Tang Yan's expression did not change, but inwardly he was somewhat surprised. If the Eastern Domain alone had such geniuses, how many monstrous talents would there be throughout the Fragrance-Hearing Kingdom, or even the far vaster continent?
"Third rank of the Profound Tier!" Lin Dongxue exclaimed.
Shock appeared on Liu Zhi's face as well!
Taking in all three of their expressions, the City Lord grew even more astonished.
Ever since the day Tang Yan had brought him gifts, this boy had seemed like someone who had weathered countless storms, remaining unruffled no matter what happened.
"That's right, third rank of the Profound Tier, and apparently there's more than one. Most competitors in this Eastern Region Tournament are at the Profound Tier or above." Lin Xiao said solemnly, "Moreover, these are only the reports we've received. The actual situation has yet to be verified.
"No one can be certain whether there are geniuses at the fourth rank of the Profound Tier. I'll send people to keep investigating, and notify you immediately if there's any news."
Pausing, Lin Xiao continued, "There are twenty days until the Eastern Region Tournament, and it'll take us about ten days to get there. Once we reach Fang City, I'll take you into the Slaughter Tower for a round of tempering before the tournament!"
"The Slaughter Tower? What's that?" Liu Zhi asked curiously.
"You can think of it as a training ground. It's open to all martial artists below the Earth Tier. There are six stages inside, fraught with danger. Without sufficient strength and combat experience, it's very difficult to complete the entire course. Each entry costs fifty thousand taels of silver," Lin Xiao explained patiently.
"Fifty thousand taels!" Liu Zhi exclaimed again. "It costs that much no matter how long you stay inside?"
"That's right. Even