Winter cannot be destroyed by conventional means.

[Blessing of the Goddess of Winter]: The wielder's ice magic power is massively amplified. They gain the ability to command Ice Elementals within a thousand-mile radius and can bestow blessings upon others to strengthen their ice magic. Cooldown: one month.

[Emperor's Shield]: An auto-triggering Forbidden Spell-tier forcefield defense magic. The Authority of Winter releases its internal forcefield to block attacks for the wielder. Once the Emperor's Shield is broken, it requires time to accumulate energy again.

[Calamity of Winter]: A Forbidden Spell-tier wide-area attack magic. After a one-minute channel, it summons the descent of winter to freeze all things. Cooldown: one year.

"You're the one."

The White Dragon Lord grabbed the Authority of Winter. He had just stepped into the Abomination Rank, and now a Divine Artifact had essentially delivered itself to his doorstep. How could he possibly refuse?

A Portal appeared. The White Dragon Lord stepped through it and returned to the center of the Winter Temple. By this time, the Winter Empress had already left. Only the Winter Commander, Motznovi, remained in the hall waiting for him. The commander immediately noticed the icy-blue Crystal Ball in his hand.

"Great eye, Amos! That orb is called the Authority of Winter! It's a Divine Artifact crafted by Her Majesty the Goddess herself!"

"Haha! It caught my eye the moment I saw it! It certainly suits me well!" The White Dragon Lord tossed the orb in the air with a smug grin.

He spent some time catching up with Motznovi. Through the commander, the White Dragon Lord learned that his clone had participated in the second Winter Trial in his stead. Although the clone had cleared the trial, it hadn't achieved a perfect rating.

While he felt a twinge of regret, he quickly let it go.

After all, he had never intended to become the Goddess of Winter's successor in the first place. He really couldn't stand these Ice Elementals. Being unable to enjoy the pleasures of good food was one thing, but the worst part was sleeping for hundreds or even thousands of years at a time. That couldn't even compare to the comfort of being a local tyrant in his own world and simply enjoying his dragon life.