My Arts Evolve When Perfected

The Demon Race of the Northern Boundary was, on the whole, stronger than the Human Race. If not for their ancestors’ protection, humans might not have even had a place to call home north of South Mountain.

The various tribes, large and small, gathered in the mountains by the North Sea—not by choice. In truth, the Demon Race was simply too dominant, occupying so much territory that the Human Race had no option but to dig in and defend the north.

The Bird Demon Clan of Cold Heaven Cliff dominated the west. A vast expanse of territory served as their hunting grounds, teeming with an untold number of thriving Demon Beast herds. Few other Demon Race Tribes dared to provoke them.

The fact that the entire Ice and Snow Ridge—a territory the West Ice Tribe and North Snow Tribe had contested for millennia—was less than a third of the size of the Cold Heaven Cliff’s hunting grounds spoke volumes.

Xiong never expected to run into such a powerful clan of demons. He knew this was a hopeless situation; nothing short of the tribe’s strongest Hunting Teams could possibly resolve it.

But the strongest Hunting Teams were all out on hunts of their own. It would be a miracle if a powerful team happened to be returning to the tribe just now. By the time word reached them, it would all be over.

He watched the Initial Tier One-eyed Snow Owl draw nearer and nearer. His fingers clenched into a fist, a fiery heat surging in his chest.

’I haven’t accomplished much in this life. My Talent is mediocre. I only became a Hunting Team Captain in my thirties, and just a few years later, I had to step down after injuring my left arm.’

’Thankfully, I met the Chosen One, Qiu. He’s contributed so much to the tribe. I suppose I can take some credit for that.’

’It’s just a shame... that I was the one who found Qiu. I couldn’t give him the best opportunities...’

Countless memories streamed through Xiong’s mind, fragmented images from his thirteen years of scattered interactions with the boy flashing past. His arm muscles tightened, and his teeth began to chatter.

SWOOSH—

Just as he mustered all his strength into his right arm, his heart leaping into his throat, a sound of rushing air boomed from behind. It streaked over his head and, with a sickening crunch, pierced straight through the Initial Tier One-eyed Snow Owl’s skull.

At that moment, his pupils quivered. The hundred or so demons surrounding him froze, staring dumbfounded as the Initial Tier One-eyed Snow Owl’s head shattered like a block of red-stained ice.

The lead Middle Tier One-eyed Snow Owl’s single eye snapped open. It froze for an instant before its gaze, now brimming with killing intent, shot toward the distance. Its talons clenched into fists.

THUMP THUMP THUMP...

The thunder of galloping hooves shattered the grim, frigid atmosphere. The sound grew from a distant rumble to a deafening charge, as if an army of ten thousand was bearing down on them, forcing the assembled demons back.

"Uncle Xiong!"

The familiar shout rang out from behind him. A jolt went through Xiong’s heart. He twisted his torso, which he had struggled to prop up, just in time to see Qiu charging toward him on horseback.

His suit of Black Armor glinted with a cold, proud light against the vast expanse of snow. More than twenty Warriors followed in his wake, charging from the edge of the snow-covered plains.

’I’ve seen that Black Armor before. The Leader has a set, and so do the Hunting Captains who are above the Iron Flesh Realm. It’s a reward given to Warriors who make immense contributions to the tribe or show extraordinary potential.’

’Oh, right... today is the day of Qiu’s coming-of-age ceremony...’

A pang of emotion stung Xiong’s nose, and tears welled in the corners of his eyes.

"Hmph. To think someone would arrive so quickly."

The Middle Tier One-eyed Snow Owl narrowed its eye, glancing at the Northern Snow Lance embedded in the snow. Its brow twitched, and a chill shot down its spine, like a piglet facing a butcher’s cleaver.

"Could that be the legendary Northern Snow Lance of the North Snow Tribe?" Its eye widened, and it glared at the young man leading the charge. "For such a weapon to fall into the hands of a mere whelp... Don’t tell me he’s the North Snow Tribe’s Chosen One!"

In the early days of the Northern Boundary, the Human Race was exceptionally powerful. After all, the seal over the Northern Boundary itself was deeply intertwined with them; it stood to reason that they would be strong.

But as the ages passed, the Northern Boundary lost its Spirit Charm and entered a brutal, frozen era. The strength of the Human Race was severely diminished, while the Demon Race, with their powerful physiques, continued to hold sway.

But looking back tens of thousands of years, the North Snow Tribe—one of the four great Main Vein Tribes of the Human Race—was incredibly formidable. They left behind countless legends, including that of the demon-slaying Northern Snow Lance.

Its original wielder is unknown, but the one who elevated the Northern Snow Lance to its current legendary status was a man named Zhuang, the first Chosen One the North Snow Tribe encountered after establishing themselves in the Northern Boundary.

Zhuang. His strength could topple mountains, his presence overshadowed the world. Before he even entered the competition to become the Chosen One, he single-handedly annihilated a powerful Demon Race Tribe near the North Sea, eliminating a scourge for the North Snow Tribe and ensuring that the entire Human Race no longer needed to fear the threat on the North Sea’s shores.

He went on to slay nine other Chosen Ones before ascending Northern Boundary Mountain alone.

His fame was unrivaled; the mere mention of his name struck terror into the hearts of all. To see the Northern Snow Lance was like seeing the Judge’s Pen, deciding one’s fate.

"The Chosen One is the heart of a tribe. Would the North Snow Tribe really let an unproven Chosen One lead a rescue party?"

A cold glint flashed in the Middle Tier One-eyed Snow Owl’s eye. It spread its wings, stirring up a flurry of wind and snow.

"That whelp in the Black Armor is likely the North Snow Tribe’s Chosen One! Hear my command! Whoever brings me his head will receive a handsome reward from our Leader! Your names will be carved upon the Cold Heaven Stele, your glory eternal!"

As the Middle Tier One-eyed Snow Owl let out a heavenward shriek, the other demons snapped to attention. One by one, they spread their wings, and a hundred members of the Bird Demon Clan took to the sky, their presence overwhelming.

Their eyes glowed red, their talons shimmering with crimson light, like a pack of hyenas that had just spotted a carcass.

Slaying a Chosen One was an act of supreme merit. Even merely participating in the kill would earn one an incredibly generous reward. For tens of thousands of years, countless members of the Demon Race had eagerly chased such opportunities.

An opportunity like this was exceedingly rare. After all, Chosen Ones developed with astonishing speed and were treasured like Luminous Pearls. It was almost unheard of for one to be sent out on their own.

Moreover, the Chosen One of this generation who had appeared at Cold Heaven Cliff was an extraordinary Great Demon. He possessed miraculous techniques for advancing one’s own Realm. If he could consume a Chosen One of exceptional Talent, his own aptitude would surely skyrocket!

If Cold Heaven Cliff could produce a Chosen One who ascended Northern Boundary Mountain and won the great contest, then for the next millennium, all in the Northern Boundary would have to bow to them. It might even be possible to restore the Spirit Charm itself!

Over the millennia, there had been many Chosen Ones. Their Souls might have hailed from other worlds, but few of them possessed much useful knowledge, as many things simply didn’t work in a Northern Boundary devoid of Spirit Charm.

But this generation’s Chosen One, Feng, was different. He even knew some of the Northern Boundary’s deepest secrets, as if he had learned them from some great being before even arriving.

The fact that he possessed knowledge that could startle even the tribe’s Great Witch Priestess suggested that this being’s existence dated back tens of thousands of years—to the age before the Northern Boundary was sealed, when the Demon Emperors ruled in unison.

Feng’s purpose in coming here was perhaps not merely to win the contest between Chosen Ones...

In other words, the next contest could shatter the stalemate that had gripped the Northern Boundary for tens of thousands of years. Who wouldn’t want to seize resources for the great Chosen One, Feng? As long as Feng grew powerful, they, too, had a chance to rise!