Chapter 56 Power Ranking
After leaving Sanqian City, the flying boat passed over the ruins outside the city.
Although Zhong Cai's interest had already been spoiled, she still glanced down a few times.
The ruins cover a vast area, spanning tens of thousands of hectares, comparable to a large town.
Looking down at the whole thing, at random glances, evokes a sense of obscurity and mystery.
Zhong Cai couldn't help but guess: "These ruins must belong to an ancient sect or power, right?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and replied, "It should be."
·
The architectural ruins throughout the site did not resemble the style of a family power, and the restrictions everywhere were also shimmering with spiritual light, making them extremely complex.
In addition, there are many smaller mountain remnants.
Although they have changed their form over time, you can still see some traces of their original appearance if you look closely.
All these factors indicate that it is more aligned with the power of the sects.
Of course, this is not absolute.
·
The flying boat traveled at high speed for seven or eight days and was already tens of thousands of miles away.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan had just passed through a town, stopped for a meal, and did not stay long.
At this moment, they lay lazily together, chatting casually.
Zhong Cai yawned: "Old Wu, I think someone mentioned before... that several families in Jade Dragon City are vying for a certain rank?"
Wu Shaogan remembered and laughed, "They all want to obtain the title of Huangpin family."
Zhong Cai became interested and turned to ask him, "Your family has titles? I've never heard of them before?"
After a moment's thought, Wu Shaogan said, "Within the circle of family power, they would be the top families in each city."
Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "You haven't heard of it before because there was no need to fight for it in Kunyun City; it directly fell into the hands of the Wu family."
Zhong Cai was taken aback, then suddenly realized, "In Kunyun City, only the Wu family has a Fusion Ancestor, making them the undisputed number one. So there's no need for any selection process; they already have that title, right?"
Wu Shaogan understood and nodded.
·
Many years have passed, and no more Fusion Realm cultivators have appeared among the other forces in Kunyun City.
Moreover, the mere appearance of one fusion or two fusions appearing sporadically is useless; only when two fusions emerge simultaneously within a certain power can the Wu family's position be shaken.
Even though the Wu family is indeed weakened overall now, as long as the two fusion ancestors are still alive, they will still be a top-tier power.
However, the Wu family has lost the support of Elder Xuanzhao and has to expend countless resources to search for antidotes, which has severely damaged their strength.
It is obvious that it will gradually weaken.
·
Zhong Cai's thoughts drifted a little, but she quickly brought them back.
"Anything else? To be more specific, how are the levels determined?"
Seeing his curiosity, Wu Shaogan softened his expression and said, "As far as I know, there are five ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow, and Entry-level forces."
Zhong Cai blurted out, "If there are Fusion Realm cultivators, does that mean they are just ordinary entry-level forces? A Yellow-rank force should at least have Palace Building cultivators, Profound-rank Spirit Transformation cultivators, Earth-rank Nirvana cultivators, and Heaven-rank Transcendent cultivators... right?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and praised, "Ah Cai is clever."
Zhong Cai said proudly, "The top-tier Yellow-grade cultivators can only cultivate up to the Foundation Establishment Realm at most, and Yellow-grade forces also require that they have someone at the Foundation Establishment Realm. This division is so easy to remember!"
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but smile; perhaps that was really the case.
Then, just as Zhong Cai needed, he went on to explain in great detail.
·
Only those who possess the title of lord of a state, and the various powers, large and small, in each state, would compete for the rank and title.
Any force that can be "classified" is a top-tier force in that region.
However, each city can only select one power with a title, but there may not be only one top power.
For example, in a certain city, two families each have a Palace Construct cultivator, and they are naturally vying for the Yellow Rank title.
One of the victors will be a top-tier Yellow-rank power, while the other, though defeated, is still a regular top-tier power in the city.
The city lord's mansion mostly ignores decisions made within the city.
Therefore, each time the top power takes the lead, and other powers, large and small, discuss together.
Ultimately, the top powers make the decisions.
However, if the decisions of the Yellow-Rank forces conflict with those of ordinary top-tier forces, then the Yellow-Rank forces must follow their lead, and the ordinary top-tier forces must cooperate.
·
Zhong Cai listened, somewhat puzzled: "That's it?"
He started listing them, one by one, counting on his fingers.
"Let me give you an example, the Wu family."
"Anyway, the Wu family has a Fusion Ancestor. Regardless of whether they have a title or not, the Wu family definitely has the final say in matters of the city."
"If several families are competing for it, the strongest family will definitely get the title. But even if they don't get the title, after everyone discusses it together, doesn't the strongest family still make the final decision?"
"Of course, forces with titles can gain an advantage when it comes to secret realm slots issued through the City Lord's Mansion. But as long as they're not stupid, even top-tier Yellow-grade forces won't go too far."
"For example, if a top-tier Yellow-grade student can secure ten spots, then a regular top-tier student should also have eight?"
·
Wu Shaogan found it amusing and pressed Zhong Cai's fingers back in one by one.
Zhong Cai: "..."
Wu Shaogan coughed lightly: "The benefits gained will always be greater."
Zhong Cai frowned and said, "It's just 'some'." He pursed his lips, "Besides, even if it's a fixed product, it can't be permanent, right? If there aren't any big benefits to share during the title period, the amount you can get isn't much."
Wu Shaogan casually rubbed Zhong Cai's head and continued, "So, I'm not finished yet."
Zhong Cai immediately raised her hand.
Wu Shaogan: "What are you doing?"
Zhong Cai blinked: "I'm repenting."
Wu Shaogan: "?"
Zhong Cai sighed dramatically, "Sigh, it's all my fault. I was too hasty and interrupted you halfway through..."
Seeing his hypocritical act, Wu Shaogan could no longer bear it and pinned him to the ground, giving him a good beating.
Zhong Cai quickly rolled to the side and stopped making a fuss.
"I surrender! I surrender!"
Wu Shaogan then released his grip, rolled up his sleeves, and continued, "After the rank is finalized, it will be registered with the governor."
·
All forces with cultivators who have merged with the system have reached the threshold for paying taxes. However, after registering, they usually only care about paying taxes. Even if they have more channels to obtain resources, they still follow the rules.
If certain forces are not well-liked, they may be hacked without anyone noticing.
Once the product is ordered, and the title is obtained...
Therefore, all resources distributed to this faction must be registered and cannot be embezzled.
At the same time, those who establish a fixed order also have direct access to the Heavenly Court and will possess the State Lord's token.
·
Zhong Cai held up one finger: "I have another question."
Wu Shaogan looked over: "You want to ask what the governor's token is?"
Zhong Cai's eyes sparkled: "This is a very new thing!"
Wu Shaogan replied with a laugh, "It's similar to the jade pendant we use to communicate with Tang Lie."
Zhong Cai immediately chuckled: "If the resources are embezzled, the power behind the fixed-price system can 'write letters' to the governor, right?"
Wu Shaogan nodded: "But that's not all."
He quickly continued.
·
The state lord's token also has a defensive purpose.
Defensive capabilities are related to grade: Grade 5 for entry-level, Grade 6 for yellow-grade, and so on.
In fact, they are similar to the defensive measures prepared by each faction itself.
However, the state lord's token will be activated at the same time as the 'letter' from the designated power is transmitted.
Once the token's defenses are breached, the message will reach the state lord.
At that time, other forces that attacked the established forces will be punished by the state lord.
·
Zhong Cai suddenly realized: "So, once the products are ordered, not only are the resources guaranteed, but personal safety is also guaranteed."
Wu Shaogan: "At least it's more secure than ordinary forces."
Zhong Cai agreed, saying, "The state lord's token isn't omnipotent, and it's not impossible to find loopholes, but no matter what, it certainly provides better protection from the state lord."
Wu Shaogan nodded: "The state lord's token can only be activated once, and then it will be invalid. After the matter is resolved, a new token will be issued."
Zhong Cai said with a grin, "That makes perfect sense! The governor isn't that free either. If he's constantly being 'building relationships' with the powerful forces that determine his rank, he can't stand it!"
Wu Shaogan glanced at Zhong Cai helplessly.
Zhong Cai smiled at him.
Wu Shaogan laughed too.
·
The two lay casually in the main cabin of the airship and continued chatting.
Wu Shaogan stretched and rested his head on his arms, saying, "Besides the state lord's token, there are two other benefits."
Zhong Cai stretched and turned to look at him.
Wu Shaogan said, "The first benefit is that, in addition to the various resources distributed through different channels, the state governor will also allocate resources every ten years."
Zhong Cai moved closer to him: "How much?"
Wu Shaogan: "How would I know?"
Zhong Cai pouted.
Wu Shaogan recalled for a moment and said, "The Wu family once received resources, which were said to be mostly suitable for cultivation in the Fusion Realm, and there were quite a few of them."
Zhong Cai understood: "So it's still best to supply the cultivators with the highest strength."
Wu Shaogan responded, "The basic standard for selection based on top-tier combat strength is the rank, so naturally, resources will be mainly allocated to them."
Zhong Cai sighed, "If every order were to be distributed like this, the cost would be enormous."
Looking across the entire state, how many cities and towns, large and small, must there be!
Each city has a designated force, and when combined, that's no small number.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Just as you and I don't care much about first and second-level resources, the governor probably doesn't care about the resources that are allocated to him either."
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said, "That's true."
Sometimes, hundreds of first and second-tier resources combined are worth less than a few Xuanzhu, while the two of them alone spent more than tens of thousands of Xuanzhu on acquiring Dao soldiers.
Once Dao soldiers are trained, they can easily hunt a few fourth-tier savage beasts and obtain thousands of Xuan Pearls in return; and the fifth or sixth-tier rare herbs he draws in every ten-pull can be easily sold for hundreds or thousands of Xuan Pearls.
The state lord is at the Tongtian Realm; the resources he can see and possess are beyond what the two of them can currently imagine.
·
Wu Shaogan added, "The second advantage is that when the governor holds a grand banquet, all the forces of rank or above in various regions can be notified in advance and attend the banquet."
Zhong Cai asked in surprise, "A grand banquet? What kind of banquet?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, “It could be the state lord’s birthday banquet, a celebration banquet, or a reunion banquet… but only forces of a certain rank can send people to participate, and depending on the rank, there is a limit to the number of people they can bring. Ordinary top-tier forces are not qualified.”
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said, "Going there will allow us to make connections and establish relationships with other similar forces, exchanging resources and information. The birthday banquet must be quite grand, and we'll be able to eat a lot of good food, right? The forces that have placed orders will probably have to give gifts, but we can definitely get our money's worth from those gifts, and maybe we can even get some other benefits in return?"
Wu Shaogan nodded again and said, "I have heard that whenever there is a grand banquet like this, each power will bring its most outstanding young geniuses. During the banquet, there may also be many powerful figures closely related to the state lord who will hold various smaller banquets and activities."
Zhong Cai understood: "These small banquets and events should welcome many geniuses to participate. If you can stand out, you might even gain the appreciation of the powerful, receive resources, and some winners of certain events may even receive high-end resource rewards?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Ah Cai is clever."
Zhong Cai rolled her eyes: "This isn't cleverness, it's just a novel trope."
Wu Shaogan was taken aback.
Zhong Cai laughed: "Many protagonists follow this pattern. They get in touch with important figures through certain forces or channels and gain their favor. Or, some important figure has high-end resources that can be unlocked, such as a pool that allows you to advance in level after soaking in it, a stone tablet that allows you to comprehend cultivation techniques, or rare and precious materials that you can fight over and take for yourself."
Wu Shaogan chuckled: "I have indeed heard of it. In the early years, there was a genius of the Earth Rank who went with his family to the residence of the state lord. At that time, a certain prince obtained a medicinal spring during his training. It was useless to someone of his strength, but it was of great use to cultivators in the Enlightenment Realm. Cultivating in it, with its abundant Yin and Yang energies, can accelerate the Enlightenment process."
"However, the medicinal spring needs to accumulate its own power, which can take anywhere from several decades to over a hundred years to open once."
"That Earth-grade genius just happened to be there, so the Prince held a small banquet and allocated twenty spots. However, the Prince did not require the winner of the competition to enter; instead, he distributed lanterns and each person drew one. That Earth-grade genius was lucky and happened to draw one, thus gaining entry."
"It's a pity that although this genius's strength improved by leaps and bounds after his return, he encountered great danger during a training session and was unable to escape successfully. Even so, he was already at the Suspended Illumination Realm when he died."
Zhong Cai seemed to be deep in thought.
Wu Shaogan looked at him questioningly.
Zhong Cai said, "This opportunity seems very familiar... I'm even a little suspicious that Dong Xiao in our book might also have this opportunity to soak in the medicinal spring."
Wu Shaogan smiled: "It's not impossible."
Zhong Cai waved her hand, not really caring.
"Anyway, the routine is there. If it's not this opportunity, there will be other opportunities."
Wu Shaogan chimed in, "That makes sense."
·
Zhong Cai suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, you mentioned family circles before... isn't there also sect circles?"
Wu Shao nodded with a dry laugh.
Zhong Cai was also very curious.
Wu Shaogan then brought up matters related to sects again.
Zhong Cai didn't interrupt again, and just listened quietly.
·
In each city, only the most powerful force can determine the grade.
There are many sects, scattered in various places, so the methods of ranking them are different, and each rank is not only held by more than one sect with a title.
On the Flying Star Continent, cultivators can freely establish sects.
Even a cultivator who practices Heavenly Guidance can establish a very small sect or force.
At the same time, the level of each sect is determined by the realm of the strongest cultivator within it.
Roughly speaking, it is: Heavenly Guidance is level one, Palace of Refinement is level two, and so on.
If a sect has someone at the Tongtian Realm, it is considered a level nine sect.
·
Like family forces, sects and clans are required to register only if they have cultivators who have achieved fusion—that is, a level five sect.
The cities registered by a sect must be at least level three cities.
Just like the family, fifth-level sects began to pay taxes.
The ranking of sects also starts from the fifth-level sect.
Within a single state, among all the fifth-level sects, twenty slots are available for ranking, making them rank-up sects.
There are ten sects in the Yellow Rank Sect.
There are five Xuanpin sects.
There are two sects of the Earth Rank.
One top-tier sect.
There are far fewer sects that determine the quality of a product than families, and the process of determining the quality is more complex and rigorous.
However, since sects recruit a wide number of disciples and can accumulate many geniuses, it is only natural that they are more rigorous.
When families and sects of the same rank clash, the sects are often stronger than the families.
·
Zhong Cai's expression was somewhat subtle.
"Is the reason why sects are classified in this way is because it's easier to refer to them? Do family circles also have such common names?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "That's right."
Zhong Cai stroked his chin: "So... if the forces from dozens of cities near Kunyun City all gathered together, when cultivators from other forces mentioned the Wu family, they would say 'that level-five Wu family from Kunyun City'?"
Wu Shaogan nodded: "Exactly."
Zhong Cai chuckled.
Wu Shaogan just looked at him and smiled.
After laughing enough, Zhong Cai became curious about something else.
"By the way, Lao Wu, a Heaven-ranked power must have a Transcendent Realm expert. In our state, only the State Lord is one. I wonder if the State Lord comes from a family or a sect. Is there a Heaven-ranked sect or a Heaven-ranked family in this state?"
Wu Shaogan knew this and said, "It's a top-tier sect."
Zhong Cai turned her head to look.
Wu Shao chuckled: "The origins of the lord of this state are unknown, but he was raised by an elder of the original earth-grade sect, Tianxuan Sect, and he has a deep relationship with that elder."
"However, the governor had some disagreements with the sect when he was young, so he is not very close to it. He is only still affiliated with the Tianxuan Sect because of the elders, which also allows the Tianxuan Sect to be promoted."
Zhong Cai's gaze suddenly shifted.
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but chuckle and asked, "A-Cai, what kind of trick have you come up with this time?"
Zhong Cai whispered, "If it's a formulaic story... in the original book, this governor is either a major villain or has a very close relationship with the protagonist." He got a little excited as he spoke, "If he doesn't have a daughter, he'll most likely become the protagonist's godfather, master, or close friend despite the age gap. If he does have a daughter, then he'll most likely be the protagonist's father-in-law!"
Wu Shaogan also asked in a low voice, "Why is a father-in-law if he has a daughter, but not if he has a son? The governor is very old, why can't he be a grandson, granddaughter, great-grandson, or even a descendant of several generations?"
Zhong Cai choked: "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
Wu Shaogan immediately made a "shut up" gesture.
Zhong Cai said irritably, "If it's several generations of grandchildren, there will be plenty of people arranging marriages. How can you easily gain the favor of the state lord? Unless the protagonist has a stroke of luck and directly becomes a celestial-grade talent, the state lord probably won't bother to look at him."
Wu Shaogan showed an expression of "listening attentively".
Zhong Cai was satisfied and said confidently, "So, it's most likely a young girl, a daughter born late in life. Maybe her previous child was thousands of years old. That's why she gets so much love and affection."
Wu Shaogan seemed to want to ask something, but then remembered Zhong Cai's prohibition and hesitated to speak.
Zhong Cai rolled her eyes at him: "As for why it's a daughter and not a son, isn't the original book a male-oriented novel? Male-oriented novels don't feature men, they all feature women. As seen in the previous plots, the protagonist's first love and childhood sweetheart are all women."
Wu Shaogan still hesitated to speak.
Zhong Cai understood and continued, "Let me tell you, if it's a youngest son born to an old man, someone he dotes on, then he'll most likely become good brothers with the protagonist. But if he betrays the protagonist, turning the younger one against the older one, the governor will become the big villain. If he doesn't betray the protagonist, then this brother is very likely doomed!"
Wu Shaogan was a little puzzled: "Why did it all end up like this?"
Zhong Cai deliberately sighed and said wistfully, "Because if he hadn't died, how could the governor have extended his affection to the protagonist and treated him like his own son from then on?"
Wu Shaogan: "..."
Zhong Cai laughed heartily.
Wu Shaogan stared at him silently.
Zhong Cai quickly composed himself and said, "Actually, that's not necessarily true. Another possibility is that the lord's son introduces the protagonist to the sect and becomes the protagonist's senior brother, so he might not necessarily be doomed."
Wu Shaogan suddenly realized, "I see."
·
So, after all that, there's still one more question.
Zhong Cai scooted closer to Wu Shaogan and asked, "Was the governor born late in life a son or a daughter?"
Wu Shaogan honestly replied, "I don't know."
Zhong Cai turned back dejectedly: "You know so many inside stories, I thought you knew this too."
Wu Shaogan, with a stern face, pulled the man back, pressed him down again, and rubbed him hard once more.
Zhong Cai surrendered again.
"Hey, hey, wait! You're so knowledgeable! I misspoke!"
But he couldn't resist teasing his old man right away.
"There's just one minor flaw..."
Wu Shaogan remained silent, simply turning Zhong Cai over and over, kneading and rubbing her repeatedly.
Finally, Zhong Cai lay flat on her back, her body disheveled and limbs outstretched, panting heavily, laughing until her stomach hurt.
"I... I'm telling you, Old Wu... you're really not human."
Wu Shaogan: "..."
·
Wu Shaogan knew about the rating system mainly because he had once held a high position in the Wu family and naturally had access to some information from them.
Later, he went out to gain experience and interacted with many people and forces. Many of these things were not secrets, and they became part of his broadened knowledge.
As for matters truly concerning the governor himself, he was already quite knowledgeable about what had already been spread; how could he possibly know anything too specific?
·
When the two of them finally calmed down, they were able to talk properly again.
Wu Shaogan finally said, "The governor also has some descendants who have built up considerable influence."
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "They are juniors, not children... None of the lord's children outlived him, did they?"
Wu Shaogan: "..."
Zhong Cai rubbed her face and said with a smile, "We've been chatting since we activated the formation, so don't worry."
Wu Shaogan gently tapped the bell once.
The two chatted freely, and since they often talked about transmigrating into books, they had developed a habit of activating the array plate every time they started chatting.
The isolation array banished all incoming divine thoughts.
The soundproof array prevented Xiang Lin and Wu Dongxiao from hearing what the two were saying, even if they shouted loudly.
·
The airship flew for a while longer.
Xiang Lin gently knocked on the door.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Wu Shaogan opened the main cabin door.
Xiang Lin asked, "There is a level four city several dozen miles ahead. Should we make repairs?"
Xiang Lin also had a map in his hands.
When Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan were together, they often forgot everything else and only cared about having fun, so they missed many sights along the way.
So they instructed Xiang Lin in advance to be in charge of controlling the direction, and to inform them whenever they encountered a city.
Xiang Lin naturally obeyed orders and was a very reliable person who never made a mistake.
·
Zhong Cai snapped out of his daze and asked, "What city is it?"
Xiang Lin replied, "Jade Dragon City."
Zhong Cai was taken aback: "Ah, is that it?"
The two had started their conversation because of what happened in Jade Dragon City.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and looked at Zhong Cai, asking, "Want to join in the fun?"
Zhong Cai wanted to join in the fun.
He had just heard Lao Wu talk so much about the power rating system, but he really didn't know the specifics of how it was rated.
Now that we've come across this, why don't we go and take a look?
Wu Shaogan pinched Zhong Cai's face.
Zhong Cai pinched it back and shouted, "Go!"
Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai looked at each other.
The two looked at each other, let go of each other's hands, and couldn't help but laugh.
·
Xiang Lin stood quietly at the door, waiting as usual.
Sure enough, after his two masters made a scene, they finally remembered him again.
Zhong Cai said, "Tell the others that we're going to stay in Yujiao City for a few days."
Xiang Lin calmly replied, "Yes."
He then turned and left.
Zhong Cai nudged Wu Shaogan and asked, "What do we need to prepare?"
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and suggested, "How about we have a big meal?"
Zhong Cai: "...Okay!"
·
Wu Dongxiao lay on Xia Jiang's back, habitually mingling with Xiang Lin.
Ahead, his two uncles stowed the flying boat and led the way toward the majestic city gate.
Anyway, whenever we come across an interesting place, we all want to go and have some fun together.
Wu Dongxiao felt that following along this path had been quite a good experience.
As always, Wu Dongxiao remained obedient and silent, only glancing around.
·
The entire city looked quite imposing, with the imposing words "Jade Dragon City" engraved above the city gate and magnificent city walls standing all around it.
From a distance, the city wall stretches endlessly, with no end in sight.
The city wall itself is made of some kind of rock, and it has a smooth and translucent appearance.
Its winding shape and jade-like color truly resemble a jade dragon.
This city truly lives up to its name.
·
The city gates and walls were guarded by a dense array of powerful cultivators clad in armor.
Looking around, even the weakest cultivators were at the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
Those who resemble minor leaders are at least at the mid-to-late stage of the Palace of Opening.
The small fortresses on the city wall all exuded an aura of consecration.
Wu Shaogan glanced at them.
Zhong Cai looked at him.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly and mouthed, "Suspended Illumination and Fusion are also included."
Zhong Cai: "Wow."
·
All cities are actually walled and have strong defensive forces, with soldiers sent to patrol back and forth.
However, the city's greatest defense is actually the city walls themselves, as well as the defensive formations they form.
Therefore, the patrolling soldiers usually collect entrance fees and mediate any disputes that may arise between cultivators entering and leaving the city.
For a level four city like Jade Dragon City, the defense force is usually only at the Enlightenment Realm, but now they've even dispatched Fusion Realm troops, which means they're guarding it extremely tightly.
It should be noted that in cities of this caliber, cultivators who have built palaces are considered to be in charge of overseeing operations.
Therefore, the Fusion Realm is the highest level of power that can be dispatched.
·
Zhong Cai looked at Wu Shaogan, her eyes showing a hint of understanding—Yu Jiao City was indeed very cautious about the competitive selection process.
Wu Shaogan nodded slightly.
The procession ahead was quite long, but several city gates stood side by side, each guarded by armored soldiers, so the situation could be dealt with quickly.
Soon it was Zhong Cai and her group's turn.
Cultivators have excellent memories; a few glances at them were enough to tell they were outsiders.
So the soldiers asked a few more questions.
In particular, the appearances of the individuals must be recorded, as well as their territories and the number of people entering the city.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan didn't have any bad intentions, so they just registered.
Besides, the strongest among them is only at the Enlightenment Realm, so they could not possibly pose a threat to Jade Dragon City.
Sure enough, the guards quickly let them pass after completing the formalities.
Of course, you still have to pay the city entrance fee.
·
The streets in the city were very wide, and the materials used to pave the roads were very similar to those used for the city walls.
Zhong Cai exclaimed in amazement, "This place is really beautiful."
Wu Shaogan looked around and agreed, "It is indeed beautiful."
·
Not only the streets, but also many of the buildings on both sides used similar materials.
However, upon closer inspection, it can be found that their quality is actually inferior to that of those used to build city walls.
However, they are still very beautiful.
Moreover, this material seems to be less prone to getting dirty. Many old houses look quite clean and pleasant because they use this material.
Zhong Cai had a good impression of Yujiao City.
Wu Shao chuckled and said, "To be able to use such a large quantity of similar materials, there must be a rich mine of this kind."
Zhong Cai agreed: "The highest quality ones can probably be used to build defensive measures, the slightly lower quality ones to pave roads, and the lowest quality ones to build ordinary houses."
Wu Shaogan said, "There should also be many houses whose quality is similar to that of the city walls."
Zhong Cai continued in agreement: "Definitely."
After walking for a while, the two indeed came across some mansions of the wealthy.
These large families and powerful entities would naturally use the best ores.
·
The entire Jade Dragon City is very distinctive.
On some small streets, various jade colors blend together seamlessly, as if they were actually carved from jade, creating a beautiful and exquisite sight.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan admired the scenery, occasionally nudging each other and pointing out the beautiful views.
Wu Dongxiao and his group had never seen anything like it before, and they looked around in amazement.
The group soon arrived at a large restaurant.
There are many customers coming and going here, so the food should be pretty good.
Without further ado, we went straight in and settled into a private room.
·
In any restaurant, the transmission of information is indispensable.
The same applies to Jade Dragon City.
However, the first floor was rather quiet at this moment.
On either side of the numerous tables and chairs, many young men and women sat in distinct groups. They were all dressed similarly, and their appearances were mostly somewhat similar as well.
For example, many of the men and women on the left, all dressed in neat blue shirts, have almond-shaped eyes; while most of the men and women on the right, dressed in yellow shirts, have slightly fleshy noses.
Besides them, there were a few other men and women dressed in red, whose long hair also seemed to have a faint touch of red at the ends.
·
Zhong Cai set up a soundproof array and laughed, "It's obvious they come from three different families."
Wu Shaogan glanced at it as well, poured Zhong Cai a cup of tea, and said, "Have a sip first."
Zhong Cai was a little thirsty, so she drank a cup and then pushed it in front of Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan had no choice but to pour only three-tenths of the cup.
Zhong Cai: "..."
·
The three families downstairs all looked wary of each other.
However, compared to those in blue and yellow, the men and women in red did not have solemn expressions, nor did they seem to be competing with each other.
·
The man in blue and the man in yellow didn't even look at each other and quickly finished the food on the table.
After one person in the yellow shirt put down his chopsticks, the other men and women in yellow shirts also stood up and followed suit.
Not to be outdone, those in blue also stood up in a flash.
The two sides ate at roughly the same pace—which seemed to imply a subtle competition.
So they all followed their respective leaders to the door at almost the same time.
The two met and looked at each other warily.
Then, they tacitly split into two groups and walked out together, practically side by side.
·
After the cultivators in blue and yellow robes left, the first floor of the restaurant suddenly erupted in excitement.
The other cultivators who were eating began to whisper among themselves, and many more cultivators came in from outside and went to the empty seats.
These cultivators didn't seem to be afraid of the men and women in red. In fact, several of them took the initiative to sit at their table and chatted with them with smiles on their faces.
The men and women in red seemed to be very easygoing, all smiling as they accepted the toasts from the cultivators and listened to their questions.
Then they answered one after another:
"You can tell by how free we are that the Shao family has no chance this time."
"It's not surprising. My Shao family was prepared. My Shao family only has one patriarch, while those two families each have two. If a real fight breaks out, it will naturally be up to them."
"Thank you for the compliment. Our youngest member is indeed the most outstanding, and he will surely make a breakthrough in the future. When we place our order again next time, our Shao family will certainly be able to put in a lot of effort. Our ancestor is not very experienced yet and is indeed inferior to the other ancestors."
"The outcome is already decided, but as for the process... we, the Shao family, cannot give up easily. There are still many talented brothers and sisters on that fighting stage."
"You ask how many arenas you're currently guarding?"
"There are about seven or eight arenas at the Heavenly Guidance level, four at the Palace Opening level, and two at the Enlightenment level..."
"The younger generation of my Shao family is also quite strong. Even if we can't compete with those two families this time, we still need to show our strength."
"If any of you fellow independent cultivators are interested, you may also come to my Shao family to try your luck. Anyone with a skill has the opportunity to become a guest elder of my Shao family and receive a monthly allowance!"
"As you all know, the Shao family is known for its integrity and always rewards its members whenever it achieves something."
"Don't worry! You can go over and inquire anytime!"
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