"Young Master, if you wish to proceed to the Dragon Palace, I can lead a thousand Iron Pagodas to escort you," Mo Hanshan said.
Gu Chen shook his head. "First, I'm not from the Gu family, not the Young Master you're talking about."
"Second, you said Gu Ci was on his way to the Dragon Palace. What was he doing there?"
"To answer the Young Master...er, to answer Young Master Gu Ci, Young Master Gu Ci has reached level 20. He's going to the Dragon Palace to subdue a dragon as a mount."
"Subdue a dragon as a mount?" Gu Chen's eyes flickered with disdain.
According to Ling Feng, Shangjing Academy had already reserved a spot for Gu Ci to contract with the Dragon Clan. Was he refusing the resources the academy had provided him, only to come to Dragon City to vie for a spot that wasn't his?
Looking for trouble?
Who had fostered this habit?
"Yes, this time the Dragon Palace has given out three spots. All professionals entering Yinlong City, regardless of their faction, will receive one spot each for the second, third, and fourth ranks."
"Second Young Master, you're going to the Dragon Palace this time to compete for that second-rank spot."
This was exactly what Su Mo had told him before, albeit with more detail.
Su Mo had merely stated that there were three spots for admission to the Dragon Palace, but hadn't explained that they were for the second, third, and fourth ranks.
So, after passing the Dragon Gate, one simply arrived at a screening platform.
Thinking of this, Gu Chen felt a pang of exhaustion.
Since arriving in Yinlong City, the people at the Zhenyuan Army base had only given him a map and an ID badge, then told him that Ling Feng would be waiting for him at the Dragon Palace in the heart of Yinlong City. That was
all. He had to acquire all the information on his own, completely navigating the river by feeling the stones.
Now that he had met Mo Hanshan, he had finally figured out some of the rules.
So, Gu Chen continued, "So how do I get that spot?"
Mo Hanshan glanced at Gu Chen with a hint of surprise.
What did he mean?
You've already passed the Dragon Gate, don't tell me you still do
n't know how to enter the Dragon Palace? "Don't you know the rules of the Dragon Palace, Young Master?"
Seeing Gu Chen's face darken slightly, Mo Hanshan immediately said, "Well, Young Master, you should have an identity badge on you, right?"
"Yes."
"The identity badge not only serves as a call for help, but also records your location. As long as you enter the Dragon Palace with it, you'll automatically be eligible."
"Just the qualification?"
"Yes, just the qualification. To get a spot, you must defeat all professionals of the same rank in the Dragon Palace."
So that's how it is.
Gu Chen nodded. Mo Hanshan was referring to defeating professionals of the same rank. In other words, under normal circumstances, there would be no conflict between him and the third, fourth, and fifth rank professionals in Yinlong City.
"Is there a time limit for entering the Dragon Palace?"
"No, but if you remain in one area for a long time, your identity badge will issue a warning. If you fail to leave the current area within ten minutes of the warning, your entry into the Dragon Palace will be revoked."
There's no specific time limit, but it forces professionals to continue advancing towards the Dragon Palace.
Isn't this a shrinking circle?
Gu Chen suddenly felt somewhat familiar, as if he was in a battle royale.
After asking almost all the questions, Gu Chen suddenly said, "By the way, I was the one who killed the thousand Iron Pagoda outside Yinlong City. Do you want to avenge them?"
Mo Hanshan was slightly stunned, and said with a smile, "Mr. Gu, don't joke. Although that team of people are all new recruits, they are still a thousand third-level knights. You are only a second-level-"
"Do I look like I'm kidding you?" Gu Chen's tone was cold and emotionless.
The smile on Mo Hanshan's face froze. After a moment's silence, he asked sternly, "Young Master Gu, did you really kill those thousand men?"
"Yes, if you want to avenge them, you'd better do it now."
"Young Master Gu, you misunderstood. The group you killed was a force fostered by the Second Young Master. It's not my turn to seek revenge yet,"
Mo Hanshan said calmly. "Besides, the Iron Pagoda has an annual casualty quota, and that group has only been here for less than six months. In a dangerous place like Yinlong City, a few casualties are understandable."
Total annihilation = a few casualties?
That's understandable?
"Alright," Gu Chen said helplessly.
It seemed he wouldn't be able to gain the experience of those thousand Iron Pagodas.
A flicker of surprise crossed Mo Hanshan's face, and in that instant, he had keenly caught a glimpse of regret in Gu Chen's eyes.
Regret?
He couldn't understand what was worth regretting.
"Young Master Gu, since you're going to the Dragon Palace, why not let our thousand Iron Pagodas escort you?"
"Commander Mo, I appreciate your kindness, but I have no connection to the Northern Royal Family, so I'll dispense with the Iron Pagodas."
Gu Chen turned and waved his hand. The vampire fire dragon beneath him flapped its wings, carrying him away.
Immediately, dozens of other vampire descendants followed suit, quickly disappearing from sight.
Mo Hanshan shook his head and sighed.
"Alas, Young Master, you are the eldest son of the Northern Royal Family. Why do you have to do such a self-destructive thing?"
After several hours of travel, Gu Chen arrived near a long-abandoned mine.
This was the territory of a second-level alien race called Dragon People. Within the mines, a large number of giant-like creatures with scales and a single horn lived. They were called Dragon People.
Originally, Gu Chen could have gone straight ahead, but he took a detour to this point because the map indicated that, going straight from the mine, he could pass through a massive mountain range fifty kilometers ahead, shrouded in toxic miasma.
The miasma was only a hurdle; the key issue was that within the mountain range, lurked the Dark Poison Dragon, a Level 5 alien race.
A Level 5!
If a fight broke out, with Gu Chen's current strength, he would likely struggle to gain the upper hand.
Given the significant level disparity and the fact that killing a Level 5 alien wouldn't grant 100% experience, Gu Chen decided not to bother with the thankless task.
When Gu Chen arrived near the mine, he happened to see a figure in alloy armor engaged in a fierce battle with dragonmen deep within.
Yes, it was Xu Xia.
Clad in MARK-31 armor, he single-handedly fought dozens of dragonmen, engaging in a hundred rounds without a clear winner.
The corpses of over a dozen dragonmen lay on the ground, and his alloy armor was heavily damaged. Three more pieces of alloy wreckage, destroyed in the battle, lay scattered on the ground.
Although more than ten dragon people died, overall, Xu Xia's situation was even more grim.
A dragon-man with a single horn stepped forward, a sinister sneer on his face.
"Human, your armor is indeed incredibly powerful, capable of killing us dragon-men. But unfortunately, this is probably your last set of armor, isn't it?"