Chapter 60: News from the Grand Base
Having reached the outskirts of the Xiao Qianye Forest, Ye Tian and Xiao Jin could finally unleash their true speed. The open terrain had few obstacles, so they could run at high velocity without colliding into anything. Compared to their helpless situation within the Xiao Qianye Forest, this was like heaven and earth. Ye Tian climbed onto Xiao Jin's back, and the creature gathered its strength. At twenty-five times the speed of sound, it transformed into a streak of flowing light, racing across the land.
Behind them, the Titan Ape emerged from the Xiao Qianye Forest, giving chase. Realizing it couldn't match Xiao Jin's speed, it pounded its chest in frustration and roared a few times before reluctantly returning to the forest. Seeing that the Titan Ape had given up pursuit, Ye Tian immediately instructed Xiao Jin to stop.
By this time, they were hundreds of miles away from the Linhai Base. He didn't dare run in the direction of the base because it was still too close to the Xiao Qianye Forest. If the Titan Ape had pursued them all the way to Linhai Base, it would have been a major disaster. To ensure the safety of Linhai Base, Ye Tian guided Xiao Jin to sprint in another direction, deliberately avoiding the base.
Afterward, Ye Tian and Xiao Jin searched for the route back to Linhai Base. It took them about half an hour to finally find it. Of course, he wouldn't admit that he had almost gotten lost.
Upon returning to Linhai Base riding Xiao Jin, Ye Tian once again astounded countless people. Taming a fierce beast was something that many couldn't achieve because most such creatures were of low intelligence and had no concept of surrender. In the minds of these beasts, there were only two possibilities: the enemy dies, or they die. Many great warriors had tried to tame a medium-level beast, but all had failed. Yet Ye Tian had tamed a high-level beast like the Golden Dragon Leopard. If people knew that Xiao Jin had top-tier speed talents, they'd probably die of jealousy. Such a creature was incredibly valuable.
Back at home, Ye Yu saw the ten-meter-long Xiao Jin and felt a bit intimidated. Just having become a martial warrior, she found it hard to bear Xiao Jin's overpowering aura.
"Xiao Jin, restrain your aura!" Ye Tian quickly patted Xiao Jin's head.
Xiao Jin wagged its tail and gave a somewhat aggrieved low growl to Ye Tian, but ultimately complied and subdued its aura. If it weren't for its enormous size, it would look just like a little kitten.
"Sister, this is Xiao Jin, my tamed beast. You two should get acquainted. Don't worry, Xiao Jin won't harm you," Ye Tian introduced Xiao Jin to his sister.
Encouraged by him, Ye Yu finally greeted Xiao Jin, saying, "Hello Xiao Jin, I'm Ye Yu."
Xiao Jin nuzzled its head against Ye Yu's, signaling friendliness. It understood that the young girl before it was its master's sister, and potentially someone it would need to protect in the future.
Yes, Ye Tian had already told it that if he was ever absent, Xiao Jin would be responsible for ensuring Ye Yu's safety. It didn't dare disobey its master's orders, so it took the initiative to establish a good relationship with Ye Yu.
Ye Tian went to meet the Pavilion Branch Master of Linhai Base. The Pavilion Master had always been a mysterious figure, seldom seen by others. Had it not been for Ye Tian's current status, the Pavilion Master would not have agreed to meet him.
Originally, Ye Tian thought that the master of the Martial Pavilion would an elderly man. However, upon meeting the master, he realized that the man was only in his thirties and possessed extraordinary talent.
Cultivation Talent: High
Having a high cultivation talent wasn't something unusual. In Tieya (Iron Fang) Base, a medium-sized base, there were quite a few individuals with high cultivation talents. Yue Zhong, as the master of the Martial Pavilion branch in Linhai Base and coming from a large base, could only be considered a minor genius in that regard. However, his medium talent in swordsmanship and low talent in strength were extremely exceptional. The two could be combined, showcasing Yue Zhong's incredible strength, even surpassing individuals like Sun Kong from the Sun family.
"Greetings, Master of the Martial Pavilion!" Ye Tian courteously greeted.
Yue Zhong promptly replied, "I am but a branch master of the Martial Pavilion in Linhai Base. Grandmaster Ye is too courteous. May I ask what brings you to see me?"
Ye Tian did not refute the title of Grandmaster that Yue Zhong used for him. "Master Yue, you come from a large base, correct? I would like to know how to get there."
Yue Zhong smiled faintly. He wasn't surprised by Ye Tian's question. After all, Ye Tian was so young yet already unrivaled in Linhai Base. Such a talented individual would naturally not be content staying in a weaker base like Linhai. He was surely drawn to the large bases.
Without concealing anything, Yue Zhong said, "I come from Demon Sea Base, which is a large base 3,000 kilometers away from Linhai Base. This distance is not great for a Grandmaster. However, the journey is extremely dangerous. One may even encounter top-tier ferocious beasts if unlucky. Therefore, we from the large base only send people to Linhai Base every year. There are only two real branches of large base powers in Linhai Base: one is our Martial Pavilion and the other is the bank, which is a subsidiary of Demon Sea Bank. The bank rarely sends people, while we from the Martial Pavilion have consistently sent people once a year."
"Master Yue, do you mean that I can only go to the large base when the Martial Pavilion sends people once a year? Is it not possible to go alone?" Ye Tian asked.
Yue Zhong chuckled, "Going alone is not an option. Grandmaster Ye, you're not familiar with large bases, are you?"
"I'm not," Ye Tian nodded.
Yue Zhong explained, "Over a hundred years ago, Earth was much smaller, and cities were close to each other. But then came the apocalypse, and extraterrestrial beasts descended through spatial rifts. Not only did Earth produce elemental energy, it also grew incredibly large—estimated to have expanded hundreds of times, though the exact extent is unknown. Initially, the human population did decrease considerably, but over these hundred years, the large bases claimed vast territories, promoting a high birth rate. Therefore, each large base has a high population, advanced technology, and plenty of talent. Do you know how many people are in Demon Sea Base?"
"1 million?" Ye Tian ventured a guess.
"10 million!" Yue Zhong emphasized.
"What!" Ye Tian was genuinely shocked. This was the post-apocalypse, and yet a large base had 10 million people, comparable to top-tier cities in the previous world!
"10 million people contribute to immense power," Yue Zhong continued. "With the efforts of countless people, Demon Sea Base is not much different from the large cities over a hundred years ago. Many scientists have replaced electricity with elemental energy; there are even elemental air conditioners, elemental cars, and elemental elevators. The entire Demon Sea Base is covered by a massive elemental array that repels beasts. To enter, one needs identity verification. Every person from Linhai Large Base has an elemental identity card, which allows them to freely enter and leave Demon Sea Base."
"Elemental Identity Card!" Ye Tian finally understood why he couldn't enter Demon Sea Base alone. Entry was impossible without an elemental identity card; only by accompanying Martial Pavilion warriors could he enter.
"Master Yue, when is the next time people from Martial Pavilion will arrive?" Ye Tian asked the question that concerned him most.
"In a month," Yue Zhong answered.