My Arts Evolve When Perfected

With the trials for the tribe’s own young men complete, and with the youths from other tribes having chosen their future wives, the coming-of-age ceremony concluded after they all bowed and lit incense before the Altar.

The emissaries from the South Mountain Tribe and others left the North Snow Tribe one after another, taking the girls they had chosen. Most rode docile Demon Beasts native to the Northern Boundary, with only the South Mountain Tribe possessing wheeled carts pulled by Blue-Hoofed Horses.

All several hundred of the North Snow Tribe’s newly adult young women had left. Meanwhile, the young men who had completed the ceremony, at the Elder Witch Priest’s direction, headed to the tribe’s Treasure Vault to receive their rewards.

The top ten would receive Armor, and Jiang Qiu was among them. In fact, as the best performer in the entire ceremony, he was entitled to a full set of Armor, more complete than the others.

While following the Elder Witch Priest to the Treasure Vault with Pile, Wood, and the others, Jiang Qiu suddenly heard the rattle of cartwheels, accompanied by the sound of hooves fading into the distance.

He glanced over his shoulder. His gaze swept across the snow-covered streets to where the grand procession of visiting emissaries was departing from the North Snow Tribe.

On horseback, man after man held a girl from the North Snow Tribe in his arms.

He didn’t see Flower among them. The corner of Jiang Qiu’s mouth twitched, and he drew in a sharp, shallow breath of cold air. He looked away and took two quick steps to catch up with the Elder Witch Priest.

Soon, led by the Elder Witch Priest, the group arrived at the Treasure Vault. The Warriors guarding the entrance nodded and stepped aside. A four-story wooden tower stood tall within a walled compound, its roof tiles blanketed in snow like a thick coat, waiting in silence.

KLICK—

The key in the Elder Witch Priest’s hand opened the lock. The three-meter-tall bronze doors creaked inward as he pushed. One by one, wall-mounted lamps flared to life—WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH—filling the main hall and the path ahead with an orange-yellow glow.

In that instant, Jiang Qiu’s wandering thoughts snapped back into focus, his pupils constricting slightly.

’Is this the most ancient building in the tribe? Why does it feel... slightly familiar?’

’The feeling was faint, gone in a flash as the lamps ignited...’

"You all performed exceptionally well in the coming-of-age ceremony. You are the future hope of our tribe, and you will be given the encouragement you deserve."

The Elder Witch Priest walked ahead, his hands clasped behind his back. His black robes and white hair seemed to resonate with the surroundings, as if he had come home.

Pile, Wood, and the other youths stared wide-eyed, their gazes shining as they took in the scene on the first floor. The hall was adorned with carved dragons and painted beams. Ancient, beast-shaped statues lined both sides of the path—judging by the craftsmanship, they were clearly not something the North Snow Tribe could have created.

And that was indeed the case. The North Snow Tribe had no leisure for carving such beast-shaped sculptures. Why, there weren’t even statues of the past generations of Chosen Ones at the Altar. The only carving was done by children, who sometimes shaped ice for fun.

’These things were left behind tens of thousands of years ago...’

Jiang Qiu grew contemplative, surveying everything before him.

The Treasure Vault, also called the North Snow Tower, was a structure his peers and the Warriors often mentioned. It symbolized the very heritage of the North Snow Tribe and was said to have existed since the tribe’s founding.

The Leader and tribe members at its founding were no savages; they had simply been forced to settle in the sealed Northern Boundary to survive.

For tens of thousands of years, groups had split off to form new, smaller tribes, yet this tower had always remained, standing firm. It housed the North Snow Tribe’s largest collection of weapons and Treasures of Heaven and Earth.

Getting inside was not easy; only the Elder Witch Priest could open the lock.

People always spoke of it with pride in its history. After all, the North Snow Tower stood at the very center of the tribe and had long been a spiritual pillar for its people. As long as the tower stood, the tribe would prosper.

’A wooden building that has stood for tens of thousands of years is anything but ordinary!’

"This North Snow Tower has four floors, each storing treasures and equipment of different tiers. This first floor holds a number of weapons and pieces of Armor forged from Cold Iron, suitable for talented Warriors at the Copper Skin Realm," the Elder Witch Priest explained at an unhurried pace. "In the future, if you make outstanding contributions to the tribe, you may also earn rewards from here.

"For generations, the North Snow Race People have survived in the Northern Boundary, sheltered by the glory of our ancestors. The North Snow Tower carries so much of our people’s emotions. Every weapon here has drawn blood. I hope none of you will let down your ancestors..."

Continuing on, Jiang Qiu and the others followed the Elder Witch Priest into an inner storeroom. They stepped between wooden racks where spears stood like a forest, and armor and bracers reflected the candlelight.

"Whoa, is this a Cold Iron Spear? My dad has one too!"

Wood licked his lips and ran up to a Cold Iron Spear, his eyes shining. His palms grew hot with excitement, but he refrained from immediately snatching it up to try it out.

"Yes," the Elder Witch Priest said with a small smile. "That is the weapon commonly used by our tribe’s elite Warriors. It does not break easily, and its Penetration Power is immense—it can even pierce the Frost Armor of the Ice Armor Bear Clan." He waved his hand, giving them permission to choose. "You may all pick one that you feel is right for you. It will be your companion for the better part of your lives, until it returns here once more."

The moment the words left his mouth, Wood couldn’t wait any longer and grabbed the Cold Iron Spear he’d been eyeing. The other youths, full of excitement, also began searching for the weapon of their choice.

Jiang Qiu ran his index finger over a Cold Iron Spear before him. Its unique patterns felt like a glacier crawling across his skin, a chill seeping through to his blood. It was as if a proud, stalwart soul was looking down upon him from its sharp tip.

This was the same type of spear Xiong carried. Xiong had let him hold it before; its texture was far superior to that of a Wooden Spear, and it had a very satisfying weight.

’If I had used this weapon to pierce those ten blocks of hard ice this morning, would I have even needed to use seventy percent of my strength?’

"Hill, I have prepared a different weapon for you."

The ancient voice shattered Jiang Qiu’s train of thought. He turned and saw the Elder Witch Priest holding a long-hafted weapon, seemingly produced from thin air, cradled horizontally in his hands.

It had the form of a lance, but the body of a spear.

Its ridged blade bore fine scratches, but the edge was still like new, reflecting a piercing glint of light.

A few bloodstains on the grip had darkened from red to black, with faint traces showing where they had run down toward the butt. There were even small nicks and chips in places, further proving this weapon had been through countless battles.

The moment this weapon appeared, the ten youths who had been searching for spears all turned their heads. Their eyes went wide, their faces filled with unconcealable shock and envy. "Is that the Northern Snow Lance?! The one used by every generation of Chosen One?!"

"Whoa, it’s incredible! I heard the first Chosen One, Zhuang, used it to behead a Top Tier Demon Beast—a North Snow Wolf!"

"I think I can feel the killing intent clinging to the blade..."

"Of course. It’s been passed down through the generations. Who knows how many demons and men it has killed."

Under the crowd’s burning gazes, the Northern Snow Lance settled steadily into Jiang Qiu’s hands. It dipped slightly from its immense weight, feeling as if it weighed a thousand jin.

His gaze sharpened as he felt the cool steel patterns in his palms. His heart began to pound softly. THUMP-THUMP.

’I can sense the residual spirituality inside the Northern Snow Lance. This must have been someone’s Lifebound Weapon once, but it was damaged for some reason.’

’A Lifebound Weapon... that means Soldier Body Integration.’

’Someone was walking the path of the Soldier Cultivator tens of thousands of years ago!’

’No... More accurately, this could be the very origin of the Xia Country’s Soldier Cultivator path. The ruins discovered in various Secret Realms all pointed to a lost civilization, but the historical records were too limited. The experts never found the true source. They could only extract incomplete Magic Techniques from ancient texts for Cultivation and lamented that the overall Martial Arts system was flawed.’

’But the North Snow Tribe has passed down its traditions for tens of thousands of years without interruption...’