"Okay, we're here."
Fifteen minutes later, Lin Xiao patted Lin An on the shoulder and said.
Lin An opened his eyes as well, squinting as the light made his eyes, still not adjusted, squint.
However, he then realized that he was no longer in the side hall of the City Lord's Residence, but had arrived at a huge square.
There are dozens of Teleportation Formation of various sizes in this square. Some people, like them, have just come out of the Teleportation Formation Teleportation Formation, while others are queuing in the distance to prepare to board one.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Xiao asked.
"No, it's just my first time using Teleportation Formation, I'm still a little dazed," Lin An said, shaking his head.
"Okay, that's good. Let's go, I'll show you around Guangwu City and give you some directions." Lin Xiao said with a smile, recalling how he felt the same way the first time he used Teleportation Formation.
Lin An nodded and followed the other person outside.
"This is the teleportation plaza of Guangwu City. See those Teleportation Formation? They're just small Teleportation Formation now, but if something important happens, they'll instantly Teleportation Formation into larger Teleportation Formation, capable of transporting more people."
" Guangwu City is very large, with a population of over five million, which is something Shenglin City cannot compare to at all."
"In our Shenglin City, those at the Silver Realm are considered strong, but in Guangwu City, only those at the Gold Realm have any standing."
"There are many families in the city, the strongest of which is naturally the Wu Clan of the City Lord's Residence's Mansion, followed by the Ten Great Clans. These families are all extremely powerful, with at least one Diamond Realm expert in their ranks."
"Then there are some smaller families, some strong and some weak, but those that dare to call themselves families in Guangwu City at least have a Platinum Realm expert in charge."
"..."
Walking down the street, Lin Xiao told Lin An about the situation in Guangwu City.
Lin An's gaze also swept over the city.
Guangwu City is indeed incomparable to Shenglin City; its city walls alone are hundreds of feet high.
On the cobblestone streets, people come and go, shops line both sides, and various signs flutter in the wind.
The air was filled with various aromas, including the scent of wine and medicine, and the calls of vendors rose and fell in waves.
"If the Upper City is this prosperous, I wonder how prosperous the royal city must be," Lin An couldn't help but think.
After walking for a short while, the two headed towards a restaurant called Heavenly Fragrance Residence.
" Heavenly Fragrance Residence is quite famous in Guangwu City, especially for its dishes made with the Sin Beast; the taste is absolutely superb."
Lin Xiao led Lin An to a seat by the window and said with a smile, "Moreover, long-term use can also be beneficial for cultivation."
Soon a table of food was served. Lin An didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a piece of meat and tasted it, his eyes lighting up.
The taste was indeed excellent, and he could feel a trace of spiritual energy flowing into his dantian, though it was extremely weak, it was still quite good.
While the two ate, Lin Xiao continued to tell Lin An about the situation in Guangwu City.
"Father, what level of cultivation did the geniuses who participated in the Competition Ceremony in the past generally possess?" Lin An asked.
"At least the Gold Realm. After all, reaching the Gold Realm before the age of thirty is not difficult. Some of the geniuses in the lower cities may even reach the late Gold Realm."
"Even lower cities vary in strength. A weak lower city lord might have just reached the Gold Realm, while a powerful lower city lord could reach the Platinum Realm."
Lin Xiao said, "Our Shenglin City is considered above average; it hasn't improved or regressed over the years."
Lin An knew this was because of the Lin Clan Cultivation Technique. Although it could help the next generation of the Lin Family improve their cultivation level, they would be stuck at the Gold Ninth Grade and would find it difficult to reach the Platinum Realm in their entire lives.
However, this situation can now be changed, since Lin Xiao has already reached the Platinum Realm.
"The prodigies in the lower city are actually all fine. The main problem lies with the prodigies of the families in Guangwu City. It's not difficult for them to reach the Gold Realm before the age of thirty, and some have even reached the Platinum Realm before the age of thirty."
"It's called the Hundred Cities Competition Ceremony, but in reality, most of the spots are snatched up by various families in Guangwu City. It might take several ceremonies for a single prodigy from the lower city to win a spot."
Lin Xiao said, "Although you are already at the Gold Ninth Grade, there should be other geniuses like you among the families of Guangwu City, so you must not let your guard down."
"Father, rest assured, I understand."
Lin An thought for a moment and then asked, "Is it permissible to kill once inside the Spirit Realm?"
"It's not allowed in principle, but no one has the means to see what's happening inside the Spirit Realm," Lin Xiao said.
Lin An nodded with a smile. It's not allowed in principle, but there are no principles once you enter the Spirit Realm.
Soon the two had eaten and drunk their fill, and Lin Xiao led Lin An toward the central area of Guangwu City, which was also the most prosperous place in Guangwu City, where the City Lord's Residence was located.
As the lord of the lower city, Lin Xiao naturally didn't need to pay for an inn after arriving in Guangwu City; instead, he could stay in a special guild hall.
After Lin Xiao showed his identity, the manager of the guild led the two to a small courtyard.
At the same time, Lin An also noticed that there were already some other lower-level city lords in the guild hall.
Each person was accompanied by one or more young women, all of whom had reached the Gold Realm, clearly also there to participate in this grand ceremony.
"Are you planning to rest for a few days before going to Ancient Spirit Tower, or are you going now?"
After the two settled down in the courtyard, Lin Xiao asked.
"Shouldn't we be able to enter the Ancient Spirit Tower multiple times?" Lin An asked.
"Yes, as long as your cultivation level is high enough, there's no limit to the number of times you can enter. However, only the first entry is free. Each subsequent entry requires paying gold coins, and the cost will keep increasing," Lin Xiao said.
Gold coins are the currency of this world, along with silver and copper coins.
However, since Lin An transmigrated here, he has been living in the City Lord's Residence and has been able to take whatever he needs directly from the treasury, so he has never used any money.
"Let's go now," Lin An said.
He was quite curious about Ancient Spirit Tower.
Lin Xiao nodded, led Lin An outside, hailed a carriage at the entrance of the guild hall, and headed towards the Ancient Spirit Tower.
Half an hour later, the two stepped out of the carriage and arrived at a square, where a tower nearly a hundred meters high appeared before them.
"This Ancient Spirit Tower is a rare treasure, with a total of eighteen levels. Each person who enters will appear in a different space."
"The first level is guarded by Gold First Grade Guardian, and so on up to the ninth level by Gold Ninth Grade Guardian."
"But the real difficulty lies in the last nine levels. On the tenth level, you'll face two Gold Ninth Grade, and on the eleventh level, you'll face five. It's said that Platinum Realm cultivator will also be present later on."
"I went in there myself back then, but I only made it past the tenth floor; I failed on the eleventh."
Lin Xiao said, "See that stone tablet over there? Only those who have passed through the eighteenth level of the Ancient Spirit Tower can leave their names on it."
Lin An also looked at the huge stone tablet not far away. The stone tablet was more than ten meters high and already had many names on it.