After changing into one of Ian's apprentice robes and borrowing a wizard's hat to cover his prison-camp-style mushroom haircut, Xuan Ye's entire air underwent a drastic transformation.
He was not exactly handsome to begin with, but he did possess the youthful vitality of a sixteen-year-old boy—a tender young pretty boy. With the outfit added to the mix, he truly looked as though he had transformed from a scavenger into a scholar.
"Not bad. Luckily, our builds are about the same. But you already have a Spatial Bag, so why didn't you bring a few more sets of clothes to change into?"
After marveling at Xuan Ye's transformation for a while, Ian remarked casually.
Well, Xuan Ye's excuse was that his robe had been slashed and discarded on the road, and that he wanted to buy a few sets from Ian. In the end, however, Ian did not take any money from him.
"Not at all. Oh, right—do you know whether Senior Brother Jian is here? I want to confirm something about the Magic Core first. Also, do you have any books about the Dragon Clan? I'll exchange for them at the usual price."
Being praised made Xuan Ye feel quite pleased, but he had not forgotten the main purpose of his visit. He spoke up, then remembered the matter of the mark on the back of his hand halfway through and added the question.
For mages, they often did not keep everything to themselves. Basic Meditation, for example, circulated freely on the market. Since there were so few mages, they supported and banded together with one another.
When it came to knowledge, however, they obviously did not share it for free. Aside from master-disciple relationships and special circumstances, they generally exchanged it for other knowledge or materials of equal value.
"The Dragon Clan? Are you interested in Dragon Language Magic? It isn't very suitable for us humans. The teacher isn't particularly skilled in that field either. We do have some related documents, but they're all basic. Feel free to read them; there's no charge. I'll go ask whether Senior Brother Jian is here first. He should have a copy of the basic materials as well."
Ian was clearly curious about the latter half of Xuan Ye's question, but he agreed immediately. As he spoke, he set down his milk tea, stood up, and walked to a desk.
After chanting a single-syllable spell under his breath, the surface of the desk began to glow faintly. A small spell model formed in the air. With Xuan Ye's current basic knowledge, one glance was enough for a similar matching spell to appear automatically.
Sound Transmission Spell
There were a few modifications. Several rune syllables had been adjusted, and three special array gates had been added. The altered sections should have been used to solidify the model and extract energy, forming a fixed short-distance sound transmission array.
Hmm. Only now did he faintly realize how terrifying it was to have five Talent Runes of "Bright Eyes" engraved on oneself. His Bloodline Power had not even been activated, yet he had already reached this level. Of course, even without actively activating it, he probably still benefited from the assistance of his Bloodline to achieve such an effect.
While Xuan Ye's thoughts ran wild, Ian's conversation on the other side was also drawing to a close.
"...All right, then I'll bring him over now. It just so happens that he's also somewhat interested in Dragon Language Magic. I imagine he and Blade will get along."
After he finished speaking, the floating projection of the spell model before him gradually faded. He then turned to Xuan Ye and said,
"Your luck is pretty good. Senior Brother Jian isn't conducting experiments or meditating right now. And among our apprentices, Blade is the one most interested in Dragon Language Magic. He's over there with him. Blade is an Eighth-Grade Apprentice like me, so the two of you should have something to talk about."
"Uh, all right. Let's go."
Xuan Ye was stunned for a moment before coming back to himself and nodding. He certainly was not interested in Dragon Language Magic; he merely wanted to find some related materials.
The books Dean had left behind also explained that although Dragon Language Magic was one of the most primordial and ancient forms of magic, most of it was unsuitable for the Human Race. Given the magic power and physique of dragons, Dragon Language Magic was a direct embodiment of simple, overwhelming force.
Most of it consisted of short-syllable incantations of no more than ten characters. The circuits of the spell models were simple and fast, but the mental expenditure, the efficiency of elemental magic power usage, and the burden on the body were all things that the "delicate" human mage could not withstand.
Of course, as one of the oldest and finest branches of magic, a qualified mage still could not neglect the study of Dragon Language Magic. Over the years, they had selected and improved quite a few spells that humans could master.
With the relevant memories turning over in his mind, Xuan Ye followed Ian across the lawn to another small wooden house. Ian did not knock. He simply pushed the door open and brought Xuan Ye inside.
Two people were already seated in the living room. One was a man who looked to be around forty, with a mean-looking face and slightly sunken eye sockets. The strong air of an indoor shut-in clung to him.
The other was even more bizarre. He was a burly man several times more massive than Luo Luoji, nearly three meters tall by the look of it. Xuan Ye had no idea how he had managed to get through the door. He filled an entire three-person sofa by himself, like a small mountain.
"Haha, Ian, you're here! I was about to leave, but when I heard you were bringing over a friend who liked Dragon Language Magic, I decided to wait. Is this him? He doesn't look like it. I really can't tell."
When the small mountain saw Ian and Xuan Ye enter, he bellowed in a voice like a cracked gong. The little house trembled from the noise. With that coarse, wild manner and enormous build, he truly looked exactly like a living Berserker.
Yet from his words, it was obvious that he was the Eighth-Grade Mage Apprentice named Blade whom Ian had mentioned.
"Don't mind him. Blade has one-quarter Barbarian Bloodline, and he might even have the Bloodline of a Barbarian Shaman. He entered the eighth grade a few years earlier than I did, despite being younger. He's always been like this."
Seeing Xuan Ye staring in disbelief, Ian introduced him with a laugh.
"Haha, that's right. My father was a mixed-blood slave who escaped from the Barbarian Race. He's a short man. Not to brag, but when it comes to the study of Dragon Language Magic in Stanrose, aside from the teacher, I'm the best. Even Senior Brother Jian can't compare."
The small mountain spoke with great pride. Indeed, neither his words nor his actions showed the slightest sign that he was a mage.
"This is Senior Brother Jian. He's at the peak of the Ninth-Grade Apprentice level, and like you, he's preparing to take the Earth Star Palace route first. He's also the teacher's most faithful successor. His Puppet Technique is no weaker than that of a newly advanced Formal Mage."
Ignoring the small mountain's interruption, Ian continued introducing the owner of the house to Xuan Ye—the mean-looking man.
Although his appearance was nothing special, Jian still gave Xuan Ye a friendly smile. The smile was somewhat stiff, and he looked every bit like a shut-in who never left the house. Somehow, that stirred a faint sense of resonance in Xuan Ye.
Thanks for the tips, Wuyu Shida, Jidao Wuyu, and Yuekong Guichen. There'll be another chapter today, but it will probably be after midnight. What a pity.
Before you continue