Above the mage!

Chapter 288: Practice of the Method

"Where are the exact locations of the seven ice caves that produce ice evil?" Gao De asked again.

The Ice Evil in the Snowfield Guardian's inventory is only high enough to strengthen the Frozen Blade to the first level.

To go further, we can only wait for new output from the ice cave.

Hearing Goder's question, Loichi quickly took out a thick scroll from his arms and handed it over. It was obvious that he had prepared it long ago.

"This is the map found in Archbishop Rune's room."

Gao De took the scroll, unfolded it, and found that it was actually an extremely detailed large map.

This map not only covers almost all of the western region of the North, but also has various detailed and dense markings on it.

It includes which places have what kind of minerals, what kind of magic plants, what kind of underground creatures gather, some dangerous places are marked with skulls, and even the detailed locations of three underground veins are marked.

Additionally, there are seven symbols on the map marked in blue that resemble caves.

These are the locations of the seven ice caves controlled by the Snowfield Guardians. The depth of color indicates the level of the ice cave. The darker the color, the higher the level.

The map provided by the Snowfield Guardian should be the only one in the North in terms of its level of detail.

Most of the credit goes to the guardians who roam the snowfields all year round.

Their tireless exploration and recording, coupled with the long history of the Snowfield Guardians, have resulted in such a map.

"Are these two gold mines?" Gao De took a few glances and saw two patterns of golden ores among the many mineral marks on the map, and couldn't help asking.

"Yes," Loych nodded, "but these two places are alluvial gold mines, which are gold particles brought by the melting snow during the snowmelt season on the snowfield."

The gold particles in alluvial gold deposits usually come from primary gold deposits upstream.

These primary gold mines are located in rocks. After weathering, erosion and water transport, the gold particles are carried to the river to form alluvial gold mines.

If rich alluvial gold deposits are discovered, then theoretically, by tracing upstream, there is a high probability that native gold deposits will be found.

"Didn't you trace back to find the original gold mine?" Gao De asked again.

"No." He shook his head.

"First, the sect's teachings are to protect the snowfields. Our main concern is to protect the safety and balance of this land;"

"Second, gold mines don't actually have much use on the snowfield."

"Third, gold mining is a job that requires a lot of manpower and material resources, not to mention in an extreme environment like the snowfield. It is not something our sect can afford." Loychi explained honestly.

Upon hearing this, Gao De nodded slightly and understood it.

There is no traditional currency in the North, so the gold mines are of little significance.

Here, what is truly valuable are the resources that can sustain survival and fighting, not gold and silver treasures.

But Gaode still kept a secret in mind.

If the Zhenbing tribe wants to grow stronger, it will have to introduce the concept of currency sooner or later.

Money is the basis of economic activity.

Without currency, there would be no prosperous trade system. Although barter is feasible on a small scale, it is too primitive and inefficient. Once the scale of trade becomes larger, it will be full of flaws.

If there is a gold mine, then you can try to mint coins. Gao De thought to himself.

Judging from the map that Loichi took out, in addition to these two alluvial gold mines, there are also silver mines and copper mines on the snowfield.

Although the number is small, only a few in twos and threes, Gao De knows that these marked mineral information are definitely just the tip of the iceberg of the mineral resources in the North.

Because the main responsibility of the Snowfield Guardian is to protect the snowfield, these discovered minerals are all open-pit veins that are exposed and can be seen at a glance.

Obviously, the exposed mineral veins are only a minority, and most of the mineral veins are still hidden beneath the surface.

However, these things happened a long time ago, so Gaode just thought about it for a while and then skipped it.

"Are these the branches established by the Snowfield Guardians in the north?" Goder confirmed as he ran his finger across the building marks on the map.

These markings are widely distributed, almost across the western part of the North.

"Yes, sir," Loychi said, "There are thirteen branches in our sect in the North. They are all used to take in orphans who have lost the protection of the tribe. They are also the places to train the next generation of members of the sect."

Gao De nodded slightly. At least in this respect, the Snowfield Guardians were indeed "protecting the snowfield". Each of these thirteen branches represented hope and shelter.

"My king, how are you going to deal with these branches?" Sunaifa, who had been silent for a long time, asked.

"Let's keep it for now. Phoenix won't be able to accommodate so many people if the food problem isn't solved." Gode didn't act impulsively and he could see Sunaifa's worry.

Taking over these branches hastily would bring a huge burden to Phoenix at the moment, so it would be more appropriate to let them continue to operate in the original way.

"What is this place?" Gao De suddenly noticed that there was a mark on the map that looked like a very unique building.

Unlike other building signs which are white, this building sign is red, which makes it particularly eye-catching. Moreover, it is not located in the western area, but in the central area of ​​the north which is considered a forbidden area and is almost uninhabited.

"That was where our sect's temple used to be," Roych said bitterly. "After the Iceborn bloodline began to weaken, the extreme environment in the central region was no longer something we could adapt to, so the sect moved the temple from the central region to here."

"It is said that not all things were taken out during the migration, and many ancient heritages are still hidden in the ancient temple." Loichi continued.

Gao De's heart moved.

Although Leitch used the word "supposedly", it is most likely true.

The reason is very simple. The highest level in the Icefield Temple is only the fourth-level spell formula. As an ancient sect, the Snowfield Guardians must have produced many mages above the fourth level a long time ago.

The existence of these high-level mages means that they once mastered more powerful spells and knowledge.

As for those high-level spell formulas, since they are not in the Icefield Temple, they are most likely left in the Ancient Temple.

However, exploring this ancient temple was not something he could do now and could only be done later.

There is no rush anyway. Even if I find those high-level spell formulas and knowledge now, I won’t be able to use them.

After putting away the large map, Gaode's eyes began to wander around the treasure house again.

In addition to the many magical materials, he noticed that there was a platform in the center of the treasure house, on which stood an irregular piece of ice the size of two fists.

The ice cube emitted a faint blue light, and its extreme coldness could be sensed even from such a long distance.

True ice!

Without hesitation, Godard stepped forward and, in front of Loichi's slightly shocked gaze, he picked up the piece of ice without changing his expression, "I'll take it back to Phoenix."

In the entire Zhenbing tribe, Gaode and Sunaifa are probably the only ones who can directly touch this piece of Zhenbing.

Therefore, Gaode took on this moving task.

After counting, sorting and packing all the supplies and books in the Icefield Temple, the main force of the Zhenbing Tribe prepared to return to Phoenix.

"My king, how should we deal with these people?" Elder Kahn, who came with them, asked Gode for his opinion.

He was referring to the surrendered Icefield Temple mages, as well as those who followed Ryan to practice forbidden necromancy and were captured by the Icefield Temple mages. There were a total of more than a dozen people. At this moment, these people were being guarded, kneeling on the cold ground, with fear, unwillingness and a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Gao De glanced at these necromancers with a cold look.

He walked up to the necromancers with an expressionless face, and with a clang, he drew out [North Wind], with a flash of cold light.

A head has fallen to the ground.

Every time the sword was swung, there was an accompanying dull "bang", followed by a head falling to the ground, blood splattering everywhere, staining the cold snowy surface red.

A moment later, all the necromancers were beheaded.

Origin: Second Ring - Human (7/7).

Three Rings - Human (4/7)

In an instant, the origin of a second ring was filled.

"As for the others..." Gode shifted his gaze from the corpses of the necromancers to the faces of the mages of the Icefield Temple.

At this moment, these people's faces were filled with complex emotions because they had just witnessed Gao De's beheading process.

"Since you have chosen to surrender, you should return to Phoenix with us. From now on, you are no longer the mages of the Snowfield Guardian. I will give you a chance. If you can prove your worth and loyalty, you can become a member of the True Ice Tribe."

It took a total of eight days to travel from Phoenix to the Icefield Temple, but the journey back to Phoenix from the Icefield Temple was much slower, taking a full eleven days.

It took more than half a month to go back and forth.

When the large army of Zhenbing returned with a full load, their return was like a storm, which quickly created huge waves in Phoenix.

The news of the Snowfield Guardian's demise was soon noticed by interested people in Phoenix.

In fact, there is no need to pay special attention to it.

Because Gaode had Ryan and the ice sculpture formed by the zombie monster he summoned brought back, and took the initiative to spread the news that Ryan practiced forbidden necromancy and slaughtered the tribes in the northern border, directly putting the Zhenbing tribe on the side of eliminating harm in the snowfield and maintaining justice.

The huge ice sculpture was the evidence, and God placed it directly on the square where the Ice Sword Challenge was held previously.

Anyone who sees the zombie monster will no longer doubt the truth of the news.

However, due to the conditions in the North, it will take some time for this news to spread and ferment until it finally causes a response among the entire Northern tribe.

By putting the greater cause out in the open, it can be ensured that other tribes will not be insecure and think that the Zhenbing tribe is warlike.

Sunaifa's residence.

"My king, what do you want to talk to me about?" Sunaifa welcomed Gao De in and made him a cup of ice jade sycamore leaf water.

Gaode smiled slightly, took out a book and handed it to Sunaifa.

The latter took a look and found that the book was written in a common language that he did not recognize, so he quickly used his ability to understand the language.

Then, Sunaifa softly read out the five big words on the book:
"The Green Wood Sutra of Longevity".

"What is this?" Sunaifa was even more confused.

"This is my practice method, a practice that requires choosing a specific plant as a sacred object, forming a covenant with it, and then using the plant to increase one's lifespan. In addition, it can also speed up the practice by absorbing the essence of plants." Gao De briefly introduced the "Qingmu Changsheng Sutra".

"It's a very powerful practice." Sunaifa pondered for a moment and gave a fair evaluation.

Although the Northern Territory Mage's inherited knowledge is relatively poor, she still has basic judgment on the methods of cultivation.

A practice method that can increase lifespan and speed of practice can naturally be described as powerful.

"That's true, but it has great limitations. The lifespan increased by the holy object will disappear completely after the holy object dies, and the conversion rate of increased lifespan is also very low, so we must find high-level magic plants that have a large lifespan base." Gao De pointed out the limitations of the "Qingmu Changsheng Sutra".

"My king, how come you, who practices this kind of spiritual practice, came to the northern border?" Sunaifa was puzzled when he heard this.

There are fewer plants and trees in the north than snow wolves.

No matter how you look at it, this isn't a suitable place for Gaode.

"Because Lady Flora has a high-level magic plant seed that can germinate and grow regardless of the environment. I need to find a place to plant it and make a pact with it, and use it as a sacred object."

"But this seed." Gode told Sunaifah all about the magic of Yugathira and his considerations for choosing the North.

At this point, he already trusted Sunaifa enough.

"I see." Sunaifa's eyes flickered, and he was amazed at Yugathiro's ability.

"Yugatshira is the seed of life of Lady Flora!" Feeling the amazement of Sunaifa, Flora felt proud and couldn't help but emphasize it.

"So, I need you to help me choose a suitable place to plant trees." Gao De smiled slightly and then stated his purpose.

Although he still has many things to do in his mind, planting trees is definitely the top priority.

In the extraordinary world, the foundation of everything is one's own extraordinary power.

The sooner he plants the Yugathira, the faster his strength will increase, so Gaode is not going to delay the tree planting any longer.

"It would be best if it was an ideal port location on the northern coastline." He took out the map from the Snowfield Guardian and spread it out on the table.

Gao De had already thought about the direction of choosing the tree planting area. Even though he has become the king of the Zhenbing tribe, his thinking has not changed and has even become more determined.

If the Zhenbing Tribe wants to grow stronger, it must break the inherent isolation of the North, establish contact with the outside world, and conduct necessary transactions and exchanges.

History has proven that closing a country to the outside world will only lead to backwardness.

The Iverraya Mountains are an insurmountable natural barrier that isolates the northern border from the outside world.

Therefore, the only way for the North to contact the outside world is by sea.

A port must be built for the people of the North. First build the port, then build ships, and make it a bridge connecting the North with the outside world.

"Ideal port location" Sunaifa's eyes flickered, and his white fingers slowly slid across the map. Without thinking too much, he said, "My king, there is indeed a place that perfectly meets your requirements."

"It's here." She pointed her finger at a point on the map.

It was a bay located in the middle of the northern coastline. Its outline was somewhat like a huge arm, extending inland from the coastline, with towering valleys on both sides.

"The geographical location of this bay is extremely advantageous, and the straight-line distance from Phoenix is ​​not particularly far, which makes it more convenient for us to help you take care of the sacred tree." This is what Sunaifa values ​​most.

She already understood the importance of Yugatshila to God, and the Zhenbing tribe must send forces to take care of her.

In addition, Gode noticed that there were large tracts of flat land on both sides of the bay and at the terminal, which were enough to support his grand idea of ​​afforestation.

"Okay," Gao De nodded slightly, very satisfied with the place recommended by Sunaifa, "I still need to go and see it in person before I can make a decision."

He paused, and suddenly said, "However, I came to see you today, not only because I need you to recommend a tree planting site for me, but also because there is something else that concerns you."

"My king, please speak." Although Sunaifa's voice was still cold, it was very gentle.

"I want you to practice the Qingmu Changsheng Sutra as well."

(End of this chapter)