"What a high wall!" Xinxin exclaimed. Her eyes shining bright as she stared at the gradually enlarging wall of the capital, the City of Tian!
"Indeed! Very impressive!" The wall was about twenty meters high and it was obvious that it was very thick. 'What?! Is that metal?! Is that really made of metal?! Crazy!' Rick was speechless.
He felt the oppressive aura coming from the city.
"Impressive indeed!" Jiang Chen also lamented. "You may not know since it is your first time visiting the capital, but the walls are imbued with spirit stones so that it could power the defensive array that protects the city. That was why the enemies don't really dare to attack the empire! The Soaring Cloud City really cannot compare!" He added.
"Protective array?" Xinxin asked. She did not know anything like a girl from a faraway village.
"Ah, it is like a barrier that protects the city and attacks the enemies. It is the city's lifesaver." Jiang Chen explained. He already knew that these two kind siblings were from the backwater villages. They did not know anything and they were also weak.
It did not take long before they reached the gate, the sun was already setting and it illuminated the walls. The color changed to red-orange and it looked intimidating.
As they neared, Rick saw 4 guards that were checking on everyone, they were exuding a strong aura that left Rick apprehensive. There were many carriages lined up to enter the city, and their carriage was the 10th.
'Wow, they really are at the 9th stage of Qi Condensation, and they are just guards." Rick was startled. If any of these people went to Earth, they would surely become Super Soldiers, simply the strongest man in the world!
The lined shortened and soon, it was their turn.
"Halt! You need to pay the entrance fee before you enter!" One of the dour guards shouted at Rick.
"Sir, how much would that be?" Rick asked calmly.
"You need to pay 100 gold coins, 100 gold coins per person." Seeing that Rick did not seem offended by his shout, the guard softened his voice. Trouble makers were the ones they hated the most. Especially when they do not have enough money and they would start complaining about the price.
"Little Xin, please bring me the money." Rick already knew from Shi Rong's memories that they needed to pay 100 gold coins to enter the city. He was really grateful for those bandits.
"Brother Shi, I'll pay for it!" Jiang Chen interrupted. "This is the least I can do for your kindness to me. I will definitely come to invite you to a meal once the test is over," he added.
"Okay. Thank you." Rick did not pretend and accepted the offer. "But you don't have to invite me to a meal. Paying the fee is more than enough. I helped us save money." Rick smiled.
He really liked this Jiang Chen, a straight forward young man.
"I will still come to find you! Haha!" Jiang Chen handed the guard 300 gold coins.
The guard smiled at their straightforwardness and he did not make anything hard for them.
"You can go." He said with a smile as he took the money.
"Thank you." They expressed their gratitude and entered the city.
Rick was expecting that he would see the other side of the wall but he was mistaken.
Although the sun was setting, the city was bustling and bright. The layout of the city was simple.
Near the walls was the residence of the commoners, and as you go towards the center, the City is becoming more luxurious and beautiful.
The buildings were becoming more exquisite and courtyards and even small mountains and hills could be seen in the distance. (Imagine traditional houses of China or Japan. Because I don't really know how to describe them. Haha)
Horses, people, and the carriage went to and fro. Thankfully the road was quite wide and there was no traffic. There were even people who had mounted beast that Rick never saw before.
Rick was dazed as he looked around. Seeing someone's memory was different from seeing it in person. The Spiritual Energy was also vibrant and thick. It was nothing like the outside.
The effect was even more profound on Xinxin. Her head looked like it would snap from all those turning and shifting. Her eyes shone brightly, the excitement was seen on her face as she smiled and exclaimed.
"Brother Shi, I will now be leaving from here. I will have to look for my teacher and classmates." Jiang Chen woke the two from their daze.
"Okay. I wish you the best of luck in entering the Academy!" Rick shouted.
"Thank you! Farewell, little Xin. It was nice meeting both of you! Again, thank you for saving me!" He hopped down from the carriage and disappeared from the city's bustle. He needed to find his group before it gets really dark.
"Goodbye, big brother!" Xinxin waved her hand.
"Now, let's look for a restaurant. I am quite hungry now. You hungry?" Rick asked while he looked for a place to eat. Because of what the bandit told them days ago, they changed their clothes to match that of the citizens here. So they looked normal.
Thankfully, Jiang Chen only joined them for half a day, or they would have trouble with their stuff. The two went around to an empty spot and Rick stored all of the things they needed from the carriage and dumped it.
He also chose the two best horses from the four and abandoned the other two. He was sure that somebody would take them. Taking the four horses would be a hassle, especially since they are new to the place.
They rode the horses and followed the crowd. Rick looked around, trying to spot any restaurant. The restaurant that Shi Rong always ate was in the inner city, and they are currently just near the gate.
Suddenly, they heard a commotion that was coming from the gate.
"Look! It's the South Army! They are back!" They heard a shout not too far from them.
"Greetings, General!" The whole crowd suddenly stopped, all of them made a path. All of those who were riding horses and carriages hopped down and knelt on one knee. Their heads were lowered a little and stayed silent.
"Little Xin! Hop down and imitate what they're doing!" Noticing that all of the people were kneeling, Rick urged Xinxin and they also knelt down.
He knew what was happening. A royalty came, and the General at that. If they don't kneel, then they would be in trouble.
Rick observed his surroundings and he could feel the reverence, respect, awe, and fear from the crowd.
Several figures suddenly appeared in the sky. That's right, they are flying!
A flicker of surprise appeared on Rick's eyes. 'Core Formation Cultivators! Oh? He was the one who led the war?' It was the man that led the war that Shi Rong joined.
A group of people could be seen flying in the air. The group of 9 was led by an old man wearing a loose robe. Although he looked old and had wrinkles over his face, and his beard and hair were all white, he exuded a powerful and oppressive aura.
And from Shi Rong's memories, the middle aged man was at the great circle of Core Formation. He is one of the strongest people in the empire. As for the most powerful, no one really knows.
When the South General's group finally left their vision, all of the people stood up and went back to normal.
"Big Brother, who were those men?" Xinxin asked. As someone who was raised in a village, she never really knew anything about the outside world.
"That was the South General, Wang Shoudao! A powerful figure in the Core Formation Realm." Rick replied. His gut told him that he would need a nuclear bomb to kill that old man. It was a scary feeling!
"Woah! Core Formation!" She exclaimed in awe.
"Do you want to be like that old man?" Rick asked. Xinxin's face told him everything.
"Of course!"
"Then you have to work harder."
"I understand."
"Now let's go find a restaurant."
"Okay."
As they walked deeper in the city, the crowd was also beginning to thin out. It did not take long before they smelt a delicate fragrance coming from a tall and wide building, to be precise, Xinxin did. The smell of food would never escape her sharp nose.
"Rose Garden Pavilion?" Xinxin read the large words written on the board.
They both entered and was received by a gorgeous lady in a red qipao dress.
"Welcome to the Rose Garden Pavilion, Young Master, Young Lady." The gorgeous lady bowed and greeted them both. "What room would you like to go?" the lady asked. She was very polite and cool.
"Cough! The eating room please." Of course she knew what the lady meant. It meant that this place doesn't just serve food.
"Then please follow me." The lady gestured and the two went after her. They went to the second floor and immediately, they heard a bustling sound.
The second floor was filled with people. The atmosphere was vibrant and the air smelt very tasty.
Another lady in green met the three of them, and the lady in red returned to the first floor.
"Please find an empty seat for yourselves." The lady in green also politely instructed.
"Ok." Rick let Little Xin choose the seat and just as they took a seat, another lady came. This time the lady was wearing purple. In her hand was a jade stone.
'What a good service.' Rick thought. Meanwhile, Little Xin was literally drooling while looking at the people eating.
The lady went in front of them and placed the jade stone on the table. Rick noticed her insirting a sliver of Qi and the jade stone suddenly lit up. Image after image appeared in the air. It was images of foods in plate and bowls.
"Oh?" Rick and Xinxin were both surprised.
"Please pick what you want to eat." The lady in purple said.
"Thank you. Then .. this.. this.. this.. and this one." he picked four types of food. Seeing that Little Xin did not say anything he urged her, "Go on, pick whatever you want. Don't hold back." He said gently.
"Okay!" Food was the only thing that excites her. She could tell that the ones in the image were better that what Rick prepared when they eat.
"Then.. this one.. this.. this.. and this one please. Oh! this one looks good!" She kept murmuring while picking. Next to them, the waitress was surprised. She looked at their garments again and thought, 'Madam is always right, you should never judge a person by their appearance.'
"You glutton! Are you sure you can eat all of that?" Of course he knew that she would.
"Of course!" Little Xin patted her chest.
"You'll get fat. You really want to eat all those?" Rick teased again.
"I don't care!" She was pouted.
"Oh, can you also get us water, please."
"Please wait a moment. Your food will be here soon." the lady in purple left. Moments later, she already got to cups of water.
"Thank you!" They both said and waited for their food.