Chapter 34: Six Years Later

After the New Year.

Lord Si An once again arrived at Xue Shi Castle.

“Mission accomplished,” Lord Si An said with a smile. “The alchemical master at the Dongxiang Lake workshop has accepted the ten thousand gold coins. According to our investigation, your father, Dongbo Lie, has already been summoned into the Alchemist’s Tower to perform certain duties. Although the work remains somewhat arduous, as a Sky-tier Knight, he can easily endure it. After all, the Mo Yang Clan’s decree demands a hundred years of hard labor; the alchemical master only ensured his life, unwilling to defy the decree to grant your father an easier existence.”

“That’s fine; as long as his life is safe, that’s best,” Dongbo Xueying couldn’t help but say. “Is my father safe within the Alchemist’s Tower? Could there be any accidents?”

“You can rest assured,” Lord Si An replied. “An alchemical master’s tower is an absolute sanctuary! Even the Mo Yang Clan, despite having a pseudo-transcendent, must obtain the alchemical master’s permission to enter the tower, showing the master the proper respect. Moreover, the tower is filled with countless traps and dangers—it holds the alchemical master’s life’s research, and no one dares to enter recklessly. What status does Mo Yang Chen Bai hold? Not only those he sends, but even he himself dares not enter! Your father is absolutely safe!”

“Thank you, Lord Si An,” Dongbo Xueying felt a great weight lift from his heart, expressing his gratitude sincerely.

To him, gold was but an external possession.

Ensuring his father’s life was the most important thing.

“Fortunately for Dongbo, we had Lord Si An’s help,” Zong Ling also remarked, and Tong San, too, let out a slight sigh of relief.

“Haha, just a small favor,” Lord Si An said. “Dongbo Lie is ultimately one of Yishui City’s own. If I could save him, I naturally would do my best.”

Dongbo Xueying felt somewhat relieved.

Yet regarding his parents’ current situations, he remained dissatisfied.

His mother remained eternally confined in isolation, essentially enduring an endless imprisonment. And unlike regular imprisonment, where one might have companions to alleviate the loneliness, this isolation was a solitary torment.

His father, too, continued to perform arduous, exhausting labor.

“My strength is still too weak.”

“I’m not even a Named yet!”

“I have no hope of attaining the rank of Honorary Marquis for my father. I must hurry. After awakening my Ancient Bloodline, my body has improved greatly. But more training will allow my body to progress even faster,” Dongbo Xueying thought to himself.

Like the legendary dragons.

They are transcendent beings; once mature, dragons are transcendent! Yet among dragons, those who diligently cultivate and study attain far greater strength than others.

It is the same principle!

Even with the ‘Power Bloodline’ awakened, those who train diligently will naturally surpass those who merely sleep all day.

Dongbo Xueying was determined to elevate his strength as much as possible!

…

On an open area beside the bamboo house at the back of the mountain stood two alchemical training dummies, each worth five thousand gold coins. These dummies could not be harmed in the slightest by anyone below the Named tier! Even Named warriors could barely scratch them, and the dummies’ self-repairing abilities would quickly restore any damage. Thus, they were commonly used tools for experiments by great mages.

They had been specially purchased from Yishui City and fixed in place by designated mages; moving them would be difficult. Considering the immense power of Dongbo Xueying’s spear techniques, which couldn’t even shake them, one could imagine how stable they were.

“Boom.”

“Boom.”

The long spear moved like thunder, sweeping, striking, cleaving, and bursting. As Dongbo Xueying moved, each technique unleashed immense power.

Although he had already reached the level of a spear master, further training offered little improvement in his martial cultivation. However, it greatly benefited his physical conditioning. On one hand, his awakened Power Bloodline granted incredible recovery abilities; each recovery brought slight evolution to his muscles and bones. Accumulated over time, these small evolutions led to significant improvements in his overall strength. On the other hand, the immense energy consumed during recovery allowed him to absorb more external fire energy while practicing the “Three Stages of Flame” technique.

Moreover…

Insights gained from contemplating the natural world could also be tested through spear practice.

“Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…” Sweat soaked his clothes as Dongbo Xueying’s power flowed seamlessly, allowing him to sense the fatigue levels of every muscle and tendon in his body. Areas requiring more development would naturally receive more attention.

Through this intense training, the potential of his Power Bloodline was continuously tapped.

…

The grass on Xue Shi Mountain withered and regrew with each passing year, time flowing with its cycles.

In the blink of an eye, six years had passed.

The once naive girl, Kong Youyue, the mischievous Dongbo Qingshi, and the budding young warrior Dongbo Xueying had all grown up!

“Swish, swish, swish~~~”

The sound of mountain spring water cascading into a pool echoed, emphasizing the serene stillness of the surroundings.

A young man in black sat cross-legged with his eyes closed atop a large rock. His face, sharp and chiseled, bore a strong resemblance to his father—his appearance was rather ordinary, not particularly handsome. Yet an aura of quiet strength radiated from him, making him seem extraordinary. His breathing had slowed to an almost imperceptible rate, and his heartbeat was equally slow, perhaps only once per minute. His blood flowed at an extremely sluggish pace.

“Inhale~~~ Exhale~~~”

Suddenly, he opened his eyes. His breath caused his spine to undulate like a great dragon rising. As he inhaled, his abdomen slightly expanded, as if drawing in an endless stream of air.

Exhale!

With a single breath, a surge of powerful air rushed from his mouth, directly impacting the surface of the pool ahead. The previously tranquil water exploded with a thunderous roar, its surface violently caving inward as a massive spray of water erupted skyward, scattering in all directions.

With each breath, his blood circulation, previously in a state of extreme calm and slowness, began to accelerate. His heartbeat soon returned to a normal pace.

He rose and took his stance. Battle aura surged across his body, condensing into a fiery red protective layer. He looked like a flame-wielding war god as he began practicing the “Three Stages of Flame” technique, a mid-tier battle aura method he had practiced countless times over the years. Despite its simplicity, his execution exuded a unique blend of power and grace.

At times, his movements were slow and deliberate; at other times, they erupted with sudden speed.

“Boom!” His palm slashed forward with explosive force, the edge of his hand compressing the air into a high-pressure current. A white arc of air pressure shot through the sky, striking a distant rock. “Crack!” A massive fissure instantly split the stone, sending fragments flying as they tumbled down the ravine.

Dongbo Xueying practiced his martial arts.

Each move.

The high-pressure air currents generated by the explosive force of his fists and palms could easily tear through large stones.

“Finish,” he said as he completed the form, all energy gradually settling, and the battle aura around his body fully withdrawing.

“My strength’s growth has begun to slow,” Dongbo Xueying thought to himself. “Only after my battle aura breaks through to the Silver Moon tier will my body improve rapidly again.”

“But it’s enough!”

Through relentless cultivation and the continuous tapping of his Power Bloodline’s potential, Dongbo Xueying now possessed incredible strength.

Because his power was perfectly unified, his battle aura had naturally transcended from the Sky tier to the Star tier without encountering any bottlenecks. The liquefied battle aura further enhanced his physical evolution. Over the past six months, Dongbo Xueying’s body had continuously improved, though recently his progress had begun to slow.

“My battle aura is merely at the Star tier. But my true strength lies in my awakened Power Bloodline and my body.”

“Six years ago, when I first awakened, my strength was already at the peak of the Star tier. Now, according to the tests with the alchemical dummies, my physical strength should normally reach the peak of the Named tier,” Dongbo Xueying mused. “Although I have yet to achieve the unity of heaven and humanity, which sets me apart from the Named Knights, my body is already powerful. And once my Power Bloodline erupts, my strength can double again.”

With sheer power,

he could certainly rank among the top of the Named tier. Unfortunately, he had yet to attain the Realm of “Unity of Heaven and Humanity.”

“It’s time to take on missions,” Dongbo Xueying realized.

“Xueying Gege, Xueying Gege.”

Suddenly, a warm and pleasant female voice rang out from afar.