The middle-aged man in the purple robe nodded secretly at the expression on Dongber Xueying's face. The people of Yishui City had even given Dongber Xueying a nickname, 'Spear Demon,' meaning he was obsessed with practicing the spear! This wasn't overly malicious, but it wasn't exactly a compliment either! However, the middle-aged man in the purple robe, with his vast experience, understood that in the vast world outside...
The true rulers are those powerful figures, those incredibly strong title-holders, and even the extraordinary beings.
And only those who practice diligently have the potential to become such beings.
Therefore, he was unwilling to offend these extremely hardworking individuals.
"Good spear." Dongber Xueying glanced around, and just from the faint aura emitted by the spears, he could sense their spirit, a natural resonance that comes from being with a spear day and night.
The three spears were each divided into two sections. After all, spears are too long, and dividing them into two sections allows them to be carried in a weapon case. If they were a single piece... the shortest would be over two meters, which would be too cumbersome.
"Brother Xueying, let me introduce you to these three spears. I personally went to acquire them," the middle-aged man in the purple robe said.
"Thank you, Lord Quan." Dongber Xueying nodded slightly.
He generally didn't bother with social niceties, focusing more on his cultivation, but he wouldn't be overly impolite.
"This black spear," the middle-aged man in the purple robe pointed to the first weapon box on the left, "is called 'Black Cloud.' It is 3.2 meters long and is one of the best-selling spears outside. Many nobles are willing to buy it. Its advantages, Brother Xueying, you'll know once you try it out."
"Hmm." Dongber Xueying frowned slightly; this spear was too long, and he didn't like it much.
He stepped forward, picked up the two sections of the spear, and quickly twisted them together.
"Whoosh."
With a single flick of his hand, he thrust the spear forward!
The spear, weighing over a hundred pounds, was held by Dongber Xueying with one hand, straight as an arrow, the spear tip piercing the air far ahead. The tearing sound of the air made the two maidservants nearby pale with fright.
The middle-aged man in the purple robe was secretly amazed by the immense strength and formidable spear technique!
"Too soft, too soft." Dongber Xueying shook his head. "This Black Cloud spear is too long, and the shaft is too thin, causing the spearhead to wobble when thrust. In reality, true experts also want the spearhead to wobble, but it must be under complete control, not because the spear is too soft."
"Of course, for those who are not proficient in spear techniques, holding a spear over three meters long and thrusting it suddenly, the wobbling spearhead can dazzle the eyes of ordinary people, making it hard to see clearly and easily creating an opening. For those nobles who don't put much effort into practicing the spear, it's still a good weapon."
Dongber Xueying commented casually.
At thirteen, he had achieved 'spear and man as one,' and now, having touched the realm of a spear master, he could easily discern the strengths and weaknesses of a weapon with a casual test.
This Black Cloud spear, for those weak in spear techniques, was a good weapon that could significantly boost their strength.
For those skilled in spear techniques, it was not impressive.
"Powerful, powerful, ha ha. I've met quite a few true experts who also look down on this Black Cloud spear favored by the idle nobles." The middle-aged man in the purple robe pointed to another dark purple spear, "This spear is called 'Purple Blood Spear.' It is used by true experts. It is 2.5 meters long, with a thick shaft that can be held with one hand, and an extremely sharp tip, designed for killing... They say the dark purple color of the shaft is the result of being soaked in blood."
"Quite a dramatic description." Dongber Xueying smiled and picked up the Purple Blood Spear.
As soon as he held it, he felt a slight joy in his heart.
Then he casually swung the spear.
Whoosh!
The spear swept through the air, creating a sudden gust of wind in the spacious room. With a turn of the spear, it instantly transformed into a fierce thrust.
The casual movements of Dongber Xueying were something that ordinary spear experts could not possess, and this made the middle-aged man in the purple robe increasingly impressed with him.
"The force conversion is very smooth," Dongber Xueying nodded slightly. "There are no flaws in the shaft, and the spearhead, enhanced by alchemical arrays, is indeed very sharp."
It was a good spear, suitable for him.
"Let me introduce the last spear." The middle-aged man in the purple robe pointed to the last spear.
Dongber Xueying also looked over. This was his favorite, with a silver-gray shaft and countless snowflake-like dots, giving him a faint sense of its sharpness.
"The other two spears are first-tier alchemical weapons, while this one I obtained by chance is a second-tier alchemical weapon," the middle-aged man in the purple robe said.
"Second-tier?" Dongber Xueying and Zong Ling were both surprised.
To see a second-tier alchemical weapon in Yishui City?
"It is icy cold to the touch, and its creator called it 'Flying Snow Spear,'" the middle-aged man in the purple robe said. "Its best feature is that when using spear techniques, countless snowflakes will appear around the spear to confuse the enemy!"
"I'll give it a try." Dongber Xueying picked up the two sections of the spear and began to test it.
The middle-aged man in the purple robe was somewhat nervous.
Alchemical weapons usually have their own advantages. For example, they might be faster, sharper, or carry flames, etc.
This 'Flying Snow Spear' merely produces snowflakes to confuse the enemy, but for true experts, those snowflakes cannot deceive them; they can easily distinguish the spear tip! That's why this second-tier alchemical weapon is here.
As for the origin of this weapon...
It was when Lord Quan was doing business outside and met an old beggar. He found the old beggar quite extraordinary and provided him with food and drink. After three years, before the old beggar left, he set up a furnace to forge a spear, saying, "This is the Flying Snow Spear, enough to repay you for the food and drink." Then he left.
At the time, he thought the Flying Snow Spear was an incredible weapon. After testing it, it was indeed a second-tier alchemical weapon, but it had no enhancement effects. Of course, it was still far more valuable than the food and drink.
"Whoosh—Tear—"
Dongber Xueying held the silver-gray spear and tried out over a dozen moves before stopping, his expression calm, but his heart was excited.
Good spear.
This was truly a good spear.
Even experts who had achieved 'spear and man as one' might not fully appreciate the true value of this spear. Dongber Xueying had been practicing punches for years to achieve a perfect unity of strength, and now he had touched this realm. Therefore, he could discern its subtleties.
But Dongber Xueying couldn't say anything! Because he needed to haggle. He really didn't have the money to buy a second-tier alchemical weapon!
"Good spear, worthy of being a second-tier alchemical weapon," Dongber Xueying looked at the middle-aged man in the purple robe. "But I feel that apart from the snowflake illusion effect, it has no other special effects. Alchemical weapons usually have some special effects, like magical enhancements or greater sharpness. This spear has none of that. As for confusing the enemy, can true experts really not distinguish between snowflakes and the spear tip?"
"It is recognized as a second-tier alchemical weapon, probably because it can withstand 'title-level' battles," Dongber Xueying said. "For us weaker individuals, it is not as good as a first-tier alchemical weapon."
First-tier alchemical weapons are fine for battles below the title level.
But title-level battles are earth-shattering, and ordinary first-tier alchemical weapons might break! Dongber Xueying's strength could now reach the Silver Moon Knight level, and it wouldn't be long before he reached the title level! If he used a first-tier spear, it might not last long. This was why he wanted the Flying Snow Spear.
Of course, the main reason was the subtleties contained within the Flying Snow Spear.
"But it is a second-tier alchemical weapon, and I can see that you like it," the middle-aged man in the purple robe said.
"Give me a price," Dongber Xueying said.
"Thirty thousand gold coins!" the middle-aged man in the purple robe said without hesitation.
Dongber Xueying smiled.
In reality, he felt even more helpless, because the entire Dongber family now had only a little over fifteen thousand gold coins left! And this was with Uncle Zong's support. Two years ago, the Dongber family had already run out of money. This was because Dongber Xueying had been soaking in medicinal baths every day since he was six, which had drained their gold coins!
A year of medicinal baths cost five thousand gold coins! Nearly ten years, that's fifty thousand gold coins! At the time, Dongber Lie and his wife thought their son would become a knight by around ten years old, and once he became a knight, he wouldn't need the baths anymore, as his martial aura would nourish and heal his body. Who knew that Dongber Xueying wouldn't break through until he was almost sixteen!
"How much for the Purple Blood Spear?" Dongber Xueying immediately turned to look at the Purple Blood Spear.
"That only costs five thousand gold coins," the middle-aged man in the purple robe said. "It can't compare to the Flying Snow Spear, which is a second-tier alchemical weapon. Although it has no auxiliary effects, it is still second-tier."
"In battle, practicality is key," Dongber Xueying said. "I can offer a maximum of ten thousand gold coins."
...
They haggled.
"Eighteen thousand gold coins! Any lower, and I can't sell it," the middle-aged man in the purple robe said helplessly. The reason for the low price was that the spear was indeed mediocre, and it was a gift from the old beggar, for which he only paid for food and drink. Additionally, several dozen spear experts had seen the spear, and no one was willing to pay a high price. Once, someone offered eighteen thousand gold coins, but he didn't sell it. Now, back in Yishui City, it would be hard to sell it for that price.
"Fine." Dongber Xueying didn't want to haggle further because he understood the true value of the spear. "But I can only pay eight thousand gold coins now! The remaining ten thousand gold coins... I'll owe you, to be paid within three months!"
He really had no money left!
"Owe?" The middle-aged man in the purple robe was taken aback.
"I didn't bring that much today, and I didn't expect you to have a second-tier alchemical weapon," Dongber Xueying said calmly. With his current strength, earning ten to twenty thousand gold coins was not difficult, especially with this spear, which would greatly enhance his abilities!
"Alright, deal, ha ha. I trust the strength of the Dongber family. Just write an IOU," the middle-aged man in the purple robe said.
"Do you need collateral?" Dongber Xueying asked.
"No need." The middle-aged man in the purple robe was very generous, as he was willing to befriend Dongber Xueying.
"Uncle Zong." Dongber Xueying said.
Zong Ling, who had been silent throughout, now took out a stack of gold notes from his pocket, pulled out two, and handed them to the middle-aged man in the purple robe.
Then Dongber Xueying wrote an IOU for ten thousand gold coins.
Subsequently... the Flying Snow Spear was in his hands!
"You just haven't met a spear master. Otherwise, it wouldn't have fallen into my hands," Dongber Xueying thought excitedly as he picked up the weapon case. He didn't know that there wasn't a single spear master in the entire Qinghe County! While there were many experts in weapons, those who specialized in spear techniques were few, and achieving 'spear and man as one' was already remarkable. Becoming a master?