Monk Hushu chuckled softly upon hearing the muscular woman's words. "That's the point of beauty, Miss Cattaleya. It is meant to be admired, not owned."

She rolled her eyes. "Spoken like a monk who never had to spend ten months trekking through snow while his hair froze solid." She then took a pause and smacked her head. "Wait a minute, you have no hair! Sorry!"

The others laughed lightly.

Even Lin Mu, seated near the front, allowed himself a small smile. The air around them was peaceful, the tension of the past days melting away as they passed over mountain ranges and glittering lakes. It felt, for a moment, like the world had paused to give them a moment of calm before whatever awaited them in the frozen south.

Meng Bai, however, couldn't shake a strange thought. "It feels odd," he said after a moment. "We're flying through all this color and life... only to head straight into the cold white lands of the Ice Drakes. It's like going from one world to another."

Lin Mu looked back at him, his eyes calm but thoughtful. "That's exactly what it will feel like," he said. "The South Western Glacial Ranges are unlike any other place in the Darkhan Dynasty. You will feel as if you've entered a realm of frost spirits and still time.""

In these last couple of days, Lin Mu had read quite a bit about the South Western Glacial Ranges as well as the Ice Drakes, so that he may be prepared for anything that was to come.

Meng Bai nodded, his eyes flicking back to the landscape below.

Despite the thought of what was to come, he did not feel fear. The weight of his master's presence and the calm confidence of his companions made the journey seem far less daunting. Instead, he felt a flicker of excitement deep within his chest.

He leaned forward slightly. "Master, what are the Ice Drakes like?"

Lin Mu blinked, then turned his gaze toward the distant horizon. "I haven't seen one myself," he admitted, "but I've studied enough to know what they are. Ice Drakes have bodies similar to True Dragons.

Four powerful limbs, scales that shimmer like ice crystals, and a draconic head with horns that grow backward like crescent blades. The only difference is that they do not have wings. If you saw one in motion, you might think they were dragons regardless."

Meng Bai frowned. "So they're like dragons... but grounded?"

Daoist Chu chuckled. "Not quite. You see, not all True Dragons have wings either. For example, the Azure Dragon, one of the Four Guardian Beasts, is a True Dragon without wings.

It swims through the air like a serpent through water. The Ice Drakes, on the other hand, are descendants of the Ice Dragons, who do have wings. So your master's description isn't wrong either."

Meng Bai tilted his head in confusion. "So they're dragons that aren't dragons, but also are kind of dragons?"

Elyon, who had been quietly observing the sky from behind them, sighed. "You're thinking too hard. Just assume they're really big lizards with great powers and a superiority complex."

Cattaleya laughed aloud. "That's actually not a bad summary, Elyon."

Lin Mu shot them both a faint look, though his lips twitched slightly. "The Ice Drakes have a strict hierarchy and deep pride. Treat them with respect. They do not tolerate insult lightly."

Meng Bai nodded earnestly, then remembered something. "Senior Cattaleya," he said, turning toward her. "You mentioned you once encountered a Thunder Drake before, right? What was that like?"

Cattaleya's grin spread immediately. "Ah, that was a big headache," she said. "Thunder Drakes are vicious. They're fast, temperamental, and they don't like anyone who enters their territory uninvited. I was just minding my own business, exploring a ruin, when one of them thought I was too noisy and woke it up. So it decided I was its afternoon entertainment."

Daoist Chu raised an eyebrow. "And let me guess, you decided to 'entertain' it. right back."

She snorted. "Please. That thing was as big as a small hill and had lightning coming out of its nose with every breath. I'm bold, not suicidal. It chased me across two continents. Two! I had to burn through all of my emergency teleportation talismans to survive."

Meng Bai's eyes widened. "It chased you that far? Was it really that strong? Couldn't you fight it off?"

Cattaleya gave a dramatic sigh. "If only I had my current cultivation back then. Unfortunately, at that time I was barely equal to the First Tribulation Stage of Immortal Realm. I might as well have been trying to slap a thunderstorm with a paper fan."

Monk Hushu raised his eyebrows, clearly not forgetting her earlier jab at him. "That sounds like quite the experience in humility."

Cattaleya shot him a mock glare. "Humility? I call it strategic retreat."

Lin Mu glanced back at her, smiling faintly. "How long ago was that, Cattaleya?"

She paused, tapping her chin. "Hmm... I think about three thousand years ago." Meng Bai nearly fell off Little Shrubby's back. "Three thousand years?!" he shouted. "You're that old?"

The sudden silence that followed was heavy. Daoist Chu slowly turned his head toward Meng Bai, eyes wide in mock warning. Elyon covered his mouth to hide a grin. Monk Hushu pretended to cough.

Cattaleya's smile froze, and she stared at Meng Bai with a look that could curdle milk. "Excuse me?"

Meng Bai immediately began waving his hands nervously. "I mean-you look great! Very young! Radiant even! You don't look a day over-uh-five hundred?" Daoist Chu covered his face with his plam as he muttered under his breath, "He's digging his grave."

Elyon leaned closer to the monk and whispered, "Should we start preparing incense for the funeral?"

Monk Hushu murmured, "Patience. Let us see if repentance can save him first."

Cattaleya leaned forward, her eyes narrowing playfully. "Five hundred, huh?"

Meng Bai swallowed hard. "Maybe... four hundred?"

She smirked. "Better. But next time, don't ask a lady her age unless you're prepared to be turned into a frost statue."

Meng Bai nodded vigorously. "Yes, ma'am. Lesson learned."