My Arts Evolve When Perfected

After receiving their due rewards at the North Snow Tower, the youths went their separate ways in high spirits. Jiang Qiu also headed back, carrying the Northern Snow Lance and holding a complete set of Armor.

His eyes were deep, his mind replaying the words the Elder Witch Priest had spoken to him in private before he left.

"Ever since the name North Snow first appeared, the tribe has striven to break the seal on the Northern Boundary. However, tens of thousands of years have passed, and now the tribe can’t even produce Warriors of the Jade Sinew Realm, moving further and further away from this goal.

But the heavens favor all races. Every thousand years, a Chosen One like you appears. Your souls may come from various complete worlds, using the Northern Boundary as a trial ground, ignoring the seal to strive to pick the Enlightenment Fruit at the Northern Boundary Peak.

As long as you can pick the Enlightenment Fruit, there’s a chance the seal on the Northern Boundary will be broken. The ice and snow will melt, and the legendary Spirit Charm will reawaken. I have spoken of these things for a very, very long time... I hope you will do everything in your power to fight for what you want. The tribe and the Northern Snow Lance in your hands will protect you until you have grown strong.

In another three years, it will be time for the North Sea Ice to melt. When that happens, the Ancestral Ruins will open. All tribes will send their people, and the Chosen Ones of the Human Race will gather there.

Cultivate well and improve yourself as much as possible. If you can gain the ancestors’ recognition in the Ancestral Ruins and further activate your bloodline, your chances of winning the contest of the Chosen Ones will be very high..."

’Three years from now... the Ancestral Ruins... the Chosen Ones of the Human Race will gather to fight for the ancestral legacy.’

Jiang Qiu glanced at the Northern Snow Lance in his hand, his gaze resolute. ’The contest of the Chosen Ones won’t be easy. I don’t know the strength of the other Chosen Ones. The only way to win is to constantly strive for my own improvement. I have to obtain the ancestral legacy!’

He clenched his fists and let out a long breath, but his steps gradually slowed. Ahead, the gate to a courtyard stood ajar.

As he passed, he glanced inside out of the corner of his eye. The white snow on the walls was the same as ever, and the layer of snow on the tiles was undisturbed. In the courtyard, only a few messy, hurried footprints remained.

’Sigh...’

Jiang Qiu adjusted his grip on the Northern Snow Lance and strode toward his own home.

TAP... TAP... TAP...

The CREAK of a wooden door opening sounded from behind him, followed by a clear voice calling out, "Hill, you’re back?"

Jiang Qiu’s right foot had just sunk into the unshoveled snow on the street when he froze. Turning his head, he saw Flower leaning against the courtyard gate with a grin. Her cheeks were wet, and beads of water gathered at the tip of her chin, dripping DRIP, DRIP, DRIP.

The three bright red stripes on her left cheek blended into the water droplets, while her right cheek looked like a freshly washed, pink peach.

Jiang Qiu’s expression faltered slightly. "You didn’t leave with the people from the South Mountain Tribe?"

"I was already on the South Mountain Tribe’s cart, about to be married to their Young Master. But then I suddenly heard that their Young Master was defeated by you and that he didn’t want to go through with the marriage anymore, so they let me come back."

Flower clasped her hands behind her back, her fingers intertwined. Her upturned eyelashes couldn’t hide the shimmering light in her eyes.

After learning that the South Mountain Tribe’s Young Master no longer wanted the marriage, she had secretly slipped out of the South Mountain Tribe’s carriage and hidden in her own courtyard. She hadn’t told her mother, nor had she reported to the official in charge of the marriage arrangements.

This was, of course, against the rules. After all, nearly every young woman who came of age had her marriage arranged on the day of the coming-of-age ceremony, with the rare exception of those who were already betrothed to someone from another tribe.

’But she had already run away. The coming-of-age ceremony was over, the envoy’s procession was long gone, and she wasn’t planning on getting married anymore...’

Staring at her fair cheeks, her makeup not yet fully washed off, the knot of frustration pent up in Jiang Qiu’s chest unexpectedly loosened, and a ghost of a smile touched his lips.

It was unexpectedly reassuring to see a familiar face.

But given Flower’s situation, she would most likely face some punishment from the tribe, and her life would be more stressful from now on. He couldn’t feel truly happy about it. "What will you do now?"

"I don’t want to leave the North Snow Tribe for the next seven years. This is the place where I was born and raised. I want to keep living here. I’ll do my best to earn the Food I need to pay every month now that I’m an adult!"

Flower tilted her head, her big eyes darting around as if she were imagining her future life, feeling none of the pressure that came with adulthood.

Every tribe has strict rules about marriage. Almost no adult women remained with their maiden families, as they usually couldn’t afford the pressure of the taxes levied upon them after coming of age.

It was easier for men. A Warrior like Xiong might be able to cover the unmarried tax with a single Hunt. But most women couldn’t participate in hunting. They either had their maiden families pay the unmarried tax for them, or they performed a great deal of labor in exchange for enough Demon Beast Meat to pay the tax.

It was not a rational choice.

But Flower didn’t care. She had two hands, two feet, and a distant, unrealistic hope supporting her. She wouldn’t fall.

’At worst, she could just get married after Hill left in seven years.’

’She would only be twenty-three then, which wasn’t old.’

Holding these thoughts, the smile on Flower’s face grew wider, as innocent as a girl who had yet to grow up.

Jiang Qiu’s pupils quivered, and his heart skipped a beat with a THUMP.

’Everyone has their own pursuits. Perhaps I shouldn’t judge Flower by worldly standards.’

’To think I’ve lived here so long that I’ve started treating common trends as rules. In fact, back in Xia Country, getting married this young would land you in jail...’

He stopped and chatted with Flower for a while. Soon, her mother returned. The moment she saw her own daughter, she was stunned for a long while, but she didn’t say much. After greeting Jiang Qiu, she led Flower back into the house.

Jiang Qiu sighed, then carried his Armor into the courtyard where he lived. Unfortunately, Uncle Xiong wasn’t there. He had probably gone out with the Hunting Team to Hunt again.

Although Uncle Xiong’s left arm was crippled, his right arm was still strong, and he had long since adapted to a life of hunting with one arm. Relying on his strength, which was close to the Iron Flesh Realm, and his years of hunting experience, his hunting ability was even stronger than some of the young Warriors in the Hunting Team.

Even though the Leader had granted him a special exemption from all taxes for bringing back the Chosen One, Hill, years ago, and even though Hill had chosen to continue living here, often bringing back plenty of Demon Beast Meat so that they never worried about food and warmth...

...he still insisted on hunting, using the excuse, "If I’m not old yet, then I won’t put down my Cold Iron Spear." This was despite him being almost fifty years old...

Thinking of this, Jiang Qiu shook his head helplessly. He laid out the Armor Set he had received on the large bed that Xiong had commissioned an Artisan to build for him more than a decade ago. He put on each piece one by one, then stood before the ice crystal mirror.

His entire body was covered without a single gap. The iron armor was covered in the marks of blades, spears, and claws. The Tiger Head Shoulder Armor even bore the marks of being reforged after repairs. He looked like a general who had fought for years, radiating a murderous aura.

The Elder Witch Priest had said that there were no more than ten sets of such full-body Armor in the North Snow Tower. Most other people received a basic Chest Armor, Arm Guards, and Knee Guards at best, protecting only the vital areas.

"With this Armor on, I should be able to withstand the bite of a Middle Tier Demon Beast. My defensive capabilities are now comparable to someone at or above the Iron Flesh Realm."

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Suddenly, a series of urgent footsteps came from outside, accompanied by the shout of an unfamiliar Warrior: "Hill! Brother Xiong’s Hunting Team was ambushed by the Demon Race during a Hunt! He’s been surrounded while covering the escape of the other Warriors!"