Free Web NovelChapter 217: Chapter 216: The Legacy Must Not Be Broken
The calamity brought by the Demon Race of Cold Heaven Cliff was over. A bitter wind howled across the ruins of the North Snow Tribe, whipping snow through the air. All eyes turned to Jiang Qiu, waiting for the strongest known warrior of the Northern Boundary Human Clan to speak.
Hunt, the leader of the North Snow Tribe, had already shared his theory about the tribe’s relocation. Now, only silence remained.
"You’re saying the tribe may have headed into the South Mountain Range, but we can’t pinpoint their destination?"
Jiang Qiu looked at Leader Hunt, his gaze turning grim.
Even after vanquishing the horde from Cold Heaven Cliff and personally slaying an incredibly dangerous competitor in the War of the Chosen, he felt none of the exhilaration he had imagined. Instead, a heavy weight settled in his chest, as if everything was still beyond his control.
’The Celestial Chosen Demon of Cold Heaven Cliff was dead, true, but the Demon Race still had several major tribes. By now, their Celestial Chosen Demons should have all received their ancestral inheritances, possessing a power no less than that of Feng.’
’Especially the Northern Boundary Mountain Demon Clan, historically the strongest Demon Race tribe, located at the foot of the Northern Boundary Mountains. They seemed to have been stationed there ever since the Primordial Ascendant and the other ancestors sealed the Northern Boundary.’
’If they weren’t so passive, only taking action during the War of the Chosen or when other clans invaded, they might have already unified the entire Northern Boundary Demon Clan.’
’Legend said that the Celestial Chosen Demons they nurtured were always the most outstanding in the War of the Chosen. Even when a peerless prodigy emerged from another Demon Race tribe, no one would dare say they could definitively overpower their champion.’
’Compared to the human tribes, the Northern Boundary Mountain Demon Clan didn’t have as great a need for a Celestial Chosen Demon. Their raw power was immense, their heritage profound, and they had managed to participate in every single War of the Chosen, never once failing to produce a champion.’
’So, the pressure of the War of the Chosen was still immense. Killing Feng didn’t mean he could rest easy. In fact, his death probably signaled the true beginning of the war...’
For Jiang Qiu, victory in the War of the Chosen was important, but he could not set aside the destruction of the North Snow Tribe.
Seventeen years of his life, the place he had called home for seventeen years, Uncle Xiong, the girl next door Flower, the Elder Witch Priest who had taught him so much...
He had no news of them, and the Elder Witch Priest was confirmed dead—sacrificing himself to hold back thousands of demons from Cold Heaven Cliff to cover the tribe’s escape.
At this thought, Jiang Qiu sucked in a sharp breath of frigid air, holding it for a long moment. His eyes turned vacant once more.
"Hill, the most complex terrain in the Northern Boundary is South Mountain. It’s a maze of peaks. Once you go in, it’s like a fish disappearing into the ocean. No one could find where our people went. It’s the best place to relocate.
"Besides, the snows in the Northern Boundary never stop. Their tracks would have been buried in moments. They left in such a hurry... they didn’t leave us any clues."
Hunt’s low voice was a crushing weight on Jiang Qiu’s chest.
No one could have imagined it. The great North Snow, a Main Vein Tribe of the Northern Boundary Human Clan that had once enjoyed the longest golden age, had been utterly razed in less than a year.
A year ago, when Jiang Qiu had followed Leader Hunt and the others from North Snow to the North Sea in search of the Ancestral Ruins, their worst-case scenario had been the tribe suffering a major blow, forcing the Elder Witch Priest to intervene.
But who could have predicted that the West Ice Tribe would be helping Cold Heaven Cliff, both openly and in secret? That even now, they would try to loot the ashes of the North Snow Tribe? That Cold Heaven Cliff would even deploy a Witch Priestess!
’But it was strange. Even with a Witch Priestess, Cold Heaven Cliff shouldn’t have been able to crush North Snow so completely. What methods did they use? Or rather, what power did that new Witch Priestess, Feng, wield before her death...’
His thoughts trailed off. Jiang Qiu sighed, shaking his head with a bitter laugh. "We underestimated Cold Heaven Cliff’s power and overestimated the West Ice Tribe’s honor. That’s how the North Snow Tribe ended up in this state.
"Our few remaining people have fled toward South Mountain. Who knows how many will die on the journey? And how many more will die trying to put down roots in a land swarming with Demon Beasts?
"Everyone," he addressed the assembled crowd. "If any of you learn the whereabouts of my North Snow tribespeople, come back here and inform Leader Hunt.
"Before the War of the Chosen begins, I will grant you one request, so long as it is within my power to do so.
"I thank you all for staying to help. If your own tribes ever face hardship, you may call on me for aid. You may all return home now."
Clenching his right fist around the Northern Snow Lance, he covered it with his left palm in a crisp salute. SMACK. Jiang Qiu’s eyes, the color of vermilion jade, seemed to glint as his gaze swept over every face in the crowd.
They stood stunned for a moment before mirroring Jiang Qiu’s salute. The pleasure on their faces was impossible to hide, but it was tinged with an even deeper sympathy.
Wall, especially, was struck speechless by Jiang Qiu’s solemnity. A ripple went through his heart, like a pebble dropped into a still pond.
’Having grown up in the South Mountain Tribe of the Northern Boundary, he knew all too well how dangerous the South Mountain Range could be.’
’Even his own South Mountain Tribe, a Main Vein Tribe, only had its Ancestral Land on the periphery of the range. They didn’t dare venture deeper.’
’And even in those outer regions, they lived alongside countless savage and powerful Demon Beast herds. These beasts lacked the spirituality and higher intelligence of the Demon Race, but they were all exceptionally brutal. It wasn’t unheard of for a single Demon Beast on par with the Steel Bone Realm to drive off an entire Hunting Team by itself.’
’A major reason for the South Mountain Tribe’s decline was that powerful Demon Beasts would migrate from the depths to reclaim territory that had been cleared by powerful Chosen Ones in the past, constantly threatening the tribe’s survival.’
’Confronting the vast ecosystem of Demon Beasts in the depths of South Mountain was difficult—incredibly difficult. Even if all the intelligent races of the Northern Boundary united, it was doubtful they could force their way in.’
’There was even a legend in his tribe that the very last of the Northern Boundary’s Spirit Charm might lie hidden in the core of the South Mountain Range.’
’The South Mountain Range was so massive it nearly split the Northern Boundary in half. Outside of ancient legends, no one had ever entered its core region. Not even Chosen Ones who had successfully advanced to the Jade Sinew Realm were willing to risk the journey.’
’For the remnants of the North Snow Tribe to dare venture into such a place... they would almost certainly be wiped out. Their chances of survival were slim to none.’
’And Jiang Qiu was still holding out hope for them. He must have truly been attached to his tribe...’
After a few more pleasantries, the members of the other tribes began to pack their things. With Jiang Qiu’s permission, they took some of the spoils and cuts of meat from the battle before bidding farewell.
But Wall hesitated. He turned and looked back at Jiang Qiu, who stood alone on the steps of the North Snow Tower, and bellowed, "Hill! If you can’t find your people, the North Snow Tribe will be down to just you hundred men! You don’t even have a single woman among you! You won’t be able to carry on your bloodline!
"Why don’t I, in my capacity as the Chosen One of the South Mountain Tribe, bring a hundred grown girls over from my tribe for you?
"Otherwise, the North Snow Tribe’s legacy dies with you!"
Hearing this, the leader of the South Mountain Tribe, who had been happily stripping valuables from the corpses of the Cold Heaven Cliff demons, froze. His smile vanished as he snapped his head up. "What?!"
