56: Chapter 56 Arrival in Tianyuan Prefecture, News of the Genius Battle

The three had been flying for half a day, and the mountains and rivers beneath their feet were becoming increasingly unfamiliar.

Gu Chen flew at the very front, high-spirited, wishing he could step straight into the Central Province in a single bound!

Li Shuangxu followed behind, silently calculating the route.

But why did it feel like it was getting more and more unfamiliar the further they went?

It felt like they had never been here before.

Gu Qingshan flew at the rear, looking around as he flew.

Suddenly, Gu Qingshan spoke up: "Young Lord, in which direction is the Central Province?"

Gu Chen's figure faltered, and he came to a halt!

He turned back to look at Gu Qingshan, opened his mouth, and then looked at the unfamiliar world around them.

It seemed he had never asked!

Gu Chen turned his head to look at Li Shuangxu, and Li Shuangxu was looking at him too!

The two stared at each other for three seconds!

？？？

"You don't know the way?" Gu Chen asked.

"I thought you knew, Young Master Gu!" Li Shuangxu said.

Another silence followed!

Gu Qingshan sighed: "So we've been flying for half a day, and we haven't even figured out the direction?"

Gu Chen's mouth twitched, and he gave a light cough, "Um, Shuangxu, aren't you the Qingyun Saint? You should have been to the Central Province, right?"

Li Shuangxu shook his head: "I haven't been, but I should know how to get there."

He took a yellowed map out of his Storage Pouch, unfolded it to look, and then checked the direction.

"Our current position should be northeast of Qingyun Province. To get to the Central Province, we must first arrive at Tianyuan Province. There is an inter-provincial Spirit Ship there that can pass through spatial rifts to reach the border of the Central Province directly. Taking the Spirit Ship is faster than flying; it should save at least seven days."

Gu Chen's eyes lit up: "A Spirit Ship? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Li Shuangxu put away the map and changed direction: "Follow me."

The three continued their journey, with Li Shuangxu leading the way this time.

Gu Chen flew beside Li Shuangxu and patted his shoulder: "Shuangxu, I knew your brain was useful! For things like traveling far, I still have to rely on you!"

Li Shuangxu gave a bitter smile; why did it feel like he wasn't really being complimented?

"Brother Gu, you dared to head out without even knowing the way; aren't you afraid of flying into a Yao Beast forest?"

Gu Chen patted the jade tablet Jian Wuji had given him at his waist: "Afraid? What's there to be afraid of? With this thing, I'm not afraid of flying anywhere!"

Li Shuangxu was speechless!

It made sense!

With a guardian chosen by the Old Ancestor, he really didn't need to fear flying anywhere!

Gu Qingshan followed behind, silently watching their backs, and suddenly felt that this trip didn't seem so scary after all!

Although his cultivation wasn't high in the Central Province, with a guardian chosen by the Old Ancestor, what the hell was there to panic about!

Just do it!

"Let's go!" Gu Chen accelerated and flew forward quickly!

The three streaked across the sky, flying toward Tianyuan Province!

Behind them, the Gu Family mountain gate grew further and further away.

Ahead lay an unfamiliar world, an unknown journey, and the gathering place for the Geniuses of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces!

Led by Li Shuangxu, the three traveled for three days and three nights, finally arriving at Tianyuan Province at daybreak.

Tianyuan Province, the outermost large province of the Eastern Region; beyond it lay the vast Void Realm!

This place was originally a desolate land. Tens of thousands of years ago, a quasi-emperor powerhouse appeared, splitting the Void Realm with a single sword strike, opening a spatial passage to the Central Province!

From then on, Tianyuan Province became the most prosperous transportation hub in the Eastern Region, with merchant caravans and Cultivators coming and going in an endless stream!

The three walked into the city.

The streets were wide, lined with shops on both sides—selling Spirit Medicine, Magic Treasure, and Spirit Beast—with shouts and cries rising one after another!

Pedestrians on the street were endless, including gorgeously dressed Disciples of large sects, travel-worn Loose Cultivators, and even powerhouses at the Saint level mixed into the crowd, completely inconspicuous!

Gu Qingshan's eyes went straight: "This! This is ten times livelier than the largest market in Qingyun Province!"

Gu Chen said calmly: "It's alright, but compared to the Gu Family, it's lacking something!"

Li Shuangxu's mouth twitched; the Gu Family was like a fairyland, how could they compare?

He led the two into a small alley and found the Spirit Ship ticket office.

A long queue stretched before the window. Li Shuangxu squeezed in to ask around, and when he came out, his expression was not very good.

"The next Spirit Ship to the Central Province doesn't depart until three days later."

"Three days?" Gu Chen frowned.

"There's no other way. Spirit Ships to the Central Province don't run every day; the nearest one is in three days," Li Shuangxu said helplessly, putting away the map.

"Let's find a place to stay first. Three days is just enough time to rest and recover."

The three found an inn in the city to stay in, requesting a quiet courtyard.

Gu Chen was in no rush to rest and pulled Li Shuangxu to sit at the stone table in the courtyard.

"Shuangxu, tell me in detail about the Genius Tournament—the rules, who is participating, what I need to watch out for—tell me everything!"

After all, since he was going to participate, it was necessary to understand it in advance!

Currently, only Li Shuangxu knew some details.

Just as Li Shuangxu was about to speak, a burst of loud discussion suddenly came from the next table!

"Have you heard? For this Genius Tournament, the Imperial Han Family has produced a Prodigy named Han Zixuan! He broke through to the Sovereign Realm at thirty! It's said he was even bestowed a pseudo-quasi-emperor artifact; I feel like he's aiming for the championship!"

"Really? Sovereign Realm at thirty? And a pseudo-quasi-emperor artifact? How are the others supposed to fight?"

"It's not just the Han Family! It's said the Ice Phoenix Clan has also sent their Saintess, named Saintess Bing Xin. It's said she has the purest Ice Phoenix Bloodline in ten thousand years! She had visions at birth! Her strength has already reached the Peak of the Fourth Heaven of the Sovereign Realm, and she holds an ancestral quasi-emperor artifact!"

"Damn! Han Zixuan! Saintess Bing Xin! Why is this session so intense? Hearing the names of two Imperial Clans all of a sudden—can this Genius Tournament even be fought?"

"It's not just that!" an old man said slowly!

"As far as I know, the one from the Longevity Family, the Zhuge Family, has also emerged—Zhuge Qingyun, who is proficient in Formation and deduction. Although his cultivation isn't the highest, it's said that no one at the same level can break his Formation! There are also descendants of some reclusive experts who have all come for this session of the Genius Tournament!"

"Why?" the young man asked, puzzled.

The old man lowered his voice: "Because the rewards for this session are more generous than any previous session! The top ten are said to receive fragments of a quasi-emperor artifact, and the top three... hehe, this old man doesn't know either, but for it to tempt so many Imperial Clans and Longevity Families, you can imagine for yourselves!"

The discussion at the next table grew more and more lively!

Suddenly, a young man slapped the table, his voice loud enough for half the street to hear: "Everything you've said is outdated! The news I just received is that Kang Shen is also going to participate in this Genius Tournament!"

"Kang Shen? Which Kang Shen?" someone asked.

"Which other Kang Shen could it be? The Kang Shen who doesn't feel pressure when fighting others, only eats savory chicken!"

"It's said that this person was a demonic child born into the world who often fought with others, and as a result, he tempered a set of Heaven-Defying skills! Not to mention anything else, his ability to withstand pressure is unmatched at the same level! Others hitting him is like scratching an itch, while he knocks others out with one punch."

"Really? Doesn't feel pressure, only eats chicken?"

"It's absolutely true! My cousin's second aunt's husband's neighbor's nephew was a lackey under Kang Shen and saw it with his own eyes! Before fighting, Kang Shen must eat a savory chicken; after eating, he's like he's been injected with chicken blood, and his combat power doubles!"

The whole table burst into laughter!

Some didn't believe it, some were half-believing, and some had already started asking about the recipe for the savory chicken!