Picking Up Attributes In Martial World

Chapter 199: Everfrost

Ye Jun already considered Song Liangxue one of the most beautiful women he had ever met, but moments like these, when she laughed with genuine joy, revealed a beauty that surpassed even her appearance.

He smiled, falling for her even more. Meihui joined him too, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched Song Liangxue. She wondered why she wasn’t feeling jealous at the moment.

As if sensing them staring, Song Liangxue stopped laughing and asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing. I’m just thanking my fate again for giving me partners like you two," Ye Jun replied, still keeping his smile.

"That was smooth," Meihui commented. "But you don’t have to worry. I’m not that jealous of a woman. She’s your wife just as much as I am, so it’s natural that you’ll compliment her."

Ye Jun narrowed his eyes at her. "I’m not taking such risks."

"Your choice."

Ye Jun ignored her and asked Song Liangxue, "Why that laugh?"

"I’m just amused by your perception of people," Song Liangxue smiled. "I know you two went through a lot, but you can relax in the North. Most people here are straightforward and honest. If they have a problem with you, they’ll come out and say it."

As if sensing their thoughts, she added, "That doesn’t mean they’re stupid. In fact, because of their nature, they can sense the ill intent of others. Schemes hardly work here, and that also builds deep loyalty."

She smiled. "And that’s why the Empire and other Great Clans are afraid of the North. They can’t defeat our united front, neither can they break us, and geography also helps us."

"And that’s why they needed an alliance with the North?" Ye Jun guessed.

"Yes, but my mother absolutely hated the atmosphere there and after some incident, she came back," Song Liangxue nodded. "That should tell you enough about our North."

"So, you mean we can do whatever we want?" Meihui asked in confusion.

"Certainly not. There are obviously consequences for your actions," Song Liangxue chuckled softly and said. "But they’ll like you better as honest people. Besides, playing with snow is nothing childish. We often did that too. It’s fun."

"No lie there." Ye Jun smiled.

Then, he shifted closer to the window and stuck his head out. Immediately, his face had to endure the full brunt of the freezing cold winds flowing rapidly around him. His hair, eyebrows, everything was affected by the snow.

’Tsk! It’s annoying.’

He clicked his tongue and used Yang Circulation, instantly warming up his body. His Yang Physique resisted the cold far better as Cold belonged to the Yin family.

Feeling much better, he smiled and stared ahead, and what he saw made his eyes widen in surprise.

’The Wall!’

Song Liangxue also stuck her head outside before him and began to explain things while he watched everything in awe.

The Frostward Dome rose around Everfrost City like a pale horizon of crystal light. From their distance, it looked almost invisible, revealing itself only when snow-laden winds struck its surface and spread across it in rippling waves of silver and blue.

Countless ancient runes drifted beneath the barrier like stars trapped within ice, their glow faint during the day and brighter beneath the darkness of winter nights, as Song Liangxue told him.

Though vast enough to cover the entire city and the surrounding fields, the dome stood silent and unmoving, a testament to the power of generations of cultivators.

Beyond the barrier, blizzards howled endlessly across the frozen wastelands, carrying shards of ice sharp enough to strip bark from ancient trees and freeze ordinary men within moments.

Yet inside the dome, the winds weakened to a gentle chill, allowing life to flourish amid the eternal cold of the North. Snow still fell upon Everfrost, but it drifted softly from the sky instead of arriving as a raging storm, making the barrier the city’s greatest shield and the foundation upon which the northern capital endured.

But even then, it wasn’t the barrier that took his breath away, it was the Great Frostwall of the North.

The Frostwall encircling Everfrost City stood hundreds of meters high, its surface carved from black stone veined with pale ice that never melted. Countless runes and reliefs covered the wall, depicting ancient battles, mythical beasts, and legendary cultivators of the North.

Massive watchtowers rose at regular intervals, their sharp spires piercing the sky like frozen spears. Layers of frost clung to every stone, causing the entire structure to glimmer faintly beneath pale sunlight and moonlight alike, while banners bearing the city’s crest fluttered from the battlements, adding rare splashes of color to the endless white of the northern snowfields.

"It’s so beautiful," Meihui mumbled, awestruck.

"I told you my North is beautiful," Song Liangxue smiled delightedly, obviously happy that her husband and sister were loving her hometown. "I’ll show you around later."

"I’m already looking forward to it," Ye Jun said, still staring at the Frostwall. "Who even made this?"

"My ancestors," Song Liangxue answered. "And don’t underestimate it. It’s the strongest defense of the North. Even Ruler Realm powerhouses would find it hard to destroy it. As long as the Frostwall stands, the North remains undefeated."

Soon, their Rhyshadiums increased their pace and they crossed the Frostward Dome easily. Unlike what Ye Jun expected, the dome was as ancient as the Frostwall and wasn’t meant to keep people away, so it didn’t stop anyone from marching inside.

The only thing it did was provide an environment for a civilization to prosper even in these frozen wastelands.

The Frostwall seemed to grow bigger and more imposing as they approached it rapidly.

The massive, imposing gates of the Frostwall finally began to groan as they ground outward, revealing one of the few heavily fortified choke points leading into Everfrost City.

Waiting just beyond the invisible boundary film of the dome stood a sprawling legion of the Northern Frostwall Brotherhood. These weren’t the standard, pampered guards Ye Jun had seen in the lesser cities of the Empire. Every single man was built like a block of iron, clad in dark, frost-veined steel plates that caught the dim sunlight.

The moment the dragon-emblazoned carriage crossed the threshold, the armored ranks snapped into flawless, mechanical motion.

Clang—!

The synchronized sound of weapons striking breastplates echoed like a localized thunderclap across the snowfields. In the next heartbeat, all hundreds of them dropped onto one knee on the packed, frozen earth, their heads bowed in absolute, uniform reverence.

"Greetings, Young Miss! Welcome home to Everfrost!" their collective voice thundered, vibrating through the stone foundations.

But before the echo could even fade, the lead commander lifted his jaw, his sharp gaze locking right onto Ye Jun.

"We welcome our Lord Son-in-law to the North!"

Ye Jun’s lips twitched slightly.

’Lord Son-in-law, huh? They didn’t call me a guest or a trailing waste from a local city. They directly integrated me into the hierarchy on day one. Noice.’

"See?" Song Liangxue chuckled softly, leaning back into the plush leather seating as the carriage passed smoothly between the kneeling ranks. "I told you they were straightforward, love. If they respect your capability, they don’t hide it behind politeness."

"I can see that," Ye Jun smiled casually and lightly, though his hand remained resting near his sword.

As the entourage moved beyond the thick, tunnel-like interior of the hundreds-of-meters-high Frostwall, the scenery burst open into a beautiful, breathtaking metropolis.

Everfrost City was a spectacular marvel carved entirely from the white marble hills and dark sandalwood of the northern peaks. Wide, polished stone streets were flanked by multi-tiered structures decorated with intricate frost-glyphs and roaring dragon reliefs.

Despite the eternal winter outside the dome, the streets were completely bustling with northmen going about their business. Men and women draped in heavy, fur-lined cloaks and vibrant blue tunics stopped what they were doing the moment the procession emerged.

The crowd parted like a receding wave, completely orderly, their faces instantly breaking into genuine, joyous smiles as they recognized the crest of the Song Clan.

"Young Miss Song has returned!"

"Look, the Young Miss brought her spouse!"

The northern hospitality was nothing short of aggressive. Street vendors, teahouse owners, and stall operators didn’t just shout greetings, they began rushing toward the elite clan guards riding along the edges of the entourage.

Packets of exotic winter dried fruits, bottles of premium amber ale, and beautifully wrapped boxes of local spirit pastries were thrust into the hands of the soldiers.

"For the Son-in-law! Let him taste our northern hospitality!" a burly shopkeeper laughed loudly, dumping a massive sack of roasted mountain nuts into a guard’s open saddlebag.

Ye Jun watched the gifts pile up with an amused grin.

’Back in Bright Star City, my own family wouldn’t even deliver my monthly allowance on time. Here, total strangers are throwing high-tier rations at me just for showing up. The contrast is straight-up broken.’

"They’re going out of their way for you," Meihui murmured, a small smile finally playing on her lips as she looked out the window. "You better not disappoint their Young Miss, or the entire city might come after your head."

"Relax, Young Master Rong," Ye Jun winked at her disguise. "I’m an anomaly who always delivers on his wagers."

The carriage slowly ascended the wide, central mountain paths, the bustle of the commercial markets fading into a majestic, serene quietness.

Looming ahead, nestled against the highest peak of Everfrost like a massive crown of ice and jade, stood the ancestral palace of the Song Clan.

Its white marble walls rose into towering spires that pierced the pale winter sky like frozen spears, ready to welcome the return of its princess and the arrival of the North’s newest variable.