85: Old Days

"Hmm, what level are you now, and what rank is your Talent?"

Tang Ping appeared inside the Shelter.

"Master, I am now a Level 3 Mutant with an A-Rank Talent," Gao Lin replied, his eyes still shining with excitement, clearly still finding it hard to believe that he had become like this.

"A Level 3 Mutant with an A-Rank Talent, not bad," Tang Ping nodded. "What's your name?"

"Replying to Master, my name is Gao Lin," Gao Lin secretly observed his master. If he hadn't guessed wrong, this young man who owned a Shelter definitely came from an extremely powerful family!

This family was absolutely beyond his imagination. According to his understanding, it seemed that even a Sixth-Level Extraordinary Family wouldn't be so extravagant as to let a child bind a shelter item.

Gao Lin's mind recalled that day again, and that powerful Talent!

The extreme cold aura of that Talent seemed to be branded into his bones, making him feel as if he was frozen in that day every time he remembered it!

This was definitely a Talent more powerful than his own A-Rank Talent!

Thinking of a Talent stronger than an A-Rank Talent, Gao Lin shivered.

Although a Mutant was also a very good transcendent path, in terms of both potential and foundation, it was ultimately inferior to a Talent User.

The powerful Talent and the Shelter made Gao Lin even more certain that this person definitely came from some mysterious great family!

As for being an ordinary person? Could an ordinary person casually throw a transcendent weapon into a Shelter? Could an ordinary person obtain something like infected serum? Could an ordinary person have such a rich and varied supply of food?

The answer was no.

Gao Lin became increasingly convinced that he was correct.

This was a young master from a great family undergoing "arduous" training outside!

Therefore, even though he had an A-Rank Talent, he dared not show any disobedience, but rather willingly called the other party Master.

At the same time, his heart was surging with excitement. The person he was following might very well be a future Heavenly King!

That was a Heavenly King! He was actually fortunate enough to follow a Heavenly King in his youth!

Every time he thought of this, Gao Lin felt dizzy.

"Hmm, Gao Lin, you'll stay by my side from now on. Are you willing?" Tang Ping looked at Gao Lin with a smile.

Gao Lin's body tensed, and he immediately replied, "Gao Lin is willing to follow Master!"

"Good, but you don't need to call me Master anymore, just call me Young Master."

"Yes, Young Master," Gao Lin was happy in his heart. The Young Master had acknowledged him.

Tang Ping was also in a good mood. Having a Level 3 A-Rank Talent by his side gave him an extra layer of security.

Although after Level 4, as the experience required for leveling up increased, fighting above one's level became as difficult as ascending to heaven.

However, Mutants were naturally robust, and Gao Lin could also fly. Coupled with his Talent being one level higher than the Head of the Xiao Family, the other party couldn't easily do anything to Gao Lin.

"Gao Lin, you'll stay in the Shelter for now. I'll let you out if anything comes up."

"Yes, Master!"

Coming out of the Shelter, Tang Ping casually put the Shelter back into his spiritual sea.

That C-rank Spirit Concealing Pearl transcendent item was also used by him. This item also had good mental defense capabilities, so why not take it.

Moreover, with the Shelter, he could clearly check the item information, and he knew exactly whether any tricks had been played with it.

Just like that, Tang Ping settled down in the Fourth-Level Extraordinary Family, the Xiao Family.

Aside from being a bit bored, his standard of living was beyond reproach. He was taken care of comfortably in every aspect, as if they were afraid he might want to take his own life.

To facilitate his entry and exit, they even gave him the identity of an orphan of a clan leader's close friend.

Of course, Tang Ping did not refuse this.

However, the next day, he heard that the Xiao Family seemed to have encountered some trouble, and it was no small matter. It seemed that a young master from a level six family wanted the Xiao Family to become his vassal.

As for the outcome, it was naturally declined by the Xiao Family.

But because of this, they offended this young master, and the Xiao Family's original potion business might face a serious threat.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Tang Ping.

Tang Ping just listened indifferently to Xiao Xiaomo's narration, but he was quite curious about that level six extraordinary family.

"Which family does the other party come from?"

"They are from the Hongyan Qiao Family in Spark Safe Zone. This family has a level six shelter, which is located in the Red Flame Villa outside the Safe Zone. It has tens of thousands of acres of Shelter estate. I heard that the Qiao Family's first generation Shelter ancestor is still alive and is a powerful Level 6 A-rank Talent Holder!"

Xiao Xiaomo paused for a breath and continued.

"This family, I heard, has a Shelter facility called the Red Flame Sacred Fire. Therefore, the Talents awakened in the family are basically Fire Talent. If one can obtain a sub-fire during awakening, the Talent rank will be at least D-rank."

At this point, Xiao Xiaomo's tone was clearly filled with envy.

"The Hongyan Qiao Family gets its name from this, and they are also a refining family. The Red Flame Villa where they are located is even a volcano!"

"That is a truly top-tier family that can stand alone on the Wasteland. A level six shelter brings tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, and they have many Shelter facilities. Their foundation is unfathomable!"

Tang Ping nodded and sighed softly, "Indeed, very powerful. None of those who can establish a family territory on the Wasteland are simple. However, this Qiao Family is also a refining family."

Refining, of course, refers to transcendent weapons and items. Besides those produced by the system, these can also be artificially refined, but it requires a lot of effort to learn and practice.

But undoubtedly, even becoming a refiner of an f-rank transcendent weapon would be a sought-after existence.

Their status among Talent Users would also be extremely noble, on par with alchemists.

"What is the background of that young master?" Tang Ping asked.

"He is the fifth son of the Head of the Qiao Family. Although he has a B-rank Fire Talent, he is a playboy who dislikes cultivation. If it weren't for system experience stones, he probably wouldn't have reached Level 4."

Xiao Xiaomo sighed in her heart. Her father, whom she had only seen a few times, the esteemed Head of a Fourth-Level Extraordinary Family in the eyes of outsiders, had achieved his strength through half a lifetime of effort, yet others could easily gain such strength while indulging in pleasure.

This was not because the other party's Talent was so powerful, but simply because behind that person stood a colossal entity that was enviable, awe-inspiring, and terrifying.

Xiao Xiaomo then thought about system experience stones. experience stones that could directly raise one's level without even a trace of meditation, what were they like?

She really didn't know what the world was like at the very beginning of the apocalypse. Xiao Xiaomo sometimes envied them, because everyone back then had an opportunity!

The opportunity to awaken Talent, the opportunity to obtain a Shelter, the opportunity to freely raise one's level!

These things, which are now out of reach for people of later generations, were readily available to people in the early days of the apocalypse.

"Reaching Level 4 requires quite a few system experience stones. I didn't expect that even now, there are still families that can easily produce so many system experience stones." Tang Ping couldn't help but wonder if there was some method or facility that could directly obtain system experience stones?

Someone walked into the courtyard; it was Xiao Sheng.

"These are the secret realm experience stones you wanted, and also a D-rank talent upgrade stone, and a C-rank defensive transcendent item that can automatically protect its master and even withstand the attacks of a Fourth-Level Expert."

Tang Ping took them. He naturally didn't need the D-rank Talent experience stone.

But there was no reason to return something that was already in his pocket.

He opened another pocket, which contained small, fingernail-sized, diamond-shaped experience stones. There were fully two thousand Small Secret Ground experience stones, which meant each one added one point of experience.

It had to be said that the Xiao Family was truly intent on inheriting his Shelter, but they were also truly willing to invest.

Two thousand Small Secret Ground experience stones, a D-rank talent upgrade stone, a C-rank defensive transcendent item, and the previous C-rank mental transcendent item—any one of them, if taken out, would be an extremely precious item.

The Xiao Family could be said to have gone all out to ensure he didn't die.

"Things are not peaceful outside recently. You stay here obediently." Xiao Sheng's eyes showed fatigue.

"Not peaceful?"

Xiao Sheng nodded, "It's those cultists from the Old Days Society. The Star Council officially announced that those guys have likely infiltrated the three Safe Zones under the Star Council."

"Old Days Society..." Tang Ping seemed to have some impression of it in his memory.

He opened his phone and began searching online.

Soon, information about this notorious organization, a cult jointly wanted by the Great Xia Safe Zones, appeared before his eyes.

"The Old Days Society, also known as the Salvation Society or the Old World Society, strives to save the world and restore the order of the old world, but..."