Chapter 2686: Chapter 2686: Gant's Cousin

The people on the city wall withered under the cool dark stares of the black Sun Crows.

One of the warriors grew furious. He drew his blade and a beam of sword radiance shot out towards the Sun Crows.

The ray shot through the air, hitting one of the crows.

A black Sun Crow was cut in half, drenched in blood. The other crows squawked and flew into the air. After circling for a while, they landed on the ground and began to eat the corpses again.

The man who had just killed the Sun Crow glared at the other crows with hateful eyes. “These birds make me feel uncomfortable,” he said coldly.

“They are just intelligent enough to be formidable opponents, but not intelligent enough to communicate or negotiate with,” said someone else. “That's why it's so uncomfortable to watch them watching us back.”

“How strange! Why would the Sun Crow race be able to fight well against humans, if they are not very intelligent?” Zen asked.

Many of the people with Zen had cultivation levels higher than his. However, they were friendlier towards him than Maxim had been. The warrior who killed the Sun Crow laughed and said to Zen, “If they were as intelligent as us, we would have been utterly destroyed a long time ago.”

After all, the crows far outnumbered them, and they had more natural abilities too—like the ability to fly and attack with their beaks and claws—even without special training. The chief advantage of the human race in this war was their wisdom and the intelligence which they used to produce powerful weapons and learn fighting abilities.

Even the weakest of mortal humans were often far more intelligent than the members of other powerful races.

Most of the races that had some semblance of a civilization—such as the Sun Crows, the Ear Mice, or any of the other strange races living in the Source World—had only a few select individuals that possessed real wisdom. The vast majority of their races relied on instinct to survive.

“That makes sense, I suppose,” Zen agreed.

There were ten of them on the city wall, including Zen and Gant.

The atmosphere had relaxed as soon as Maxim left, and the warriors took the opportunity to converse with each other, becoming more familiar with the lives and interests of their comrades.

The man who had just killed a Sun Crow was named Rupert Lu. He came from a famous clan, and had already signed for the qualifying test of the Oneness Guards. He came to Mountain Viewing Province for training.

Most of the Other Shore Realm warriors had their own personal reasons for choosing to come to Mountain Viewing Province despite the ongoing danger.

“By the way, Zen, what's your story? Since you've just entered the Other Shore Realm, you could have chosen to stabilize your cultivation in the Dragon City. Why come here at all, especially during these tumultuous times?” Rupert Lu asked.

Everyone turned to look at Zen, for they shared Rupert Lu's curiosity. Some had concluded that Zen was simply a daredevil courting death.

“My goals are the same as yours, Rupert. I'm also here to gain training experience,” said Zen with a smile.

A middle-aged man named Alfie Lu spoke up. He had a pleasant, honest face and upright manner. “The two of you are young and should be careful. You can hide behind us if you're in danger,” he said with a grin.

“Thank you for your concern. We will not bite off more than we can chew,” Zen said politely.

Gant, standing behind Zen, rolled his eyes. He thought that Zen almost certainly did not need the protection of any of these people, and might in fact be the one who would end up protecting them when the going got rough.

They all stayed on the city wall for the next few hours, until Maxim returned. He arrived carrying a pile of black iron tokens. He tossed the tokens at the warriors.

Alfie Lu deftly caught his token. He examined it carefully. “What is this for? Can this token record our merit points?”

Maxim glanced at him. “These are ID tokens. The crows kill warriors by ripping their bodies into shreds. It's often impossible to identify the dead. These tokens will help to confirm your identity, if you should fall in battle.” 𝘙ἁŊօβÊs̈

Alfie Lu looked startled, and gave the iron token a closer look. “Really? These will be used to identify our dead bodies?”

Maxim said seriously, “I'm not kidding. Even the Oneness Guards have to use these tokens, and now you do too!”

His gaze swept sternly across the place, resting on Zen and Gant. “The crows like to attack in the early morning. You must be alert for the sound of the horn. If you are in serious danger, flee into the city.”

He thought for a moment, and then pointed northwest. “There are four great arrays in Blue Cloud City. One of the arrays is located in that spot. I repeat, if you feel your lives are in serious danger, run towards that array. Those of you whose cultivation levels are too low stand no chance against the huge crow army. You will not be recorded as deserters if you choose to leave the battlefield.”

Although Maxim had a short fuse, he wasn't unkind or ruthless.

His general bad disposition and quick temper were common traits among the Oneness Guards, who had experienced too much violence, suffering, and death to have too much patience in their dealings with other people.

The truth was that probably half of the warriors in the third and fourth stages of the Other Shore Realm would die within weeks. In a month's time, maybe three or four would be left standing. Maxim believed that Zen and Gant, newcomers to the Other Shore, would likely be included in the first batch of casualties.

Having said his piece, Maxim prepared to leave.

Gant suddenly spoke. “Master, may we move freely around the city?”

Maxim frowned. “What would you do? Blue Cloud City is, to be frank, dilapidated and worn out. You won't find much in the way of entertainment in this city.” Gant looked disappointed, and Maxim sighed. He added. “But if you insist...Well, you must stand guard here for the first half of this month. In the second half, you are free to explore the city.”

“Thanks,” said Gant, sounding relieved.

Once Maxim was gone, Zen pulled Gant some distance away from the others, so they could speak in private. He asked, “What was that all about? What are you hoping to find here in Blue Cloud City?”

Zen had always suspected that Gant had some private motive, but he had held his peace, deciding it was up to Gant whether he would confide in him or not. But Zen couldn't wait any longer. In these dangerous times, it was important for him to know as much as possible.

Gant was quiet for so long that Zen feared he would simply refuse to answer. Finally, however, Gant began speaking slowly. “I came for my cousin. Her name is Eira Su, and it was through her that your Snow Sword was forged. You should know that Fergus' Wild Snow Sword was also forged using her blood.”

“I see...”

Zen remembered the strange look on Gant's face when he purchased the Snow Sword. Now he understood why.

But why would Gant's cousin be in Blue Cloud City? The home of the Su Clan was Bloom Divine Province. The Su Clan was known for its skill in refining weapons, and when its members left their home, it was often to go to work in prestigious locations like Dragon City and the Oneness Sky Palace.

“The bloodline theurgy of the Ore Shadow race is to melt any metal in the world,” Gant explained. “The discovery of a Shade Stone in Blue Cloud City has spurred the head of the Su Clan and six powerful weapon refiners of the Oneness Sky Palace to come here. Eira should be with them. In fact, unless I'm mistaken, the Shade Stone is probably one of the reasons why the Sun Crow race is attacking this city. Their race seeks to obtain the stone for themselves.”

“But what is a Shade Stone? Why not just bring it back with them to Bloom Divine Province?” Zen asked. He was unfamiliar with many of the traditions in weapon refining.

Gant shook his head. “The Shade Stone is not something you can just pick up and take with you. It is a talisman hung between heaven and earth. Once it appears, it is entirely immovable. It can't be stored in the space ring. Any attempt to move the stone by force will cause it to disintegrate and disappear. The Su Clan has no choice but to refine it right where it is located.”

Zen tilted his head. “That's quite interesting. I've never heard of that particular kind of magic item before.”

“It's true. Consider this: A premium Other Shore Treasure, if refined by the Shade Stone, would be comparable to a primary Grand Nature Treasure. That's why the Su Clan and even the Oneness Sky Palace attach such great value to the Shade Stone.”

Gant had learned most of this lore from his uncles.

He had been close to his cousin Eira since they were both children. She was of the bloodline of the Ore Shadow race, and a person such as herself was only born once in a thousand years. She was not suited for cultivation, but she was uniquely suited to the refinement of weapons. Since her birth, the Su Clan had forced her to refine weapons for the clan continuously. They had supplied dozens of Other Shore Treasures forged by Eira to the Oneness Sky Palace. This state of affairs had led to a rapid improvement in the status of the Su Clan in the palace.

Gant had heard that the Su Clan was here to use Eira to refine a premium Other Shore Treasure, which was second only to the Grand Nature Treasures. This had caused Gant great anxiety. He couldn't help but think that the refinement of that kind of treasure would require the sacrifice of Eira's life.

To be fair, it was not unheard of for members of the Su Clan to sacrifice their lives in order to forge weapons of incredible power and quality. Those who willingly sacrificed themselves thought their lives would be a worthy exchange for a peerless weapon that would be the culmination of all their life's work.

But Eira was not among the willing ones. She was being forced to give her life for the clan's ambitions.

“It's difficult for me to believe that a clan would sacrifice the life of one of its own members—a young girl, at that—just to refine a weapon,” Zen admitted.

Gant drew his brows together, caught between a frown and a wry smile. Of course Zen was disbelieving. He himself still couldn't believe that his clan would actually choose to kill their precious Eira. What a cruel world they lived in!