The news that the great mage Bai Yuan resided on Snowstone Mountain quickly spread throughout the Yi Water territory.
On the mountain path of Snowstone Mountain.
"Stop." There was a checkpoint on the mountain path, and Snowstone Castle was not a place just anyone could enter. A group of soldiers watched as some young men and women approached the checkpoint. These young people were dressed simply and had ordinary auras, clearly ordinary civilians.
"What are you doing here?" one of the soldiers shouted.
"Big brothers," a young woman with a pretty face said, "we heard that the great mage lives on Snowstone Mountain, so we want to meet the great mage and hope to become his disciples."
"Right, big brothers, please let us through to meet the great mage," the young people said.
They were all very young, full of longing for the future!
How high was the status of a mage? They also wanted to become mages.
"Hmph." The captain in charge of the checkpoint, a lean middle-aged man, sneered, "A few little ones, let me ask you, do you have the talent to be a mage?"
"We don't know."
"The great mage will know if we have talent when he sees us."
These men and women all said.
"Ha, what a joke!" the lean middle-aged man sneered, "How precious is the great mage's time? Why would he easily see you? And you don't even know if you have the talent to be a mage? Do you think the great mage will check each of you?"
"Maybe one of us has great talent and the great mage will like us," a girl immediately said.
"Alright, alright." The middle-aged soldier shook his head, "Go on, go on. In these few days, I've seen countless young people like you who are dreaming! Young people, face reality! Your uncle here joined the army to learn combat techniques and went through life and death! Do you think the great mage will take you as disciples?"
"Let me tell you the truth, the great mage has already ordered that no visitors are to be seen! Not even nobles, let alone you." the middle-aged soldier said.
"Ah."
These young people looked at each other, all feeling helpless.
The soldiers responsible for guarding the checkpoint were loyal to their duties and would not let them in no matter how they begged.
After a while.
A carriage came galloping, followed by a large group of cavalry. The carriage was magnificent, with a faintly embedded magic array, and even as it galloped, the carriage remained incredibly stable.
"Stop." The soldiers of Snow Eagle Manor still shouted.
"We are from Yun Cui Manor, the Cao family. Our master wants to visit your lord," the carriage driver said.
"Yun Cui Manor, Cao family?"
The soldiers looked at each other.
There were not many major families in Yi Water City, and the Cao family of Yun Cui Manor could barely rank in the top ten. When Snow Eagle Manor was weaker, the Cao family was a notch below! Now, Dong Bo Xue Ying is considered the first expert in all of Yi Water City, and the gap between the Cao family and the Dong Bo family is even greater.
"No more than ten soldiers can go up the mountain," the lean middle-aged captain said, "This is the lord's order, please understand."
"This..." the carriage driver hesitated.
"Alright, Old Pan, you five come with me up the mountain, the rest stay here," a voice came from inside the carriage.
"Yes."
Five clearly formidable knights with impressive auras followed the carriage, passing through the checkpoint and heading up the mountain.
"We also want to visit the lord, let us go up the mountain," the young men and women who had been waiting nearby immediately shouted.
"Hmph, visit our lord? The great mage won't see you, and our lord will?" the lean middle-aged man shook his head and sneered, "Alright, give up."
...
In the time before the New Year, Snowstone Castle was unprecedentedly bustling.
It was one thing for some commoners to try their luck, but many nobles from the Yi Water territory also came to visit. Since the great mage did not see visitors, they visited Dong Bo Xue Ying, hoping he could help them have the great mage take on a named disciple. They thought... since the great mage had settled here, he would surely give Lord Dong Bo Xue Ying some face.
However—
Dong Bo Xue Ying also refused to see any visitors! Zong Ling was the one handling it.
In the morning.
A male servant ran to the bamboo house on the back mountain, but the bamboo house was empty, and there was no sign of Dong Bo Xue Ying.
"Lord, Lord." The servant shouted loudly.
The sound spread...
On the waist of the back mountain, a mountain spring rushed down from above, crashing into a pool below, and a stream meandered away.
Beside the pool, on a large rock, Dong Bo Xue Ying listened to the sound of the mountain spring and practiced a set of boxing techniques, the "Flame Three-Stage Technique." As he practiced, his whole body's strength surged, and each move of Dong Bo Xue Ying was graceful and beautiful, with every part of his body's strength perfectly mobilized, naturally attracting the power of fire from the heavens and earth.
The power of fire from the heavens and earth was continuously drawn into his body, transforming into flame combat qi.
"Whoosh, inhale..."
With each move and breath, Dong Bo Xue Ying felt as if countless flames were drilling into his body, and his body was continuously growing stronger by absorbing external power.
He had just awakened his ancient bloodline, and both his combat qi and body were growing rapidly. Dong Bo Xue Ying practiced boxing to perfectly control every bit of this rapidly growing strength.
"Lord."
A voice came from a distance.
"Hmm?" Dong Bo Xue Ying suddenly stopped and looked up.
"I don't see any of those nobles, why are they still coming to me?" Dong Bo Xue Ying was a bit puzzled and casually picked up the Flying Snow Spear beside him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
He turned into a blur, and if a normal person were to look, they would only see a shadow flash by, and Dong Bo Xue Ying would disappear from their sight. This was the terrifying speed of a powerful person!
"Whoosh!" A blur appeared in front of the bamboo house, and Dong Bo Xue Ying appeared.
"What is it?" Dong Bo Xue Ying asked.
The servant was startled by the sudden appearance of the lord, and upon hearing the lord's question, he immediately said, "Lord Zong Ling instructed me to say that the old lord's friend, Lord Kong Hai, has arrived and requests your presence."
"Uncle Kong?" Dong Bo Xue Ying nodded lightly.
Apart from Uncle Zong and Uncle Tong, his father had very few friends! His grandfather had fled to Yi Water City due to famine and begging. As an outsider, his grandfather was isolated and bullied in the village, and he lost his life while hunting in the mountains. After that, his father, with no ties, joined the army and eventually cultivated combat qi. After retiring, he continued to take risks in life and death.
His father's friends were only a few in the army, and because his father had been away for too long, most of them had lost contact. Only Kong Hai visited frequently, and he had seen him many times when he was a child. After his parents were taken away, Kong Hai visited once, and every year he would send some New Year's gifts, and Dong Bo Xue Ying would send gifts in return, maintaining a bit of friendship.
However, with his parents gone, Kong Hai had not personally visited for a long time.
"Ha ha, Xue Ying, it's been a few years, and you are already the first expert in our Yi Water City, impressive," in the living room, a chubby middle-aged man stood up and smiled as he saw Dong Bo Xue Ying walk in.
"Uncle Kong Hai." Dong Bo Xue Ying smiled and nodded.
Kong Hai secretly regretted.
After retiring from the army, he became a merchant, smooth and well-connected, with many friends. Dong Bo Lie was just one of his many friends. After Dong Bo Lie and his wife were taken away, he visited Snowstone Castle once to comfort the young Dong Bo Xue Ying brothers, but he never came again. However, as a merchant, he always sent New Year's gifts to maintain the friendship.
In fact, every year, he would send large amounts of New Year's gifts to his various friends, and for some important friends, he would personally visit.
He had not paid much attention to the sons of his old friend, but who would have thought that this 'Dong Bo Xue Ying' would single-handedly destroy the terrifying Crescent Blade Alliance? It was simply unbelievable!
"Come, You Yue, meet your brother Xue Ying," the chubby Kong Hai held the hand of a green-clad girl beside him.
"Brother Xue Ying." The green-clad girl was a bit shy.
"You Yue?" Dong Bo Xue Ying smiled, "You've grown so much. I saw you when you were a child, but you were probably only four or five years old then."
He had seen Kong You Yue when he was a child. She was Kong Hai's eldest daughter, three years younger than Dong Bo Xue Ying.
"I came today to ask for your help, Xue Ying," Kong Hai smiled, "You Yue has the talent to be a mage, and I want her to become a named disciple of the great mage. I have brought the required five thousand gold coins! But with so many named disciples under the great mage, a common named disciple... the great mage might not pay much attention. I want you, Xue Ying, to speak on her behalf, so the great mage will take her more seriously."
"Oh, this is a small matter, Uncle Kong Hai, you can rest assured," Dong Bo Xue Ying nodded in agreement.
The great mage, when taking disciples, was very demanding of money.
A personal disciple: fifty thousand gold coins!
A named disciple: five thousand gold coins! Of course, there was a limit on the number.
But fifty thousand gold coins... for the nobles of Yi Water City, it was a sky-high price. So far, only Dong Bo Xue Ying had offered the heart of the Silver Moon Wolf King, satisfying the great mage!
The five thousand gold coins for a named disciple were also quite high, and many nobles wanted to plead through Dong Bo Xue Ying to save some gold coins.
And Kong Hai... had already prepared the five thousand gold coins! So for Dong Bo Xue Ying to just speak on her behalf, it was indeed a small matter.
"In the future, You Yue will follow the great mage to learn magic and live long-term on Snowstone Mountain. I also ask you, Xue Ying, to take good care of her," Kong Hai said.
"Small matter, there are many houses in the castle, I will reserve one for You Yue," Dong Bo Xue Ying said. He often practiced in the bamboo house on the back mountain, so he just needed to give the order.
"Ha ha ha... Speaking of which, your father and I once talked about it. If the two of you got along well, we would arrange a marriage between you," Kong Hai laughed.
"Father." You Yue's face turned red.
"It's still up to your own wishes. Your parents also said that, no pressure," Kong Hai smiled, "If I had a son-in-law who is the first expert in Yi Water City, ha ha, I would be so happy I wouldn't know what to do."
"Father, that's enough." You Yue couldn't take it anymore. She was still young, with a thin skin, and couldn't bear it.
Kong Hai smiled at his daughter.
Back then, when he and the Dong Bo Lie couple chatted, they did talk about their children getting married, but the Dong Bo Lie couple said it was up to the children's wishes.
However, he brought it up again now!
Because... he saw great potential in Dong Bo Xue Ying and wanted his daughter to marry him! Once they were married, the status of the Kong family would rise.
Even, he didn't care about the great mage! Apprenticeship? As a merchant, his daughter could choose any Heaven Rank mage as a teacher, why spend five thousand gold coins to apprentice under the great mage?
The five thousand gold coins were not for the great mage!
They were for Dong Bo Xue Ying!
Because the great mage lived on Snowstone Mountain!
He wanted his daughter to live on Snowstone Mountain and be with Dong Bo Xue Ying day and night. Over time, his daughter would likely end up with Dong Bo Xue Ying.
A merchant must have a long-term vision and know when to invest. Kong Hai, who had retired from the army and become a well-known merchant, was very capable.
...
That day, Dong Bo Xue Ying personally introduced Kong You Yue to the great mage Bai Yuan!
After receiving the five thousand gold coins, Bai Yuan's old face broke into a broad smile, promising to cultivate Kong You Yue well.
That night, Kong Hai left, entrusting Dong Bo Xue Ying to take care of Kong You Yue.
Actually...
Dong Bo Xue Ying was not young either. He was wise from a young age and could see through Kong Hai's intentions, which Kong Hai had intentionally revealed! For this little sister he had seen when he was a child, 'Kong You Yue,' Dong Bo Xue Ying had no particular feelings, because the current Kong You Yue was still young, only thirteen after the New Year, and her body had not fully developed, just a young girl.
"Whoosh." "Swish."
The long spear danced.
Dong Bo Xue Ying lived alone in the bamboo house on the back mountain, practicing spear techniques. The spear shadow whistled, and the Flying Snow Divine Spear naturally caused snow to fall, making the black-clad youth's figure in the snow seem ethereal, as if the human and spear shadow had merged into one.
"Xue Ying, Xue Ying." Lionman Tong San personally rushed over, running and stepping on the frozen snow, causing it to crack.
"Uncle Tong?" Dong Bo Xue Ying put away his spear.
"Lord Si An of Dragon Mountain Tower has arrived," Tong San said.
Dong Bo Xue Ying's eyes lit up. Finally, news about his parents?
"Let's go." Dong Bo Xue Ying, without bothering to tidy up or change clothes, immediately rushed to the castle with Tong San.