197 – Anti-Gravity Photoelectric Vehicle
Yang Feng’s eyes flashed and he asked solemnly: “Brother Kong, can you tell me about the Great Cloud Dynasty’s Ten Great Sects?”
Kongfang Ao coughed mildly before replying: “The Great Cloud Dynasty’s Ten Great Sects are the Tai Yi Sect, Saint Lotus Sect, Saint Demon Sect, Demon-Fighting Sect, Bright Moon School, Star River Sect, Corpse Demon Sect, Golem Gate, Beast God School, and Myriad Snow Gate. However, Brother Yang, I’m afraid that with your aptitude, you won’t be able to enter any one of the Ten Great Sects!”
Yang Feng inquired: “That can’t be true. After all, I am a level-2 Warlock. I might not be qualified to become an inner sect disciple, but I should be qualified to become an outer sect disciple or at least a disciple in name, right?”
Kongfang Ao laughed, saying: “Heh heh! The Great Cloud Dynasty’s territory is boundless and its population is measured in trillions. There is no lack of geniuses and outstanding personages.
Nearly half of the geniuses target the Ten Great Sects. Therefore, the Ten Great Sects don’t lack in geniuses.
Only youngsters who became level-1 Warlocks before the age of thirteen and whose soul aptitude is superior level-6 or higher can join as disciples in name, and then slowly climb their way up to the inner sect. Brother Yang, it’s basically impossible for you to enter the Ten Great Sects.”
Yang Feng was speechless.
At the time, in the Turandot Subcontinent, Jessica, with her soul aptitude of superior level-6, was already regarded as a genius among geniuses. In the Great Cloud Dynasty, however, it wasn’t even enough to become a disciple in name of the Ten Great Sects. The number of geniuses in the Great Cloud Dynasty could very well be imagined.
Yang Feng asked: “If half of the Great Cloud Dynasty’s geniuses target the Ten Great Sects, then what about the other half?”
Kongfang Ao answered with a smile: “The other half target the imperial court. The Great Cloud Dynasty’s imperial court is extremely powerful, with the Three Lords and Nine Ministers being super strong powerhouses who can rival gods and contend against the Ten Great Sect’s Sect Masters. The treatment of the imperial court’s high officials is better than that of the Ten Great Sects. The imperial court has a greater number of and more complete secret methods than the Ten Great Sects.”
Yang Feng speculated: “However, it is very difficult to advance in the imperial court without enough strength and a sufficiently powerful background, right?”
Kongfang Ao confirmed: “That’s right! If you aren’t a super genius or a peerless personage, then you must posses an extraordinary background. Otherwise, it is very difficult to advance in the inner court.
After graduating from a university, most people would join a sect to further their studies. Then after upgrading their cultivation base, they would join the imperial court.
On the one hand, people who follow this path could improve their strength, on the other hand, they could expand their connections. Generally, imperial court’s officials who came from of the same sect felt more intimate with and supported each other, and their advancement was also fairly faster.
Yang Feng contemplated for a moment before saying: “I still want to join the Ten Great Sects. Brother Kong, is there really no other way?”
In the Great Cloud Dynasty, one had to be very cautious when joining a sect; because once one joined a sect, it would be extremely difficult to join another sect. At that point, if one was not careful, one could offend both sects and have a bleak future.
Kongfang Ao meditated for a good while. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he said: “There is one! Haven’t you gotten rid of the Demon Emperor Cartman’s clone? The Demon-Fighting Sect is a bunch of battle-crazed maniacs who love to battle. For the sake of wiping out demons and other such beings, they campaign against countless planes.
They take it as their duty to suppress the Great Cloud Dynasty’s enemies. The Demon-Fighting Sect once stated that as long as one could kill a Starry Sky Warlock rank formidable being from another plane which invaded the Cangzhi Plane, and was willing to accept the Demon-Fighting Sect’s assessment, then the the Demon-Fighting Sect would consider letting them in. You killed the Demon Emperor Cartman’s clone. Therefore, via the Demon-Fighting Sect’s assessment, you have a chance at joining the ranks of the Demon-Fighting Sect.”
Yang Feng’ eyes also lit up, saying: “Oh, there is actually such a thing! It seems that I must make a trip to the Demon-Fighting Sect. However, Brother Kong, I don’t know the way. It seems that I have to trouble you again, to take us to the Demon-Fighting Sect.”
As someone who came from such an insignificant place like the Turandot Subcontinent, if Yang Feng were to hastily join the Great Cloud Dynasty’s imperial court, he would very likely only manage to reach the position of an ordinary patrolman. He would not even able to reach the position of an official. In a place with such a strict system, Yang Feng would have a hard time climbing up.
As someone who was eager to climb the stairs of success, joining the Demon-Fighting Sect was the best choice for Yang Feng. This was also the reason why there were so many people rushing to the Ten Great Sects.
Kongfang Ao smiled in reply: “Alright!”
Zheng Gong quickly completed a series of procedures and handed Yang Feng and Shi Xue an identity jade card each.
Two days later, the Hague Port’s airship parking yard.
Hundreds meters long, boat-shaped airships with countless mysterious runes engraved on the sails were parked at the Hague Port’s airship parking yard.
With flickers of magical radiances, some of the enormous airships had enormous metal covers extend out of them before covering the the upper half of the ships, while others released faint protective covers.
Immediately after, countless gales enveloped those enormous ships before lifting them into the air and propelling them away.
“What a magnificent sight!” Standing near the airship parking yard, Yang Feng praised as he watched the airships soaring into the sky.
These airships were alchemical products which perfectly combined the Cangzhi Plane’s magic and mechanics.
Shi Xue asked in curiosity: “Brother Kong, why do some of the airships have metal covers and others don’t?”
Kongfang Ao explained: "Those that have metal covers are ordinary airships, while those that don’t, are luxury airships. Luxury airships have to release the level-3 area of effect spell Air Barrier at all times to guard the airship and allow the passengers to enjoy the view below. Moreover, the deffensive strength of the level-3 spell Air Barrier is a lot greater than that of a steel alloy cover. Therefore, traveling on luxury airships is much safer.”
Yang Feng asked: “Brother Kong, are there no teleportation arrays that directly lead to the Demon-Fighting Province?”
The Ten Great Sects had an esteemed status in the Great Cloud Dynasty, with each of them occupying a greater province. Their power monstrous. Among the Great Cloud Dynasty’s thirty six greater provinces, ten were named after the Ten Great Sects.
Kongfang Ao smiled weirdly, replying: “There are! In the Great Cloud Dynasty, teleportation arrays can be found in every major city. However, a total of six lesser and three greater provinces lie between the Hague City and the Demon-Fighting Province. If you want to go to the Demon-Fighting Province via the teleportation array, then it would cost you 100,000 inferior magic crystals per person. Are you sure that you want to use the teleportation array?”
Yang Feng’s complexion changed, exclaiming: “100,000 inferior magic crystals! So expensive?”
In the Turandot Subcontinent, magic crystals were exceedingly precious. Only some magic stone veins of the highest grade as well as the Warlock College Antalya’s Ancient Energy Absorbing Tree could produce some each year.
After scrapping most of the Turandot Subcontinent’s wealth, Yang Feng only had 100,000 inferior magic crystals, which could only cover the teleportation cost of a single person to the Demon-Fighting Province. This shocked him greatly.
Kongfang Ao said: “That’s only natural. The bigger the teleportation distance, the greater the consumption of energy. The distance between the Hague City and the Demon-Fighting Province exceeds 1,000,000 kilometers. The consumption of energy to teleport across such a long distance could very well be imagined.
This kind of teleportation array is not something ordinary people can use.”
Yang Feng coughed lightly, saying: “Then I’d rather take an airship!”
Magic crystals were much more precious cultivation resources than top-notch magic stones. Yang Feng was reluctant to use them up on teleportation.
After scrapping most of the Turandot Subcontinent’s wealth, Yang Feng believed that even though he might not be the richest person under the heaves, but he could be considered to be very rich. However, it was only after he reached the Great Cloud Dynasty that he understood that he could be considered to be slightly well-off at most, and that there was an insurmountable chasm between him and a genuinely rich person.
After buying the tickets, Yang Feng and his party boarded a luxury airship.
With flickers of magical radiances, the luxury airship rose into the air, and flew towards the horizon.
Yang Feng looked down as he leaned on the railing of the luxury airship’s deck, enjoying the view below.
The flying speed of the luxury airship far exceeded the speed of sound. However, there was no wind or noise on the deck; the flight was extremely smooth, giving off the impression of standing on land.
Looking at the view below, Yang Feng thought: “The Great Cloud Dynasty is really high-end, with its degree of technology being an untold amount of times higher than that of Earth! The Turandot Subcontinent can’t compare at all.”
The technology involved in the luxury airship vastly overshadowed that of Earth’s airplanes, with its safety factor being also much higher than that of Earth’s airplanes. If this luxury airship were to appear on Earth, then all major airline companies would go bankrupt.
A month later.
<We arrived at the Demon-Fighting Province. We ask the passengers to alight this ship in order!>
In a vast, magnificently decorated airship parking yard, Yang Feng alighted the luxury airship and exhaled a long breath.
After an entire month of flying in the sky, Yang Feng felt extremely suffocated. He felt much relieved after getting leaving the airship.
Kongfang Ao smiled and said, “Let’s go, we’re taking an Anti-Gravity Photoelectric Vehicle. This vehicle is very fast. In about thirty minutes, we can reach the Demon-Fighting Sect. The ticket price is also inexpensive – a top-notch magic stone per person.”
Yang Feng’s expression twisted slightly, sighing inside: “One top-notch magic stone! The Great Cloud Dynasty is quite tyrannical!”
In the Turandot Subcontinent, for the sake of a top-notch magic stone, Great Warlock rank powerhouses would vie over it. For level-3 Warlocks, a top-notch magic stone was a peerless treasure.
But in the Great Cloud Dynasty, a ticket cost one top-notch magic stone. This high cost was simply appalling.
Under Kongfang Ao’s lead, Yang Feng and company left the airship parking yard.
When they went outside, they saw a world full of high-rise buildings, extremely spacious streets, and a variety of first-rate sports cars. The clothes the people on the street wore were varied, very fashioned and beautiful, and not in the least bit inferior to those on Earth.
Besides the sports cars on the ground, there were still wheeless vehicles flickering with magic radiances as they traveled above transparent tracks about fifty meters above the ground.
Seeing Yang Feng look at the hovercars, Kongfang Ao explained: “Those are Anti-Gravity Hovercars, they are the Great Cloud Dynasty’s latest magic sports cars.
These sports cars use top-notch magic stones as the power source. They don’t produce any exhaust gases, their engine’s noise is minimal, and their speed is much faster than that of conventional magic sports cars. Their emergence has greatly alleviated the traffic in urban areas. However, due to some low-class people who like to throw garbage from high altitudes, managing them is also a pain.”
Yang Feng commented: “The Great Cloud Dynasty’s alchemy is really developed!”
Kongfang Ao said proudly: “That’s only natural! The Great Cloud Dynasty is capable of suppressing countless planes by relying on its extremely formidable alchemy as well as endless knowledge inheritances.”
Yang Feng smiled and said no more.
Under Kongfang Ao’s lead, Yang Feng and company arrived at what looked like a subway station before stopping next to a platform.
Crackle.
Countless sparks flickered, issuing bursts of brittle noise. On the platform, a white train carved with countless mysterious runes suddenly appeared, hovering above the railway.
Kongfang Ao, on one hand proudly while on the other hand ruefully, said: “The Anti-Gravity Photoelectric Vehicle is the Great Cloud Dynasty’s latest magic train. It can reach 1,000 times the speed of sound, which is around 340 kilometers per second. The only drawback is that its manufacturing cost is too high and it cannot be produced on a wide scale. Because of its ticket price of one top-notch magic stone, which ordinary people can hardly afford, it is difficult to popularize it statewide. Only some of the greater provinces have such Anti-Gravity Photoelectric Vehicles.”
A glint of astonishment flashed past the depths of Yang Feng’s eyes as he looked at the white train: “1,000 times the speed of sound, amazing!”
After purchasing the tickets, Yang Feng and delegation boarded the Anti-Gravity Photoelectric Vehicle.
Upon boarding the train, Yang Feng could feel a gentle force being released from the train and then wrap around him.
Kongfang Ao warned: “Don’t resist and break this layer of magic power. Otherwise, the ultrahigh speed travel will cause you harm. At the time when the Anti-Gravity Photoelectric Vehicle had just hit the market, there has been a lot of idiots turning into minced meat due to breaking the layer of magic power.”
Yang Feng nodded and didn’t resist.
<The train is about to leave, please do not break the magic cover! The train is about to leave, please do not break the magic cover! Ignore this warning at your peril!>
After several warnings, sparks flickered around the train.
Yang Feng only felt his body being pulled lightly before going back to being stationary.
<We’ve arrived at the Demon-Fighting Sect, all passengers are asked to alight this vehicle in order.>
Before long, a voice echoed in the train.
Yang Feng and company stepped out of the train and then left the station exclusive to the Anti-Gravity Photoelectric Vehicle.
As soon as they left the station, a several hundred meters tall city wall of a majestic city appeared before them. The city wall was engraved with countless mysterious runes.
Nine-story-tall Warlock Towers, thirty six in total, were erected on top of the city wall. As if being defended by a god, each nine-story-tall Warlock Tower exuded exceedingly terrific fluctuations of power.