Chapter 113

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

Snow Claw Yu and Ice Fang Kuai exchanged a glance, seeing determination in each other's eyes.

They took a deep breath, straightened their trembling bodies, and spoke in unison:

"Snow Claw Clan, Snow Claw Yu!"

"Ice Fang Clan, Ice Fang Kuai!"

"By the Ice Lord's command, we have come to accept the power to fight the Green Skins!"

The leading blue-robed man remained expressionless; he was the Genestealer Elder codenamed "Divine Envoy One" in Lena Swarm's Insect Swarm Network.

His hollow gaze swept over the kneeling crowd; this scrutiny obviously did not belong to a human, but was a deep scan by the Insect Nest consciousness of human physiological structure and spiritual layer.

From bone density, blood flow, to fear in the heart and loyalty to the Ice Lord.

All were peeled open layer by layer by invisible psychic tentacles, exposed to his perception.

Snow Claw Yu and Ice Fang Kuai felt their blood freeze throughout their bodies.

As if stripped of all clothing, standing naked in the cold wind of the Ice Plains, from skin to bone, from body to heart, they were completely seen through.

This "scrutiny" of nowhere to hide lasted only three seconds, but made the two veteran Patriarchs feel an indescribable fear.

Finally, Divine Envoy One spoke, his voice still without inflection, like a cold mechanical construct.

"The Ice Lord's will has been received by us; your loyalty has been witnessed by the great Frost Dragon."

His gaze fell upon the Ice Spine Terrestrial Beasts beneath the crowd's crotches; those majestic Giant Beasts were uneasily scraping their hooves, letting out low whimpers.

They were the lifelong comrades and partners of the Savage Cavalry, the most reliable reliance on the Ice Plains.

From the first hunt in youth to every battle after adulthood, they had always accompanied them.

"But power has always required an equivalent exchange."

They looked at Divine Envoy One, already having a bad premonition in their hearts.

Divine Envoy One's finger pointed at those Ice Spine Terrestrial Beasts, his tone decisive:

"The Awakening of the Ice Plains requires a living sacrifice."

"The Frost Dragon's power must be awakened by the beloved of the Ice Plains' children."

As the voice fell, both fell into silence; they were also somewhat reluctant.

But the laws of the Ice Plains never tolerate weakness.

A living sacrifice is the oldest reverence of the Ice Plains' children toward heaven and earth: exchanging the beloved for power, exchanging sacrifice for survival—this is the rule engraved in their bones and blood.

After a moment of silence, Snow Claw Yu closed her eyes; she raised her hand and untied her mount's reins.

This female Ice Spine Terrestrial Beast had followed her for twenty years, fought Green Skins with her, battled Beasts, and even when she gave birth, stood outside the tent to fend off attacking snow jackals.

The Giant Beast seemed to sense its Master's emotion, gently rubbing her hand with its rough nose, letting out a low whimper.

Yu said nothing, merely lowered her head, pressing her forehead against the Giant Beast's icy nose bridge.

Ice Fang Kuai did the same; his mount was an elderly male Ice Spine Terrestrial Beast.

One eye had been blinded in battle with the Green Skins, yet it was still the fastest mount of the Ice Fang Clan.

He untied the reins and placed them on the snow; his rough hand gently stroked the Giant Beast's neck, his movements tender, as different from his usual rugged image as two different people.

Divine Envoy One watched everything before him; there was not a single fluctuation in his hollow eyes. In the Bug Race's world, there were no two characters for "emotion," only "utilize."

These Ice Spine Terrestrial Beasts were the finest creatures on the Ice Plains; their Genes concealed the secret of conquering the Ice Plains, exactly what Lena Swarm needed.

After sacrificing the two strongest Ice Beasts.

Divine Envoy One raised his hand and waved; the ten blue-robed Divine Envoys behind him immediately split into two teams, five following Snow Claw Yu, five following Ice Fang Kuai.

The Divine Envoys' blue Gowns remained motionless in the wind and snow; when they moved, they did not seem to be walking,

but shifting along invisible Orbits, soundlessly, like Ghosts.

Snow Claw Yu and Ice Fang Kuai each mounted the young warriors' beasts of their respective clans; the two stopped at the fork in the road at the foot of Double Peak Mountain, exchanging another glance.

A thousand words were all hidden in this one glance.

They said nothing, merely nodded slightly, and then the two groups went their separate ways, disappearing into the vast wind and snow.

Several days later, the territories of the Snow Claw Clan and Ice Fang Clan welcomed these blue-robed Divine Envoys.

The news spread like wildfire igniting grassland, quickly spreading across the entire Ice Plains.

The Wildmen looked at these bald, purple-skinned strangers who did not fear the severe cold, their eyes full of doubt.

They had never seen such people, but the Slum dwellers of the Nest Capital had even more strange and varied ones, so it was nothing much.

But what right did these strangers have to call themselves messengers of the Frost Dragon and make their Great Chieftain bow his head?

However, the seed of doubt was soon shattered by the "miracles" displayed by the Divine Envoys.

In the center of the Snow Claw Clan's fortress, a pile of bonfires soaked by snow could never be lit.

Divine Envoy One walked to the bonfire and merely extended his hand; there was no flame in his palm.

But that pile of wet firewood suddenly "Boom"ed, bursting into roaring flames, the flames a strange purple, dispelling the cold Qi around them.

Some clansmen tried to challenge them, but even ten people at once could not withstand three seconds.

They were all knocked to the ground, unable to even see their movements clearly.

And in the Ice Fang Clan's Camp, an old woman had a high fever for seven days, her whole body burning hot, her skin cracked and dry.

The clan's witch doctor shook his head and declared she could not survive the night; they could only prepare for her funeral.

A blue-robed Divine Envoy walked to the old woman's bedside and lightly touched her forehead with a finger.

The scorching temperature dropped at a visible speed; in no time, the old woman opened her eyes and could even drink a bowl of warm beast milk.

The tribe's witches witnessed all this with their own eyes; the spirit-medium arts and blessing methods they had cultivated all their lives were like children's scribbles before the Divine Envoys' "miracles."

They put down their staffs and knelt devoutly before the Divine Envoys, reciting their reverence for the Frost Dragon.

Snow Claw Yu and Ice Fang Kuai followed the Divine Envoys' guidance, gathering all warriors in the tribe who could still move, armed with weapons, and ventured deep into every corner of the Ice Plains to hunt.

The Ice Plains' beasts, cold-resistant plants, and even stray Green Skin soldiers became their prey.

These prey were continuously transported to the Ice Altar Caves the Divine Envoys had prepared in advance, piled up like mountains.

The Divine Envoys said: "The Frost Dragon is not picky; everything in the mortal world can become an offering to the Frost Dragon!"

At the same time, convoys of several Vanguard Army units appeared at the edge of the Snow Claw and Ice Fang Clans, flying the flags of the Governor's Office of Brevis.

The purpose of these convoys was to take away the tribe's elders, young children, pregnant women, and the sick and wounded, sending them to the plains area within Manga River.

At the moment of parting, many Wildmen reddened their eyes; they knelt tearfully to bid farewell to their parents, wives, and children, watching the convoys drive away and disappear into the horizon.

But their hearts were at ease, because the Ice Lord kept his word and had promised the tribesmen a stable place to settle.

And this promise was being realized bit by bit.

Even more surprising to the Wildmen was that the tribe's food actually began to have a surplus.

Originally the tribe's rations were already tight; the migrating tribesmen took away a portion, and the remaining food still had to supply the hunting warriors.

But ever since they began offering prey as sacrifices to the Ice Lord, supplies from the Nest Capital arrived ceaselessly, and the tribe's warehouses were piled full of the starch canned food bestowed by the Ice Lord.

Although most became sacrifices, the remainder was enough to feed them.

Since the Ice Lord had given them hope for survival, they would repay this kindness in their own way.

All the warriors were eager for battle, with fighting spirit burning in their eyes, waiting for the Ice Lord's command.

They prepared to use Green Skin blood to sacrifice to the Frost Dragon and repay the Ice Lord's kindness.