Heavenly Rebellion: The Human Race's Rise to Prominence
Chapter 93: A Unique Path

Chapter 93: A Unique Path

His thoughts drifted back to his time in Raincloud Village. Although snow would occasionally fall there, it was nothing like this.

Only at the end of the year did the village ever see such a heavy blanket of white—but even then, it lacked the striking beauty before him now.

The Blackwood Forest, for all its mystery, had no Silverpine trees to paint the landscape with this delicate, frosted elegance.

"That’s the beauty of this place," Chen Mei said, her voice bright with excitement as she gazed at the snow-covered horizon.

"Because of the unique climate around Silverpine City, there’s almost always snow here—even though it’s the middle of summer!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and for a moment, the tension from before seemed to melt away, replaced by the quiet awe of the snowy expanse surrounding them.

Chen Mei, noticing that Feng was genuinely listening, lifted her head even higher, her ample chest bouncing slightly with the movement—an undeniably distracting sight.

Is it normal for them to be that big? Feng wondered absentmindedly before shaking the thought from his head as Chen Mei continued explaining.

"Well, the first reason is simple—Silverpine City is really high up!" she said confidently.

"I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but places near the sea are usually warm. The higher up you go, the colder it gets. It’s basic stuff, really."

Although Feng understood the concept in theory, her words sparked another thought.

I wonder what the ocean is like?

Having spent his entire life in Raincloud Village and the Blackwood Forest, he had never once seen the sea.

That realization struck him hard—as he realized how little he had seen of the world.

I have to see the ocean someday! Feng vowed silently, adding another goal to his ever-growing list.

Chen Mei, noticing his thoughtful expression but mistaking it for curiosity, continued, her voice taking on a more mysterious tone.

"The second reason is way more interesting," she said, her eyes gleaming.

"According to rumors, the real reason Silverpine City stays cold all year is because of the silverpine trees themselves!"

Feng blinked, his attention fully returning. "The trees?"

"Mhm! They’re not just ordinary trees. People say they have a mysterious ability to absorb heat and release cold energy!" She gestured toward the towering silverpine forest that stretched across the distant hills, their frost-covered branches shimmering under the light.

"The more silverpine trees grow in one place, the colder the area becomes.

And since this whole region is packed with them, it never really warms up.

Some people even say the trees are connected to a hidden Ice Vein underground, feeding off its energy and spreading the cold across the city."

Feng’s curiosity deepened. Absorbs Heat? Ice Veins? The more he learned, the more he realized how little he knew about the world beyond his small village.

"Has anyone ever tried cutting the trees down to see if the cold would stop?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

Chen Mei shook her head.

"Of course, but it doesn’t work. The cold lingers even when the trees are gone.

Besides, the silverpine wood is really valuable for crafting ice-based spirit artifacts, so most people don’t care to stop the cold anyway. It’s more profitable to harvest the trees and sell the wood."

"Spirit Artifacts? Are those weapons or something?" Feng was intrigued.

From all his previous battles, none of his opponents had ever used anything resembling a spirit artifact.

Without hesitation, he asked, "What are spirit artifacts?"

Chen Mei was surprised to hear that Lin Feng didn’t know about them, but she still explained patiently, "Spirit Artifacts are unique weapons, armor, or even special objects crafted by spirit blacksmiths. They’re incredibly difficult to create, which makes them extremely expensive."

Feng frowned in confusion.

"Wait a minute, if someone has a tool-type Heaven’s Pact, wouldn’t spirit artifacts be useless to them?"

Chen Mei blinked, clearly caught off guard by his question.

A flicker of doubt crossed her face as she considered it—something she had never thought about before.

After a brief pause, she finally responded, her tone uncertain.

"I... I guess I’ve never thought of it that way. But from what I’ve seen, tool-type cultivators usually have weapons as their Heaven’s Pact, so spirit artifacts like armor are more useful to them... I think."

Her words trailed off, leaving a trace of hesitation lingering in the air.

"Although crafting armor is even more difficult, it’s far more expensive than making weapons!" Chen Mei added.

Lin Feng’s brow furrowed as another question surfaced in his mind.

"Wait a minute, wouldn’t spirit artifacts also be useless for beast-type cultivators? They rely on their physical bodies for combat. I mean, wouldn’t it look kind of silly if a beast-type cultivator wielded a sword?"

Once again, Chen Mei was caught off guard by Lin Feng’s question.

She had never really thought about it before, but the more she considered it, the more his words seemed to make sense.

Now that I think about it... I rarely see beast-type cultivators using spirit artifacts either...

As the conversation lingered, a new voice cut in.

Chen Lin, who had been quietly listening the entire time, finally spoke, offering a simple explanation.

"It all depends, Lin Feng," he said calmly.

"Some cultivators feel that their Heaven’s Pact isn’t strong enough on its own, so they seek other ways to grow stronger and survive. Using spirit artifacts is one of those ways."

Lin Feng was stunned by this revelation. It was something he had never even considered before.

They don’t rely entirely on their Heaven’s Pact? Isn’t that... foolish?

As if reading his thoughts, Chen Lin continued, his tone more serious.

"Don’t you remember Chen Zi? He’s a perfect example. He’s from the Chen Clan and has the Nethersoul Poison as his Heaven’s Pact—but he didn’t want to follow the same path as everyone else. So, he chose the sword instead."

Chen Mei’s expression shifted at the mention of Chen Zi, her lips curling into a slight pout as if recalling an unpleasant memory.

"That’s right. Uncle Chen Zi refused to cultivate the Chen Clan’s spiritual arts. His progress was painfully slow at first—but he was obsessed with the sword.

Even as a child, he trained relentlessly. In the end, his dedication paid off. He managed to fuse his Nethersoul Poison with his swordsmanship and carved out his own unique path."

Lin Feng’s mind reeled at the explanation. The idea shattered his previous assumptions.

So, there are people who reject their Heaven’s Pact and still manage to grow stronger? How is that even possible?

Sensing Lin Feng’s confusion, Chen Lin spoke again, his voice firm.

"Don’t get any ideas," he warned.

"Chen Zi is an exception—a different kind of genius. Most people who try to defy their Heaven’s Pact never make it far."

Lin Feng, hearing Chen Lin’s warning, quickly calmed down and thought to himself,

That’s right—there’s no point overthinking things. I should just focus on my own path.

Seeing that Lin Feng had settled his emotions, Chen Lin’s expression softened into a smile.

"You should rest up. It won’t be long before we arrive at Silverpine City."

At his words, Chen Mei’s mood brightened. A cheerful smile spread across her face as she added,

"That’s right! You’ll finally get to see my hometown!"