Evolving by devouring from a young dragon

The snowstorm from the North gradually receded into the distance behind us.

Alduin flew north, his dragon wings tearing through the gray clouds, and the land below transformed from frozen hills into an endless ice field.

The temperature plummeted at that moment, and the moisture in the air condensed into ice crystals, which struck Alduin's metal scales with a clicking sound.

The perpetual ice plains are even colder than when we first entered the North, which means that the ice magic here is even more abundant and concentrated.

Auduin looked ahead.

On the horizon, a silvery-white band of light appeared and disappeared against the gray-white sky.

That was the boundary of the permafrost, and also the dividing line of magic.

Once you cross that line, the fire element in the air will become drastically thinner, and the power of ice magic will be greatly enhanced.

This is not good news for Auduin.

He folded his dragon wings, lowered his altitude, and observed his surroundings.

The information stolen from the Lion King's memories told him that the Ice Marrow Wolf Clan was based on the ice plains, and their territory, centered on a ten-thousand-year-old glacier, covered a radius of thousands of miles, which was their hunting ground.

Any intruder will be detected immediately.

Leon left the Ancient Rock Altar half a month ago. If he had gone straight to the Permafrost Plains, he should have arrived by now.

Alduin wanted to know whether he had already clashed with the Ice Marrow Wolf Clan or was waiting for an opportunity.

He landed on an ice hill, his dragon claws digging into the hard ice, his vertical pupils scanning his surroundings.

Despite limited visibility in the snowstorm, his sound perception remained unaffected.

Within a radius of a hundred miles, apart from the faint movements of a few scattered magical beasts, there was no other trace, and everything seemed unusually calm.

But a strange feeling arose in Auduin's heart.

This is the territory of the Ice Marrow Wolves. As the overlords of the ice plains, they have always had a strong sense of territory. Whenever an outsider sets foot within a thousand miles, there will be a pack of wolves patrolling and on guard.

But now, not even a trace of an Ice Marrow Wolf can be found, which is very abnormal.

Auduin was somewhat uneasy, but he did not stop. He remained vigilant throughout, concealing his aura and hiding his figure in the shadows as he continued to move forward.

Leon infiltrates the wolf clan's territory in an attempt to steal the Crystal Emblem, but his success rate is extremely low.

The Ice Marrow Wolf Clan's Wolf King is a legendary figure, and he has several epic-level Ice Wolves under his command. Although Leon is at the peak of the epic level, he cannot possibly break through alone.

If we try to negotiate... but the Crystal Emblem is a sacred relic passed down through the Wolf Clan, how could it possibly be lent out?

Unless Leon possesses enough leverage to entice the Wolf King.

But their lion clan had long since declined, and apart from a dilapidated royal city, what else could they possibly have to offer?

Auduin pondered to himself that although he couldn't figure out what Leon was planning to do, he had a vague feeling that the abnormality of the ice field must be related to him.

……

Deep in the ice field, there are ancient glaciers.

Leon stood in a crevasse at the foot of the glacier, his gray-white mane covered with ice shards.

His breathing was very light, and the fluctuations of magic within his body were suppressed to the lowest level, almost blending into the surrounding ice and snow.

He had been lying in wait on the outskirts of the glacier for two whole days.

The Crystal Emblem is located in the Wolf Clan's Sanctuary deep within the glacier.

He stood quietly in the ice crevice, feeling the power belonging to the Crystal Rock Emblem.

Unlike the steadfast and weighty Rock Emblem and the explosive and collapsing Rock Emblem, this aura is cold and solid, like an ancient, unmelting block of ice.

But he couldn't get in.

The Ice Marrow Wolf Clan's patrols change shifts every two hours, which seems routine, but the Wolf King's senses cover the entire glacier, and he will detect any unauthorized magical fluctuations immediately.

Leon leaned against the ice wall, closed his eyes, and the words the Lion King had spoken to him before his departure echoed in his mind:

"The Crystal Rock Emblem cannot be obtained by brute force. The Wolf King of the Ice Marrow Wolf Clan is no weaker than I was at my peak. Your only hope is to outsmart him."

But at this moment, after truly feeling the wolf king's oppressive aura, he just wanted to curse in his heart: in the face of an absolute power gap, so-called clever tactics were utterly useless.

But he had no way out.

The Lion King couldn't hold on much longer, nor could the cubs in his tribe, who were born with the petrification curse, wait any longer. Add to that a black dragon that might come seeking revenge at any moment, and he had no room for hesitation; he had to make a decision.

Leon opened his eyes and took out the Rock Emblem from his pocket.

An orange-yellow light shone through the ice cracks, warm and soft, completely out of place with the surrounding cold.

He stared at the emblem, remaining silent for a long time.

He then walked out of the crevasse and headed towards the entrance on the front of the glacier.

……

Alduin's sonic perception suddenly detected the unusual movement.

Images of a pack of blue lights appeared in my mind—a pack of wolves. In the center of the pack, a bright yellow light stood out, completely out of place with the icy atmosphere.

It's Leon.

Without further hesitation, he sank into the shadows of the wind and snow and sped forward.

Auduin stopped and stared at Leon's retreating figure.

Two ice wolves, each the size of a mammoth, guard the entrance, their bodies covered in silvery-white manes.

They sensed the intruders and let out a low, threatening growl.

Leon stopped thirty meters away from them, spreading his hands out, palms up.

"I want to see the Wolf King." His voice was loud and respectful. "I am Leon, Prince of the Lion Kingdom, and I have important matters to discuss."

The two ice wolves exchanged a glance. One of them turned and ran into the glacier, while the other, with its body hunched over, continued to watch Leon warily.

A moment later, heavy footsteps echoed from inside the glacier.

A giant, silver-white wolf emerged from the depths of the glacier.

Its size was several times larger than the two guards, with a shoulder height of over three meters and a body length of nearly ten meters. Its mane stood up like ice spikes, each hair gleaming with a cold light.

What's most striking are those ice-blue eyes, like two stars, deep and sharp.

This is the Ice Marrow Wolf King.

A legendary powerhouse in his prime.

It didn't deliberately release any pressure, but just by standing there, the surrounding air became stagnant, the wind and snow automatically gave way in front of it, and the cracks in the ice under its feet slowly closed silently.

Leon's body stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, bowed slightly, and said respectfully:

"Your Excellency Wolf King, I, Leon of the Lion Clan, have come here with the intention of making a deal with the Wolf Clan."

The wolf king did not answer, but simply looked at Leon quietly, his blue eyes like a mirror, reflecting Leon's image.

After a few seconds of silence, the wolf king finally spoke.

"explain."

Leon took a deep breath and took out the Rock Emblem from his pocket, its orange-yellow light shining on the icy plain.

"This is the Rock Emblem, one of the four emblems of the desolate cliffs." He held up the emblem, looking sincerely at the wolf king.

"Deep in the south, an ancient seal is loosening, suppressing a Void Ancient Dragon beneath it. Once the seal breaks, the entire northern region will become a hell. The Lion Clan is no longer able to suppress it alone; I need to gather the four emblems to reinforce the seal."

He paused, his tone becoming even more earnest:

"I don't want to take away the Crystal Rock Emblem. I just hope that the Wolf King can activate it with me and use its power to strengthen the seal. After it's done, the Crystal Rock Emblem will be returned to you intact, and the Lion Clan will owe the Wolf Clan a favor."

The wolf king's gaze fell on the rock emblem, then shifted to Leon's eyes.

You're lying.