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With their backs to the city wall, their thrusting spears trembled violently, their handles snapping and breaking from the impact. They swung their swords, the blades slicing into flesh, black blood splattering onto the snow, where it was then trampled mercilessly.

"You've done your best. Come back and defend the city gate with us to the death." As soon as he finished speaking, ropes were lowered from the city wall, and they were told to hold on tight.

The arbitrator knew that the city gate had been blocked with giant logs after they left, and the chieftain's order was that the bear people must not be allowed to break through the defenses. This rope was their only lifeline.

Without saying a word, she grabbed the rope tightly, and then a pull came from the rope, pulling them upwards.

A bear-man slammed its massive paw at the arbitrator, who, with only one arm gripping the rope, was unable to retaliate and could only kick her legs against the city wall. Taking advantage of the situation, she quickly shifted several body lengths, dodging the bear's paw strike and swinging over its head. But her comrades were not so lucky; some were pulled off the rope by the bear-man, while others were pounced on before they could even touch it, their bloodied fangs gnawing into their bones without warning.

The arbitrator, suspended by ropes, gazed at the bloody scene below, her eyes heavy and lost in thought, as if she were in hell. The war tide of the bear-men crashed against the city walls, and she could clearly feel the constant tremors emanating from the bricks; death was grinding against her armor.

In the end, only the Arbitrator and two other Frost Guards miraculously escaped back to the fortress. The Frost Priest, who had been waiting nearby, immediately approached and cast healing spells on the wounded. To the Frost Father, this scene was like a wolf pack driving its prey into a suitable position during a hunt; it seemed that Volibear hadn't used his full strength, and it was all just a game before getting serious.

Chapter 801 Negotiation

With the enemy at the city gates, the howls of the bear-men rose and fell with the sounds of wind and thunder, while the battle cries of the Frost Guards echoed on the towering city walls.

The machines roared, catapults and siege crossbows were fully activated, and bolts and boulders rained down on the bears, impaling or crushing them.

"Lissandra is with me!" The ice priestess, whose forehead was painted with a single eye in sea monster ink, cast an ice spell. As she chanted the incantation, the tip of her staff emitted a cold light, condensed into ice crystals, and shot them out, freezing and shattering the frenzied half-bear monsters that were pounding the walls into pieces.

In an instant, the area beneath the city walls became a meat grinder of flesh and blood. The bear-men, oblivious to death, repeatedly rammed the city gates, but to no avail.

Without any siege equipment, they could not breach the thick walls by relying solely on their physical strength and brute force. The walls of Frostguard Fortress were specifically built thousands of years ago to defend against the bear-men. Lissandra had the Frostguards maintain the walls regularly, hoping that one day they could stop Volibear's army, and that day finally came.

The arbitrator observed this scene, knowing that the stalemate wouldn't last long; the strongest among the bear-men would always be the last to appear. This was what the gods loved to do: give hope first, then instill despair.

Sure enough, with a thunderous flash that shook the heavens and the earth, the whole world suddenly and eerily froze—the legendary giant bear, said to have survived countless blows, made its appearance.

Volibear stood amidst the storm of lightning, casting a massive shadow. Its appearance halted the Frostguard's offensive, and the raging war fury formed a swirling cloud, growing ever darker overhead.

A mile away from the city wall, it casts an angry glance at the wall, then charges forward on all fours.

This clumsy man-made structure enraged him. Its existence ruined the magnificent glaciers that nature had sculpted over millions of years; it was the ugliest scar under the pristine night sky of Freljord. The fact that mortals took pride in it and were smug about it was utterly heinous.

Humanity should not hide behind fragile walls, nor conceal itself in dark and oppressive fortresses. Humanity should abandon so-called civilization, return to its primitive state, engage in wild hunting and combat, and confront the harshness of nature head-on.

A bloody reckoning awaits Volibear; it will liberate them, freeing them from the shackles created by Lissandra and granting them new freedom. Every step the giant bear takes is fueled by rage, the fury within it transforming into an uncontrollable storm, the air around it crackling with lightning in its immense power.

The bearmen parted to form a path, and siege crossbows and wands turned to attack Volibear. Thick ice spikes and arrowheads pierced its muscles, but did nothing to stop its charge.

It bared its teeth, and lightning flashed. Its enormous claws tore through the frozen earth, smashing through boulders covered in ice and snow. As it accelerated, howling winds whipped through its thick fur, and its massive body slammed into the city walls like a muscular fortress!

No one could stop it; everyone foresaw that the city wall would be breached with a deafening roar like the earth splitting and rocks shattering!

"Wait, we are willing to open the city gates, please, Bear God, have mercy." At this critical moment, a cold figure on the city wall rushed into the storm.

Volibear recognized the newcomer, abruptly stopping in its tracks and instead unleashing a powerful claw strike that slammed into the city wall. "You, Mei, Lin, you, you, Kong, Lin, are you, are you, Mei, Lin..."

The powerful gale blasted the strongest human soldiers away, breaking their bones, splattering blood and flesh, and causing widespread cries of agony.

The soldiers' corpses and the wreckage of the ballistae crashed into the rear lines, piercing deep into the crowd in a mere instant and completely shattering the Frost Guards' formation.

Volibear stood up again, and lightning cast a massive shadow over Frostguard Fortress in an instant, causing the entire glacier to tremble with its roar.

"Lissandra! Are you surrendering? Cowardice! I will not tolerate this!" Bear Spirit roared, bending down and placing his claws on the city wall. The foul wind from his mouth ruffled Lissandra's white hair, as if he wanted to swallow her whole.

Yes, the person who suddenly arrived at the front lines was none other than the mistress of the fortress—the Frost Witch Lissandra.

Volibear was prepared for a bloody battle, but Lissandra's sudden surrender threw him off balance.

It needs blood and death to cleanse itself; it will let the bearmen and the frost guards fight to the death.

In order to defeat the monster, people have to force themselves to become the monster.

It will bestow its untamed power upon Lissandra's warriors, allowing these humans to shed their cowardice, obedience, and weakness, and become strong once more! The Frostguards will fight like beasts, shedding all traces of civilization, while Volibear watches the carnage with satisfaction, watching people return to their primal wildness.

This is the most brutal yet exhilarating battle on the icy land. The battlefield is like a never-ending meat grinder, mercilessly devouring heroic lives, the cries of death never ceasing. Everyone can be a hero, and everyone can be a butcher, searching for a slim chance of survival in the endless carnage.

Meanwhile, Volibear, situated at the heart of the battlefield, could absorb the power of the blood sacrifice. The undeniable spirit of the bear would creep into everyone's mind, subtly shifting the Frostguards' loyalty to Lissandra. They killed in its name, died in its name, all of which gradually strengthened its power.

In the end, it doesn't matter who wins or loses. People's power is shifting to Volibear. They will all become losers, and it will be the only winner on this battlefield!

But all of this was interrupted by Lissandra's sudden surrender. It didn't need cowardly prisoners; it wanted bloodshed and sacrifice!

"My three sisters, why does Your Majesty open the gates to surrender?" On the city wall, the elderly Frost Father knelt at Lissandra's feet, his skin and bones gaunt and haggard as he pleaded and cried out, "Our people are united and prepared to fight to the death. If we open the city gates, we will lose our last resort!"

“I know what I’m doing, and it’s none of your business to tell me what to do.” Lissandra waved her hand and dismissed Frost Father, then cupped her hands to Volibear and said, “It’s not that I’m surrendering, but that I would like to invite Bear Spirit to watch the battle.”

"Watching the battle?" This statement puzzled Volibear, who was unaware that another battle was taking place within the fortress.

“We are fighting to defend against the invaders from the Void, and I believe the powerful and domineering Bear Spirit would not stoop to taking advantage of our vulnerability. Therefore, I implore you to stand guard for us! Stand guard for Freljord! Stand guard for Runeterra!”

"You kidnapped Anivia! I didn't wrong you, did I?!" The giant bear roared angrily again, its mane crackling with lightning. It noticed that Lissandra's eyes, which it had gouged out, had been restored, meaning Anivia had most likely met with misfortune.

Lissandra replied calmly, "It was indeed I who did this. If we win this battle, we can settle our scores another day. The Frostguard have guarded the North for a long time and would never do anything as despicable as fleeing to escape punishment."

"What if you lose here?"

"Then let's fight to the death and never retreat; if we die, our debts will be forgiven."

Chapter 802 Defenders

Volibear considered Lissandra's suggestion; it certainly shouldn't take advantage of her vulnerability. It had heard of what was in the Howling Abyss, and if it were to exploit the situation and allow those creatures to escape, it would be something Anivia didn't want to see.

The Yeti, whom Lissandra sacrificed to seal the invaders, originated from Anivia. Ultimately, it could be said that Anivia sacrificed herself to seal these invaders. Lissandra needed to bring Anivia out of the fortress, yet she couldn't thwart Anivia's plans.

Furthermore, it also wanted to see what those invaders that Anivia was willing to sacrifice herself to seal away were.

"Interesting. Where?"

“It’s on the bridge that Ornn built for the Ice Sisters. You can meet Anivia there,” Lissandra replied.

"Hmph, lead the way." Volibear shrunk his size and transformed into a towering bear-man with bulging muscles. He leaped onto the city wall.

"I have some things to prepare, so I'll take my leave first. See you on the bridge later." Lissandra declined for a moment, then turned to Frost Father and said, "Take the Bear God to the place."

Frost's father hesitated for a moment, then asked in a trembling voice, "Then the city gates are still closed..."

"Open. I believe the gods will not break their promise."

"Never blink!"

……

Lissandra walked to a secluded spot and removed her disguise. Her tall figure shrunk to more than half its original size in an instant, and her jet-black fingers were covered in gold powder.

The Lissandra on the city wall just now was LeBlanc in disguise. Her imitation was not only perfect, but also remarkably similar. Not only did the Frostguards not recognize her, but even Volibear failed to realize that she was not the real Lissandra.

Even so, the brief confrontation with Volibear had left her drenched in cold sweat, and she was still shaken, her dead heart pounding as if it were about to come back to life.

The Wild Hunt really thinks highly of her, sending her alone to buy time without giving her a single companion. If it weren't for her mastery of the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique, the city would have already been exposed and breached by now.

LeBlanc thought it over and over, and decided that this matter couldn't be left like this. She had made such a great contribution, and the Wild Hunt had to pay a price.

She faced the wrath of the gods, defied the roar of the giant bear, and even exceeded expectations by tricking Volibear into coming to her aid. If this doesn't earn her a reward, then she can't be blamed for her later disobedience.

……

Volibear followed the Winter Arbitrator swiftly through the main castle. The ethereal howls flowing in the wind grew stronger, and shards of ice crystals struck them, but neither of them wavered in the slightest.

“This bridge…” Volibear’s gaze was fixed on the enormous stone bridge before him. Even he had never seen such a massive bridge, spanning such a deep abyss.

The stone bridge spans a kilometer across the Howling Abyss. Its structure is not a simple straight line; spiderweb-like pathways and viaducts extending from the main span make it resemble an open-air temple, venerating the black ice statues of the three sisters, Avarosa, Cereelda, and Lissandra. [The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the preceding sentence.]

Legend has it that this was built at the behest of the three sisters by Ornn, which is why it has stood for so long. No mortal could possibly have created such a miracle; the complex craftsmanship even led Ornn to discard most of his tools afterward, and he never again helped build fortifications for others.

However, Volibear still refuses to acknowledge Ornn's talent, believing that Ornn has had a profound impact on the development of civilization. If it weren't for its obsession with craftsmanship, why would it build houses? Humans wouldn't have followed its example, hiding behind high walls and building dams to block rushing rivers, going against nature and gradually losing their wildness.

"Hmph." Volibear suddenly let out a disdainful snort, startling the arbitrator who was leading the way. He quickly went down the steps and led him onto the bridge.

A huge brazier was placed every hundred meters on the bridge. There were not many people, no more than a hundred at a glance. Almost all the troops had been sent to the city wall to defend the city.

The Wild Hunt's retinue was among them, but Volibear only knew one of them, Kai'Sa, so he didn't pay much attention.

"You say it's a war, but there are so few people! Lissandra, are you lying to me?" Volibear's voice boomed as he strode over to Lissandra's side. Even shrunk in size, he was still a giant. Passing through the main gate, he had to duck, and even the usually tall Lissandra had to look up at his presence.

"Please, Bear Spirit, remain calm. I've already sent people down to scout the situation." The real Lissandra was quick-witted; she had already learned through the Wild Hunt that Volibear was coming to provide support. Although it was quite unexpected, it was still much better than a war between the two sides.

"I'll go follow up." Kai'Sa saw Volibear appear and, disliking the tense atmosphere, leaped off the bridge, instantly swallowed by the thick fog of the abyss.

"Where is Anivia?" Volibear asked again.

Suddenly, a mountain breeze dispersed the icy mist on the bridge, revealing a giant ice egg. The giant bear stared at the ice egg, its eyes flashing with lightning—a symbol of rage.

"It's not time yet, and I haven't heard of any unforeseen events. How could Anivia have risen from the ashes? Lissandra, I need an explanation."

Upon hearing this, Lissandra replied calmly, "When I found the Winter Mother, she had already been corrupted by the Void, half of her body blackened, and she lay in a deep slumber. If the corruption continues to deepen, black snow will soon fall on Freljord. At that time, the twisted mountains will be covered in frost, and the frozen land will forever lose all life and magic..."

"And then? You stole Anivia's divine power?"

"To ensure the overall situation, I transferred Anivia's corruption onto myself and brought her to the fortress for strict guard to ensure that no one could take advantage of the situation."

"She's lying through her teeth. The day she wakes up, I'll make her tell me the truth herself."

Lissandra's reversal of cause and effect, coupled with the lack of evidence, left Volibear with little to say. It scoffed, its snort like thunder, causing ice shards to fall from the cliff, clearly indicating its disbelief in Lissandra's story.

It walked over and chased away the frost guards beside the ice egg, only to see a strange old woman wearing a cloak emerge from behind the ice egg. She had sunken cheeks, deep-set eyes, and was leaning on a seal-shaped cane.

"What are you doing here?" Volibear blurted out, as if the two had known each other for a long time.

The old woman was completely unafraid of Volibear and even struck up a conversation with him: "What? You can come, but I can't? This epic battle is something I'm also very interested in."

"It's been so many years, I thought you'd died of old age."

"You really deserve a beating. I was entrusted by Orn to look after Anivia. If you have any complaints, go talk to him."

Chapter 803 The Seal Sister

"Why would I go to him? Do you want me to be kicked out?" Volibear grumbled at the mention of Ornn.

The old woman chuckled and tapped the ground with her cane, looking into the distance with a touch of melancholy: "So many years have passed, and you still hold a grudge."

"Not only did you not help your brother, but you also attacked me for the sake of a few mortals."

"It's all because you provoked him first. You were jealous that he had followers who spontaneously followed him without him doing anything, so you deliberately provoked him to attack. You deserve a beating, and I'm not wrong about it."

The family members on the bridge watched with curiosity the old woman who could converse so familiarly with Volibear. The two of them subtly protected the Ice Egg in the middle, whispering among themselves and speculating about her identity.

"When did this old woman arrive?"

"It seems like she was chatting with Lissandra from the beginning, and now she's reminiscing with Xiong Ling without batting an eye. She must be at least one of the demigods of the North."

"But I've never heard of any demigod who can change his appearance."

"Don't talk about it," Lissandra warned. "This is Sister Seal."

"The seal nun who helped cool down the village of Furnace? Legend has it that she and Ornn caused a century-old snowstorm, which laid the foundation for the icy landscape of Freljord today."

Sister Seal's uninvited arrival caused quite a stir, but having another demigod on the sidelines was always a good thing. Earthquakes continued to rumble from the bottom of the abyss, and everyone quickly refocused their attention there, fully armed and awaiting news.

"Speaking of which, didn't you take back Orn's large urn?" the old woman asked again, as if she had just remembered something.

"So what if it is?" Volibear crossed his arms, making him appear even more imposing.

"Give me that thing; you can just leave it by the roadside."

"I didn't take that broken urn; it's still in the village outside the city. What do you need it for?"

“I recently discovered a Beast Spirit Walker with great potential and want to help him comprehend the Gongyang Xingyi.”

"The Ram Form..." Upon hearing this, Volibear suddenly remembered that he seemed to have seen a Beast Walker in Ram Form somewhere recently. "Was it the one from Winter's Claw? He did use Ram Form on me, but I didn't quite understand it. Speaking of which, their War Mother even asked for my help."

The old woman smiled; Volibear was still as calculating as ever. What's the point of hanging out with Ornn? In the end, he'd still have to come begging to him, wouldn't he? The implication was that he wanted to compete with Ornn.

"He is favored by many demigods and has not yet lost himself in the voice of the True Beast Spirit. Now, he has probably even learned the most domineering Giant Bear Form and Intent, right?"

Volibear's smile gradually faded. Throughout history, there have been countless spirit walkers with exceptional talent, but only one dared to use Ram Form on Ornn despite knowing that Ornn was at odds with it.

At this time, the village of abandoned children outside the city was a gathering place for people from all directions, surrounded by wolves.

After witnessing the Bearmen's expedition, all the tribes of the North flocked to the vicinity of Frostguard Fortress. They made their living by plundering, and now was the perfect opportunity to profit from the war. The fortress held countless treasures, including an uncountable number of True Ice weapons; how could these people resist? They were willing to risk their lives to come and snatch up the spoils.

Sejuani, the Warmother of Winter's Claw, also arrived at the Village of Orphans with her remaining forces, hoping to find anything left behind after the Bearmen's passage. However, her main objective was to reclaim Ornn's Great Jar. (The remaining text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the previous sentences.)

Since her failed attempt to seize the urn, her tribe has rapidly declined and fragmented, and her army, which once numbered several thousand, is now reduced to less than a hundred.

It must be said that Lissandra was truly cunning. She reaped the benefits of Lissandra's actions, seizing the large urn that Lissandra had reclaimed and then distributing unlimited free food in the name of the Frostguard, making Lissandra, the war mother who was struggling to find food but still couldn't support her tribe, appear even more incompetent. Furthermore, her order forbidding her subordinates from begging from the Frostguard further alienated most of them; when everyone was starving, who cared about loyalty?

This divisive tactic easily dismantled the largest tribe in the North, the Claws of Winter, which she had built up with her own hands. How could she not hate Lissandra to the core? She had been patiently gathering her strength, waiting for an opportunity to strike back.

And now, the opportunity has arrived.

Across the frozen river, houses stood in rows, seemingly depicting warmth and abundance. Sejuani imagined roaring fires in the city's homes, with plush blankets spread around the fireplaces, exuding a comforting warmth.

"Is this the village of abandoned children? It's called a village, but it looks much richer than many cities."

“Not every place is protected by Frostguards year-round. Wait here for a moment, I'll go check if there are any bearmen left in the city. Your mount keeps yelling that it's hungry, it's giving me a headache.” After saying this, the beast spirit walker Udyr twisted his body and transformed into an ice eagle, eagerly flying away.