Living Next Door

"Haha, Grand Mage, you are too kind. Please, come in, let us sit and talk." Dongbo Xueying said with a smile.

"Very well."

Bai Yuanzhi did not dare to treat Dongbo Xueying as a mere youth, for to be able to slay a Silver Moon Wolf King protected by a pack at such a young age meant he was already recognized as the number one expert in Yi Water City! In a few more years... it was entirely possible for him to step into the Title rank, becoming a figure of great influence in the entire Qinghe Prefecture, someone who could make the whole region tremble with a single stomp.

Moreover, it was rumored that this 'Dongbo Xueying' was obsessed with the spear to the point of madness...

In many biographies of Transcendents, there were those who were eccentric, obsessed with painting, forging weapons, or simply staring blankly at the sky for days... until suddenly, in a moment of enlightenment, they stepped into the Transcendent realm!

To be so obsessed since childhood, and to be this strong already, it is entirely possible for him to reach the Title rank in the future. Who knows, he might even step into the Transcendent realm one day! Bai Yuanzhi muttered to himself. Of course, this was just a fleeting thought; among those madmen who sought to comprehend the world, very few ever truly became Transcendents.

The two walked side by side.

After entering the living room, they sat down separately. Zong Ling and Tong San also accompanied them.

"Hearing the news from outside, I am still shocked. You killed the notorious Gai Bin in just two or three moves! You shattered the entire Curved Blade Alliance. In all my years, I, Bai Yuanzhi, have only heard of such young and formidable talents among the heaven-gifted children of great clans... but this is the first time I have seen one with my own eyes." Bai Yuanzhi said with a beaming smile.

"Grand Mage, you didn't come here today just to praise me, did you?" Dongbo Xueying asked.

He did not care much for those heaven-gifted children raised by the vast resources of great clans, nor did he feel particularly proud, for his goal had always been the Transcendent realm! Compared to the legendary Transcendents recorded in biographies, he was still very ordinary.

"Hahaha, I did indeed come here today to ask a favor of the Lord," Bai Yuanzhi said.

"Please speak, Grand Mage. If it is within my power, I will certainly do my best," Dongbo Xueying replied.

"It is like this: my residence in Yi Water City is constantly disturbed by nobles, and I find it unbearable!" Bai Yuanzhi sighed. "Furthermore, other mages are interested in my research, and petty thieves often try to steal my findings. Since receiving the Silver Moon heart from you, my research has finally yielded great results! I fear more such troubles, so I intend to move—to move away from Yi Water City."

"Move away from Yi Water City?" Dongbo Xueying was stunned. "Then, Grand Mage, have you chosen a place to stay?"

His younger brother was, after all, planning to apprentice under him.

"Haha, isn't that why I am here to ask the Lord? I wish to choose a spot on your Snow Stone Mountain to build a small tower and reside there," Bai Yuanzhi laughed. "Your place... it is secluded, and being on the mountain peak, the path is easy to defend and hard to attack, with layers of checkpoints. It would be difficult for petty thieves to get in. As for the nobles? Very few would be willing to endure the hardship of traveling hundreds of miles to reach me here."

"I am ashamed to be such a bother to the Lord," Bai Yuanzhi added.

Dongbo Xueying and Zong Ling exchanged a glance.

Both understood each other's thoughts.

"Haha, I would welcome it! Having a Grand Mage stationed in my Snow Eagle Territory is a blessing for us," Dongbo Xueying laughed. "Snow Stone Mountain has many peaks, and there is plenty of empty space. Please, Mage, choose any spot you like."

Bai Yuanzhi looked delighted. He knew the chances were high, but he was still pleased that Dongbo Xueying had agreed. "Then I shall shamelessly choose one of the neighboring peaks."

"A small matter. Grand Mage, you may begin construction whenever you wish. If you need my help, just say the word," Dongbo Xueying said.

"Building a small tower is easy enough. Some of my disciples are skilled in earth-type spells," Bai Yuanzhi smiled.

Building a castle or a grand city.

If one relied on mortals to chisel and move giant stones, how difficult would it be? But for those skilled in earth-type spells... with a powerful spell, the earth would naturally crack, and countless boulders would condense and emerge, making the construction speed much faster. The 'Snow Stone Castle' of the Dongbo family was originally built by other mages; although his mother was a Heaven-rank mage, she was not skilled in earth-type spells.

Dongbo Xueying and Zong Ling stood by the railing, looking into the distance.

Their gazes crossed the castle walls to a mountain peak several miles away, where a stone tower was rapidly taking shape. Under the influence of magic, the surrounding soil and rock quickly formed into smooth, flat stones. The boulders flew into place, beginning the construction... and water-like light and flowing flames appeared on the walls, making them smooth and seamless.

Grand Mage Bai Yuanzhi was already beginning to carve arrays into the surrounding ground and walls.

"Xueying, will Bai Yuanzhi's arrival bring us any trouble?" Zong Ling asked, concerned.

"Don't worry. Bai Yuanzhi stayed in Yi Water City for so many years without any major trouble. Coming here, there shouldn't be any either," Dongbo Xueying laughed. "Even if there is trouble, it won't be too great. If a Title-rank expert came to cause trouble, his being here wouldn't help anyway. And as long as it isn't a Title-rank expert, there is nothing to worry about!"

Zong Ling nodded.

Dongbo Xueying was in an excellent mood, for with the Grand Mage living here, Qing Shi would not need to leave him to study magic.

******

Snow Stone Mountain had many peaks.

The main peak held the Snow Stone Castle, and a peak several miles away held the Mage Tower! On another secluded peak, a full five miles from the Mage Tower and over three miles from the castle, a new bamboo house had been built!

The bamboo house was crafted by Dongbo Xueying himself. As a master who had achieved perfect control over his power, he had built it quite beautifully.

"From today on, I will spend most of my time living in the bamboo house on the back mountain," Dongbo Xueying said to Zong Ling, Tong San, and Qing Shi. "I will leave the territory's affairs to Uncle Zong. If there is anything truly important that requires my presence, come find me then."

"Understood." Zong Ling nodded.

"Brother, if you live in the bamboo house from now on, won't you find it too boring?" Qing Shi couldn't help but ask.

"Haha... not boring at all," Dongbo Xueying laughed. This was an idea he had formed after reaching the realm of a spear master.

As his spear technique reached a higher level, his spirit became clearer, and his sensitivity to the world and nature grew deeper.

The growth of a blade of grass, the weight of the mountain rocks, the agility of the wind, the fluttering of leaves... everything amazed him. He had never realized in all his past years that the world and nature were so beautiful! To him, living in a secluded bamboo house was, in fact, a pleasure.

Cultivating spear technique...

There were different paths.

Some soldiers, whose foundations were quite average, honed themselves in life-and-death battles, discovering the many flaws in their spear techniques, then constantly improving them until they reached perfection, achieving the unity of man and spear, and eventually becoming spear masters. In the end, they still had to walk the path of taking 'Heaven and Earth as their teacher.'

Dongbo Xueying was different.

He did not like to force himself through life-and-death situations; instead, he pondered repeatedly during ordinary practice, discovering his own shortcomings and then perfecting them. This incredibly solid foundation... was only possible through his incredibly exaggerated, obsessive training. This made his spear foundation exceptionally solid, allowing him to naturally step into the unity of man and spear, and after a single life-and-death struggle against a Shadow Leopard, he reached the realm of a spear master.

In fact, even without that life-and-death pressure, he would have naturally broken through in another year or two.

Dongbo Xueying leaned more towards accumulating strength for a breakthrough rather than repeatedly risking his life.

"Brother, is it okay if I come find you often?" Qing Shi asked.

"Haha, you can come anytime. I might even come look for you when I have nothing else to do," Dongbo Xueying teased with a smile.

Zong Ling looked at Dongbo Xueying, who stood there in black, and secretly sighed.

To take heaven and earth as one's teacher?

Easier said than done. If one's realm wasn't high enough, they couldn't even touch the edges of such a concept.

From then on, Dongbo Xueying began to reside in the secluded bamboo building in the back mountains of Snow Stone Mountain, starting his days of carrying water, chopping wood, and cooking meals. He drank mountain spring water, meditated cross-legged by the springs, and practiced his spear techniques in the bamboo forest.

******

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