Free Web NovelChapter 223: Chapter 222: Yu Ri’s Amazement
After uprooting the foundation of the West Ice Tribe, Jiang Qiu did not return to Cold Heaven Cliff.
There were two main reasons. First, Wind had led out seventy to eighty percent of Cold Heaven Cliff’s Demon Race Warriors—and nearly all of its Leaders—who were then killed by Jiang Qiu. As a result, Cold Heaven Cliff now posed virtually no threat; even its Witch Priestess was dead.
Presumably, Cold Heaven Cliff was now even weaker than the struggling South Mountain and East Shore Tribes, stronger only than the small tribes that couldn’t afford to train archers.
It would take them decades to regain their strength.
The second and more critical reason was that Jiang Qiu didn’t know the location of Cold Heaven Cliff. Searching for it would likely consume a great deal of time.
After all, Cold Heaven Cliff wasn’t just some small area; it was the most treacherous location within a vast mountain range. Without a guide, he might not find the precise spot for years.
Moreover, Cold Heaven Cliff might have its own special means of communication. The Demon Race could transmit information through their bloodlines, so news of the annihilation of Wind and the others had most likely already been sent back. They would surely have relocated, making the trip pointless.
So, after dealing with the West Ice Tribe, Jiang Qiu returned to the North Snow Tribe to gather his people and transport the West Ice Tribe’s Treasures of Heaven and Earth back to North Snow.
The two locations were dozens of miles apart, and the trips back and forth took over half a month. By then, the marriage delegations promised by the South Mountain Tribe, Stone Forest Tribe, and others had arrived. The South Mountain Tribe even dispatched some of their own Warriors to help rebuild North Snow.
"Hill, there’s no news of the tribe members who migrated south."
Hunt, having just received the delegation from the South Mountain Tribe, entered the North Snow Tower. His expression remained grim, showing little joy despite the aid from the other tribes.
After so long, there was still no word from the other tribes about the members of the North Snow Tribe. In all likelihood, they had migrated deep into the South Mountain Range.
’They might not have even survived.’
"I understand. For now, take Ice and Eight, the reinforcements from the South Mountain and Stone Forest Tribes, and focus on construction. Rebuilding North Snow is the most important thing right now."
Jiang Qiu sighed inwardly but said nothing more. Even if he wanted to search for Flower and the others, he had no way of doing so.
"Alright..." Hunt paused for a moment before continuing, "Hill, the East Shore Tribe also sent someone this time. Their Witch Priest invites you to East Shore to receive an ancestral inheritance."
"Hm?" Jiang Qiu paused. "East Shore."
...
In the void, Yu Ri’s consciousness lingered. He observed the state of the Northern Boundary from on high, constantly monitoring the progress of Jiang Qiu and the other Chosen Ones.
Though his body was stiff and he was utterly unable to move, his mind remained active.
’Ever since Jiang Qiu killed me in the North Sea Palace, I’ve been watching his every move. I thought that under the combined pressure of the Cold Heaven Cliff demons and the West Ice Tribe, the North Snow Tribe would be annihilated, and Jiang Qiu, even if he rushed back, would be eradicated along with them.’
’But what I never expected was that while the seemingly invincible demons of Cold Heaven Cliff did destroy the North Snow Tribe’s foundation, they ultimately lost to Jiang Qiu!’
’I had seen Cold Heaven Cliff’s strength with my own eyes. They were one of the very strongest tribes in the Demon Race. In terms of heritage, they were second only to the Northern Boundary Mountain Demon Clan at the foot of Northern Boundary Mountain. With their advantage in flight, annihilating the North Snow Tribe should have been simple; their most difficult opponent was merely the Elder Witch Priest.’
’What’s more, Cold Heaven Cliff’s Celestial Chosen Demon, Wind, was no ordinary one. He likely possessed some Secret Techniques from Ancient Times, probably inherited from the reincarnated Demon Emperor, Celestial.’
’And yet, Wind couldn’t defeat Jiang Qiu!’
’The crucial factor was that the North Snow Tribe’s Elder Witch Priest was just too good at stalling for time. He somehow managed to hold on long enough for Jiang Qiu to return from the North Sea Palace and absorb the Primordial Ascendant’s inheritance.’
’What exactly was that ancestral inheritance Jiang Qiu obtained in the North Sea Palace? How did it allow him to suppress the even more uncanny Wind?’
Yu Ri replayed the scenes in his mind, his brow deeply furrowed.
’In my opinion, Wind was one of the two strongest Chosen Ones in the entire Northern Boundary at the time. With the power boost from the Witch Priestess’s position, he was strong enough to crush any other Chosen One. Even if I hadn’t died and had claimed my own ancestral inheritance, I’m not certain I could have beaten him.’
’And yet an opponent with such immense potential lost to Jiang Qiu.’
’Then, Jiang Qiu marched on the West Ice Tribe in a rage, slaughtered over a hundred thousand people, and even slew their High Priest!’
’I know the High Priest’s power better than anyone. After all, I grew up in the West Ice Tribe. Anyone who understands the Priest’s inheritance knows it’s impossible for an outsider to defeat a Priest in their own Ancestral Land.’
’By that same logic, no outsider should have been able to defeat the Elder Witch Priest in the North Snow Tribe’s territory either. They can wield the power of their ancestors; even if it means burning their own life force, they become invincible for a short time.’
’But Wind used some special technique to wear the Elder Witch Priest down to the point of desperation, forcing him to extinguish his own life force in exchange for a temporary seal.’
’But the High Priest’s defeat was even stranger. It was as if his power simply gave out; how could he fail to block a single spear thrust from Jiang Qiu at the final moment?’
At that moment, Yu Ri had clearly perceived the High Priest’s power fading away. Like snow shying from a flame, the ancestor Kun Jiu Ascendant had withdrawn his aegis.
’It was incomprehensible. Unacceptable.’
’Jiang Qiu had wiped out the West Ice Tribe just like that, and even unlocked its inheritance—an inheritance that should have been mine!’
Even without knowing the specifics of the inheritance, Yu Ri understood it was certainly nothing ordinary. After all, the North Snow Tribe’s inheritance had allowed Jiang Qiu to reach the Jade Sinew Realm; how could a comparable one be anything less?
’If things keep going this way, Jiang Qiu will most likely be the winner of the Contest of the Chosen. Does that hidden Chosen One really have the power to take him by surprise? And can the strongest of the Demon Race, Extreme, evolve any further?’
Yu Ri muttered to himself, his gaze dimming.
’I was the one with the most potential. The power to command ice and snow is terrifying. All I needed was to secure the complete ancestral inheritance, kill the other Chosen Ones, and then claim the inheritances of the major Main Vein Tribes. I might not have been weaker than Jiang Qiu then.’
’But in the end, I was the first of all the chosen humans and demons to die, forced to just watch silently as they each scheme and grow stronger, waiting for the Contest of the Chosen to begin.’
’Looking at the current situation, the Demon Race, which had been restless, has started banding together for survival. That was their reaction to hearing that Jiang Qiu single-handedly wiped out the West Ice Tribe, the Human Race’s strongest Main Vein Tribe.’
’Most of their Celestial Chosen Demons lack the potential to unite the entire Demon Race, so they’ve settled down.’
’And it seems they still don’t know what stage of evolution Extreme, the Celestial Chosen Demon from the Northern Boundary Mountain Demon Clan, has reached.’
’The final three years will be quiet and peaceful. The calm before the storm.’
But Yu Ri had one lingering question. ’Didn’t Wind die? Why haven’t I seen him here in the void?’
’Could it be we aren’t all in the same void?’
