My Arts Evolve When Perfected

"Hyah! Hyah!"

Over twenty Blue-Hoofed Horses galloped wildly across the snowy plains. Jiang Qiu, clad in Heavy Armor, rode at the very front. As white snow burst under their hooves, the eyes visible through the gaps in his armor grew increasingly crimson, his shouts booming like thunder.

Horsemanship was a skill that every youth in the tribe who hoped to become a Warrior had to master. Pile and Wood could ride as well; sometimes, when they came across flat hunting grounds, they would hunt by throwing spears from horseback.

But now, not even the most skilled riders among the Warriors could keep up with Jiang Qiu’s Blue-Hoofed Horse. With reins in his left hand and spear in his right, he looked every bit a general charging into battle.

This time, however, the enemy was the Demon Race.

"Hill, we were on the outer plains of the Ice and Snow Ridge hunting Snow Patterned Deer when that flock from the Bird Demon Clan of Cold Heaven Cliff suddenly appeared. They snatched up and killed many of the Warriors’ Blue-Hoofed Horses.

Fortunately, Xiong blocked the talons of a One-eyed Snow Owl with his Cold Iron Spear, which is how I managed to escape and bring word back!"

The Warrior who spoke urged his horse level with Jiang Qiu’s. Three long claw marks on his back oozed blood, and his face was smeared with dark, bloody grime. He held the reins in his left hand and clutched a spear in his right.

His name was Ma, so-called because he was born with a long face. He had followed Xiong on hunts for many years and witnessed countless disasters, including being one of those who saw Xiong’s left arm get crippled by those bastards from the West Ice Tribe.

Unfortunately, his Talent was poor, and he was not an exceptional Warrior. Even after so many years of hunting, his physical cultivation was only at the Early Stage of the Copper Skin Realm.

His only saving grace was his superb horsemanship; he rode so quickly that not even many skilled Hunting Captains could compare. Xiong himself had often praised how fast and well he rode.

Thanks to this skill, and with Xiong covering his retreat, he had successfully escaped the pursuit of several bird demons and brought the news back to the North Snow Tribe.

After he gave a hasty report to the Elder Witch Priest, over twenty of the tribe’s garrison Warriors were dispatched to the outskirts of the Ice and Snow Ridge to mount a rescue, with Hill at their head!

"How many members of the Demon Race are on the outskirts of the Ice and Snow Ridge? What’s the level of the strongest one? And how is Uncle Xiong holding up?!"

The cold wind that rushed into Jiang Qiu’s mouth couldn’t drown out his roar.

The far north of the Northern Boundary was where many tribes of the Human Race gathered. The Ice and Snow Ridge lay between the West Ice Tribe and the North Snow Tribe; ordinarily, no members of the Demon Race ever appeared there.

The Bird Demon Clan of Cold Heaven Cliff, however, was an exception. They commanded the skies, and most Warriors were helpless against them.

Furthermore, they knew the area near the Ice and Snow Ridge was a prime hunting ground for Demon Beasts, so they often came to prey on Snow Patterned Deer. Occasionally, they would maliciously attack and injure lone Warriors.

But a deliberate encirclement and slaughter of a Hunting Team, as Ma described, was exceedingly rare. Such a thing almost never happened, as it was a costly move that would inflict losses on both sides.

"The strongest among them is likely a One-eyed Snow Owl, a Middle-tier Demon Beast. He was the one who led a hundred or so bird-like Demon Beasts in a surprise attack on us. Brother Xiong was wounded by its claws while protecting me, but he should be able to hold on for a while."

A tremor ran through Jiang Qiu’s chest, and his jaw clenched so tightly it vibrated.

’I haven’t even begun to repay him for thirteen years of care, and now he’s being surrounded and killed by the Demon Race!’

A Middle-tier Demon Beast was equivalent to the Iron Flesh Realm. The bodies of Demon Beasts were naturally stronger than those of the Human Race to begin with. Moreover, while the members of the Bird Demon Clan took on a humanoid form, they retained their wings, making them born Dominators of the sky. Even Iron Flesh Realm Warriors skilled with bows were reluctant to provoke them.

’Uncle Xiong’s situation must be terrible right now. If I’m a step too late, all I’ll find is a blood-soaked skeleton!’

"Hyah! Hyah!"

Jiang Qiu whipped the reins. The white-maned, Blue-Hoofed steed beneath him bared its teeth and shrieked, kicking up its hooves as it tore across the snowy plains.

...

"SCREEE—"

A strange cry tore through the blue sky as a one-eyed birdman dove down, talons extended. His great, roc-like wings folded against his back, his sharp beak splitting the air.

On the vast snowy plains beyond the Ice and Snow Ridge, a dozen corpses of North Snow Tribe Warriors lay embedded in the blood-stained snow. A few surviving Warriors stood on the trampled surface, clutching their Cold Iron Spears.

One among them, a one-armed Warrior, was the most resilient of all. With only a single Cold Iron Spear, he had managed to wound several members of the Demon Race. He had even taken a claw strike to the back to protect one of his comrades on horseback, yet he was still standing.

’But this is exactly what our clan wants!’

The One-eyed Snow Owl narrowed its eye to a slit, its gaze like a knife. WHOOSH—it shot forward.

WHOOSH—

Though already gasping for breath, Xiong suddenly thrust his Cold Iron Spear. The cold glint of the steel stung the One-eyed Snow Owl’s eye. Startled, it hastily twisted aside, the icy spearhead passing perilously close to its pupil.

’This one’s reflexes are excellent,’ the One-eyed Snow Owl thought, ’but he’s out of strength!’

The One-eyed Snow Owl’s gaze hardened. Its extended right talon slashed open Xiong’s right arm, peeling back flesh and blood to reveal the bone beneath. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

BAM!

Carried by its momentum, it didn’t soar back into the air. Instead, its taloned feet landed on the snow. Folding its wings, it turned and looked down at the human Warrior, now knocked to the ground. "You have impressive willpower, but your Realm is rather lacking."

As Xiong fell, the other Warriors didn’t even have time to shout before they were struck down by more demons descending from the sky. Their Cold Iron Spears were sent flying, their abdomens pierced, their arms torn off.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

One birdman after another landed in the area, forming a rough circle that enclosed the bodies of the North Snow Tribe Warriors. Their formation also vaguely surrounded Xiong and the few other surviving Warriors who lay panting on the ground.

They all hailed from Cold Heaven Cliff. Not all were One-eyed Snow Owls; there were also some Wind Eagles and Cold Eagles among them.

"Big Brother, the strongest one here doesn’t even seem to be at the Iron Flesh Realm. If we take them back as nourishment for the Celestial Chosen Demon, Feng, will they be effective enough?"

An Initial-tier demon narrowed its eyes, sizing up the panting Xiong with a hint of concern.

They had come to the Ice and Snow Ridge this time to hunt humans as a supplement for the Celestial Chosen Demon, who had just broken through to the Initial Tier. The flesh and blood of the Human Race had unique properties that were greatly beneficial to a Celestial Chosen Demon.

The Ice and Snow Ridge was the hunting ground for two major human tribes, the North Snow and the West Ice. The Warriors here were of a higher Realm, so capturing even a single small Hunting Team would be enough to fulfill their duty.

"So what if they’re not at the Iron Flesh Realm? Take them back for now. We can always hunt again later. We’ve poured all of Cold Heaven Cliff’s resources into the Celestial Chosen Demon, Feng. We’re not short on this little bit. It’s a bonus if we get it, but no great loss if we don’t."

The Middle-tier One-eyed Snow Owl made a grasping motion in the air, then pointed at the still-panting Warriors of the North Snow Tribe. "Snap their necks," it said flatly. "Bring back their Armor and spears. We can’t have any nearby human Hunting Teams showing up. It’s a pain to deal with archers."

"Yes."

CRACK, CRACK...

The sound of several necks snapping reached Xiong’s ears. A pair of large, taloned feet stepped into his field of view. He still gripped the Cold Iron Spear tightly in his right hand, his heart thumping wildly.

’I have to take one of them with me before I die!’