After the Immortal realm martial artist finished his speech, he first took a swig of alcohol up above and had the banquet officially begin. Everyone started eating and drinking, too.
The present experts of the numerous countries all guarded against each other. However, while on the surface they didn't waste time in getting to know one another, from these chats they made their own discreet inquiries for information.
When it came to fighting, naturally everyone was an enemy. However, during normal times, the relationships between third cla.s.s countries were on good terms somewhat. And yet the relations between countries of the same continent were even better than the former.
In general, the weaker one was, the more one needed to group up. At the very least, when it came time to confront a stronger opponent, the att.i.tudes between each other were kept suitably unified.
As a result, although the Prince Beside the Emperor Cang He was usually resolute in the Cangyun Empire, at this time, he couldn't maintain his arrogance. When the similar third cla.s.s countries began joining up, his still needed to maintain a countenance that was relatively cheerful — Of course, it was normally impossible to actively court a second cla.s.s country with a conceited ident.i.ty.
In the eyes of the Cangyun Empire, even if it were the weakest second cla.s.s country, it couldn't be underestimated.
This sort of communication didn't concern the younger generation martial artists too greatly.
Gu Zuo silently ate his dishes as if he were very hungry. However, in reality, he'd already gathered his psychic power long ago as he earnestly listened to the explanations his big brother gave him on the current situation.
Gongyi Tianheng also leisurely dined. One side seamlessly sized up his surroundings, and another side transferred his thoughts to Gu Zuo: Ah Zuo, the place where the Hundred Countries Tournament is conducted is called the Qingyun Boundary [1]. It's a zone in the middle of more than ten continental fragments.
Gu Zuo looked distracted: Continental fragments?
His brain had several thoughts. Could these so-called continental fragments actually be…
Tianheng slowly said: Correct. Our location's Tianwu Continent is merely one piece of the numerous continental fragments. Moreover, it's a piece that isn't so vast.
Gu Zuo was a little curious: A continent is a continent. Why would they be called fragments?
Tianheng said: Although the numerous comments I've heard from aren't too comprehensive, I can still give a rough speculation. It should be due to an unknown reason that caused a giant continent to break apart. After dispersing, they formed many small-scale continents. As for these small-scale continents, they should merely be the giant continent's fragments. It's only that there were some fragments that were large and some that were small, which created the differences in size in these continents.
Gu Zuo listened to what he was taught. This origin was very reasonable.
Tianheng transmitted his voice again: On top of being three Immortal realm martial artists, they are representatives of the Qingyun Sect.
Gu Zuo asked again: Is there some connection between the Qingyun Sect and Qingyun Boundary?
Tianheng replied: The Qingyun Boundary is so named precisely because of the Qingyun Sect. Rumors say that the Qingyun Sect had been founded more than one hundred thousand years ago. Because its emergence helped set the rules for these continental fragments, and that the development of humanity was unimpeded, the Hundred Countries Tournament came to be. Since the tournament was created by the Qingyun Sect, it isn't so strange that it's held in a place named after the sect.
Gu Zuo nodded since he couldn't research the subject.
This justification was still very reasonable.
Tianheng continued: The place where the Qingyun Sect is located is in the Qingyun Continent. They say it's the largest landma.s.s among all of the continental fragments. Although a human empire exists there, the empire's status is far lower than the sect. It's only that while under the control of the Qingyun Sect, that empire has been placed above other countries and is a member of the first cla.s.s countries.
Gu Zuo listened to this, and felt that the Qingyun Sect was a huge monster whose foundations couldn't be easily shaken. It was no wonder that it had been established for one hundred thousand years… One needed to know that in the world he resided in, the most humans could live to was just one hundred eighty years. In the Tianwu Continent, unless one made a breakthrough to the Immortal realm and lifted the shackles on their lifespan, they wouldn't live longer than one hundred fifty years. In addition, if for whatever reason one's body suffered damage, it was rare to see them live to one hundred fifty!
It seemed as if Gongyi Tianheng's brief thoughts had completely shattered Gu Zuo's common sense. The following words shocked him even more: The Immortal realm seems extremely uncommon in our Tianwu Continent, but as far as the Qingyun Sect is concerned, it's merely the level their young core disciples are capable of reaching. I've heard rumors that the three coming here to preside over the Hundred Countries Tournament was merely a first time mission with relative importance accepted by the inner sect. However, it definitely wasn't considered a big deal worth mentioning. So I think… Could there be an even higher realm above Immortal in the Qingyun Sect? And as for that higher realm, what kind of realm is it and what kind of frightful might does it possess?
Gu Zuo was naturally fascinated by what he heard, but at this moment, what he thought about even more was that in such a small amount of time since his big brother's arrival, this gossip… No. He should say Tianheng's ability to gather information was truly too powerful.
He didn't say these words because if he said them out loud, no matter how magnanimous and lenient this big brother was, it was unavoidable that his big brother would need to knock on his head a few times. Such a thing would be losing too much face.
As a result, he silently thought: What big brother means is?
Tianheng seemed to recover from his excitement just now, and his transmitted voice was very steady: Never mind. I only felt that the road ahead is very wide. The pursuit of the martial way is limitless.
Afterwards, Tianheng didn't talk too much about the Hundred Countries Tournament's specific rules. Because these things didn't concern Gu Zuo, his mission here was actually just to ensure that the things that entered Tianheng's mouth wouldn't be taken advantage of by other people.
Of course, such a situation had never occurred since the beginning of the tournament's establishment. Bringing along a pharmacist who, on the contrary, wasn't burdened by what was primarily a significant task — Despite needing a pharmacist to look over wounds and so on after every battle, everyone knew that a martial artist's triage routine was just directly taking the medicinal pills they personally brought. If medicinal pills were unable to resolve the problem, could a pharmacist do it? When pharmacists treated their patients, they all still needed to rely on medicinal pills.
Consequently, Gu Zuo had an easier time of things.
So after this banquet, he took a walk with Tianheng.
— Yes, the time that the Hundred Countries Tournament began was in fact tomorrow. With the remaining time today, everyone was free to do whatever they wanted. After taking a rest, one could put their best foot forward.
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Gongyi Tianheng and Gu Zuo walked side by side down a street. The two were exploring a street where this Qingyun Boundary city sold medicinal herbs. Because they didn't find enough herbs in the Cangyun Empire to refine the Xiantian Pill, maybe there'd be even more good things here? The Qingyun Boundary belonged to the Qingyun Continent, and there were often many people of various continents arriving.
Since they were here, it was better to take a look.
The two then searched all over the place.
Suddenly, Tianheng's gaze paused.
Gu Zuo also stopped: “Big brother?”
Tianheng raised his eyebrow: “Ah Zuo, does that person look familiar to you?”
Gu Zuo went to look.
Indeed. There certainly was such a person who appeared at the banquet. Now that he squeezed into a store just then, that appearance seemed a little sneaky. He didn't know what that person was up to.
Gu Zuo blinked his eyes: “Big brother, do you want to go take a look?”
He possessed psychic power, so his reactions were very sharp to many matters.
For example, he now had a vague intuition that the menacing presence of that sneaky martial artist was vastly inferior to his big brother… When one had absolute control over the situation, indulging one's curiosity was nothing.
Gongyi Tianheng glanced at Gu Zuo, and his eyes were full of smiles.
In the end, Gu Zuo was a teenager. After the rare chance of going on a journey, it was normal to be a little naughty… Moreover, things such as this were also fine. Only sixteen years old and being shut in the secret room to refine medicine every day would never be good for nurturing one's temperament.
Tianheng originally wanted to check it out, so after listening to Gu Zuo's words, he nodded: “That's fine. That person may look sneaky, but there aren't any feelings of nervousness. It shouldn't be an inappropriate matter. Having a look is okay.
Gu Zuo forced a chuckle.
Although he didn't know why, he indeed felt that he should go look.
In actuality, it wasn't entirely for that speck of curiosity…
The two's conversation lasted for only a few moments. After they finished talking, they pretended to inadvertently enter that store.
After a close look, this place was actually a general store.
And why call it a general store?
It sold anything and everything. If it could be sold, it could appear here.
Merely, when that person previously entered, there weren't any tracks of them anywhere.
This shop couldn't be considered too big. Altogether it looked to be just over twenty square feet, there truly weren't any places to hide.
In that case, this shop should have some other trick to it?
Tianheng's mind moved.
Gu Zuo also stealthily transmitted his voice: Big brother, would you say there's a secret room here or something?
Tianheng nodded slightly: Ah Zuo, don't talk out loud.
Gu Zuo promptly replied in his mind: Rest a.s.sured, big brother.
Gongyi Tianheng then started chatting with the general store's manager.
For the most part, the content of the conversation was that he wanted to buy a couple uncommon things. He hoped the shopkeep could give a tour and what not.
The manager's eyes were fierce. With just one look, he knew that Gongyi Tianheng wasn't a local. He then recalled that right now was the fifty year juncture. Naturally, once he had a clearer understanding, he smiled and led Tianheng and Gu Zuo to look at all of the general store's goods one after another.
Gu Zuo endured as he looked around. The main focus still fell to medicinal herbs. In his mind, he silently recalled the things written in >.
Perhaps the species of the Qingyun Boundary and the Tianwu Continent wouldn't be too similar. This let him find a few things that would've been a rare sight on the herb streets of the Cangyun Empire. Although none were medicinal herbs used in refining the Xiantian Pill, they were still useful for other pills. Thus, they could be saved for later.
In response, Tianheng ordered all these medicinal herbs and similar goods of the general store, and bought the whole lot. While he put on an act as he collected them into a storage device, in reality, it was Gu Zuo who coordinated with Tianheng's actions as he received them into his storage s.p.a.ce.
When the manager saw such a huge business transaction, he naturally became even more polite.
Gu Zuo made another two loops around the shop. After receiving Tianheng's suggestions, his face revealed a few timely expressions of disappointment. In accordance with the voice in his head, he spoke: “Shopkeep, do you only have these goods? Don't you have anything better?”
Gongyi Tianheng also said with a smile: “I don't know if the shopkeep can think of a way.”
He slightly muttered, “The prices themselves aren't a problem.”
Then, the manager's eyes flashed, and he said in a low voice: “Actually, there is a place… I just don't know if the two patrons dare to go.”
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[1] 擎云 - Qing (rising) yun (cloud). Since the names of the other continental fragments are kept in pinyin, the same will be applied here.
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