"Amy, I've always regarded you as my own son, hoping that one day you could become a nobleman—only those with noble titles in the empire have better chances to compete for the position of a Beast Knight." Chi Hanfeng sat atop the snow wolf, scratching its chin as he spoke. The wolf, having just received a slap, happily closed its eyes and began to snore.
"Son, let me share a secret: if you want to quickly build a good relationship with snow wolves and other spirit beasts, the fastest way is to scratch their chins. Hehe, these big fools can reach everywhere on their bodies with their paws—except for that itchy spot under their chins. If someone is willing to help them out, they'll be extremely happy," Chi Hanfeng imparted with a hint of mischief.
"But what does this have to do with what weapons I should learn?" Once returned to normalcy, Amy was certainly much smarter than the white wolf. He remained calm and asked, "What's the connection?"
"Fool," Chi Hanfeng smacked Amy on the head, "the essence of dual-wielding a great sword lies in: fierce, powerful, precise, agile, quick, and skillful. So, it requires a swordsman's agility. Currently known spirit beasts can only provide momentum; they absolutely cannot keep up with the speed needed for wielding a dual sword. If you want to learn swordsmanship, you'll never become a knight."
A sly grin suddenly appeared on Chi Hanfeng's face. "My plan is for you to learn to wield a spear with me. In five years, when you turn fifteen, it will be the perfect time when the black sun and white sun align. Traditionally, the Amy Empire sends envoys to the North Hami Kingdom to ask for six snow wolf spirit beasts born from the Snow Wolf King. I want to borrow one of those beasts, and then I'll take you to the foot of the Spirit Beast Sanctuary and teach you how to transform spirit beasts into actual beasts. That way, you can become a Beast Knight!"
"There are only six in total. Who would lend them to us? It's more likely we'd have to steal or rob one!" Amy coldly exposed Chi Hanfeng's nefarious scheme, having long since become familiar with his uncle's wicked ways.
"Hehe, those snow wolves are going to be used by that damned Emperor Hongshi anyway. I'll help him select one first. Do you think he'll be grateful to me?" The old man patted his chest, assuring, "If it weren't for helping you become a noble knight, I wouldn't care whether you wielded a spear or a sword."
"Chi Hanfeng, do you know about a type of eagle called the mad griffon that lives along the coastline of the Amy Empire?" An elderly voice interjected.
"Hey, Uncle Haber, when did you return?" Both Chi Hanfeng and Amy noticed Grandpa Haber in the courtyard.
"I've been back for a while, but I didn't want to disturb you two since you seemed to be having a good conversation," the old man said in a deep voice. "This mad griffon is known for its rapid agility and swift flying speed. Some of our ancestors once tamed large mad griffons and found that they could completely match the speed required by great swordsmen. Moreover, this mad griffon is also a spirit beast, which is said to be able to enter the Spirit Beast Paradise for training."
"Hmm? Uncle Haber, how do you know so much about this?" Chi Hanfeng wondered how someone in such a remote mountain village could possess knowledge of spirit beast cultivation methods.
"Hehe, not all nobles in the empire are from the Chi family. Our ancestors were nobles as well, but due to various reasons, we left the empire," Old Haber clearly did not wish to delve further into that topic.
In a 2:1 vote, dual-wielding swords became Amy's primary course of study, while spear and shield combinations became his secondary focus due to Chi Hanfeng's strong advocacy.
Countless great swordsmen in later generations would breathe a sigh of relief, for without Old Haber's intervention, Amy might have been coerced by Chi Hanfeng into a misguided path.
Studying dual-wielding swordsmanship was said to be a challenging and dangerous endeavor—at least according to Chi Hanfeng. According to the Chi family's theory, other than the grip at the back, the rest of the great sword was a perilous weapon. Swinging it could harm small creatures, like Xiao Bai or Chi Hanfeng himself… and so on. Therefore, at Chi Hanfeng's insistence, the dual-wielding sword Amy practiced was a blunt iron sword made by the village blacksmith—weighting 30 kilograms, similar to a large axe. Of course, there was also the real dual-wielding sword used in the afternoons for chopping firewood.
### Chapter 7: Bold and Daring
**Year 196 of the Blood Moon Calendar**
At just 11 years old, Amy had achieved remarkable accomplishments in dual-wielding swordsmanship, especially in the aspects of ferocity, power, and precision. According to Chi Hanfeng's judgment, he had already reached the level of Lake Haber from his youth. Without the cooperation of Xiao Bai, Chi Hanfeng's spear would find it very difficult to breach the range of Amy's dual swords. In a direct comparison with a single-handed sword, Chi Hanfeng could only rely on his agile movements to evade Amy, for the lightweight single sword, weighing less than 10 pounds, would easily be knocked away.
Faced with such an awkward situation, Chi Hanfeng often chuckled to himself, reflecting on how a great swordsman, renowned for agility, was overwhelmed by a knight, who should be known for their raw power.
Of course, this was a situation Chi Hanfeng was determined to avoid witnessing. Amidst his laughter, perhaps the devilish Chi Hanfeng was already concocting a new training regimen for Amy.
**Summer of Year 196 of the Blood Moon Calendar**
The four-year morning running training officially came to an end, giving way to what would later be dubbed the "three years of demonic training" by the adult Amy.
Every morning, Amy still needed to rise early. He would dash into the dense ice and snow forest to the east, and under the watchful eyes of the "demon," he would strip off all his clothes—except for a pair of shorts—and walk or run barefoot through the forest. During this time, there were generally no people around, so he didn't have to worry about being seen as a pervert for running around naked.
In the ice and snow forest, all the trees had needle-like leaves to withstand the 10 months of ice and snow. To prevent moisture from evaporating, these needle leaves were coated with a thick layer of wax.
The long needle leaves could stab into the skin, combined with the bone-chilling wind, causing pain, itching, and numbness. The sensation was unimaginable unless one experienced it firsthand.
If Amy wanted to avoid the tangled branches and leaves, he had to walk slowly, but moving slowly meant he couldn't withstand the extreme cold. If he wanted to run fast to keep warm, he had to endure the sharp pain of countless needles piercing his skin. During the first year, there was never a spot on Amy's exposed skin that remained unscathed. His feet were especially affected, covered in blood and scabs from the sharp branches. He often had to use his shoulder to push aside obstructing branches, and there were times when his right shoulder was so injured that the bone was visible. Countless times, he fainted from the cold on the ground. Without the healing properties of Snow Moon Lake, poor little Amy might have long since perished.
Every time Grandpa Haber saw his grandson in such a state, he couldn't help but want to say something, but every evening, he would watch Chi Hanfeng carefully tending to Amy, washing and applying medicine while he slept, and he would shake his head and hold his tongue.
As time passed, it seemed as though every part of Amy's body developed a sixth sense, allowing him to gradually dodge the protruding branches and run more adeptly through the forest.
Two years later, even while riding Xiao Bai at speed through the ice and snow forest, Amy could nimbly evade branches and leaves. From that point onward, Mr. Chi Hanfeng hardly ever engaged in ground battles with Amy, claiming, "In land combat, you've already graduated."
However, he was left wondering whether this graduation meant that his student had surpassed him.
**After Year 193 of the Moon Calendar: A Decade of Abundant Magic Tutors**
The following ten years marked a unique period abundant in magic tutors, particularly those proficient in ice magic. According to the core secrets recorded by the Magic Guild, the Ice Wish Tower produced 30 magic tutors in less than a decade—an astonishing number, roughly 100 times that of typical years. The most crucial factor for this surge was the involvement of a military man who had no prior knowledge of magic.
That person was none other than the renowned Lake Haber.
—*Excerpt from the "Millennial Records of Magical Celebrities"*