Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 1502: The Dragon Specimen

Just as Zhang Yi lowered his head to read the ancient "Philosophy of the Mind" text, a figure abruptly appeared beside him.

"So, you're also interested in the ancient culture of Huaxu Nation?"

No one could suddenly appear next to Zhang Yi without him noticing. A Transcendent with space-time attributes was especially sensitive to any movement in their surroundings.

In fact, with his "Mental Domain," he could keep track of every minor disturbance within the entire museum.

This was also the very reason he hadn't directly taken the "Philosophy of the Mind" text.

Feigning surprise, Zhang Yi turned his head and saw a tall, lean clerk wearing a gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses standing beside him.

His hair was meticulously parted in a three-seven style. At that moment, he was studying the ancient text in the display case with utmost seriousness, adjusting his glasses with one hand while conversing with Zhang Yi.

This guy wasn't an ordinary human.

That thought flashed through Zhang Yi's mind immediately.

But as a battle-hardened and powerful Transcendent himself, Zhang Yi could pick out most Transcendents in a crowd at a single glance.

Two words—a feeling.

Those with extraordinary abilities carried a unique aura. Perhaps they themselves were unaware, but others could sense it through subtle differences.

What Transcendents struggled to hide was their inner arrogance, their belief that they stood above ordinary humans.

And the bloodlust forged through countless battles that they couldn't fully suppress.

Of course, there was one prerequisite: the other party hadn't deliberately masked their presence.

Someone like Zhang Yi, who constantly enjoyed disguising himself as a harmless, invisible man, was undoubtedly an expert in the art of concealment.

Without any change in his expression, Zhang Yi had already confirmed the identity of the person before him.

If it wasn't one of those puppets on standby at night or a yokai from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons that only moved after dark, then there was only one possibility left—a member of the Demon-Sealing Court that now ruled Edo City.

This was likely the first member of the Demon-Sealing Court Zhang Yi had ever encountered.

He remained composed. "Yeah! The ancient Eastern nation—their culture really is fascinating!"

The glasses-wearing man crossed his arms with an air of scholarly study and said flatly, "The ancient Huaxu Nation possessed a civilization leading the world hundreds, even thousands of years ago. Their culture has always been something for us to learn from."

"It's just a pity that in the last few hundred years, they've had nothing noteworthy to offer in the cultural realm. They can only wallow in the fantasies of the past!"

A cold sneer surfaced in Zhang Yi's heart, but he spoke with a smile on his lips. "Exactly! If we're talking about modern and contemporary culture, it's still our Neon that leads the world!"

The glasses-wearing man smiled and nodded slightly.

"But speaking of that, their old stuff is indeed interesting and has high research value."

"Keeping these items here in Neon helps preserve and promote them far better. Otherwise, most of the things in this exhibition hall would probably have been lost to time by now!"

When the glasses-wearing man said this, his face was filled with pride.

An imperceptible sneer lingered at the corner of Zhang Yi's lips.

*You're proud of plundered goods obtained through banditry?*

The glasses-wearing man turned around, still talking as he walked.

"These ancient texts are too profound, and they're all in traditional characters. You probably can't understand them anyway. If you want to learn about Chinese culture, you might need something more straightforward and easier to grasp!"

The man said this as he walked forward.

Zhang Yi glanced at the "Philosophy of the Mind" text still in the cabinet and, without hesitation, followed the man.

"Oh? Is that so? Sir, please do enlighten me!"

The glasses-wearing man strolled through the Chinese exhibition hall with his hands clasped behind his back, looking every bit like a researcher.

He stopped in front of a tall display platform and pointed at it.

"For an enthusiast like you, this is the simplest and most direct artifact to help you understand Chinese culture!"

Zhang Yi followed his finger and looked.

The moment he saw the artifact inside the display case, his pupils involuntarily contracted slightly.

Over the years, there were very few things that could still shock him.

But he was certain that no matter which citizen of Huaxu Nation laid eyes on this for the first time, they would have the same, if not an even stronger reaction.

Because inside that heavily guarded display case, encased in layers of protection, was a golden dragon!

It wasn't a sculpture or a craftwork—it was a lifelike specimen.

It wasn't large, only about the size of a palm. With Zhang Yi's eyesight, he could clearly see its appearance perfectly matching ancient legends.

Its entire body was golden, with a long, slender body bearing four claws and a horn on its head. Due to the immense age, the claws and head had become somewhat worn, but its dragon form was still very complete.

If he had seen this anywhere else, Zhang Yi would have absolutely doubted it, thinking it was just a crude craftwork.

But it was right here, in Edo City's Dalangdu National Museum.

And Zhang Yi remembered that he had once seen this very news report.

Now, seeing it with his own eyes, the shock was far more intense!

The glasses-wearing man seemed quite satisfied with Zhang Yi's reaction.

"So? Isn't it interesting? This is what Chinese legends call the 'Dragon.' In their culture, they consider it their ancestor."

"The people of Huaxu Nation claim their ancestors were dragons. Isn't that fascinating? Bipedal primates claiming reptiles as their forefathers."

Zhang Yi pointed at the little golden dragon and asked, "But shouldn't something like this be a legendary creature? I feel like this thing in front of me is just a model. It can't be real, right?"

The glasses-wearing man replied, "Nonsense! There are clear historical records of this. Back then, it was acquired from the land of Huaxu Nation at great expense!"

He shrugged.

"In the past, the existence of such mythical creatures seemed inconceivable, but in today's world, all sorts of bizarre things have appeared!"

His voice suddenly dropped, and he adjusted his glasses, turning to look into the distance.

"Just like the gods of mythology, the demons and monsters of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, or the strange creatures in the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas.'"

"In certain special eras, their existence doesn't seem so abnormal anymore."

Zhang Yi said flatly, "Like, for instance, now?"

"Exactly!"

The glasses-wearing man nodded.

Zhang Yi took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on that tiny, palm-sized golden dragon.

In his mind, the creature he had seen beneath the abyss of the Qinling Mountains surfaced.

That white creature, almost dragon-like in form, capable of transforming into a human—the one officially known as Bai Longzi.

——

Note: Regarding the naming of Bai Longzi. Different races have different languages. Humans named him "Bai Longzi," while the races beneath the Qinling abyss had another name, translated as "White Dragon Child." For convenience and understanding, they are unified here as "Bai Longzi." The same applies to other beings that appear later.