Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

Dago immediately entered the "corrupted" state of the [Ice Flame Blue Demon Body], cut open his flesh, and generously poured his life-giving blood onto the sapling.

The latter greedily absorbed Dago's blood, its appetite never having been so great.

Its spirits recovered quickly, and it soon returned to its original "radiant" state. It even grew a few more tender red leaves with faint, mysterious patterns on them.

"Good boy!"

Dago finished watering, gently patted the top of the sapling, stood up, and a huge, strange light flickered in his eyes.

"Once we return to Cletam City, I'll have Bernal analyze my bloodline and filter out the valuable parts so we can begin purifying it using the Blood Tree."

Three days later, on a high snow-covered slope in the ice field.

A black carriage with silver trim sped across the white snow. The carriage window was quietly rolled open, and a handsome young wizard with black hair and an aloof demeanor casually peered out through the window.

It was Dago who was on his way to Icethorn Manor to undergo "bloodline modification".

"They insist on riding in their own carriages, escorted by servants from the manor. They refuse to visit anyone who comes alone. Even in their decline, the family still adheres to such decadent etiquette."

Dago shook his head and gently closed the car window.

Shortly after Quinn helped him contact Icethorn Manor, he received a response from them.

However, the specific details regarding the "bloodline modification" still need to be discussed with the rumored Lady Darren after he arrives at the manor.

Icethorn Manor is located on a snow-covered mountain dozens of kilometers away from Ice Castle. If you use a flying device to fly there directly, it will take about ten minutes to get there.

But the other party insisted that Dago ride in the manor's specially provided carriage, perhaps in order to preserve the last bit of dignity belonging to the former wizarding family.

Dago sat in the swaying carriage, casually flipping through the descriptions of the talent abilities of the various second-ring magical beasts that Icethorn Manor could provide.

He already had a few preliminary choices in mind, and he was just waiting to get to the place, learn more about it, and then make a final decision.

The carriages provided by Icethorn Manor were not slow either. They were pulled by a type of warmblooded horse unique to the Icefield, which was very large, almost as tall as two people.

With its wide hooves, it is well-suited for running on snow. It is pure white, but its eyes and mane are light blue, making it an excellent horse for sale.

After taking about three times the flight time, Dago finally arrived at his destination.

Dago got off the carriage and was surprised to find that he was standing on solid frozen ground. Looking around, there was not much snow in the area.

A vast expanse of snow and mist shrouded the mountains, enveloping a white mountain village not far away in a circular pattern, with the outline of a huge castle.

The area outside the manor is covered with large and small, blue-gray thorns frozen by frost, which is probably where the name Icethorn Manor comes from.

There was a small patch of bare, gray woods covered with icicles at the entrance. Dago saw several carriages similar to the one he was riding in parked at the edge of the woods.

"Has anyone else come to visit Mrs. Darren?"

Dago asked the coachman who was leading the way, and the latter nodded respectfully and replied, "Yes, sir, three other sirs have arrived at the manor before you."

It seems that Icethorn Manor has a good reputation, and the monster rumors circulating nearby haven't taken the wizarding community too seriously.

Dago nodded and walked into the manor. Servants were already waiting at the entrance, specifically to wait for Dago.

He followed behind the manor's male servant, strolling towards a white-spired castle ahead.

The manor was desolate, and some withered and dead plants could be faintly seen on the frost-frozen ground.

Dargo casually looked around, and unknowingly approached the huge white castle. The tall male servant who led the way pushed open the castle gate and stopped to invite him in.

A light red carpet stretched from the castle entrance all the way to the entire hall. The castle was brightly lit, and the temperature was not much different from that outside.

At first glance, the interior decorations are in a very traditional wizarding and aristocratic style.

"Is this Lord Dago Heca?!"

A woman's voice came from inside the castle. Dargo had already noticed several people sitting in the castle hall, and when he pushed open the door, they all instinctively looked at him.

"Yes."

"We've all been waiting for you! You've finally arrived!"

The woman who spoke quickly approached Dago, her voice filled with joy. She was a woman wearing an exquisite blue dress, with blonde hair, green eyes, and faint crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, but she looked mature and charming.

The woman exuded the aura of a mid-second-ring wizard, but she showed none of the reserve or arrogance of a high-level wizard in front of Dargo. Instead, she was unusually friendly, as if she and Dargo were old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years.

"The service was pretty good!"

Dargo silently made his assessment in his mind, then politely inquired, "Are you Mrs. Darren?"

"Yes, you guessed right."

A beautiful witch named Lady Darren came up, naturally took Dargo's arm, and affectionately led him toward the castle hall where a few people were gathering.

"Your physique is truly robust, unlike that of an ordinary greyhound wizard."

Mrs. Darren took Dargo's hand and gently pinched his arm twice, letting out a soft laugh. Her warm breath brushed against Dargo's earlobe, making him feel uncomfortably uncomfortable.

However, Mrs. Darren appeared quite tactful. After leading Dargo into the hall, she gently released his hand and then briefly introduced him to everyone present: "Mr. Dargo has come to Icethorn Manor for the same purpose as everyone else."

Some people on the field nodded slightly to Dago, while others glanced at him indifferently and then turned their heads away.

This was not a gathering for wizards to exchange ideas; these people were just "customers" who had come to visit. Mrs. Darren's initiative in introducing the visitors seemed rather strange.

Dago casually found a chair and sat down.

There were four wizards on the field who had come to undergo "bloodline modification" like him: one second-ring wizard and the other three were all in the late first-ring stage.

Mrs. Darren is the strongest person on the field.

"Now that all the guests have arrived, I'll take Mr. Benson inside first. The rest of you can rest for a while; the wait won't be too long."

Lady Darren smiled and addressed everyone, then clapped her hands. Servants from both sides of the castle came out and served refreshments and tea to the wizards present.

Benson, the one mentioned by Lady Livy, was the second-circle wizard among the guests.

He was a thin man with a cold and sharp gaze and sparse hair. He quickly stood up and followed Lady Darren toward the side hall of the castle.

Dargo sat in his seat, idly passing the time. The other wizards around him didn't seem to have any desire to interact with each other either; everyone sat quietly.

The refreshments and tea served by the castle servants were all cold, and Dargo had no interest in even taking a bite.

He began to observe the interior of the castle; they were now in the very center of the castle hall, with a spiral staircase on each side leading to the second floor.

Dago's gaze followed the stairs to the second floor, where he found the dimly lit corridor filled with portraits of women.

She possesses an elegant and noble air, and her appearance bears a slight resemblance to Mrs. Darren.

Some of the women in the portraits are still moving, making gestures such as rubbing their cheeks, blinking, or even yawning, which, in such a quiet environment, creates a rather eerie and unsettling feeling.

Dago, however, was not surprised at all.

This special portraiture technique belongs to a type of alchemical method used by sorcerers. It can preserve some of the spirit of the person in life, making them look exceptionally lifelike.

Some more extreme cases even allow their entire soul to reside within the body after death, remaining there for up to a thousand years.

"In a family where only women are eligible to inherit, what is the role of men? Are they only there to provide reproductive value?"

Dargo suddenly understood why Mrs. Darren's behavior seemed somewhat "licentious".

This may be how the Icethorn Manor family continues its lineage: by acquiring the seeds of powerful male wizards to cultivate their own descendants.

With the family's talent dwindling, there's no need to be reserved in some ways. Dago sat in his seat, making random guesses, which was a way to pass the time.