The next morning, at the Azure Thunder Merchant Association.
"Miss, Miss! Young Master Ziyu has arrived!" The voice of the Fat Supervisor echoed through the courtyard like that of a duck.
In her bedroom, the girl still lost in her dreams suddenly woke up, lazily rubbed her eyes, and murmured, "What is it? Who has come? Zi Yu is here?!"
In an instant, Lei Xiaodie shook off all drowsiness and hurriedly got up to change and wash up.
...
After waiting for half an hour, Ye Yang wished he could practice the Fire God Fragment in the hall of the Azure Thunder Merchant Association. However, the four supervisors stood respectfully in front of him, each one quite devout. They all knew that the young man before them was Ye Yang, renowned throughout Liang City for having slain the Starry Sky Expert Peng Feng!
Moreover, Ye Yang's other identity made these supervisors even more in awe; this young man had mastered the Divine-Level Forging Technique at such a young age and could easily forge weapons of high quality. Several Divine Weapons sold briskly in the Azure Thunder Merchant Association were crafted by this young "Divine Craftsman," which had greatly enhanced the association's reputation across the continent. Prominent families from various regions came to visit, hinting at the possibility of becoming the number one Guild in the world.
Ye Yang fidgeted as he noticed the supervisors staring at him with drooling expressions. Just as he contemplated whether to slay them with a sword, Lei Xiaodie finally appeared, beautifully dressed, instantly capturing Ye Yang's attention.
Lei Xiaodie wore a white fur robe designed boldly; one side wrapped around her alluring figure while the other side was somewhat revealing. Her fair arms were adorned with pink armguards, and her curves were accentuated beneath the snowy robe. She exuded both charm and grace—two seemingly opposite traits perfectly combined in Lei Xiaodie.
...
"Wow..."
Seeing Ye Yang staring at her in a daze, Lei Xiaodie couldn't help but feel secretly pleased. She stepped forward and smiled affectionately, "Zi Yu, what brings you to my little Guild today?"
Ye Yang couldn't help but chuckle: "The Azure Thunder Merchant Association is famous worldwide; it could easily buy seven or eight Liang Cities. If this is considered a small Guild, then our Ye Family Forge must be on the verge of extinction..."
Lei Xiaodie: "..."
After a brief pause, Lei Xiaodie smiled and asked, "So tell me, what brings you to the Guild this time?"
Ye Yang nodded, "Yes, I need some high-grade minerals, the more exquisite, the better. I wonder if Miss Lei can procure them?"
Lei Xiaodie chuckled lightly, "Well... heh heh, it seems you came at just the right time. The Guild acquired several very mysterious ores three days ago. I wonder if Zi Yu can recognize them?"
"Oh?" Ye Yang smiled lightly, "Let's take a look!"
Lei Xiaodie nodded with a smile. At her gesture, eight burly men from the Guild entered, carrying a heavy iron box. The yoke they used was almost bent in a crescent shape; who knows what was inside that metal box.
...
"Bang!"
The iron box landed heavily on the ground, shattering several floor tiles. Ye Yang felt secretly pleased; generally speaking, the higher the density of the ore, the heavier it is. The heavier and tougher it is, the more Ye Yang was filled with anticipation for what was inside this box!
Stepping forward, Ye Yang raised one hand, and the lid of the box opened. Peering inside, he was astonished to find a piece of stone lying there, as white as jade, shimmering with a moonlit glow. He could faintly sense energy fluctuating on the surface of the stone; in fact, Ye Yang could feel an immense life energy contained within this mineral!
"What... what is this?" Ye Yang exclaimed in surprise.
Lei Xiaodie smiled and said, "According to ancient records, I researched all night and finally confirmed that this stone should be the legendary Dragonstone!"
"Dragonstone?"
"That's right. It is said that ancient and sacred dragons lived in the far north. When these giants sensed their lifespan was coming to an end, they would quietly leave their kin and go to a mysterious place to choose their burial site. Generally, these great dragons would select a massive stone as their final resting place. Once a dying dragon lies upon the stone, it will decay until it turns to dust; this process can last for hundreds or even thousands of years. The stone beneath the dragon absorbs Dragon Power and gains sentience, becoming incredibly tough and impenetrable. Such stones are known to the world as Dragonstone!"
"So that's how it is..." Ye Yang looked at the stone in the box and smiled, "I didn't expect there to be such a legend. Is this Dragonstone really that hard?"
"You can give it a try!"
"Mm!"
Ye Yang reached out and grabbed one end of the stone, channeling Starlight Power, effortlessly lifting the stone. The few burly men were instantly shocked, their faces turning pale; no one expected this seemingly refined young man to possess such brute strength!
After placing the Dragonstone on the ground, Ye Yang took a long sword made of Refined Iron from a nearby weapon rack. With Fire God Power surging, he struck down fiercely!
"Clang!"
The blade shattered upon impact, startling Ye Yang slightly. His strength infused into the blade could easily break even a Seventh-Rank Weapon, proving that this Dragonstone was indeed remarkable!
Thinking of this, Ye Yang couldn't help but draw the True Fire Sword from behind him. With a low shout and overwhelming power, he swung the sword at the Dragonstone!
"Clang!"
Sparks flew as a powerful rebound force came from the Dragonstone, nearly causing Ye Yang to lose grip of the True Fire Sword. It only left shallow marks on the Dragonstone's surface. Such incredible resilience—if it were forged into a Weapon, it would be extraordinary!
Ye Yang felt secretly delighted; yes, forging an unparalleled Divine Weapon to keep Yun Xiaoxi was now within reach!
He quickly expressed his gratitude to Lei Xiaodie, saying, "I will take this ore. If Miss Lei needs any assistance, I will certainly do my utmost!"
Lei Xiaodie chuckled lightly, "Mm, Zi Yu, take care..."
By the time she looked again, Ye Yang had already shouldered the Dragonstone and stepped out of the hall. With a whoosh, he was enveloped in starlight and leaped into the sky, disappearing in an instant!
Lei Xiaodie opened her mouth, watching Ye Yang's retreating figure.
Behind her, Fat Supervisor said in a deep voice, "This kid is truly skilled!"
In Liang City, at the Ye Family Mansion, three generals stood in a row: Wang Lie, Zhao Yun, and Zhang Fei.
Wang Lie clasped his fists and said, "My lord, we established a camp on Azure Peak Mountain overnight. Although it is somewhat rudimentary, it can barely accommodate 3,000 people. The supplies are sufficient, and we will begin land reclamation and farming today. Everything has been carried out according to your orders!"
Zhao Yun added, "I have dispatched five hundred Dragon Armored Warriors to repair the Fire God Clan Tomb. However, the repair costs are considerable. Young Master, what do you think?"
Ye Yang took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and said, "Here is ten thousand taels of silver; it should be enough. The repairs should be grander in scale. The remaining silver can serve as military pay for the Dragon Armored Warriors!"
"Thank you, Young Master!"
After sending off his three subordinates, Ye Yang officially entered seclusion, locking himself in the Refinery Chamber. He summoned the Divine Dragon Cauldron and placed an entire piece of Dragonstone into the cauldron. Then, standing proudly before the Divine Dragon Cauldron with his eyes closed, he channeled endless Starlit True Fire into it.
The cultivation began!
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