Fortunately, Zhang Pingfan and the others did not seem to possess any formidable equipment.
The NPCs merely glanced at Zhang Pingfan and his companions before dismissing them. After all, new arrivals like them appeared on the Divine Realm Continent daily. Today, there were slightly more than usual, and one of them was even a commoner.
"Get out of my way, all of you!"
A rude voice boomed from behind Zhang Pingfan.
Adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, Zhang Pingfan did not react aggressively. Instead, he instructed his group to move aside and let the man pass.
However, as the burly brute reached Zhang Pingfan, he spat a mouthful of saliva.
"Pah! More trash, and a dog on top of that. Kid, hand over your dog! I haven't eaten dog meat in ages. Tonight's dog meat hotpot is missing the dog you're holding!"
With that, he reached out to snatch the dog leash from Zhang Pingfan.
The Seafront City Lord, who was always domineering, could not tolerate someone acting arrogantly in front of him. Even though the man before him was level 95 and he himself was only level 93, he refused to back down.
The Seafront City Lord slapped the man's hand away.
"Scram!"
Both were Tier 9 Battle Gods, but there was still a significant gap between them. The two-level difference was precisely why the hulking man dared to act so presumptuously.
"Heh, a mere level 93 dares to act so bold in front of me! Hand it over!"
With a powerful thrust, he forced the Seafront City Lord to retreat. Once again, he lunged for the dog leash in Zhang Pingfan's hand.
"Bang!!!"
Without any warning, the hulking man flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Zhang Pingfan retracted his foot.
"My dog. If anyone is to make dog meat hotpot, it's me who decides. Who do you think you are!"
Zhang Pingfan's kick stunned the NPCs who had been idly watching. They hadn't even seen how he delivered the kick. Regardless, the level 95 Tier 9 Battle God lay on the ground like a dead pig.
Zhang Pingfan surveyed his surroundings.
"Who else wants dog meat hotpot? Come at me together, so I don't have to deal with you one by one later!"
The Seafront City Lord and the others wore expressions of excitement.
To kick a level 95 Tier 9 Battle God unconscious with a single blow – the power was terrifying! Thankfully, he was their master.
With this preceding example, everyone became wary of the young man. After all, to kick a level 95 Tier 9 Battle God into unconsciousness, his strength likely surpassed level 97.
Most people present were around level 95. Facing a Tier 9 Battle God with level 97 capabilities, they naturally dared not speak out. After all, on the Divine Realm Continent, a level 97 Tier 9 Battle God was already considered a powerful figure.
Seeing that no one spoke, Zhang Pingfan, leading Ri Tian, continued forward.
At this rudimentary teleportation point, there was only an inn.
"Master, this place is the nexus of all information on the Divine Realm Continent. However, to obtain information here, you need to pay a price!"
Hei Huang had been on the Divine Realm the longest and understood the situation here best.
"What kind of price? What information is available? Is the information here accurate?"
Zhang Pingfan had important matters to attend to here and could not afford to be sidetracked by useless information.
"Master, you can rest assured. The information here is largely accurate! However, to obtain information, you need to exchange it for a unique item on the Divine Realm Continent called an Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone!"
"Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone? Judging by the name, it must be no small matter, right?"
"Indeed. I've been here for over ten years. Apart from the time I was trapped, I've spent most of my time searching for this item. Not only can it be exchanged for valuable intelligence, but it also enhances cultivation speed. It's arguably the most precious item on the Divine Realm Continent. In my ten-plus years here, I've only found three!"
Zhang Pingfan frowned. Finding only three in over ten years – the efficiency was far too low, or was this item inherently that difficult to find?
"Since you know about this item, you must know where to find it. I brought you all here to improve your strength. Since the Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone can enhance your strength, let's find it!"
The Pingjiang City Lord beside him showed a wry smile.
"Master, the Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone is indeed difficult to find, and there are no patterns to its appearance. It can show up in any corner of the Divine Realm Continent, but each appearance invariably triggers a bloody conflict!"
"Oh, so it's deliberately made for you all to compete for it. Hei Huang, finding three is already quite an accomplishment!"
Hei Huang's old face flushed slightly.
"It was luck. There was no one else around at the time. After I took it, I hid and cultivated, breaking through directly from level 90 to 91! I later found two more, and eventually, my strength stabilized at level 93. After that, there were no more developments!"
Zhang Pingfan scratched his head. It seemed the Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone was indeed potent, granting them a level increase each time.
"Since you all know this so well, when does this Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone usually appear?"
"Under normal circumstances, one appears per day, but not everyone manages to acquire it. Sometimes, it appears in deserted areas. Even if its radiance is dazzling, no one knows about it. Therefore, it's not guaranteed that an Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone can be seen every day!"
"I see. If that's the case, the efficiency is too low. Or, can we buy it with money?"
Hei Huang shook his head. "Generally, no one sells it, as it can be used to improve one's own cultivation and also to exchange for information about treasures. Unless the treasure is something they desperately need, few people would sell it!"
Zhang Pingfan was somewhat frustrated. This wouldn't work, and that wouldn't work either. What exactly should he do?
Zhang Pingfan decided to go to the inn and see if there was any information he wanted to exchange for.
However, before Zhang Pingfan could enter, Hei Huang stopped him.
"Master, entering requires an Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone as proof. Without it, you cannot get in!"
"Damn it, why does everything require this Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stone? Isn't this clearly setting you up for mutual destruction? Who established this rule?"
Hei Huang shook his head. He didn't know. By the time he knew about it, the rule had already existed for an unknown number of years.
[Ding! I randomly placed the Extraterrestrial Profound Star Stones, but the rules were set by these NPCs themselves!]
"Alright, since it's a rule made by the NPCs, it's manageable. Can't I defeat the person who set the rules with my own strength?"