Above The Sky
Chapter 352 - 352 334 Warm Snow 13

352: Chapter 334 Warm Snow (1/3) 352: Chapter 334 Warm Snow (1/3) This was not an illusory dream, but rather a vision of some future glimpsed from his own Foresight View.

In his sleep, Ian’s mind flickered with thoughts, and he vaguely felt that this future was closely related to him now, even intimately connected.

He was a Prophet, unable to predict his own future, so he used another method, weaving a foresight dream through the perspectives of others.

Six years later.

It wasn’t until Elan reached the age Ian had been that he truly understood how astounding his brother’s intelligence and talent were.

Elan could not overstate that even if he trained for another twelve years, he might not be able to catch up to his brother from six years ago—whether it be combat skills, knowledge, or the ability to make decisions on the fly, he was inferior to the brother he remembered, unable to match even with one hand.

It wasn’t idealization, but a matter of fact.

He knew better than anyone that back then, his brother could study Alchemical Inscriptions while not neglecting the training of Sublimation Skills, and even had the spare energy to cook and teach him.

Whereas he was merely practicing Sublimation Skills, learning cultural knowledge, and exercising daily until he was spent; for alchemy and inscriptions, he couldn’t even say he had scratched the surface, but rather, he was completely ignorant.

If it weren’t for his brother laying a good foundation for him, at his age, he probably couldn’t even master basic arithmetic.

It was precisely because they had lived together in the past and he had experienced his brother’s talents firsthand that Elan could always remain humble, or look at all his accomplishments objectively without any pride or dissatisfaction,

Having said that, Elan had actually become another genius emerging among the White Folks after Ian.

Under the unstinting teaching of the White Mist Bishop, he had successfully condensed the Primordial Seed, and his physical condition met the standards.

He just needed to wait a few more days for the response from the Holy Mountain to arrive so that the White Mist Bishop could prepare the Magic Potion for him, leading him onto the path of the ‘Dawn Dweller,’ a unique inheritance from the Embrace Light Church.

Although he had not ‘died’ once and thus did not meet the requirements of a Cleric to truly join the Embrace Light Church, the Embrace Light Church was not merely an organization of Clerics.

He could act as a collaborator, and as long as he made significant contributions, he could still advance within the church.

Dawn Dweller was an extremely special inheritance.

It was neither True Form nor Bloodline, since the Bloodline True Form had originally been defined as the ‘difference’ by a group of scholars and Sublimators lead by the Embrace Light Church.

The inheritances before that were highly dependent on talent, demanding that the cultivators have Spirit Energy, a real requirement for ‘qualified individuals’ to practice the inheritance.

The Dawn Dweller was such an inheritance, suited only for Spirit Energy Users.

Although changes over time made it possible for ordinary people to practice it perfectly, Spirit Energy Users would still have an easier time with this inheritance than non-Spirit Energy Users, achieving more with less effort.

Fortunately, Elan did indeed have a talent for Spirit Energy, and with time, his Spirit Energy had nearly reached the brink of awakening, which is why he had been recommended by the White Mist Bishop to practice this inheritance.

Yet the young man could still sense his brother.

Was this real, or just his own delusion?

Even Elan could not be sure.

After all, the White Mist Bishop wouldn’t lie to him.

The Bishop might be old-fashioned and humorless, but he taught him with all his might, and after Elder Prude passed away from gastric cancer a year ago, he was the one who conducted the funeral, nominally adopting him and making an agreement with Viscount Grant.

In his perception, his brother was always alive, just lacking his original warmth, becoming extremely calm.

Yes, calm.

No matter what happened, whatever changed, nothing could stir anger in him, cause him pain, or lead to joy…

such was the calm.

Was his brother truly still alive?

What difference was there between such calmness and death?

Elan didn’t understand these things.

After all, he was just a fourteen-year-old boy, merely grinding through training and study each day in an effort to chase his brother’s shadow which already exhausted all his effort.

“Today, let’s continue training,” he said.

Stepping out the door, Elan looked around the slightly desolate streets and couldn’t help but sigh, “The war has indeed affected the South Ridge.”

Two years prior, the Northwestern Archduke, Duke of Solin, declared independence with the support of Fiery Flame Land, which should have been the last straw to break the Empire’s Western defense line.

With that, the Constructed Knights could drive straight in across the Western Plains, heading directly for the Imperial Capital.

But unexpectedly, mere three days later, the Lightning Flame Fortresses located behind the desert of Fiery Flame Land also declared independence with the support of the Empire, allowing the Empire and the Seven Cities Alliance to execute a pincer move and surround the countries of Nemasases, with the warfront reaching all the way to Misty Harbor, the ancestral birthplace of the Nemasases.

—War?

What’s the use of war?

If it continues, there’s danger of changing masters!

This was an unprecedented strategic realignment that left everyone stunned, shocked, and at a loss for what to do.

Duke Sorin finally understood why the Imperial Capital had been indifferent to his repeated threats and pleas for help; it turned out that they just planned to use him to block the Soldier Bees of Fiery Flame Land.

The true strategic operation was still unfolding in the north!

The soldiers of the Lightning Flame Fortresses also had a moment of realization, wondering why they had bled and sweated for the kings, only to receive less and less pay each year, even facing arrears.

It turned out that their position was no longer the true strategic frontline; they were just pawns thrown out to distract the Empire’s attention!

—Fortunately, they acted independently soon enough, otherwise, they would have truly been discarded like expendables!

Even though the situation was urgent, it was not particularly so; after all, if everyone was in a rush, there was no real urgency.

In short, due to Duke Sorin’s blockade, Southern Ridge did indeed have less commercial trade, and as a result, the once-thriving construction of Harrison Port stalled.

Many merchants and adventurers who had lived there for a long time returned to the great plains north of Imperial Capital, which was the homeland of the majority of the Imperial People.

Elan didn’t understand much about politics or military strength, but it didn’t matter whether it was Duke Sorin or Fiery Flame Land; neither could penetrate South Ridge.

At most, they could send people to harass them.

Even if they truly conquered the land, so what?

Who ruled didn’t make much difference—surely no one would go out of their way to traverse mountains and forests to exterminate the local people, would they?

Years ago, the Great Khan of Azure Sky Royal Court united the three great plains and led three hundred thousand elite cavalry into Sudden Rain Wetlands only to have the elves, who had not yet formed the Federation, use the terrain to slaughter them.

The corpses and blood once dyed the rivers red, and the rainwater exuded a fishy smell.

Even now, there are many Alien Insects in the Sudden Rain Wetlands that use the skulls of Demihumans as nests and have even formed a new species of Bone-Dwelling Alien Insects; effectively, a single battle wiped out the Great Khan’s grand ambitions, leading the two countries into a strategic standoff for over two hundred years.

If Fiery Flame Land really intended to invade South Ridge, it wouldn’t necessarily recreate the epic battles of the past, but it would certainly have some effect.

Whoosh whoosh—

The wind began to intensify.

The White Folks youth who had left the church looked up at the sky over the Southern Sea, a crescendoing sound approaching like a wave swept over the sea and through the jungle.

It was the moist sea breeze from the distant ocean; when it swept through the sky and over the Forest Sea of South Ridge, it produced this sound reminiscent of the waves in a sea of clouds.

This monsoon, occurring at the transition from spring to summer, would blow the accumulated heat and moisture from the ocean towards the central landmass to the north, forming an unbroken line of rain clouds.

Eventually, this moist vapor would collide with the mountain peaks and dry hot winds from the north, ultimately resulting in extensive rains that nourished the vast earth.

This was the ecology of Terra Continent, a cycle repeated season after season, year after year.

Gray clouds gathered in the distant ocean.

For the people of South Ridge, this should have been an unremarkable trifle, a scene that could be witnessed nearly every day.

But this time, Elan felt an instinctive sense that something was off.

Not for any other reason, but simply because of his Spirit Energy.

His Spirit Energy sensed something…

from those clouds in the sky…

a familiar presence.

The leaden clouds had gathered, the oppressive sea of clouds was spreading, and the once clear blue sky and turquoise sea were being covered and overtaken by these gloomy clouds.

It was like the harbinger of an impending disaster, the prologue to the onset of dark calamity.

“This is…”

The white-haired youth’s eyes widened, with streamers of light circling endlessly through his violet irises.

He took deep breaths, trying to shake off the suffocating oppression.

Elan had never thought that feeling the familiar presence again would shock him so, astonish him so.

So much so…

with a mixture of admiration and fear.

Like the sight of a collapsing mountain, an erupting volcano, lightning that spanned the firmament, or an avalanche and tsunami sweeping in…

it was a blend of awe, intoxication, and the trepidation of fear.

“Brother?”

Gazing at the sky, the clouds that had spread to cover Harrison Port and the entire Great Redwood Forest Zone, the White Folks youth raised his hand, as if wishing to touch the leaden clouds: “Is that you?”

“Are you here?!”

The wind did not answer his call.

But after several seconds, a vast ‘warm snow’ began to descend on Harrison Port.