Chapter 472: Myriad Realms Tavern
Zhang Ruochen boarded a silver-white giant ship, departing from the Eastern Domain Sacred City, passing through a wormhole, and once again arriving at the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain.
This giant ship belonged to the Ministry of War of the Imperial Court.
The starting point was the Seventh City District, and the destination was the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain.
Martial artists had to pay five hundred Spirit Crystals to purchase a one-way ticket.
Zhang Ruochen spent a total of one thousand Spirit Crystals to buy two one-way tickets to the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain.
Besides himself, there was also Xiao Hei.
To find the Source Qi of the Wood Essence Ruins Realm, he would need to rely on Xiao Hei's power, so he had to bring it along.
Stepping off the giant ship, Xiao Hei's eyes darted around. "Zhang Ruochen, something doesn't feel right. Why do I keep feeling like someone's following us?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Don't worry about them. I'll go register at the Ministry of War first."
The entire Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain was managed entirely by the Ministry of War of the Imperial Court.
Even martial artists who voluntarily went to the Ruins Realm battlefield had to register at the Ministry of War first to receive a token proving their identity.
Last time, because the Martial Market Bank had already communicated with the Ministry of War in advance, the Sacred Academy could directly send the participating disciples to the Five Elements Ruins Realm without needing to register.
This time, Zhang Ruochen came to the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain alone, so of course, he had to register first.
At the Ministry of War.
The official in charge of registering names was an elderly man over sixty, looking quite gaunt. He stared at Zhang Ruochen and said in a hoarse voice, "Registering as a Ruins Realm warrior requires a fee of one Spirit Crystal."
The old man glanced at Xiao Hei, who was following behind Zhang Ruochen, and added, "Barbarian Beast war pets don't need to register."
Zhang Ruochen handed over one Spirit Crystal and placed it on the counter.
"Name?"
"Zhang Ruochen."
"Age?"
...
After registering, the old man tossed a black token to Zhang Ruochen. "Remember, you must carry this token with you at all times. It's proof of your identity. If you lose it, the consequences will be severe."
"What consequences?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The old man stared at Zhang Ruochen, bared his teeth, and said coldly, "Someone without a token—what's the difference between them and a Ruins Realm creature? The Ministry of War's warships won't pick them up."
"I see. Thank you for the guidance."
Following the old man's instructions, Zhang Ruochen dripped a drop of blood onto the surface of the token.
"Hiss, hiss!"
The blood sank into the token and disappeared.
From now on, this token would symbolize Zhang Ruochen's identity. It could represent him as a Ruins Realm warrior of the Kunlun Realm.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "If I want to go to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm, where do I board a warship?"
The old man gave Zhang Ruochen a disdainful look. "The Wood Essence Ruins Realm is a Ruins Realm protected by the Imperial Court and is not part of the Ruins Realm battlefield. So, no warships go there."
"How can that be? I heard that martial artists below the Fish-Dragon Realm can go to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm for training?" Zhang Ruochen frowned.
The old man stared at Zhang Ruochen and sneered mockingly. "You're right. Martial artists below the Fish-Dragon Realm can indeed go to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm for training. But not everyone below the Fish-Dragon Realm is qualified to go."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The old man said, "The Wood Essence Ruins Realm is a small world where the Imperial Court cultivates medicinal herbs. Only noble children of the Imperial Court who hold titles are qualified to go there for training. Of course, if you really want to go to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm, there is still a way."
"What way?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
A smile appeared on the old man's wrinkled face, and his gaze fixed on the bundle on Zhang Ruochen's back.
Zhang Ruochen immediately understood. He opened the bundle, took out a head-sized piece of crimson Spirit Crystal, and placed it in front of the old man.
This piece of Spirit Crystal was not only large but also of excellent quality, enough to be divided into one hundred Spirit Crystals.
The old man's eyes lit up, and he quickly put away the large Spirit Crystal. He lowered his voice and said, "Rules are dead, but people are alive. If you want to take risks in the Wood Essence Ruins Realm, you can actually sneak over."
"How do I sneak over?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The old man chuckled. "For the sake of that Spirit Crystal, I'll point you in the right direction. On the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain, there's a tavern called the Myriad Realms Tavern. Go to the Myriad Realms Tavern and find Manager Qi of the tavern. He'll arrange a ship to sneak you over to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm."
"The Wood Essence Ruins Realm is a good place, full of medicinal herbs. Every month, many young people who want to try their luck go there, and it doesn't take long to gather a full ship of people."
Clearly, this old man was no stranger to this kind of business, and he probably got a cut from Manager Qi at the Myriad Realms Tavern.
Leaving the Ministry of War camp, Zhang Ruochen headed straight for the Myriad Realms Tavern.
The Myriad Realms Tavern was the largest tavern on the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain and was also very famous. So, it wasn't hard to find.
Warriors who had experienced life-and-death training on the Ruins Realm battlefield would often go to the Myriad Realms Tavern to drink, using it as a way to relax and relieve the intense pressure and fatigue from the Ruins Realm battlefield.
At the Myriad Realms Tavern, martial artists could not only drink the finest wine but also, if they had enough Spirit Crystals, find beautiful women to accompany them in drinking and sleeping.
A short, thin man in gray clothes approached Zhang Ruochen, a flattering smile on his face, bowing and scraping as he asked, "Sir, have you just returned from the Ruins Realm battlefield? Did you get anything good? The Myriad Realms Tavern can buy it at a high price."
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the man and noticed that his cultivation had reached the Earth Extreme Realm Middle Stage.
He sighed inwardly. Truly worthy of the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain—even the lowest person here had considerable martial arts strength.
A cultivation at the Earth Extreme Realm would already be considered a notable expert in the Yunwu Commandery.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I want to see Manager Qi."
The short, thin man immediately showed an understanding expression and lowered his voice. "Sir, which Ruins Realm are you heading to?"
"The Wood Essence Ruins Realm," Zhang Ruochen said.
"All the martial artists going to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm are gathered in the Star Cloud Hall. Manager Qi will go there tonight to count the numbers, and you can take a warship over tomorrow."
Under the short, thin man's guidance, Zhang Ruochen arrived at the Star Cloud Hall.
The Star Cloud Hall occupied a small area in the backyard of the Myriad Realms Tavern and was divided into two floors. Many young martial artists had already gathered inside.
They were all planning to sneak over to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm and would set off tomorrow, so they had all gathered here tonight.
Zhang Ruochen's arrival did not attract much attention.
He went up to the second floor, found a seat by the edge, sat down, ordered a pot of wine, and waited quietly.
Xiao Hei also climbed onto a stool and sat across from Zhang Ruochen.
To Zhang Ruochen's left sat three men, all at the Heavenly Extreme Realm. Their conversation caught Zhang Ruochen's attention.
"Huang Shenyi's military merit points have been growing too fast lately. He's already exceeded ten million points."
"Huang Shenyi has been at the top of the Heavenly Ranking for four years. His strength is becoming more and more terrifying. I think he's aiming for the Supreme Extreme Realm of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, which is why he hasn't broken through to the Fish-Dragon Realm yet."
...
Almost everyone in the Star Cloud Hall was a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist.
After all, which Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist wouldn't want to enter the Heavenly Ranking?
So, when someone mentioned the name "Huang Shenyi," everyone got excited and recounted many legends about him.
"Huang Shenyi." Zhang Ruochen muttered to himself.
In fact, Huang Shenyi was the Huang Shen Star Envoy of the Black Market First Class Hall, a legendary figure with formidable strength. In terms of talent alone, he could definitely rank in the top three among the Seven Star Envoys.
Just then, the entire hall suddenly fell silent. Everyone's gaze turned toward the entrance.
A woman with long, slender legs walked in from outside. She had snow-white skin, a stunningly beautiful face, and bright, starry eyes.
It was her extraordinary beauty that had captured everyone's attention.
Such a beauty was rare to see on the Chaotic Myriad Realms Mountain.
Zhang Ruochen, sensing something, also followed the crowd's gaze. When he saw the woman walking in from outside, he frowned.
It was none other than the princess of the Divine Dragon Half-Human Clan, Ao Xinyan.
Why her again?
Ao Xinyan quickly spotted Zhang Ruochen on the second floor. Under the gaze of the crowd, she walked up the stairs with graceful steps and, without any hesitation, sat down beside Zhang Ruochen.
Her eyes were clear as water, every eyelash long and curved, and she stared straight at Zhang Ruochen, smiling. "Caught up to me, didn't I?"
Zhang Ruochen picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and said, "The Wood Essence Ruins Realm is very dangerous, and the Chaotic Myriad Realms is no safe place. I suggest you go back."
Ao Xinyan raised her sharp chin, puffed out her full chest, and said willfully, "Hmph! Even if you're the team leader now, you can't control me. Besides, with my cultivation, it's time for me to train on the Ruins Realm battlefield."
There was no denying that Ao Xinyan was indeed a disaster-level beauty. Every smile and frown seemed capable of stealing one's soul.
Her beauty might not have much effect on Zhang Ruochen, but the other martial artists' gazes never left her. Many of them had lustful looks in their eyes, as if they wanted to pounce on her right then and there.
"What a beautiful woman. If I could have her just once, I'd be willing to live ten years less."
A burly man with a curly beard, whose cultivation had reached the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position, stared intently at Ao Xinyan. His eyes were burning with desire. He rubbed his large hands together, stood up from his seat, and walked toward Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan.
"Miss, that kid looks like a useless pretty boy. You'd be better off with me. In the Wood Essence Ruins Realm, with me looking out for you, I guarantee you won't suffer."
The burly man had a lecherous grin on his face. He stretched out a large, hairy hand and reached toward Ao Xinyan's shapely rear.
(Thanks to reader "Cang Cang Cang Hai" for becoming the Alliance Leader of *The Ancient God Emperor*. Thank you for your support. Tomorrow or the day after, I'll release an extra chapter for everyone.)