Chapter 192: Chapter 191: Breakthrough
After the incident at Ice and Snow Ridge involving Cold Heaven Cliff passed, Leader [Hunt] ordered everyone to bring the warriors’ bodies back to the tribe to be buried.
News spread quickly. Everyone learned that the Demon Race from Cold Heaven Cliff had slain warriors of the North Snow Tribe. The tribe was in an uproar, its people desperate to take up their bows, storm Cold Heaven Cliff, and shoot every last one of those feathered things into the abyss.
However, this fervor didn’t last long before the Leader quelled it. He knew the enmity between the Human and Demon Races was ancient; trying to suppress it was impossible.
’But does hatred justify a mindless quest for revenge?’
’What kind of place is Cold Heaven Cliff?’
It’s a vast cliff face. It’s already difficult enough for the warriors of the Human Race to climb it, let alone fight the flying members of the Demon Race who live there.
If any warriors were to truly venture there, they would meet a fate where not even their bones would remain.
Even though generations of Chosen Ones had historically led the North Snow Tribe to the brink of conquering Cold Heaven Cliff, they had never succeeded. Those Chosen Ones knew full well how treacherous the cliffs were and how bitterly the Bird Demon Clan would fight, so they had no choice but to shrink back in the face of the challenge.
The Bird Demon Clan had survived for so long only by relying on the terrain of Cold Heaven Cliff. If they hadn’t narrowly defeated the winged lizards tens of thousands of years ago, they would have been the ones sent to the Black Rock Pit.
For now, there was naturally no way to challenge the Demon Race of Cold Heaven Cliff. But the hatred would not be buried; it would take root and sprout, passed down from one generation to the next, until a future generation of young men would water it with the last of their fiery blood, take up their Cold Iron Spears, and charge up Cold Heaven Cliff!
Then there was the incident twelve years ago when our warriors were gravely injured by the West Ice Tribe. The conflicts with them over these past twelve years would not be forgotten. One day, there would be a reckoning...
And the hope for that reckoning rested on the shoulders of [Hill], that young Chosen One.
Soon after that day, Jiang Qiu was led by Leader [Hunt] to the Ice Layer Hot Spring at the heart of the tribe, where he began his Body Refining cultivation.
[Absorbing the essence of the Dragon Vein Water]
The Dragon Vein Water was just another name for the hot spring water. As for what a Dragon Vein was, no one was quite sure. Perhaps a complex and unique water system existed underground, and one of its branches had been unearthed to form this spring.
Given the dangers of hunting expeditions, both the Leader and the Elder Witch Priest agreed to let Jiang Qiu have exclusive use of a hot spring source for his cultivation.
The tribe also provided him with various rare and exotic fruits that the warriors collected on their journeys, all to support his cultivation.
Through day after day of cultivation, Jiang Qiu broke through the Copper Skin Realm. His [Ice Armor] Bloodline Talent also evolved to a new level, forming a suit of Ice Crystal Armor that covered nearly every gap and provided all-around protection.
He even broke through to the Iron Flesh Realm.
[Iron Flesh (Cold)]
[878.23/1000]
He was just a short way from his next breakthrough.
SWOOSH—
Jiang Qiu rose from the steaming hot spring, revealing a powerful, muscular physique. Droplets scattered and fell back into the water, sending out fresh ripples.
His dark eyes shone with a tenacious light. The muscles on his arms were honed to their peak, looking as hard as brass-colored steel at first glance.
He casually grabbed a dry towel from a rack to wipe himself down, changed into a set of black fleece clothes, and left the Ice Layer Hot Spring.
’Time to end this hot spring Body Refining.’ There were many reasons, but an important one was that since he’d started, the spring’s training effects had grown weaker and weaker.
The hot spring was like a small vent that steadily radiated energy. The energy seeped out in a constant stream, but it never gushed out all at once.
The North Snow Tribe, however, had mastered a method of extracting the spring’s essence. For years, they had been storing it, awaiting the arrival of a certain Chosen One—[Hill].
But because Jiang Qiu’s efficiency in absorbing these resources was so ridiculously high, the tribe had brought out vast quantities for him, and their most precious supply—the stored essence of the hot spring—was now completely gone.
’To keep monopolizing the spring would be unfair to the other North Snow Tribe warriors. After all, it’s not like I’m the only one who uses it; they all need resources for their own training.’
’But alas, since I’ve been here, the rate of improvement for the rest of the tribe has plummeted.’
Now that the tribe’s stored essence was depleted, the small trickle that seeped out naturally had little effect on Jiang Qiu. So, he decided to leave.
Of course, aside from that, there was a more crucial reason: the day the thick ice outside the Ancestral Ruins was due to melt was fast approaching. It was time to get out and prepare.
...
When he returned to his courtyard, he saw [Xiong] wiping his Cold Iron Spear. His temples were graying, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deeply etched, and his gaze was a little more clouded than usual.
"Uncle [Xiong], I’m back."
"Mm..."
[Xiong] looked up, a flicker of clarity in his eyes, like a glimpse of candlelight in the murky night.
"In three days, the North Sea Ice will melt, and the Ancestral Ruins will open. All the tribes of the Human Race will go to attend. I’ll get to meet the Chosen Ones from the other tribes."
Jiang Qiu spoke while studying [Xiong]’s increasingly weathered face.
’Three years isn’t that long, but it’s not short, either. Still, it shouldn’t have made him age this fast. Even his hunting ability is a far cry from what it once was.’
’He’s seen a healer. The Elder Witch Priest said the poison from that time the West Ice Tribe wounded him has seeped into his vital organs, causing his life to wither away.’
’The poison is a secret concoction of the West Ice Tribe, and there’s no antidote. Thankfully, losing an arm back then saved him from dying on the spot. It’s just that as he gets older, the effects of the poison are becoming more and more obvious.’
’At this rate, [Xiong] doesn’t have many years left.’
"The Ancestral Ruins... they say our ancestors left their legacy there, but to this day, no one has ever managed to obtain it in its entirety," [Xiong] said, recalling the many legends he’d heard in his life. "But even a small transformation from it is of immense benefit. For all the Chosen Ones throughout history, the Ancestral Ruins have always been a pivotal place."
"Most Chosen Ones who emerge from the Ancestral Ruins break through to a new Realm, and their Bloodline Talents ascend to a higher level."
"You could say this is the most important gathering of the Chosen Ones before the great Contest of the Chosen. I wish you success in obtaining a greater share of the ancestral legacy."
A profound sense of expectation shone through [Xiong]’s clouded eyes.
’My life is almost over. I never married, never broke through to the Iron Flesh Realm... It seems so unremarkable. Not many people will remember me after I die.’
’But this life has been enough.’
’I was able to hunt for the tribe for decades, and I brought back the Chosen One, [Hill]. That’s no small contribution to the North Snow Tribe. Most people have done less.’
’It’s a pity that starting three years ago, my right arm gradually lost its strength. I went hunting less and less often. Now, it’s thanks to [Hill] that I’m able to survive on the deer meat the Leader allocates to me.’
’I’m kind of holding [Hill] back.’
’The Contest of the Chosen is only four years away. I wonder if I’ll be able to hold on long enough to see [Hill] set off for Northern Boundary Mountain.’
’I really want to see what a Chosen One looks like at their absolute peak.’
’Then, the North Snow Tribe will finally rise...’
