Chapter 196: Chapter 195: North Sea Palace
’Blonde hair and blue eyes... Those features seem to belong to that guy from the Western Church.’
Jiang Qiu gazed from afar at the people from the West Ice Tribe. His eyes immediately fell upon the young man in the very center of their ranks. With such distinct features, he stood out from the crowd.
He was undoubtedly a Chosen One, possessing an air that didn’t blend with the locals of the Northern Boundary. Moreover, a deep-seated, lofty arrogance radiated from his very bones. Ordinary members of the West Ice Tribe didn’t have that quality, not even the Leader who was preparing to draw his bow.
’But if it’s that guy from the Western Church, he’ll be difficult to deal with.’
’His face wasn’t that familiar, quite different from the person in my memory, but I’ve never forgotten the icy look on his face the first time we met.’
’Back then, Tang Guang even reminded me to be wary of him.’
’Speaking of which, what tribe is Tang Guang in now?’
Jiang Qiu blinked, shaking the thoughts from his head. ’I’ll put that aside for now. It’s good that a fight hasn’t broken out. I’ll see all the Chosen Ones of the Human Race once we enter the Ancestral Ruins. Besides, everyone will gather for the final contest anyway.’
Seeing that the West Ice Tribe wasn’t attacking, Leader [Hunt] paused for a moment before lowering his Great Bow. Once their party had disappeared from sight, he called for everyone to press on.
After several more days of travel, stopping and starting, they finally reached the shores of the North Sea.
It was less a sea and more a colossal sheet of ice with no visible horizon. It seemed to connect the boundaries of heaven and earth, splitting them perfectly in two.
The North Sea was boundless, the ice sheet extending into the unseen distance. The falling snow seemed to hit an invisible barrier, not a single flake drifting down onto the ice.
The shore was buried deep in snow, forming a sheer white cliff along the North Sea’s coastline. Within it, a dozen or so Settlements of houses built from wood and Stone were half-submerged in the drifts, and several hundred burly Warriors warmed themselves by fires.
They, too, heard the thundering of hooves. Looking into the distance, they saw it was the North Snow Tribe. The leader of a smaller tribe to the side hurried over to welcome them.
Soon, the North Snow Tribe joined one of the groups and began clearing snow to settle in. The largest few wooden houses had been reserved for them.
Not far away, another cluster of wooden houses had been built by the West Ice Tribe. Their Warriors, warming themselves by the fire, grunted as they sized up the newcomers, their hostility palpable. The tribes allied with them also snorted in disdain.
Jiang Qiu’s gaze swept over them and suddenly paused. He saw a plainly dressed young man from one of the tribes looking back at him. Their eyes met, and for a moment, it was as if they had crossed time and space, back to sixteen years prior.
’Tang Guang?’
Stunned for a moment, Jiang Qiu raised an eyebrow.
’The pride of a genius in his eyes couldn’t be faked. His gaze, sharp as a sword—it was no exaggeration. It had to be him, Tang Guang, once the greatest genius of Jiangnan.’
’And yet, something seemed different. He had kept an incredibly low profile since arriving in the Northern Boundary, having done nothing of note.’
’It was common knowledge that the five powerful Demon Race Tribes each had their own Celestial Chosen Demon. It was also clear that each of the four Main Vein Tribes of the Human Race happened to have a Chosen One.’
’But compared to [Gold] of the West Ice Tribe and [Wall] of the South Mountain Tribe, [Fan] of the East Shore Tribe was utterly unremarkable. He couldn’t control ice and snow, nor did he possess a supremely powerful physique. His name, [Fan], was all too fitting.’
’Back then, I would have sooner believed that [Wall] of the South Mountain Tribe was Tang Guang. I never would have guessed it was [Fan] of the East Shore Tribe.’
’Could it be he hasn’t awakened a Bloodline Talent?’
’The East Shore Tribe, despite being one of the Main Vein Tribes, has declined to a shadow of its former self. Now they are subservient to the West Ice Tribe. It seems that even with a Chosen One like Tang Guang, it will be difficult for them to rise again.’
Jiang Qiu sighed. As if by a silent understanding, he and Tang Guang both looked away.
’Though we are all competitors, there’s still a bond between those from the same homeland before the Contest of the Chosen truly begins. Besides, in his current state, it’s highly unlikely [Fan] could claim the final victory.’
’Rumor has it that due to a lack of resources, the East Shore Tribe’s Chosen One only recently broke through to the Iron Flesh Realm. He’s a step behind even [Wall] of the South Mountain Tribe.’
...
The four Main Vein Tribes of the Human Race and various smaller tribes gradually gathered at the North Sea. The four Chosen Ones of the Human Race and some of the prodigies from the smaller tribes had all arrived. There were thirty-two people in total, all in the Iron Flesh Realm, some of them already over thirty years old.
Everyone coexisted peacefully for several days.
「Until one day.」
HUMMM—
Suddenly, a sharp, cracking sound, like shattering glass, spread across the North Sea’s ice. The crowd of Warriors around the bonfires leaped to their feet reflexively, their hands gripping their favored weapons.
Everyone looked over to see the ice, dozens of meters thick, suddenly split open in a massive fissure. It was as if an abyssal maw were opening. Gradually, a dark shadow emerged from beneath the ice.
BOOM—
Massive sheets of ice were shoved aside, revealing a grand staircase hidden within the seawater, leading down into the darkest depths.
It was accompanied by an ethereal voice that seemed to echo from antiquity: "The seal on the North Sea Palace has been undone. My legacy shall be left to the prodigy of the Human Race with the purest bloodline..."
In an instant, Jiang Qiu’s pupils shrank. His blood felt like it was boiling, drawn by some unseen force, like a young child hearing the powerful call of his ancestors.
Moreover, the faint, ancient aura of Spirit Charm seemed to emanate from the deep sea where the staircase led...
He turned his head to glance at the Chosen Ones from the other tribes. It seemed most of them had calm expressions. Although there was a longing for the Ancestral Ruins in their eyes, they didn’t have as strong a reaction as he did.
’Strange. Did they not feel it?’
Once the voice faded, the Leader of the West Ice Tribe escorted [Gold] toward the depths with a wave of his hand. The tribes allied with them also hurried down the staircase.
"[Hill], let’s go too. Soon you will see the ruins of a palace at the bottom of the sea. That is the Ancestral Ruins. We can still escort you on the path now, but once you reach the Ancestral Ruins, you must walk alone."
[Hunt] offered these words of advice, then led [Hill] and the other tribes down the staircase, flanked by the Warriors of the North Snow Tribe.
It was like stepping into a hollow abyss within the sea. On both sides, the water was capped by a layer of ice dozens of meters thick, but the great torrents still churned below, the roar of the rolling waves echoing in their ears.
The staircase descended ever deeper. The sliver of sky above them dimmed to a deep navy blue, yet the path ahead grew brighter, as if a stream of clear blue fireflies flowed over the steps.
Jiang Qiu held his breath, sensing the aura of Spirit Charm growing ever closer. He swallowed nervously.
’Sixteen years... For sixteen years, I’ve been in a state without Spirit Charm. I thought I felt a familiar aura in the North Snow Tower once, but when I went back, the feeling was gone.’
’Only here... only here could I truly feel it. Spirit Charm, hidden and brewing in the depths of the North Sea!’
