Throughout the journey, the two of them continuously exchanged thoughts, and Tang Wen gained a general impression of Tri-Alliance City.
There, Martial Practitioners still reigned supreme.
However, the city had added some urban regulations and established a law enforcement department to prevent Martial Practitioners from acting as they pleased.
Firearms had begun to take shape in Tri-Alliance City. While ordinary people rarely saw them, almost every major family and law enforcement agency had at least one.
The Silver Revolver was quite powerful.
It posed a certain threat to anyone below the Queen-Level, which was equivalent to the Astral Martial Realm.
In simple terms, it could injure Transcendents and kill Martial Masters.
Additionally, Tri-Alliance City had textile factories, clothing stores, and private tailors employed by major factions, ensuring that people dressed cleanly and presentably when going out.
For dining, there were restaurants of all sizes, offering a variety of cuisines, with hotpot and barbecue being the most popular.
Ordinary people lived in three or four-story buildings.
The tallest structure in the city, reaching dozens of stories high, was called the White Stone Tower.
For water supply, the water company had piped water to many areas.
Although Bai Youruo didn't explicitly state it, Tang Wen understood that these "many areas" likely referred to affluent neighborhoods and Martial Practitioners' residences.
The slums certainly didn't have such amenities.
At home, people cooked using gas cylinders.
For transportation, there were large Public Carriages running on tracks...
Tang Wen found everything up to this point acceptable, but when he heard about the Public Carriages, he couldn't help but ask, "Public Carriages?"
"Yes, they're similar to steam trains, with one to three low-level Mutated Beasts pulling the large carriages along the tracks!"
Young Mistress Bai was inwardly surprised by his focus. Tang Wen had remained unfazed when discussing other new inventions, so why did he react so strongly to the Public Carriages?
Tang Wen sighed inwardly: What exactly was the "Godly Extinction" disaster?
Was the destruction of civilization so thorough?
Logically, given the strength of Martial Practitioners, they should have long since excavated the remnants of the underground civilization.
How could it be that, after all this research, there was still no electricity?
Young Mistress Bai continued to describe the prosperity of Tri-Alliance City and its many advanced inventions.
"The Music Box can play music… music is something played by instruments like the harmonica and erhu."
"Mhm," Tang Wen nodded with a calm expression, though his thoughts were complex.
The complete destruction of civilization seemed rather unusual.
He asked, "Since the Bai family has an Exploration Team, do you know what exactly the Godly Extinction disaster was?"
"This?" Bai Youruo showed a troubled expression. "Actually, I don't know much. Scholars have various theories. Some believe it was a war, others think it was a natural disaster, and some suggest it was an accident akin to the Godly Extinction."
"I see," Tang Wen replied, appearing to agree.
But deep down, he felt none of the three theories were convincing.
What kind of war could completely erase the traces of civilization?
Not even nuclear war could do that!
With so many nuclear shelters and incredibly powerful Martial Practitioners, surely someone would have survived, right?
The reconstruction of civilization should have been built on a high foundation, allowing for rapid recovery.
At the very least, electricity and large machinery should have been restored.
It shouldn't have been like this, where, after hundreds of years, life around the camps still resembled the primitive era.
Natural disasters were even more far-fetched. Floods, mudslides, earthquakes, and forest fires could destroy a city, but could they annihilate an entire civilization?
As for the Godly Extinction, Tang Wen pondered carefully. Surprisingly, this seemingly most far-fetched speculation, due to its unknowable nature, might indeed be capable of destroying every civilization in the world!
"Do the people of Tri-Alliance City believe in gods?" he couldn't help but ask.
Flame Camp did not believe in gods.
At least, there were no temples or idols.
At most, farmers would kneel and worship the elusive "Heavenly Lord."
"Of course, we Martial Practitioners don't believe in such things. However, the surrounding villages do believe in the Dragon King," Bai Youruo said with a smile. "In times of severe drought, the farmers would worship the Dragon King. But if it doesn't rain within half a month and the crops wither, they would drag the Dragon King's idol out of the temple, expose it to the sun, and whip it..."
Tang Wen nodded slightly: This is familiar to me—if it works, they believe; if it doesn't, they punish!
The rulers of Tri-Alliance City were Martial Practitioners.
Martial Practitioners didn't believe in gods, and relying solely on ordinary people, no powerful religious sects could develop.
After a few more words, Young Mistress Bai returned to the topic of Martial Arts:
"I heard that Flame Camp practices the Mountain-Cracking Cannon Fist?"
"Yes, I wonder what Cultivation Method Young Mistress Bai practices?"
"Our family's Ice Soul Art," Bai Youruo replied. "Unfortunately, I'm not Transcendent, otherwise, traveling in this scorching heat wouldn't be so unbearable."
Tang Wen asked a few more questions about Cultivation Methods.
Bai Youruo's heart stirred—he was passionate about Martial Arts.
She said, "Ordinary Visualization Arts can only take one to the Astral Martial Realm, which is the level of your Queen."
Tang Wen knew this much—the Camp's Cultivation Methods only went up to the Astral Martial Realm, the stage of the second Transcendent awakening.
Beyond that, there were no methods to practice.
However, since he wasn't even Transcendent yet, there was no need to worry about that for now.
Bai Youruo continued, "There are hundreds of Martial Arts schools in Tri-Alliance City, each possessing Meditation Martial Arts. Fists, feet, palms, eighteen types of weapons, hidden weapons—you name it, they have it. Even Mental Secret Arts are available."
After becoming Transcendent, one could learn Mental Secret Arts.
"Can you learn them just by paying?" Tang Wen pressed.
"For ordinary Meditation Martial Arts, becoming an inner disciple is enough. But for some secret techniques, you need to fully become one of their own, a direct disciple, to learn them!"
Tang Wen: "Hmm, I see. But what does 'becoming one of their own' entail?"
"Every faction, every Martial Arts school, has its enemies."
"Understood!"
So it seems that Tri-Alliance City is a city composed of numerous Martial Practitioner factions.
The interactions between major factions are still quite primitive and direct.
Under the constraints of city regulations, assassination and martial arts competitions might be the main themes of their conflicts.
Tang Wen stroked the Sand Wolf beneath him: It feels somewhat similar to competing for territory with Mutated Beasts.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Bai Youruo's smile grew even brighter.
Over the past two days, she had learned from other guards that Tang Wen was a young prodigy.
Not yet eighteen, he could unleash dozens of attacks and had defeated a first-class Martial Master!
Such achievements, even in Tri-Alliance City, would earn him the title of "genius."
And this was without the guards knowing his true age—if they knew he was only sixteen, Young Mistress Bai, who prided herself on being from a big city and having seen the world, would probably be shocked speechless.
Seeing Tang Wen's interest in Martial Arts, Bai Youruo seized the opportunity to share more.
And Tang Wen's attentive listening.
Made her feel that "luring" him to become her ally was at least thirty to forty percent possible.
"In my opinion, ordinary martial arts schools and gangs, with their constant fighting and killing, are not good places to be. Our Bai family is eager for talent and welcomes all Martial Masters to join."
Tang Wen's eyes flickered, keenly detecting a familiar scent: empty promises!
Good heavens, it's been a while since I've encountered such empty promises!
Could it be that the Bai family of Tri-Alliance City are capitalists?
Bai Youruo continued, "Our Bai family, in addition to our own Ice Division Master Skill, also has several core training methods from the Fire Division and Thunder Division."
Tang Wen's eyes lit up, revealing eight small white teeth, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on her pretty face.
Just like a gym trainer who tells female members he doesn't want to work hard!
"If a genius like Commander Tang Wen joins, there will surely be an opportunity to achieve beyond the Celestial Warrior level!"
"Really?" Tang Wen smiled.
"Of course!"
It's settled!
Geniuses from barren lands are indeed easy to fool!
Tang Wen's smile made Bai Youruo momentarily dazed, and she felt a slight sense of loss: I was planning to use a beauty trick!
"After passing the front outpost, it's just a short walk to Flame Camp."
Another hour passed, and Bai Youruo arrived at the entrance of Flame Camp.
Upon entering, she noticed that this place was indeed different from other camps.
The ground was clean, and people's clothes were relatively tidy.
There were guards patrolling the city, and ordinary people didn't need to avoid them, walking confidently on the streets.
She exchanged glances with the two women, silently marveling: this small camp in the northwest frontier actually resembles Tri-Alliance City.
Entering the inner city, the roads were wide, the stone houses were orderly, and there were scattered shops along the streets.
The three women observed everything with great curiosity.
(End of Chapter)