Chapter 327 Unfamiliar Acquaintance
After inspecting all the residences, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan finally spotted the most important building in this land of all living beings.
Star Arena.
It stands right in the center of all the streets and gathering places, surrounded by them.
Despite its name, "Arena," it is actually shaped like a tall tower.
Extremely high.
Besides its height, it also covers a vast area; even riding a giant azure roc, it would take some time to circle the tower.
This tower has ninety-nine floors.
Each floor is tall enough to accommodate a giant rare beast.
The giant rare beast already appeared tiny when it stood at the foot of the tower, and if a human cultivator were to stand here, he would be almost invisible.
·
When the couple arrived near the tower, they received a message from the giant tower.
Simply take out a blue key, come to the tower, infuse it with profound energy, and choose a training method. You will then be immediately teleported inside.
Each of the ninety-nine floors of this tower connects to a different arena, which may be a simple arena, a special environment, or another training ground.
What kind of scene you will encounter each time you go in is unknown.
At the same time, not all battles have to take place inside the tower. If the battle is to be open from the beginning, a tower floor will float out and become a huge arena suspended in mid-air—or the battle footage can be "publicly broadcast" and become a huge projection covering the starlight arena.
In addition, if the battle scenes of the creatures entering the Star Arena are recognized by the Star Arena, they can choose whether to sell the battle footage to the outside world. Once the decision is made to sell, the Star Arena will appraise the value and purchase it with Xuan Stones, or it can be traded as a resource after being appraised by the Star Arena. If the battle involves multiple people, then whether to sell the footage will be decided by the winner, and the benefits obtained will also belong to the winner.
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance.
Both of them were certain that they would come back to try the challenge later.
The training here will not be wasted.
The two exchanged a smile.
Zhong Cai asked, "Old Wu, where do you think we should settle down?"
Wu Shaogan pondered for a moment and said, "Let's do it where the street meets the gathering place."
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and nodded, "Then let's do it that way! But which street is best?" He gestured with his finger, "The northeast direction is close to Senior Xuanwu, so it's best not to disturb it. The rare beast senior to the west is powerful and relatively ferocious, so we should keep our distance..."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Ah Cai is right, I also think it's better to be in the south."
Zhong Cai said with a grin, "There are many humans over there too."
·
indeed.
Most of the human cultivators who have reached the highest level of cultivation live on South Street.
The area near South Street is also where the most human cultivators gather.
There are many human cultivators in the gathering places near West Street, but there are slightly fewer than in South Street.
The cultivators on the streets and in the settlements are divided into different realms. Although Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan are only at the fifth level, they possess resources, defensive capabilities, and offensive methods far exceeding those of a fifth-level cultivator. In addition, they also have an auction order in their hands. They can't possibly hold an auction in the settlement, can they?
So many enormous rare beasts, if they were to wander around among human cultivators of lower strength, would put a lot of pressure on them.
Therefore, the couple should rightfully settle down on the street.
only……
If they were in the territory of countless powerful beings, they themselves wouldn't have much of a problem, but it would probably displease some straightforward rare beasts. Moreover, once the shop opened, it would probably be inconvenient for some human cultivators who were weaker or less determined.
·
South Street.
The rare beasts here are not only few in number, but most of them are also benevolent towards humans.
When Qingpeng flew over carrying Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan, before it had even fully landed, an enormous bear paw emerged from a cave carved out of a mountain-like building and waved at the two of them.
Qingpeng slightly pressed down on his body and hovered in front of the building.
Zhong Cai raised his voice and asked, "Senior, do you have any instructions?"
The next moment, a憨厚 (honest and simple) bear head emerged from the cave and asked the two, "Would you like some honey?"
Zhong Cai was taken aback.
Before he could answer, a slightly anxious look appeared on the bear's head, and it grabbed a beehive and threw it at the couple.
Zhong Cai: "..."
Wu Shaogan: "..."
The beehive was thrown very quickly, accompanied by a sharp gust of wind and a surging pressure.
Although the giant bear was well-intentioned and didn't use much force, they still needed external help to take down the beehive.
At that moment, Zhong Cai had a sudden thought and prepared to release a puppet.
At that very moment, a sword light pierced the sky, instantly penetrating the beehive and causing it to trace an arc before landing in the hand of a refined-looking middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man said helplessly, "Xiong Wei, you're fooling the child again."
Upon seeing the middle-aged man, the giant bear shrank back, retreating entirely into its cave with a sullen roar.
"Sword-wielding brat, shut your mouth!"
The middle-aged man shook his head slightly, his figure seemingly turning into a blur, and suddenly appeared in front of Zhong and his wife, handing over the beehive.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan were very polite; they both stood up and bowed, saying, "Greetings, senior. May I ask how you are addressed?"
The middle-aged man smiled and said, "I am a rising star among the human race, there's no need for such formalities." There was a hint of admonition in his words, "I have taken a pseudonym here, the Swordsman, my real surname is Li."
The couple quickly addressed him as "Senior Li".
Li Zhangjian gestured and said, "Xiong Wei is a member of the Bashan Bear clan, at the peak of the eighth rank, and is also my good friend. He has a gentle temperament and raises all kinds of bees. He likes to send beehives to the younger generation of my human race. However, he is careless and grabs them casually when he sends them. Some of the bees are poisonous, and the honey has become poisonous. It is not very safe for the younger generation to take them."
In fact, some younger people, flattered and overwhelmed, accepted the gift, but due to their lack of discernment, they were poisoned—fortunately, no serious consequences occurred, though they suffered quite a bit.
Of course, those who are lucky enough to be poisoned will have their strength enhanced after being detoxified due to the quality of the honey.
Li Zhangjian's reminder was very detailed.
The Zhong and Wu couple listened attentively and readily agreed to be extra careful when they opened the hive back home.
Li Zhangjian didn't say much, only gave a few more instructions:
“Normally, Senior Tongtian rarely comes in, and there are very few human experts who stay here year-round. But if a junior is really bullied, as long as there are human experts present, most of them will stand up for the junior.”
"We coexist peacefully with the rare beasts here, but we are not without our disagreements. However, even though our human race is declining in this land of all living beings, you do not have to swallow your anger."
"The Star Arena has great benefits, so make good use of it and don't take it lightly or slack off."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan knew that this was a kind gesture from their elders, and they listened carefully nonetheless.
·
As this senior Li Zhangjian said, cultivators who have reached the Heavenly Realm do not stay in the Land of Living Beings for long.
After touring various places, the couple saw quite a few buildings that conformed to the living habits of the human race, but there was not a single human expert of the highest level staying there.
Based on his aura and certain trajectories of his swordsmanship, Li Zhangjian's strength is estimated to be at the mid-stage of Nirvana—meaning he has not yet been able to cultivate an avatar.
Whether it was bad luck or not, the two had been wandering around the Land of All Beings for several hours, and apart from Senior Li Zhangjian, they had not seen a single other Nirvana Senior.
Human cultivators and rare beasts are indeed very different.
Even if rare beasts have large populations, they usually remain asleep most of the time. However, once they arrive in the Land of All Living Beings, they are willing to stay there year after year because the energy of heaven and earth here is much richer than that of their own territory. After all, it doesn't matter where they sleep.
Human cultivators, on the other hand, are the opposite.
Although there are many places to hone one's skills here, those who reach a high level often hold a pivotal position among the human race. With a higher position comes more responsibilities, such as having more descendants and disciples to teach.
Therefore, relatively speaking, human experts only come here when needed. In addition, there are far fewer human cultivators than rare beasts, so it is normal that the couple did not encounter any human experts.
Human cultivators with lower cultivation levels often spend their time and energy on training and resource gathering. Here, they can mostly only trade with rare beasts and fellow humans of similar levels, and rarely have the opportunity to communicate with higher-level experts. Therefore, most of them do not come to the Gate of All Beings often. Even if they do come, they may directly enter the Starlight Arena or arrange to meet with other beings at a pre-arranged time.
·
After giving his instructions, Li Zhangjian transformed into a beam of sword light and entered the mountain structure where the giant bear was located.
He must have gone to catch up with the giant bear.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance and, as originally planned, landed on the open ground where South Street met the gathering place.
Qingpeng flapped its wings twice, instantly shrinking its body into a fluffy ball, and hopped onto Wu Shaogan's body.
Zhong Cai then took Wu Shaogan's hand and scanned the surrounding environment.
It's just an ordinary open space, with no distinguishing features.
But it just happens to suit them perfectly.
Zhong took out the auction warrant and waved it at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan also took out the small seal and smiled slightly, "What kind of shape should it be built in?"
Zhong Cai tilted his head, pretending to ponder, and said, "Just an ordinary hall."
Wu Shao nodded with a dry laugh.
The two were of one mind, and since Wu Shaogan had never had any requirements regarding his place of residence, he was guided by Zhong Cai's thoughts and acted freely.
Zhong Cai threw out the auction order directly, which quickly sparked an attack.
Wu Shaogan followed the same method.
In the blink of an eye, the two small seals collided and quickly transformed into a ball of golden light, which seemed to sprout a new bud on the ground and grow rapidly.
Before long, as the golden light surged, a building rose from the ground and shot straight up!
It was indeed a grand hall.
However, it was a two-tiered main hall.
The main hall at the front is not much different from the various rare beast dwellings seen after entering the Land of All Beings. What opens up is an incomparably huge gate that can accommodate rare beasts to enter and exit in their original forms.
However, next to the giant gate is a smaller portal, about the size of a normal city gate for humans to pass through. Entering through it will lead to a higher level of space.
Whether they are rare beasts or cultivators, once they enter through their respective doors, their line of sight will be roughly level.
When making transactions, the shops set up by Zhong and Wu were all on high floors—where cultivators could stroll around freely, and rare beasts could be spotted right away.
The space inside this hall is incredibly vast, and it can obviously also host auctions. At that time, the rare beasts will be on the lower level, and their heads will be able to face the auctioneer and the auction items directly, just like the other humans.
The population and animal population of the Land of All Beings are not that many. As long as they do not harm each other, they can come in on their own and take their seats in their own designated places. There is no need to divide the auctions on other continents into many different private rooms and floors.
If you're bold enough, even natural enemies of rare beasts can sit together! Human cultivators can also sit next to rare beasts that have a penchant for eating people.
The second layer behind the main hall is actually more than just a simple hall.
This is a tall building, divided into many rooms, with a very ingenious structure.
The Zhong and Wu couple have an alchemy room, a cultivation room, and other places to entertain guests. There is even a layout similar to a "rooftop flower garden," just like the residences built by other human powerhouses. It has many functions and is very suitable for humans to live in.
·
The auction decree was indeed extraordinary; such a complex building was completely completed in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
The couple walked hand in hand into the two halls, carefully admiring their home in the Land of All Living Beings.
Unlike other cultivators, the two of them were going into seclusion for a period of time, so they could stay here.
Once some resources are compiled, they can be listed in the shop first...
This should be a good place to sell.
Many resources that are inconvenient to handle outside can actually be processed here.
·
The couple worked together, busy at the mansion.
When the two first arrived, they heard many roars of beasts, but as they wandered around, the noise gradually subsided.
Perhaps those talkative rare beasts had fallen asleep again, or perhaps they had lost interest in the two of them.
The two had already determined during their previous shopping trip that although there were many beast roars, they were far less numerous than the number of rare beasts here. A large portion of these rare beasts were actually not very interested in the two newcomers.
The reason there were so many animal roars...
They later learned from fragmented conversations that the Land of All Beings had not seen any new humans for hundreds of years, but for some reason, in the last hundred years, quite a few had come, and they were all human brats with relatively low strength.
None of the orcs came.
Therefore, whenever a new human appears, some animals will become curious.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan came together, which attracted even more rare beasts, and they were observed more closely.
Meanwhile, among those who spoke up to explain the situation in the Land of All Beings, some were rare beasts seeking amusement, while others were rare beasts with goodwill towards humans. The last one to appear, the Crimson-Horned Golden Ape, was relatively benevolent towards humans—its own kind in its own world had interacted and traded with the humans of this land.
However, the interest of rare beasts in humans did not last long.
Although the couple had only been there for a few hours, most of the rare beasts were already too lazy to "look" at them anymore.
Only when the two were building their residence did some rare beasts turn their attention to them.
After "looking" at the building, they quickly turned their gaze away.
The couple, who had previously been under the watchful eyes of rare animals, were somewhat uncomfortable. But now that they were gradually feeling more at ease, they were even more enthusiastic about getting busy.
·
Organizing resources and placing them in suitable locations within the shop is quite a large undertaking.
Before they knew it, the couple had been busy for several hours.
As cultivators, despite the tedious tasks, they never felt tired. Occasionally, when they felt bored, they would simply look up at the other person and their boredom would turn into joy.
Gradually, the shop, which was only a few square meters in size, was filled with all sorts of goods.
From level one to level nine, everything is available.
The auction space created by the auctioneer was very secure; guests could not take anything without the owner's permission.
So even if the two of them leave the goods out there so casually, they don't need to worry about them being stolen.
·
Zhong Cai took out a level eight rare and precious material and carefully placed it on the top shelf of a separate shelf.
"These are resources suitable for ice-attribute cultivators, and they should also be quite useful for ice-attribute rare beasts..."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Use it for bartering, so we can exchange it for several pieces of refining materials of similar quality."
Zhong Cai nodded in agreement.
Then add other resources...
Just as they were busy with this, a clear voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
Zhong Cai's ear twitched slightly.
Wu Shaogan said, "A human cultivator has come to visit."
Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows.
Now that humans have come to the Land of All Beings, are they trying to befriend these newcomers of their own kind?
Or is it simply about recognizing a person... or is there some other purpose?
Zhong Cai said, "Then let's invite them in."
Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "It's too high up here. Let's go to the back hall to receive guests."
Zhong Cai naturally had no objections.
The two held hands, leaped, landed on the ground, and walked out.
When they arrived at the entrance of the main hall, the two looked up and saw a tall, slender young man standing outside, giving them a smile.
After Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan saw his face clearly, they both paused for a moment, almost imperceptibly.
It wasn't anything else, but the person in front of them looked so familiar.
It turns out to be...
It turns out to be Chao Hanxiao, the current top-ranked Level 5 Dou Wang on the Sky Martial Arts Ranking!
However, when the two recognized Chao Hanxiao, they were somewhat puzzled.
I keep wondering if my husband and I have mistaken someone else for someone else.
·
It's not surprising that they had doubts.
The couple had previously met Chao Hanxiao as a very aloof person who rarely interacted with other Sky Kings or took the initiative to socialize with others. Although the second-ranked player often appeared around him and was often near him, a closer look revealed that it was simply because the second-ranked player was dissatisfied with the first-ranked player, and the first-ranked player accepted the challenge to spur himself on.
As for the couple, although Wu Shaogan and Chao Hanxiao have already exchanged contact information, they haven't communicated yet.
Chao Hanxiao should be a young, powerful individual who works alone and focuses solely on cultivation.
But this one in front of me...
Not only did he take the initiative to come over, but he also had a smile on his face.
Although her smile was faint, it was quite warm compared to Chao Hanxiao's usual demeanor.
·
Zhong Cai felt a little uneasy, but she didn't show it on her face.
Wu Shaogan, on the other hand, was sizing up Chao Hanxiao.
Before him was Chao Hanxiao's face. If he really was Chao Hanxiao, then he had entered with his true face.
The Zhong and Wu couple used altered appearances, so in Chao Hanxiao's eyes, they should have been strangers.
If the two wanted to conceal their identities, they couldn't reveal any clues.
At this moment, Zhong Cai secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, they had placed the gourd dwelling in the ancient city before entering—after informing the two senior protectors that they needed to go into seclusion and cultivate diligently, and that they needed to isolate their souls, they also set up corresponding formations.
Upon arriving at the Land of All Beings, the couple vaguely realized that any contracted rare beasts that entered with them would have their auras recorded and automatically occupy a spot; while human cultivators like Dharma Protectors who did not actively leave behind their souls would be directly sealed off, unable to detect the situation outside—all for the safety of the owners of the Land of All Beings.
So now that they don't have gourds hanging around their necks, they naturally have an extra layer of disguise.
Even if this is the real Chao Hanxiao, it wouldn't reveal the origins of the couple.
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan reached a tacit consensus without even needing to communicate.
The two of them gave Chao Hanxiao a friendly smile.
Zhong Cai asked, "Brother, what brings you here?"
Chao Hanxiao spoke in a gentle tone, saying, "We are both human and of similar cultivation levels. I had just returned to this place when I heard about you two and was filled with admiration, so I took the liberty of coming to visit you."
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Brother, you're too kind."
Both sides paused briefly.
Chao Hanxiao said, "I am Hanqiangke, may I ask who you two are..."
Zhong Cai forced herself to stop her lips from twitching.
There was a swordsman in the past, and now there's a cold spearman named Chao Hanxiao.
Is choosing a pseudonym a sign of care or a lack thereof?
Zhong Cai couldn't help but doubt again—
Is this Chao Hanxiao a fake?
But no matter how much you suspect something, you can't show it.
Zhong Cai still smiled and said, "My name is Qiu Suian, and this is my Daoist partner, Qin Changning."
After chatting with the couple for a while, Chao Hanxiao invited them to his residence, saying that there were some things about the Land of All Living Beings that he might not be able to explain clearly about the beasts, and he was willing to explain a little more.
He also mentioned that he had previously made an agreement with other members of his ethnic group, and those members should be coming here soon so that they can get to know each other and interact more often.
At once……
They were really enthusiastic.
Zhong Cai felt something was off and looked at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan has gentle features.
Zhong Cai then made a decision.
"Since Brother Hanqiang is so hospitable, we two will not stand on ceremony."
Chao Hanxiao's smile deepened.
·
So, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan followed behind Chao Hanxiao and headed towards the gathering place.
Chao Hanxiao also happened to live near this South Street, and his mansion was quite magnificent.
...It doesn't seem to match his personal temperament very well.
Throughout his journey, through brief conversations with Chao Hanxiao, Zhong Cai sensed a significant difference between Chao Hanxiao's personality and his behavior on the top continent, prompting a flurry of thoughts to surface in his mind.
At this moment, Chao Hanxiao led the two into his residence and served them tea.
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