My Arts Evolve When Perfected

Deep within the West Ice Tribe’s Frost Mountain Castle, the hollowed-out grand hall shimmered with a faint light. Carved ice pillars lined the stairways, complementing one another, and a thin layer of ice had formed over a pool in the center.

A golden-haired youth stood alone beside the pool. He pressed his right hand down toward the water, fingers splayed. With a CRACK, the thin ice shattered, fractures spreading out like a spiderweb.

KRSHHH—

In a moment, the thin ice on the pool, twenty feet in diameter, had completely shattered, melting into the water below. Wisps of steam rose from the surface.

The water was reflected in the youth’s blue pupils, and his face was reflected in the water, the two images overlapping.

CRACK—

He clenched his open right hand into a fist in mid-air. A frigid wind seemed to sweep across the surface of the pool, coating it in white frost that formed a crystalline layer, spreading from the edges toward his reflection in the water.

Just as the entire pool was about to return to its original frozen state, the sound of footsteps—TAP TAP TAP—echoed from outside the Ice Hall. The water in the pool rippled, disrupting the forming crystals.

"Lord Gold, I saw the North Snow Tribe’s Chosen One make a move at Ice and Snow Ridge! He’s fighting against the Demon Race from Cold Heaven Cliff!"

The man burst into the Ice Hall, his face flushed with excitement.

Gold’s brow twitched. He instantly clenched his right fist, and the rippling water in the pool froze solid in the blink of an eye. "The North Snow Tribe’s Chosen One and the Demon Race from Cold Heaven Cliff?"

"Yes. The North Snow Tribe’s Chosen One uses a polearm—the Northern Snow Lance, one of the tribe’s symbols of faith!"

Hearing this, Gold glanced at him skeptically. "You couldn’t have been very close, could you? Did you get a clear look?"

’The people of this Northern Boundary have decent perception, but they haven’t mastered Spirit Charm. They can’t see fine details from too far away.’

’From a kilometer away, trees look as thin as toothpicks. A Northern Snow Lance would be even smaller, impossible to make out. It would probably look just like a regular Cold Iron Spear.’

"I didn’t get a very clear look, but I saw it with my own eyes when the Chosen One attacked. He threw his weapon with all his might, and the spear-like weapon shot out with a flash. From a distance, it looked like a bolt of black lightning—just like the legendary Northern Snow Lance."

The man gesticulated wildly, choked on his own spit, and continued his description, "And when the Demon Race from Cold Heaven Cliff fled, they passed right over my brothers’ and my heads. We could faintly hear a few words about the Northern Snow Lance and the Chosen One..."

He told the Chosen One, Gold, everything he had seen and heard without leaving out a single detail.

’This Chosen One, Gold, is no ordinary man. His Bloodline Talent is simply heaven-defying. At first, he could only summon ordinary Blizzards, but now he’s even starting to control ice and snow.’

’Although Gold’s current Realm doesn’t allow him to control ice and snow over a large area or for extended periods, once his Realm increases, how many other Chosen Ones will be able to stand against him?’

’The West Ice Tribe is, after all, one of the four Main Vein Tribes of the Northern Boundary Human Clan. With a history stretching back tens of thousands of years, they’ve seen dozens of generations of Chosen Ones. Their foundation is deep.’

’But in all those years, they’ve never encountered a Chosen One with as much potential as Gold!’

’To control ice and snow in the ice-covered Northern Boundary... what an overwhelmingly dominant power! When he reaches the highest Realm, will anyone in the Northern Boundary still be his match?’

’Why else would the West Ice Tribe dare to seize Ice and Snow Ridge? He is their greatest hope for the future!’

’They won’t just unify the Human Race; the Northern Boundary Demon Clan will be purged as well!’

Holding these thoughts, the man swallowed to wet his dry throat and carefully studied Gold’s expression.

After listening to the man’s description, Gold’s expression shifted slightly. He murmured, "The Northern Snow Lance instantly killed a Middle Tier One-eyed Snow Owl from a hundred meters away... Could it be Jiang Qiu from Xia Country?"

The man didn’t know what Gold was muttering about, but he could roughly guess that the "Jiang Qiu" he mentioned was the Chosen One he had seen.

’It’s not strange for Chosen Ones to know each other. After all, they all come from the same place—a complete world brimming with potent Spirit Charm.’

’It’s even a world that is powerful and has a far more ancient heritage.’

’Of course, none of that has anything to do with me, or with the West Ice Tribe. It’s just like their title, "Chosen One," suggests.’

’The Chosen Ones are the chosen people. Their Souls cross the abyss between worlds to be reborn here, tasked with saving this gradually drowning world. If they can complete their mission, they will ascend to a higher level. If they fail, they will simply return to their own powerful homelands.’

’Tens of thousands of years have passed. Not a single generation of Chosen Ones has completed the mission, and not a single person or demon from the Northern Boundary has ever left this place.’

The man didn’t hope for such grand things. As long as the West Ice Tribe could become powerful and consolidate all the resources of the Human Race, then important resources like the Ice Layer Hot Springs and Ice Crystal Fruit trees would belong to them. That would be enough to ensure the tribe’s prosperity, and their lives would get better and better...

"I understand. I’ll speak to the High Priest. You can have an Ice Crystal Stone."

Gold casually promised the reward. Overjoyed, the man pounded his right fist against his left chest, gave a slight bow, and quickly left the Frost Mountain Castle.

Haaa...

Gold took a shallow breath and casually waved away the icy mist on the pool’s frozen surface. The cold air hissed as it rose, clearing a spot to reveal a mirror-smooth, pristine surface that reflected his cold face.

’Born the Saint Heir of the Western Church, I have yet to meet my match.’

’Jiang Qiu?’

’I’ve heard the name. Some kid from Xia Country who plays with a spear.’

...

CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP—

RUMBLE RUMBLE—

The sound of hoofbeats and rolling wheels mingled together. Amidst the vast, swirling snow, a caravan emerged from the white landscape. The leader, Python, cracked a whip over the Blue-Hoofed Horses, and the carriage behind him swayed as it moved forward.

"Young Master, we’ve reached the tribe."

Following the hearty shout, the window curtain was pulled halfway open. Ice appeared, his arms crossed over his chest. His gaze slowly swept over the wooden buildings of varying heights and the overlapping shadows of the mountains.

The snow-white mountains looked like massive stones painted white, huddled together and encircling a valley in the center.

Houses were scattered across the valley floor in a staggered arrangement. Youths practiced with sabers and axes while able-bodied men drew their longbows.

This was the South Mountain Tribe. Located within the South Mountain Range, it was situated on the southernmost edge of the Human Race’s territory, serving as a great barrier.

They frequently clashed with the Demon Race. Despite being one of the four Main Vein Tribes, they had only experienced a few years of prosperity over tens of thousands of years. Most of their young and strong were devoured by the Demon Race.

Some said the tribe has failed to prosper for so long because they’ve simply never had a few generations of powerful Chosen Ones. Ice agreed with this view, but not entirely.

’It’s true that a tribe without a powerful Chosen One will fall behind, but must they rely entirely on the Chosen Ones?’

’Take this generation’s Chosen One, Wall. Before he went to the North Snow Tribe, he might have been the hope for our tribe’s resurgence. But now that he’s been there and seen the world, he’s a clear step below the North Snow’s Hill.’

Perhaps it was his personal dislike for Wall, but Ice found him unreliable. ’Compared to Hill, who was so sharp and impressive at the coming-of-age ceremony, Wall is like a spineless turtle!’

’The tribe can’t count on Wall to rise to the occasion. We must first cooperate with the North Snow Tribe, who has the incredibly promising Chosen One, Hill. We have to rely on each other...’