Our Snowy Owl Clan relocated to these lands, led by our founder and brave ancestor Hedwig 60 years ago. Our clan used to reside in the high alpine mountains of the Thousand Lakes Empire, where we lived in obscurity.
Hedwig and the previous Elders of our clan always refused to speak of our time there, and as a result, our new generation is wholly ignorant to those matters. After much discussion, the current Elders decided we do not want our history to become forgotten. I have been tasked with keeping a record of our clan's history, and passing the role to the next generation once I am gone.
Of our time in the Thousand Lakes Empire, I know very little. Though we were much more powerful than we are now, we lived in obscurity to avoid conflict. Nonetheless, conflict came to us, and we entered into a feud with a number of other powerful Beast Clans. In the end, the other clans ganged up on us and we were defeated, forced to shamefully flee. During that final fight, our brave ancestor Hedwig was grievously injured. It took all her strength to save our clan and relocate to here – for that reason, she has a special place in each of our hearts.
Compared to the Thousand Lakes Empire, these untamed lands are less abundant in Qi, and more desolate. The local cultivators and beast clans are weaker, and their powers and bloodline are not as developed as ours.
According to our oral records, that occasion marked the fourteenth time our clan was defeated and dispersed. Of those fourteen times, seven have nearly resulted in the decimation of our clan. Though we've always rebuilt, each time we relocate to a weaker region. This time, it is no different.
Our clan has settled in a remote forested region of these lands, a place the locals refer to as the Ever Winter Forest, also the Winter Fold Forest. The climate is the perfect location for us to recuperate in, as the strongest Magic Beasts are only of the Heaven Grade. Though it is a good place for recovery, it is poor for cultivation. Each time we relocate, our newborns have a more difficult time cultivating. I fear that within a few hundred years, members of our clan will not even be able to cultivate beyond the Spirit Fusion Realm. Perhaps in centuries more, we will lose the ability to cultivate beyond the Core Formation Realm, and lose our bloodline power for good.
Our Snowy Owl Clan is a peaceful clan, never provoking or offending others. Why then, is our history so miserable, and our future so bleak?
It is all due to the damnable curse!
Our brave ancestor spoke of a curse that plagued our race, and has existed since ancient times. The origins of this curse were unclear to even Hedwig, and she did not know if it truly existed. Knowledge of the curse was passed down through generations of Snowy Owls before her. Now, it is our turn to record it.
It was said that in an ancient age, our Snowy Owl Clan committed a grave offense, and as a result, our clan and bloodline were cursed. As long as the bloodline of the Snowy Owl Clan exists in the world, the curse shall too.
As far as we know, the effects of the curse are threefold.
The first effect is to attract misfortune and calamity to our Snowy Owl Clan. Ever since our clan can remember, we have been involved in countless disputes, most of which are no fault of our own. We have always been a reclusive clan, unwilling to meddle in the affairs of others, but trouble finds us all the same.
In our miserable history, our clan has suffered from attacks of Magic Beasts, humans, goblins, trolls, giants, and countless other monsters and races. We have suffered from natural disaster, from plague, from war, from drought, from accidents, even from cultivation deviation. There is no doubt in the minds of our Snowy Owl Clan – it is all the work of the curse.
The second effect is to weaken our bloodline and degrade our power. Over the long years, each generation of Snowy Owls is born slightly weaker than the last. Every century, the time it takes for a generation to be replaced, even the most talented owls cannot reach the heights of the previous generation. Our connection to our bloodline power grows weaker, and we have lost contact with many of the abilities it granted. I fear that one day, we shall lose it entirely. At that point, what difference will there be between our Snowy Owl Clan and some wild clan of beasts?
Our Snowy Own Clan has reached out for help numerous times. We have invited skilled physicians, fortune-tellers, Alchemists, curse-breakers, and other powerful cultivators to examine our clan. Alas, it has all been for naught. No matter the method, they were unable to determine if the curse was real.
Eventually, we were forced to stop by our own consciences. There seemed to be a third effect of the curse, even less verifiable and much more controversial than the first two. It is said that whoever helps our Snowy Owl Clan will have the curse transferred to them, their clan, and their descendants. Such an effect is unheard of – and even Hedwig was unsure of its veracity – but it has happened over and over. For that reason, we choose to hide ourselves, for even if those we meet are not our enemies, we cannot risk them being our benefactors either.
There is even a hearsay that our clan changed its name to escape from the curse. Such a shameful action is equivalent to spitting on the graves of our ancestors. Though even if it is true, it has been unsuccessful.
That was the end of the first entry, which Harry read and digested slowly. He hadn't thought much of the curse when the owl from before told him about it, but this entry put a new perspective on it. It was worse than he initially imagined.
Based on this entry, didn't that mean the Snowy Owl Clan once had members that surpassed the Spirit Fusion Realm? Though Harry suspected the Spirit Fusion Realm wasn't the end of cultivation, it was nonetheless surprising to see confirmation. And to think, even a mighty clan with its leaders above the Spirit Fusion Realm could be defeated!
Harry moved onto the next entry, dated 40 years later.
This year, the Four Founders rose and left their mark on history, and our empire was renamed to the Golden Griffin Empire. Though we have degraded to a Spirit Grade Beast Clan, we are still among the most powerful Beast Clans of these lands, and were invited to attend the ceremony. Out of fear of offending the Four Founders, we chose to attend.
That was all that made up the entry, and Harry frowned at the terseness. He would have expected it to be longer, like the first entry.
Other than those short lines, there was only one other thing on the page – a crystal. At the bottom of the parchment, a small blue gem had been glued on.
'What's this?' Harry wondered, and absentmindedly rubbed it with his fingers.
Suddenly, his surroundings shifted. Harry leapt up in shock – then found he couldn't. The book, the room, the forest, all of it had disappeared. Instead, he was standing in an enormous clearing, with no trees in sight. A Snowy Owl hovered next to him.
This owl looked much like the owl Harry had met last week, though it was uninjured, and slightly larger. It had regal features, if regal could be used to describe an owl, with beautiful feathers and an intelligent pair of eyes. It was a far cry from the dead and dying Snowy Owls Harry had seen.
"Er… hello?" Harry said, wondering just how in the world he had gotten here. But the owl didn't seem to have heard him, instead fixing its beady eyes straight ahead.
Harry craned his neck and turned around – and froze in shock when he saw what was behind him. He saw a whole flock of Snowy Owls, many dozens of alive and healthy birds.
Magic Beasts naturally grew larger as they cultivated, but it seemed like the Spirit Fusion Realm was an exception. Based on the sizes of these owls… they were all Spirit Grade beasts!
'My god,' Harry gulped in fear. So many Spirit Grade beasts – that was a force capable of trampling the entire Scarlet Phoenix Empire over!
Belatedly, Harry realized the owls weren't alone. Off to the side was another group of Magic Beasts, a clan of white horses with sparkling manes and a single, long horn protruding out their forehead. Further away was a group of scaly, lizard-like creatures, then beyond that were creatures Harry could only describe as foxes that were on fire. Everywhere he laid his eyes, he saw races of magical and fantastic beasts. Judging purely off their size – either they were all Ordinary Grade beasts, or all Spirit Grade beasts! Instinctively, Harry knew it was the latter.
So many Spirit Grade beasts – Harry never imagined this many of them existed!
And then he saw the massive crowd of humans, thousands upon thousands of them, a vast crowd that could have stretched from the mountains to the sea. Harry had never seen so many people in his life. All of them were gathered respectfully, dressed in their best clothes, as if gathered for some grand ceremony.
But something was off, Harry realized. The dress people were wearing was wholly unfamiliar, like they belonged to a different age. Not a single creature here paid him any attention. And there was no way that the Snowy Owl Clan, which had just been killed off, could possibly have so many Spirit Grade beasts.
'This… I'm in a memory?' Harry came to a sudden realization.
Somehow, that blue crystal stored memories! He never imagined such a thing was possible, but there was no other explanation. The ceremony happening in the distance – it must have been the ceremony for the Four Founders, whoever they were. The owls beside him were the strongest members of their clan at the time.
Speaking of the ceremony, Harry finally noticed four figures standing in the middle. Two were men and two were women.
The first man was tall and muscular, with a lion's mane of red hair and beard. His muscles bulged and he towered over his three companions. In a single glance, Harry could tell he was an immensely powerful body cultivator. A silver sword hung on his waist.
Next to him was a tall and beautiful woman, dressed in blue. Her long black hair fell past her waist, and a glittering crown was on her head. A bird was perched on her shoulder – a raven, Harry realized.
Third in line was a short and rather plump woman. She wore a, in Harry's opinion, rather jarring yellow robe. She looked completely harmless, friendly even, though Harry knew appearances were deceiving. It looked like the whole world had come to pay these four people their respects – and in the cultivation world, people only respected strength. There was no chance she was as amicable as she seemed.
Then finally, last in line was an older man, dressed in a gray, almost green, robe. The man was bald, but sported a long beard that went well past his waist. Though Harry couldn't see him clearly due to the distance, he noticed a strange pattern on his neck and arms – it almost looked like his skin was covered in scales.
The four of them were clearly the center of attention, as all the gathered creatures were facing in their direction. Then someone said something that Harry couldn't quite hear, and as one, the entire crowd fell silent and knelt down. Harry was still standing in the memory, so now he could see miles and miles around, and realized just how many creatures had gathered. It was simply an endless crowd. Without exception, they were all kneeling.
It was a magnificent sight.
"Long live the Four Founders!" the crowd chanted as one.
"Long live the Four Founders!"
With that, the memory ended, and Harry found himself back in the Snowy Owl Clan. Moving on to the next entry…
After much discussion, our clan has decided to invite Rowena Ravenclaw, said to be peerless in the skill of runes and formations, to diagnose our curse. Many of us were hesitant, as we do not want to risk our curse transferring to one of the Four Founders, but in the end, we agreed.
If there is anybody who can get to the bottom of this, then it would be Rowena Ravenclaw. Her knowledge and wisdom are said to be unmatched, her mystical powers both terrifying and awe-inspiring. If she cannot cure our curse, then there is no one who can. And if the curse can even spread to her, then we may as well abandon hope of ever being cured.
Today, Rowena Ravenclaw graced our clan with her presence and examined our members for the curse. She used methods and artifacts that we could not even begin to understand, and studied our clan members over multiple days. In the end, her results were inconclusive. She could find no trace of a curse – but agreed with us that something was not right.
"Bad luck surrounds your Snowy Owl Clan – of that, I can see," she stated.
Her services did not come for free. As a mere Spirit Grade Beast Clan, there is nothing our clan could have offered to Rowena Ravenclaw. However, she did not demand a physical payment, but rather a promise which we have tied to our bloodline.
We have vowed to hide one of Rowena Ravenclaw's inheritance tests within our clan. Her stone platform shall remain with us, treated like the most precious of our treasures, not to be touched or activated. As long as the blood of our ancestors runs through our veins, we will be unable to break this promise.
We heard news that Rowena Ravenclaw passed away, supposedly of illness. We will not speculate if we are culpable - but guilt weighs upon our hearts.
Salazar Slytherin arrived at our clan today. He is a dangerous and prideful man, with a terrifying power lurking in him. He blamed us for the death of Rowena Ravenclaw, though he has no proof. That did not stop him from extracting the information he wanted from our Elders – with fatal results. He only left when we revealed we were protecting one of Ravenclaw's inheritance platforms, likely out of respect for his previous companion.
Suspicion has fallen upon our clan for the death of Rowena Ravenclaw. Though we are not sure, we believe Salazar Slytherin himself spread those rumors. Once again, there is no proof of these accusations. Yet, the clans of the human race blame us all the same. It's known that Rowena Ravenclaw visited our clan shortly before her passing, and after she left, she grew ill. For the simple-minded human race, that was all the proof they needed.
Humans and Magic Beasts have never gotten along – and Rowena Ravenclaw was worshipped by all humans. Her sudden death has turned the empire against us. Some clans have placed bounties on members of our clan. We are attacked on sight, and humans surround the Winter Fold Forest, too cowardly to enter its depths but brave enough to stake the outskirts.
Harry skimmed over a few more entries, then one caught his eye.
Dark times have befallen the empire.
The seal upon the Veil has broken. Strange and frightening creatures have overrun the land, an army of devils that corrupt and destroy everything in sight. They cultivate and spread a foul, black-colored Qi which is akin to poison to the humans and beasts of the empire.
The devils feast upon humans and beasts, and spread destruction everywhere they go. Their mere presence is enough to cause damage, as the filthy Qi they spread corrupts the pure Qi of the lands. Certain areas of the empire are already uninhabitable and have become breeding grounds for the devils.
All clans across the empire have been called to counterattack and drive them back through the Veil. As I write, a regiment of Snowy Owls has been dispatched to lead the fight.
There was another blue crystal here, which Harry rubbed. Once again, he was abruptly teleported into a memory, but this time, what he saw made him gasp.
He was in a battlefield, though this didn't resemble any location Harry had ever seen. The sky was filled with dark clouds of vapor, blotting out the Sun. Even in the memory, Harry could experience the smell – it was like soured meat and rotten corpses. On one side, an army of thousands of Snowy Owls, led by a group of 50 humans, were engaged in a fight. The humans had pale skin, with snow-white hair. Some had large white wings, like angels. With a start, Harry realized these humans must have been the Spirit Grade beasts, which could take human form.
On the other side of the battlefield, an even larger army engaged the owls. The army was a mix of many creatures, but they resembled humans and Magic Beasts. The only difference was their skin was pitch black, and appeared more savage and ferocious. They must have been the devils.
The area around the owls was filled with snow, while the area around the devils was filled with black Qi. The battlefield was split in two – a section of pure white, and a section of pitch black. If it weren't for all the screaming, the blood, and the fighting, it would have been a beautiful scene.
This memory wasn't very long, and Harry only saw a few seconds of battle before it ended. Shaken by what he saw, Harry took a few deep breaths before moving to the next entry, dated 40 years later.
The threat of devils has finally been neutralized. It was a long and bloody war, with countless losses on both sides. Members of our clan fought in the very front lines, and we lost hundreds of our strongest owls to the vicious devils. It could even be said our clan sacrificed the most to keep the empire safe.
In the aftermath of the war, the empire has entered a period of chaos. All the strongest powers have been greatly weakened. The power structure has changed completely, and with it, opportunists have taken the chance to establish their own sects. Even without the devils, war rages across the empire.
Despite our sacrifices, we are accused of not contributing enough during the war. The foolish humans and other beast clans have even blamed us for their loses. Their accusations make our blood boil with anger, for none but us know how hard we fought.
The foul black Qi covers areas of the Winter Fold Forest, and will likely not recover for many more decades. Until then, the cultivation of our younger generation will be greatly affected.
The Snowy Own Clan currently has 40 owls that have reached the Spirit Fusion Realm. Of the 40, 20 are at the 1st level, 10 are at the 2nd level, 6 are at the 3rd level, 2 are at the 4th level, and 2 are at the 5th level.
Each generation, fewer of our clan are able to reach the Spirit Fusion Realm. Our bloodline grows weak, and our powers have become limited. It has even become difficult for us to assume human form. Before the disastrous battle that caused us to flee to this empire, it's said our clan raised hundreds of Spirit Grade beasts, with Hedwig and the Elders beyond the Spirit Fusion Realm. When we arrived in the empire, we numbered fewer than 50. Though our clan rebuilt, the war with the devils and the aftermath have reduced our clan to the weakest it has ever been.
The next few pages of the book were more numbers and statistics about how the Snowy Owl Clan had declined over the years. Harry skimmed over them, and he saw one that seemed to be positive.
There is great rejoicing in our clan, for this year, we have birthed two owls with a pure bloodline, purer than even our Elders. There is a good chance they will be able to reconnect to our lost bloodline abilities. We have unanimously agreed to devote all of our clan's resources in their development. We have hope that one day – our Snowy Owl Clan shall rise again!
Tragedy has befallen our clan this year.
A plague has spread across the Winter Fold Forest, killing countless Magic Beasts and plants. It has wiped out nearly our entire younger generation. Only those at the Spirit Fusion Realm, and some at the Core Formation Realm, were able to survive. Both of our geniuses of the younger generation have passed away, on consecutive nights. Their deaths came so suddenly we did not even get a chance to grieve.
As if that were not worse enough, our clan is currently afflicted by unnatural lightning storms. There is no accompanying rain or other inclement weather – dark, angry clouds simply appear in the sky and launch bolts of lightning at us. Even stranger, the lightning bolts take the shapes of exotic birds, species we have never seen before. There are cranes, birds made of fire, a strange bird with only one leg and one eye, and countless others we could not identify. The specters of the birds caw overhead, then strike down upon our clan with tangible fury. There is no way to resist this lightning, as it scales in strength to the target.
None of the Elders can explain this phenomenon, other than as a manifestation of the Heavens' wrath. That, or it is our curse.
"That lightning…" Harry's eyes widened as he read that entry. It was almost like his own lightning, the tribulation he experienced when entering the Qi Absorption Realm, except for the birds. Idly, he wondered if there was a connection.
He moved on to the next entry, written just two years later.
The goblins have invaded. They are a race of greedy and ugly creatures, caring only of hoarding Qi Crystals. But they are vicious fighters, with cruel and savage methods.
Before we came to the Golden Griffin Empire, the goblins were already our natural enemies. They enjoy the taste of our flesh, and rear Magic Beasts for food. Their soldiers are ransacking the empire, capturing Magic Beasts. As the goblins mostly leave humans alone, the selfish human race has not lifted a finger to help.
Due to our ancient conflicts, our clan has once again entered war.
After a five-year long war, the goblins have been driven out. It took a combined effort of the various Magic Beast clans. However, the goblins are not fully gone. They burrowed underground, in hiding, where it is difficult for us to root them out. Many of our numbers were lost in the war, and many more were captured. We shudder at the fate that awaits them.
It has now become difficult for our clan members to even reach the Spirit Fusion Realm. We have always relied on our bloodline, but our contact with it has grown limited. Our Elders can no longer display our most powerful moves, and much of our strength has been lost.
In a few years, surely by the turn of the century, the number of Spirit Grade beasts of our empire shall only number in the single digits. And given a bit longer…
Locusts
This morning, the image of a red bird made of flames appeared in the sky. It was displayed up in the high heavens, easily visible across the empire and beyond. According to some legends, it is a sign of auspiciousness – but we feel differently. Our bloodline trembles, as if scared.
Fire has always driven back the ice.
The name of the empire was changed to the Scarlet Phoenix Empire. Unlike the last time our empire was renamed, we did not pay our respects. Our conflicts with the existing beast clans are too many and too deep, and our strength is insufficient to attend.
In recent years, our clan has never managed to keep more than two Spirit Grade Snowy Owls at a time. It is even rarer to find one who can awaken their bloodline power. When using our bloodline abilities, the results are far from the descriptions passed through our records.
There is an unspoken question among the Elders – how long will it be until our clan declines to a Heaven Grade Clan?
Our Snowy Owl Clan recently entered a feud with the Star Scrying Centaur Clan. They are a mysterious clan, appearing in the empire only a few decades ago, and recently rose to power. It's said they have the ability to read the stars and predict the future.
They launched a surprise attack against us, which we were ill-prepared to defend against. Nearly half our clan members were killed, but we managed to strike back and destroy our attackers. We captured a few alive for questioning, and found out this.
Not long ago, the Elders of the Star Scrying Centaur Clan made a prediction that our Snowy Owl Clan would cause their destruction. Of course, such a prediction is nonsense, as our clan does not have the ability. Nowadays, we are known to be the weakest of the Spirit Grade beast clans of the empire. The centaurs did not believe the prediction either – but the centaurs are a queer race of beasts, placing more belief in the positions of the stars than their own common sense. They attacked us nonetheless, and those we captured swore their clan would not rest until we are finished.
We are refortifying our clan even as I write, but I fear they shall soon return in greater numbers.
That was the last entry, and after having read that, Harry sighed and closed the book.
The Historical Record of the Snowy Owl Clan was an incredibly long book, detailing over a millennia of history. Harry didn't read the entire thing, opting to skip a few entries here and there, but he skimmed the majority of them. Sometimes decades would pass between entries, while other times, multiple entries were written in the same year. Some entries were long and detailed, others were short, but all of them had one thing in common – suffering and misfortune. It was no wonder the Snowy Owls believed themselves cursed.
It seemed their last group of enemies were the centaurs, which Harry could infer were some kind of Magic Beast. Yet, the ones to finish the owls were a group of humans – so perhaps, the hunters were a mercenary organization the centaurs hired, or they had a separate grudge with the owls. Either way, it was clear the Snowy Owl Clan had no shortage of enemies.
"I wonder, will this also be my destiny? Is my curse stronger, or is the curse on the owls stronger?"
Somehow, Harry didn't want to know the answer to that question.
Reading that book also opened Harry's eyes in a different way. There was so much historical information contained within, so many things he had never known about the empire he lived his whole life in. All those clans and cultivators, locations and wars, historical events and tragedies, that he had never heard of. So many unfamiliar terms, unfamiliar places, Harry's head was positively swimming with unanswered questions. And apparently, the empire was even called the Golden Griffin Empire until around 100 years ago, when it changed its name to the Scarlet Phoenix Empire.
Harry never had much interest in the empire's history, but suddenly found himself wanting to learn more.
He managed to squeeze the historical record into his Space Ring, along with a few of the other scrolls present. They were related to cultivation techniques and details on the bloodline power of the Snowy Owl Clan, which Harry was sure would be useful for the baby owl – which he now knew was named Hedwig.
As for the rest of the room, there wasn't anything else to take. Though there were more Ice Qi Natural Essences, Harry simply couldn't fit any more into his Space Ring. Finally, his gaze turned to the stone platform in the room, the one with the bird painted on it.
'It should be a raven… then is this stone platform Rowena Ravenclaw's inheritance test?' Harry made the connection to what he read in the historical record.
In the cultivation world, inheritances could be found in any and every cultivation clan or sect. No cultivator wished for their legacy to become forgotten, or for their clan to decline after their death, so they passed their knowledge and skills down to their descendants. It could be a cultivation technique, a weapon, a treasure, cultivation knowledge – anything could be an inheritance.
An inheritance test, though, was a much rarer occurrence. Some cultivators didn't have descendants to pass their legacy to, or in rarer cases, felt their descendants were unworthy. In those cases, they could still leave behind an inheritance, but arrange for some kind of test alongside it, usually through formations or other magical powers. Only if the test was passed would the inheritance be bestowed. It was a way of making sure their inheritance went to someone who deserved it.
The more powerful someone was, the more likely they were to leave an inheritance behind. Based on what Harry could put together, Rowena Ravenclaw had been an immensely powerful cultivator, and she had left an inheritance of her own, for anyone in the empire to find. Though Harry wasn't sure why Rowena Ravenclaw wanted it hidden here – after all, an inheritance test existed to be passed.
Harry took another look at the platform, this time with renewed interest. It was a square platform carved out of a single block of stone. The platform was large enough for one person to stand comfortably on it, maybe two people if they squeezed together. A bird, definitely a raven, was drawn in the center.
When Harry looked closer, he noticed that what he thought were scratches on the platform were actually a dizzying number of runes engraved onto the surface. As for what they were for, Harry had no idea.
The longer Harry stared at it, the more confused he got. Even though he didn't know much about Rowena Ravenclaw, Harry could gather she used to be a famous figure. Therefore, her inheritance should be special. This, on the other hand...
"Where is the test? And where's the inheritance – don't tell me, are these runes the inheritance?" Harry asked himself. Of course, runes and formations could also be an inheritance – assuming the inheritor was a formation cultivator. But Harry was no formation cultivator, and no matter how he squinted, he couldn't make heads or tails of any of them.
'Well... it's a platform. Perhaps, I'm supposed to step on it.'
Harry put his feet on the platform, not expecting anything to happen. But in that moment, all the runes lit up brightly, bathing the entire room in a brilliant light! And at the same time, an echoing female voice filled the room!
"Ahead of you lies the inheritance of Rowena Ravenclaw – if you are fortunate enough to receive it. Ascend the platform, pass the test, seven chances across the empire! Those who succeed shall acquire my legacy!"
Then, from the sky, a beam of light fell onto Harry. He heard a rushing noise, and when Harry looked up, all he saw was a brilliant blue flash. Though he didn't realize it, the beam of light originated above the clouds and pierced through the ceiling of the storage room like a knife through butter, easily dissolving the stone ceiling. It landed precisely on top of the stone platform, engulfing Harry, then rapidly grew. In a flash, Harry's world turned into one of deep blue.
Even from afar, this massive pillar of blue light could be seen for miles and miles around, a signal lighting up the skies. If the Winter Fold Forest hadn't been in such a remote location, no doubt crowds of cultivators would come to investigate.
'What the -'
"You are entering the testing grounds."
That was the last thing Harry heard before the light pulled at him, and he vanished.