Tens of thousands of them! With that number alone, even if a Grand Luo Golden Immortal came, I wouldn't be afraid. Besides, I have a precious deity in my hands.
Chopin watched as the other man's worries vanished in the blink of an eye, and couldn't help but feel admiration. Such magnanimity was far beyond his own. Intending to make his acquaintance, he asked again, "Brother, who are you...?"
"Xiao Wenbing."
"Xiao? So you're from the same clan!" Xiao De laughed and asked, "Brother Xiao, where did you come from in our Huangzhou?"
Where they came from is hard to say. Xiao Wenbing pointed behind him and said, "There."
The two Xiao brothers' expressions changed drastically at the same time. After a long while, Xiao Bang asked, "Brother Xiao, did you come from the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons?"
"The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons? Is it that powerful?"
Chopin smiled wryly and said, "Brother Xiao, the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons is a major thorn in the side of Huangzhou. Among the many people of Huangzhou, there are countless experts, but we have never been able to do anything about it. Isn't that amazing?"
It turned out that the vast canyon that Xiao Wenbing had passed through on his way here was inhabited by countless snakes, insects, and ferocious beasts, many of whom possessed extremely high cultivation levels.
In fact, if neither Huangzhou nor the other had any conflict, they would have lived in peace. However, for some reason, every so often, a group of monsters would rush out of the Ten Thousand Poison Valley to invade the human settlements in Huangzhou.
The people of Huangzhou called this a "beast tide," and were truly terrified of even mentioning tigers.
Although the human race was greatly troubled and organized several encirclements and suppressions, the monsters in the valley were extremely powerful, and the best result was only a draw where both sides were severely injured.
Having ascertained the reason, Xiao Wenbing secretly felt fortunate and shook his head slightly. The two brothers' faces relaxed, and then they heard him say, "Beyond the valley, there is a dense forest. That's where I came from."
The two brothers looked at each other, speechless.
What's wrong with you?
"Brother Xiao, did you encounter anything in the dense forest?"
"Yes, a large flock of birds, among which a colorful little bird was the most rampant and even tried to attack me."
Chopin and his companion grew increasingly pale. After a long pause, Xiao De finally asked, "Then are you dead?"
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback. What kind of talk was that...?
Chopin immediately tugged at his brother's sleeve and forced a smile, "Brother Chopin, please don't be offended. How did you escape from the clutches of the Seven-Colored Winged King?"
"The Seven-Colored Winged King?" Xiao Wenbing nodded to himself. He finally knew the guy's name: "I didn't run away. I confronted those beasts for a while, and they retreated on their own."
Chopin's eyes held a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. Xiao Wenbing's casual remarks seemed not to be a lie, but they sounded unbelievable.
Chopin let out a deep breath and sighed, "Brother Chopin is truly lucky."
"What?"
"That Seven-Colored Winged King is one of the local overlords. Brother Xiao, you were able to escape; you are truly blessed."
"Oh, is there no one who can control this beast?"
The two brothers had strange expressions. Xiao Bang said, "Brother Xiao, this Seven-Colored Winged King has a particular fondness for absorbing the souls of ascended immortals. Within its domain, spanning thousands of miles, most immortals who ascend to heaven have fallen victim to its poisonous attacks. Tell me, how many people can stand up to such a monster?"
Xiao Wenbing suddenly realized why the birds had come so aggressively; they wanted to eat him and his group of ascended immortals. However, their strength was too great, which was why the birds had failed to achieve their goal.
"Also, that Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons is one of the most dangerous places in Huangzhou. It's a miracle that Brother Xiao was able to come here safely," Xiao De couldn't help but interject.
Xiao Wenbing sensed the doubt in their words, but he simply smiled and offered no explanation.
If it were just him alone, of course he couldn't stop the flock of birds and the many spiritual creatures in the valley. But there's strength in numbers. Even without the help of the Starry Sky Illusion Realm, if tens of thousands of people gathered together, this Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons wouldn't be able to stop them.
Xiao De gave his brother a wink. Xiao Bang considered for a moment, nodded slightly, and said to Xiao Wenbing, "Brother Xiao is also a cultivator. May I ask what brings you to Huangzhou?"
"travel."
"Since Brother Xiao has come, we brothers naturally dare not neglect him. Why don't you come into the city with us for a chat?"
"Good." Xiao Wenbing was naturally more than happy to accept this. He was new to this place and didn't know anyone, so getting more information would be a great thing. However, his gaze swept over the five people lying on the ground and he asked, "Where are they?"
"Don't worry about them. No one dares to touch the people of the Raging Waves Sect. They'll go back once they've rested enough," Chopin said casually.
Xiao Wenbing naturally paid them no heed and sped away with the Chopin brothers into the distance.
Before long, they had traveled a hundred miles when a magnificent city suddenly appeared before them. The city walls were wide and of a peculiar nature, faintly displaying traces of flowing energy, clearly not merely for decoration. Above the city gate were inscribed several large, golden characters: "Huangzhou City."
Volume 7, Chapter 16: Food
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As the largest city in the interior of Huangzhou, Huangzhou City is indeed far larger than ordinary cities in the lower realms.
The two Xiao brothers were clearly not ordinary people; their residence was a spacious courtyard, occupying a considerable area. Under the warm hospitality of the two brothers, Xiao Wenbing arrived at the highest three-story building in the courtyard.
Looking out from the attic, the whole city gives off a very strange feeling.
The buildings here stretch as far as the eye can see, seemingly endless, making it impossible to estimate their exact size. However, the height of the buildings throughout the city is strangely unusual.
The vast majority of houses in the city are two or three stories high, though there are quite a few that are three stories or higher, and even dozens of skyscrapers that reach into the clouds.
What Xiao Wenbing found unbelievable was that the distribution of these high-rise buildings was completely irregular, as if they hadn't been planned when the city was first built. They were scattered here and there, dotting the entire city. Often, a three-story or higher building would suddenly appear between several two-story buildings, and conversely, it was not uncommon for three-story or higher buildings to surround two-story buildings. Even with Xiao Wenbing's exceptional intelligence, he couldn't figure out why the architecture here was so strange.
However, this chaotic distribution gives people a different kind of strange feeling, and it is not entirely unacceptable.
"Brother Xiao, please." Chopin ushered him to a large table by the window and said with a smile, "I have already instructed the servants to prepare wine and dishes. We will drink to our hearts' content later."
Xiao De shook his head slightly and said, "Brother Xiao, be careful. My elder brother is a famous hero among drinkers in Huangzhou!"
Xiao Wenbing found it amusing. Want to drink with an immortal? Fine, I'll grant your wish.
Chopin glared at his brother and beckoned. Immediately, someone placed wine vessels and a jar of fine wine on the table.
Chopin poured a full cup, sighed deeply, and said, "Brother Cho, it's good that you came this year. If you had come last year, we brothers wouldn't have been able to welcome you here."
"Hmm, why?"
"Ah! Brother Xiao, did you not see that this is the third floor?"
"The third floor? So what?"
The two brothers looked at each other and smiled bitterly. They couldn't believe that their new friend didn't even know this simple principle. They really couldn't understand how his master had taught him.
Xiao De pointed to the two-story buildings throughout the city and asked, "Brother Xiao, do you know who lives in these low, two-story buildings?"
"consult?"
"Those who live here are all ordinary people who are unable to comprehend the workings of Qi."
"Unable to comprehend the Qi?" Xiao Wenbing was speechless, his expression strange. "Are there really so many people here who can't comprehend the Qi?"
The spiritual energy concentration here is dozens of times higher than in the lower realms, making this place even more suitable for cultivation than the best cultivation grounds in the lower realms. But according to the two brothers, wouldn't that mean half the people would be unable to even step into the realm of cultivation? Isn't that a bit too high a proportion?
"The fact that nearly half of the people in Huangzhou have mastered Qi is already a rare high level on the continent," Xiao De said with dissatisfaction.
"Ah...is that so?" Xiao Wenbing replied casually, but inwardly he was disdainful. If the lower realm also had such abundant spiritual energy, at least 60% of the people on this planet would be able to cultivate immortality.
"Alright, Brother Xiao, please forgive my rudeness," Xiao Bang interrupted his brother, raising his wine cup to urge him to drink.
Although the person in front of him seemed to be less skilled than Xiao De, he gave Xiao De a very strange feeling that made him dare not offend him easily.
"Not at all, let's drink."
After finishing his drink, Xiao Bang continued, "Brother Xiao, since you're new here, let me introduce you." He pointed to the three-story buildings and said, "In Huangzhou, there's a unified rule: if no one in a family can comprehend the Qi mechanism, they can only build a two-story house. If someone comprehends the Qi mechanism and reaches the Core Formation stage, they can build a third story; those at the Golden Core stage and above can add a story for each additional realm. The more stories a family has, the stronger their family's power."
"Oh..." Xiao Wenbing nodded in realization. This method is not bad. People can tell the strength of a family at a glance, which makes it much easier for thieves and robbers to take advantage of them.
However, his expression quickly hardened, and he asked in a deep voice, "You're saying that you can only add one more layer for each advancement in realm?"
"That's right."
Xiao Wenbing pointed to a large building outside the door and asked, "So who is this family? What level is their head of the family at? A god?"
If we calculate based on one floor per realm, then even the most powerful Earth Immortal could only build a twelve-story building. But this skyscraper is at least a hundred stories high. What realm is that?
More than a hundred realms stronger than the top-tier Earth Immortal? That's incredible... Could he be the Ox God?
“Ah, those are all the residences of immortals,” Chopin said with envy.
"Immortals? What kind of immortals? Are they more powerful than gods?"
"Of course not. As long as one survives the Heavenly Tribulation and cultivates to become an immortal..."
"If you're an immortal, then building as many stories as you want is permitted."
"Ah..." Xiao Wenbing breathed a sigh of relief. That's more like it. But why did those immortals build so many multi-story buildings? Isn't that just trying to scare people? Then he thought for a moment and asked, "Wait a minute, are there really that few immortals here?"
It's unbelievable how vast Huangzhou City is, with such a massive population, yet there are only a few dozen buildings this tall, reaching into the clouds. The proportion of people who have become immortals must be incredibly low.
"Ahem, Brother Xiao, the vast majority of immortals would not settle in the city; those willing to settle here are extremely rare."
Xiao Wenbing then realized that it seemed most earth immortals were still not used to living with humans.
At that moment, several servants came up with food boxes and carefully served four kinds of dishes and utensils.
The utensils here include chopsticks, spoons, and knives and forks, making it a fusion of Chinese and Western styles.
Smelling a fragrant aroma, Xiao Wenbing secretly swallowed. Although with his current cultivation level, he no longer needed to obtain nutrients from food, his cultivation period was still relatively short; even his ascension to the Immortal Realm had only taken a few years.
Therefore, delicious food is an irresistible temptation, even if it is no longer a necessity for his survival.
The table was laden with dishes, but Xiao Wenbing was somewhat lost in thought.
The pots and pans here are things I've never seen before.
The plate of green vegetables in front of me looks like some kind of vegetable, but unlike ordinary vegetables, these leaves have clearly visible white mold spots. Did they serve up moldy vegetables?
The dish next to it, a bright red plate, was probably a pork chop. However, the layer of fat on top was far too much, taking up two-thirds of the chop's volume. Apart from the ribs and fat, there was only a tiny bit of lean meat mixed in between.
It was only because Xiao Wenbing had exceptional eyesight that he could tell; otherwise, he might not have been able to see it.
Upon seeing such a large, greasy piece of meat, Xiao Wenbing felt a surge of turmoil in his stomach and quickly looked away.
"Brother Xiao, please..."
"Ah, okay."
I looked at the third dish with caution. This dish was made up of dozens of round circles, which looked like pig intestines on a ball, but it didn't seem like it.
Xiao Wenbing picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a piece of the ring, and smelled it. There was no smell at all.
When Xiao De saw Xiao Wenbing looking over, he smiled slightly, picked up a small knife, took a rounded section of the knife, and chopped it down with one stroke.