Chapter 166

At least they knew that Ornn had fought a battle with an equally powerful being in the far north of Freljord and emerged victorious.

Even more outrageous rumors suggest that Ornn died directly in that battle—they claim that the Solariel Glacier was formed from the spine of the Forging God, while the rest of the flesh and blood formed the rivers and plains of the south, as well as the limbs that became the environment upon which the various tribes depended for survival.

As for the most outrageous rumors... they come from some so-called "advanced individuals" who have left Freljord and traveled south to Demacia, Shurima, or Piltover. Whenever they return from their long journeys, they invariably boast about the outside world in those filthy traveler's taverns, blushing and craning their necks to shout:

[That so-called God of Forging is completely fictitious! Freljord has no gods to protect it! There are no gods in this world!]

Even if they had heard of the Ascended in Shurima, or the beautiful legends of the Wind Goddess in Piltover.

But clearly, no one has ever seen those so-called gods, whether fierce or respectable. Most people outside don't believe in them, so they stop believing as well.

The rumors circulating outside are difficult to verify.

Only one person knew the whole story—the witch who witnessed it all.

Lissandra.

She has lived from the primitive era when several demigods of Freljord were active until now, when humans have taken control of the entire ice plains, and almost nothing can escape her eyes.

Throughout these long years, she witnessed the rise and fall, the success and failure of Freljord, and everything about Freljord.

Even though she wasn't personally involved in many of the events, she was able to learn the truth through various channels.

For example, the lost legend of Ornn, the god of forging.

She knew where that powerful demigod was hiding.

The epic battle of that year did him little damage, let alone leave him "severely wounded and on the verge of death" or "killed by the Volibear"—in that great battle, he almost unilaterally crushed Volibear.

That fiery breath, comparable to a natural disaster, that forging hammer that could easily flatten mountains... his power had transcended the mortal realm; even the most powerful wizards were insignificant before him.

He severely injured Volibear.

Volibear's rune armor was shattered into a pile of tatters, and the flesh on his face was twisted and contorted by the high-temperature hammer. Even his bones were deformed and increasingly resembled those of a bear.

Volibear's rune armor and lightning power are also closely related to his brother Ornn... but that's just some unrelated "anecdotal tale."

Returning to that great battle, Ornn nearly crushed Volibear to death, but stopped at the last moment—perhaps partly out of compassion, but certainly not the whole reason.

The bigger reason was that he realized he had made a huge mistake... he had been implicated in far too many things in his fight with Volibear.

Many mortals died. Those Hearthblood.

They are Ornn's most devout followers, not good at fighting or fond of conflict, but only willing to use their forging skills to resist the howling wind and snow and the invasion of frost. They worship Ornn as the god of forging and casting, and humbly, respectfully and devoutly learn the art of forging.

Ornn saw in them the hope of peace... and that indomitable spirit, like iron forged through countless trials.

He acknowledged them and tacitly allowed them to "steal" the supreme forging techniques right under his feet.

And they all died. Died Volibear.

He died Volibear wanted to start a war against humanity.

Ornn casually tossed the heavily wounded Volibear to the ground like a corpse, then left dejectedly—if the fight continued, the last bloodline of the Hearthblood would be completely severed.

Ornn, who already disliked conflict, chose to retire completely after this battle—he no longer wanted to see any more bloody, brutal, and meaningless wars.

The location where he went into seclusion has become one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of Freljord.

But Lissandra was still able to find a few clues.

For millennia, her Frostguard tribe has ruled over most of Freljord, with informants spread across the entire ice plains; nothing can escape her intelligence network.

Even something as trivial as the replacement of the Warmother in some unknown little village in the south could be understood by her if she wanted to know—including every seemingly insignificant detail.

Although Ornn lives in seclusion and tries to keep a low profile, how could he possibly remain completely silent given his massive size and strength?

With a physique as robust as Volibear's, even a simple roll over or a few steps from him could cause a mini-earthquake in the region.

It was impossible for him to remain completely unnoticed by the Frostguard's spies.

Lissandra has been intentionally investigating his whereabouts for years.

The result can only be described as... the effort was not in vain.

She had roughly pinpointed Ornn's hiding place—atop a towering, extinct volcano.

We'll see him soon.

The ice stretching forward seemed to be part of Lissandra's body, propelling her forward—her elegant yet eerie movement, moving forward without moving her feet, made her look like the legendary "Snow Woman."

The same beauty, the same unfathomable depths... and at certain times, the same brutality.

In contrast, the three on the side didn't look so elegant— Chen Ce, with Ashe and Sejuani on his back, glided forward on Braum's Shield, somewhat like they were ice skating or skiing.

"Okay." Chen Ce nodded and replied to Lissandra, "I'll have him help us."

Your confidence seems a little... foolish.

"That word is really hurtful; you might as well say I'm arrogant."

"No difference." Lissandra sighed softly, but no white mist formed at the corner of her mouth—her breath was as cold as this icy plain.

It's as if she is the embodiment of Freljord.

"You don't know anything about Ornn and his past... Even if you seem to know a lot, it's all hearsay, right?"

"Maybe." Chen Ce shrugged, not denying it—well, if you have to say, even God's perspective is "hearsay."

"And I have been observing them for ten thousand years," Lissandra added. "The God of Forging, the Volibear, the Anivia ... and the other demigods. I know them inside and out."

But there are always things you don't know.

"Then I don't think you'd know either."

"We'll see." Chen Ce smiled and stopped arguing.

Lissandra also fell silent, focusing intently on her journey to her destination.

Time is running out for them.

Others might not notice, but she, having lost her sight and whose other senses had become exceptionally sharp, noticed... a terrifying aura was rapidly approaching.

Who else could it be but the Icefield Demon?

They were nowhere near as fast as the winged monster.

"We've entered the old site of Hearth-Home."

After giving a reminder, Lissandra extended her right arm forward.

An extremely cold magical power swirled between her slender, white fingers, then materialized into even whiter ice crystals.

A long, spiraling ice crystal staircase immediately formed.

Before them stood a towering, dormant volcano, silent, desolate, and quiet. The newly formed ice crystal staircase, like a graceful and beautiful elf, added a touch of life to this dormant volcano that had remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years.

The four of them climbed the stairs, taking three steps at a time.

The temperature drops rapidly with increasing altitude, and even the air we breathe becomes increasingly thin.

However, none of them dared to be negligent in the slightest.

Finally, as Ashe and Sejuani were both flushed from holding back their emotions, they reached the summit.

Ashe nestled against Chen Ce, panting, her dazed eyes and strange expression stirring emotions within him. But the latter was no longer in the mood to care about any of that.

Chen Ce quickly looked around.

Everywhere you look... is desolate.

There was nothing there.

In this secluded place, even the weeds seemed to lack the will to grow.

"It was a promise—"

"Don't rush." Lissandra interrupted Chen Ce's question, her slightly cold tone sounding as if she were scolding him for not being elegant enough.

Then, she slowly walked towards the center of the mountaintop, every gesture embodying elegance.

She slowly squatted down, placing her fair palms on the scorched rock.

"Prepare to welcome the Chief of the Freljord Gods..."

As soon as she finished speaking, a powerful burst of True Ice magic erupted from her palm.

The azure True Ice spread outwards at an alarming speed, like lush vegetation summoned by elves, growing rapidly.

In a short while, most of the mountaintop was covered with a layer of indestructible True Ice.

The spectacular sight left Ashe and Sejuani, both "ice element users," completely stunned.

What shocked and unsettled them even more was what happened next...

Boom--!!

A terrifying roar suddenly erupted, followed by the entire volcano beginning to shake violently.

It was as if this dormant volcano, silent for millennia, was about to erupt.

Lissandra slowly stood up again, her beautiful eyebrows slightly furrowed.

She couldn't see, but she could sense what others saw... right beneath her feet.

"This doesn't look good." Chen Ce could see it clearly—the scene beneath their feet.

Beneath the True Ice, the rocks rapidly cracked and collapsed, with a red fluid, like magma, flowing through countless torn ravines.

Fortunately, the solid layer of True Ice beneath their feet protected them.

Without a doubt, if they fell into that extremely hot red fluid... they would be reduced to ashes in less than half a second.

"The volcano is enraged." Lissandra's tone remained calm, and her demeanor remained elegant, but she couldn't help feeling nervous inside.

The Lord of Forging... the elder brother of all the demigods of Freljord, whose power was so great that even the terrifying Volibear could be easily defeated...

He is the true master of this continent.

"I can sense it..." Correspondingly, Chen Ce couldn't remain completely calm either—he had a thorough understanding of Ornn's power.

It is no exaggeration to say that he is very likely the strongest being in all of Runeterra —aside from ethereal beings like the Mask Mother and the Serpent Mother, almost no one can withstand his forged iron hammer.

If Aatrox weren't immortal, he probably wouldn't have been able to last long against Ornn...

That kind of extremely terrifying brute force is absolutely unmatched.

Several of them felt somewhat uneasy.

This unease reached its peak after a deep, resonant voice rang out:

"I don't want to be disturbed..."

The extremely imposing voice echoed through the mountains, its overwhelming majesty even making one want to kneel.

This is a true demigod.

A deity transcending the mortal realm.

"Revered Lord of Forging!" Chen Ce forced himself to take a step forward and shouted loudly towards the source of the voice, "I've come to ask for your help!"

"I don't want to help any of you..." It was that authoritative voice again.

Ashe and Sejuani could no longer even stand up straight.

"Freljord is in grave danger!" Chen Ce continued to shout. "The threat of the Volibear, the threat of the Darkin, and... the ancient shadows from the depths! They will all destroy this land!"

"This has nothing to do with me..."

"The Hearthblood still exist!"

"So what..."

"Then please—"

Boom!

Another eruption of lava, the violent tremors abruptly interrupting Chen Ce's words.

Ornn's slightly threatening voice rang out at the opportune moment. "Your recklessness has greatly displeased me... Get out of here... before I swing my hammer..."

Upon hearing this, Lissandra already felt the urge to back down—she knew that this powerful demigod always kept his word.

The Lord of Forging was taciturn and rarely spoke, but every word he uttered was absolute truth...

He said he was going to swing a hammer, and he really meant it...

But if he makes a move...