"Teacher Lesya, I've noticed that Water Dance is quite different from the usual fighting style of the Scythians. How did your ancestors come up with such a cultivation method?"
Like Daenerys, Vada and her female warriors were also very interested in Water Dance, so they successively joined the practice of Water Dance. Perhaps due to her First Men bloodline, Vada's cultivation efficiency was very high, and she had made great progress in just one week, significantly increasing her combat power.
During her cultivation, she also sensed some unusual aspects of Water Dance. Not only did she feel her body becoming lighter and more agile with more practice, but her long-sought ability to warg also had a new breakthrough. She actually succeeded in warging into her pet falcon yesterday.
Currently, all the Scythians have been settled by Daenerys on Hogland Island. Now, they not only have enough food and clothing but also sufficient time and equipment to continue honing their martial skills.
Therefore, Lesya, no longer needing to travel for her people's livelihood, devoted herself wholeheartedly to teaching at the Sanctuary.
"Legend has it that when our Scythian ancestors wandered to the Thorne River basin, they received a giant turtle's blessing and learned the cultivation method of Water Dance. Later, when we drifted to Braavos, we brought it there."
"A giant turtle? Could it be the legendary Old Man of the River?"
Vada's interest was immediately piqued upon hearing this. Ever since following Daenerys, she had become increasingly convinced and interested in matters of mysterious power.
The Old Man of the River is the eldest son of the Mother River Lorne River, the chief deity in the mythology of the Loiina people in western Essos, and also the most important secondary deity under him. He appears in the form of a giant divine turtle, and by defeating the "Crab King" who ruled the underwater world, he became the guardian and ruler of river and aquatic creatures in Loiina civilization.
In the mythical era, the Mother River Lorne, as the core chief deity of the mythological system, symbolized the source of life, fertility, and the eternal flow of rivers. Her offspring were mostly related to natural elements, and the Old Man of the River was one of her most powerful aquatic guardians.
Legend has it that for a period, the underwater world was occupied and ruled by a brutal "Crab King," whose power seriously threatened the balance of the Mother River Lorne River. The Old Man of the River, commanded by Lorne, engaged in a fierce battle with the Crab King and ultimately triumphed, thereby establishing his rule over aquatic creatures.
In legends, the Old Man of the River's body is as vast as an island, and his carapace is covered with ancient runes, carrying the wisdom and memories of the river. His four limbs can stir up giant waves, his snake-like long tail can churn the riverbed, and his eyes can perceive all movements underwater.
He can not only control tides, purify water sources, and protect fishermen and ships, but also summon and command aquatic creatures to fight.
According to the Loiina legend, the Crab King once ruled the underwater world with iron pincers and hard shells, oppressing aquatic creatures and polluting the river. The Old Man of the River battled him for several days, finally using his turtle shell to resist the Crab King's attacks and piercing the Crab King's heart with the "Spear of the River Heart" granted by Lorne, sealing him in the abyss. After this battle, the Old Man of the River became the new lord of the underwater kingdom, restoring order to the Mother River Lorne.
To this day, the worship of the giant turtle is still prevalent in the Rhoyne region. Fishermen and boatmen often offer sacrifices to the Old Man of the River, praying for safe voyages and abundant harvests.
In the murals and carvings of the remaining Loiina ruins, scenes of giant turtles bearing ancient runes and treading upon the Crab King often appear. Some Loiina tribes that survived in the Rhoyne region still hold "Turtle Shell Sacrifices" during the flood season, hoping to ward off evil and disaster and gain the protection of the Old Man of the River.
"The Old Man of the River? That's just a legendary existence. If he truly existed, why would he sit by and watch the entire Loiina civilization be destroyed by the Valyrian Dragons?"
Although Lesya and her Scythians believed in the Sun Maiden, she herself wasn't particularly fond of those deities.
"I estimate that those ancestors deliberately fabricated stories to make Water Dance seem mysterious! Instead of expecting the ethereal blessings of gods, it's more reliable to rely on one's own strength! The Scythians have endured countless hardships to preserve their tribe to this day, relying entirely on the sharp swords in our hands."
Vada shook her head in disagreement after listening.
"I used to think similarly to you, but ever since I followed Her Royal Highness, I've increasingly believed that extraordinary powers exist in this world."
"Many things are hard to truly believe until you see them with your own eyes. However, as long as you follow Her Royal Highness, I believe you will gradually witness Her Highness's miraculous methods, which are absolutely a divine blessing!"
At this time, Daenerys was also practicing Water Dance under the Weirwood in the Dragon Den behind the Sanctuary. Through the Weirwood's magical perspective, Daenerys could learn the combat techniques of many excellent Faceless Men throughout history. Therefore, her Water Dance was already quite excellent.
However, Daenerys then realized that while the Faceless Men's combat techniques and Water Dance were similar in form, they had fundamental differences. The water-attribute magic invoked by Water Dance was light and agile, while that of the Faceless Men was more inclined towards Feminine and weird.
The Weirwood in the Dragon Den constantly absorbed the cold energy from underground and converted it into rich, non-attributed magic that permeated the area near the Godswood. Therefore, when Daenerys practiced Water Dance there, she could feel this magic rapidly flowing into her body.
The Children of the Forest Watcher brought over a dozen Weirwood saplings from the North, all of which have successfully taken root in the Sanctuary's Godswood. Moreover, the dense magic around the Dragon Den made them grow well.
In addition, the Watcher also brought back many quality tree species such as oak, ironwood, widow's purple sandalwood, and pine, cypress, and birch.
ironwood is a tree unique to the North in Westeros, primarily found in the Wolfswood of the North and the Ghost Shadow Forest Beyond the Wall.
ironwood is hard, dark in color, and one of the hardest woods in the world, often used as a substitute for metal. The gates of the crypts beneath Winterfell are made of ironwood.
However, ironwood grows slowly, generally taking over a hundred years to mature. Therefore, it is extremely precious and is the most important timber resource for several families near Bear Island and the Wolfswood.
Widow's purple sandalwood primarily grows in the Wolf Den and the Brightmoon Mountains. This sandalwood produces a bright purple fruit that is highly poisonous. If ingested, it can cause bleeding from the seven orifices, difficulty breathing, and skin rupture, leading to death. (It's a bit like the death of Joffrey, who loved his people in the Purple Wedding!)
With the magic converted by the Weirwood and the Dragon dung fertilizer prepared by Daniella, the barren land of the Sanctuary's Godswood has undergone significant changes.
Even the Little Valyrian Luca Ao likes the current environment here. Nearly two months old, the little monkey Luca has been weaned and grown to over a foot long. He usually loves to cling to Daenerys.
The Dragon is very intelligent, and perhaps due to the warg connection established with Daenerys, he can fully understand ordinary human conversations and is obedient to Daenerys's commands.
Vada and the others brought him different foods every day, but he didn't favor them. Only when Daenerys wasn't around would he cling to Vada to take him for a stroll.
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