Today's update is here, everyone please favorite and vote a lot. Xiao San will try to write more. Perhaps some friends would say Xiao San's updates have been a bit slower than before, indeed, I admit this. However, in order to make this series more exciting, I must search for more information. Please understand, thank you. What Xiao San can guarantee is, whether it's for the public or VIP, at least two chapters will be updated daily, and the two chapters after entering the VIP would be longer than they are now.
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The Mage Guild is in the south of the city while the Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant is in the center of Bing Xue City. Nian Bing figured out the approximate location, moving at a leisurely pace, the day was already gradually fading, and evening was about to emerge.
As he could not use magic, his progress was no different from an ordinary person's. He walked for a full hour before seeing a tall building nearby. It was a house built like a turret, even taller than the Dacheng Restaurant by a bit. The top of the house looked very special. On the side facing the street, there was a giant golden hexagram symbol. Without asking, this was the place he was looking for. Thinking of this, Nian Bing quickened his pace towards the direction of the Mage Guild.
Just then, the sound of horseshoes came from behind. Judging from the sound, the horse was not moving quickly, but the rhythm was quite regular. The crisp sound of the iron horse shoes hitting the ground sounded like music. Nian Bing had heard his father say in his childhood, only the best horses have a steady rhythm when they run. He curiously looked back and saw a young girl riding towards him on a handsome burnt sienna colored horse. The girl on the horse was wearing a blue mage robe with no insignia embroidered on it. Her long purple hair was neatly tied back. Looking quite beautiful, Nian Bing silently compared her to Feng Nu and unexpectedly found that this seemingly weak-looking girl was not inferior to her in looks. Her big black eyes were looking towards the Mage Guild, revealing a warm smile.
Many passersby on both sides seemed to recognize her and made way for her with a smile. Although she wasn't riding fast, she was a bit faster than Nian Bing's walking pace. Coming late, she arrived before him at the Mage Guild.
She dismounted, and a man wearing a yellow mage robe came out from the Guild to hold her horse. He greeted her warmly, "Ling'er, you are finally back. Why were you gone for so long?"
Ling'er responded with a gentle smile, "Xue Jing invited me to stay for dinner. You know how much I love the food at Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant, so I got back a little late. Have you eaten yet?"
The man smiled, "I have already eaten, let's go in."
Hearing the name Ling'er, Nian Bing was taken aback. Could this girl be the Archmage, Long Ling'er, who was supposed to meet the Lady Xue Jing? Judging by her demeanor, her temperament and Xue Jing's are completely different. These two should have their names swapped. Since she is the daughter of the President of the Mage's Guild, perhaps asking her would be an easier way to get answers. Thinking this, he hurriedly walked faster to catch up with Ling'er before she and her brother went into the Guild. He asked, "Excuse me, is this the headquarters of the Mage Guild?"
Long Ling'er glanced at Nian Bing curiously. His hurried appearance made her laugh.
The man glanced at Nian Bing haughtily, "Correct, this is the headquarters of the Mage's Guild. What can we do for you?"
Nian Bing asked, "I was wondering what requirements are there to read the magic books in the Guild?"
The man frowned slightly, "That requires one to be a member of this Guild, and based on one's own level, you cannot attempt to read information beyond your level in the Guild. Are you a mage by any chance?"
Nian Bing quickly nodded, "Yes, I am an Ice Mage. Can I come in to read?" He was already familiar with the first eight levels of Fire Magic. Only a senior magic instructor could use the eighth level magic, so now what he needed most were the spells of Ice Magic. Therefore, he naturally identified himself as an Ice Mage.
Upon hearing Nian Bing claim that he was an Ice Mage, the man's expression softened a bit, "Have you joined any guilds in other countries? If so, you are not welcome here. Otherwise, you can take a test at the guild. Based on your test results, the guild will issue an identification for you. However, looking at you, even if you are a mage, you don't seem to be very advanced." Even though the man's words were somewhat harsh, they were indeed the truth. Being a Mage is an expensive profession, especially at the beginning, without good gemstones to help, it is difficult to sense the existence of magic elements. Regardless of the country on the Yangguang Continent, the price of gemstones has always been high, and ordinary people cannot afford to buy them. Apart from this, cultivating magic requires the guidance of a teacher, and it is difficult to achieve anything without one. Hence, the man's doubts were quite reasonable.
Nian Bing didn't care much about joining any guilds. As long as he could learn the magic spells he needed, that would be enough. He quickly said, "I'm currently not part of any guild. Could you take me in for the test? If possible, I'm very much interested in joining the Mage's Guild in Bing Yue Empire."
The man glanced at Long Ling'er next to him. She was also looking at him, "Brother, why not help him. Judging by his looks, he seems to be from out-of-town. With an ever-decreasing guild membership, we do need to attract fresh blood. The few Elders in the guild are also there. If he has good potential, we may be able to strengthen our forces."
The man nodded in agreement, "But it's getting pretty late today, let's do this tomorrow. Young man, come back tomorrow morning."
Nian Bing thought to himself – he had to stay in Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant tomorrow and study their signature dishes, so he didn't have much time left. He turned to the man and said, "Respected great archmage, could you please make an exception for me? I'm busy tomorrow, but I happen to be free right now."
Although the man was Long Ling'er's elder brother, his qualifications were limited, and he was only an Advanced Level Earth Attribute Mage and had not yet reached the realm of a Great Archmage. Upon hearing Nian Bing calling him a Great Archmage, he felt quite pleased. This made him think - his junior sister was often inclined to help others. If he helped this young man, she might have a better impression of him. With this thought in mind, a faint smile emerged on his face, "Given that you are from out-of-town, let's make an exception this time. Come in with us."
Long Ling'er smiled softly and said, "Brother, I knew you were the kindest."
Complimented by his beloved junior sister, the man was in high spirits.He returned her a smile and led the way, leading the horse as Nian Bing and Long Ling'er followed him into the Mage's Guild.
The grand structure outside the Mage's Guild was only its surface. Once they entered through the main gate, there was a space like a playground inside, connected by pointed high-rise buildings, one after another covering a vast area. Even if you combined Dacheng Restaurant and Qingfeng Vegetarian Restaurant, it was no match for this, undoubtedly the Mage Guild Union of Bing Yue Empire.
After handing Long Ling'er's horse over to a servant, the man and Long Ling'er led Nian Bing into the pointed building on the left. As they were walking, he turned to Nian Bing and asked, "What's your name, and what realm have you reached in your Ice Attribute magic?"
Nian Bing hastily replied, "My name is Nian Bing. I have been cultivating magic on my own, and I'm not sure what level I've reached. May I ask the name of the Great Archmage?"
The man sang out lightly, "My name is Shi Jue. This is a testing ground. Guild regulations stipulate that any Mage test must be conducted under the supervision of an Elder Magic Instructor. You wait here for a while. I'll go and see if any of the Elders have entered meditation. If they have, we cannot disturb them, and you'll have to come back tomorrow." With that, he bid Long Ling'er farewell and left through a side door.
Long Ling'er gave a gentle smile and said, "Although brother may seem a bit odd, he's a good-hearted person. If you find any of his words offensive, I ask that you try to forgive him." She continued to speak as she led him further inside.
As he listened to Long Ling'er's soft-spoken words, Nian Bing felt quite comfortable. She seemed to be much easier to get along with than Xue Jing. He smiled and said, "You need not be so formal. Thank you so much for your help. Even though I've been cultivating magic, I've never really mastered it. So, I thought I should come to the guild and study a bit. If you're available, I hope you can spare some time to guide me."