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Chapter 257 Dragon Sorcerer
Surrounded by a dozen or so people, Sir Barristan demonstrated various basic techniques such as slashing, thrusting, and shield blocking.
“Very good, you have a very solid foundation in sword and shield skills. Although you are a bit older, your physical fitness is still quite good. You have passed the preliminary selection. If you are willing, we can start practical training tomorrow.”
Barristan thus became a rank-and-file instructor. His main responsibility was to correct the recruits' postures when holding swords, shields, and guns, as well as some basic footwork coordination. This was truly fundamental instruction.
He noticed that not all trainees were able to accept this kind of training. They seemed to have an elimination mechanism. Only those teenagers who passed all the physical training could enter the combat training stage.
Those who fail will be eliminated, and it is said that they will be assigned to a support legion to receive other training. Meanwhile, the military camp will be replenished with a new batch of youths to continue the previous training.
The assembly-line-like selection system ensured a continuous supply of strong enough children to enter the regular army. At the same time, and crucially, every child in this military camp also received daily academic training.
This was what Sir Barristan couldn't understand. He didn't see the point in teaching a group of soldiers to read. It wasn't until a military parade not long after that he finally understood the meaning behind these actions.
"Who gave you freedom?"
"Dragon Queen!"
Who feeds you?
"Dragon Queen!"
Who gave you the weapons?
"Dragon Queen!"
"Who gives you dignity?"
"Dragon Queen!"
Who gives you glory?
"Dragon Queen!!!"
.........
The uniform, almost brainwashing-like slogans nearly made Ser Barristan shout them out. For a moment, he even felt a slight sense of dread. Such an army, where everyone was fanatical for one person, had never existed in the history of Westeros. That fanaticism, that meticulous training, that superior weaponry, that abundant logistical support—if they ever truly entered the battlefield, these young men might display unimaginable fighting prowess.
Comparing these children to the armies of the Seven Kingdoms, Barristan felt a wave of pessimism. He feared that once these children grew up, they would utterly crush those corrupt knights.
However, he also felt a surge of relief. Although he hadn't yet met Daenerys, she already possessed the resources to conquer that continent. Not to mention, she had dragons.
Lu Xuan was naturally unaware that Barristan had arrived, even though he had been waiting for him. However, he overlooked the fact that Ser Barristan wasn't particularly famous on this continent, especially considering the various defensive systems he had perfected around Daenerys, making her virtually unseen by ordinary people. As for the Unsullied below, they were even less likely to recognize Barristan.
Lu Xuan now possessed a large number of Valyrian steel weapons, including daggers and longswords. While Astapor wasn't Volantis, it still had many wealthy people. More importantly, he now held a high position, and his word could make the remaining nobles in the city tremble. Therefore, even without him saying a word, once the news of his desire for Valyrian weapons spread, people naturally went to great lengths to curry favor with him.
It's funny, actually. It's said that Lord Tywin Lannister spent hundreds of thousands of gold to try and buy a Valyrian steel sword, but he couldn't find one. Sometimes Lu Xuan wonders, Essos clearly has thousands of them. Why was he so stubborn?
The method for making Valyrian steel has been lost, and even the method of recasting is only known to a few craftsmen in Kohor. Lu Xuan commissioned many caravans and spent a lot of money to hire a craftsman from Kohor to assist him in his work.
Because Daenerys had taken control of Astapor, the nine surrounding free cities were extremely hostile towards it. No blacksmith was willing to come. Lu Xuan had to resort to a combination of deception and trickery to finally secure one.
Lu Xuan noticed that they seemed to have added some special materials during the recasting process of the steel. The original text mentioned that the color of the steel sometimes changed after recasting. Lu Xuan guessed that this was probably due to the addition of something. However, it didn't seem to affect the metal's properties.
Its strength is extremely high; the original description states that the Vulcan Sword is virtually indestructible. Most importantly, it possesses anti-magic properties.
Don't be fooled by the sheer power of Valyrian Freehold back then. Their Valyrian steel craftsmanship was incredibly advanced. However, they still strictly controlled the flow of Valyrian steel swords, because these weapons were extremely harmful to wizards. The High Wizard of Freehold naturally wouldn't want everyone to have one.
Lu Xuan is planning to forge himself a weapon made of Wagyu steel this time. He already has a magical spear. However, he still prefers swords and blades to spears.
However, Waxing steel has a peculiar property: it's lighter than regular steel. Therefore, it's not very suitable for forging heavy weapons. That's why the original horse-slaying sword was rejected.
Lu Xuan did find some alchemical techniques in the sorcerer's supplies that could increase the weight of weapons. However, whether these techniques could be applied to Valyrian steel was another matter. After much thought, he decided to forge a Miao sword, modeled after the one used by Run Ge in the novel "Embroidered Spring Blade."
Lu Xuan was tall and imposing, so wielding that extended horse-slaying sword looked perfectly natural on him. However, this kind of weapon was practically unused in Essos and even the entire world of Ice and Fire, so blacksmiths didn't understand what it was. Lu Xuan had no choice but to forge his own equipment.
Meanwhile, Dani's training did not slacken.
In the original novel, to save on special effects, Melisandre, the priestess of the Lord of Light, couldn't even cast a fireball. The entire world had almost nothing to do with magic. However, in reality, Lu Xuan did gradually unlock Daenerys's potential.
As Daenerys's connection with her dragons deepened, she began to sense something special about the Dragon Spirit Walkers.
“When I established a connection with Drogon, I could not only see its vision, but also feel its power. It was a very strange feeling. It wasn't just that I was temporarily possessing its body. It was like…”
Daenerys thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a suitable adjective. However, Lu Xuan already understood.
"It's as if you've become one?"
"Yes, that's the feeling."
Lu Xuan paused for a moment. Although he wasn't a special life form like a Dragon Spirit Walker, he had accumulated years of experience through cultivation. Daenerys had described an extremely dangerous state. Dragons were far too powerful for humans. Possessing a dragon would undoubtedly bring unimaginable pleasure—a sudden surge of power. However, it also carried immense danger: the possibility of becoming addicted and forgetting one's true nature.
However, this deep connection might also bring some enormous benefits. Daenerys might be able to directly borrow the dragons' magic through this deep connection. At that time, she wouldn't just be a dragon spirit walker; perhaps she could be called a dragon sorcerer!
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Chapter 258 Law Blockade
In a training field, Daenerys sat cross-legged on the ground, in a deep meditative state. She had learned to sit cross-legged from Lu Xuan; this posture was undoubtedly not found in the world of Ice and Fire.
At this moment, she was entering a deep dragon spirit state. Her consciousness, even her soul, had established a profound connection with the dragon.
Lu Xuan, who was protecting her, could even feel the air around her gradually becoming scorching hot.