Poverty, here is real poverty.

When Tang Shidao entered the Red Flame Crystal City, the first point of attention was not the secret spring stone pillar on the high platform in the center of the city, but the people of the city. To Tang Shidao's shock, more than ninety percent of the city's people were still ...... Hungry.

I have to say.

Except for some ancient planets in other mortal worlds and mage nets, Tang Shidao really couldn't think of any creatures in the magic region who would actually go hungry. Not to mention water creation and food creation, the growth of plants with 1 mana is enough for any bad field to obtain a good harvest. And you don't have to wait too long, with a few more strokes of plant growth, you can watch the crops leap from seedling to maturity and harvest.

The magic power of the desolate realm in the last world was exhausted, but there were still cultivators.

With a casual wave of the mage's hand, the mage net can make mortals rich, and there are actually nine adults starving in an entire city. It's incredible to see this kind of thing.

Look around.

Tang Shidao found that the Red Flame Crystal City had a large population, and most of the members of each family were teenagers and children.

These families are also in a single unit.

Educate.

Job.

Practice.

Everything is done by the family, with the father or mother passing on the knowledge and the children listening attentively.

They can't help but care.

Because, these parents will distribute according to their children's learning and ability, and the poor, lazy, and hungry will not be given food. Young people who are a little bit of an adult, or young people who have achieved a lot of training, will leave to find a better place to work, or a better environment for training. Most of the young people who go out will bring back some food or tools to prevent the family from supporting themselves and the younger siblings from surviving.

In terms of status.

These families are the lowest level of units.

Then, the young people are a little higher, in their work or in practice. They are located in a venue, a gymnasium or a school hall, which is the penultimate floor.

The mentors of these young people are of a higher status, which can be regarded as the third-to-last level.

Say it's a mentor.

In fact, they are more like seasoned old thieves. At this level, some of them are responsible for teaching, some are responsible for patrolling, and some are responsible for going out hunting. The villains who block the road in the city and collect fees actually belong to the penultimate layer. In addition to civilian families and civilian youth, the 'warriors' of the thief soldier are the most common force units, and they are also the lowest force units.

Thieves and above are the real mages.

Although, the level is still extremely scum.

The Secret Spring Stone Pillar in the center of the city is an altar, a place of mandatory sacrifice. On the penultimate level, after the young people have cultivated a little mana, they need to pay taxes. It's not money, it's mana points. 5 out of 10, moreover, turn it in every other year. In other words, if you can't double your practice in a year, you'll practice in vain this year, and maybe you'll regress after handing it in.

Does the city lord care about your opinion?

No.

No.

In his eyes, all cultivators are leeks one by one, and it is your fault that you don't grow taller or double in a year.

The sacrifice of the Secret Fountain Stone is very dangerous.

Tang Shidao saw with his own eyes that at least one or two percent of the young mages were sucked into dry corpses. In addition to the mana drained, their lives were also drained. At that time, no one saved them at all, and they were even laughing and mocking. What's more, the time of sacrifice was not easy to control, and some thieves even deliberately whipped or shot, causing the young mages to lose control and confusion.

As long as there is the slightest confusion, the young mages will not be able to escape, and they will most likely be sucked into dry remains.

That's it.

Ordinary people are just like plants, and the Secret Spring Stone is like a person who harvests and eats.

Tang Shidao walked to the city wall and looked into the distance.

In the wilderness there are trees, rivers, birds and animals. However, they all have one thing in common: they're either super large or super small!

Flowers and trees.

Birds, beasts, insects, fish.

They all meet this criterion, oversized or extra-small, and there are no medium-sized.

Beneath the giant tree is a small grass, or seedling.

In the middle of the river are giant fish, or small shrimps.

Tang Shidao can sense that in fact, it is not that there are no medium-sized, but that medium-sized ones are all prey. A giant wolf dozens of meters passed by, and the beast of several meters in size would definitely die, and only the little mouse would survive. It's not that the little mice can resist fighting, but there are too many of them, and the giant wolf has a lot left over after licking a few bites.

The same goes for trees.

It's too big for herbivores to eat. It's too small for herbivores to eat...... Medium-sized trees, one at a time, can have a surplus.

In addition to natural competition, hunting in the city is also a disruptive factor.

Trees that are too big to cut down are difficult to cut down.

A beast that is too big to be killed is difficult to kill.

The medium-sized ones are the easiest, and the ultra-small ones can be caught, but they can't be caught all, so they can be leftover. The only place where medium-sized beasts can survive: underground caverns. Because the underground cave environment is too complex, there are countless snakes, insects, rats and ants, so they can escape and prey. Of course, underground caves are also the most common hunting place for people.

on the ground.

Or, a team of mages who have the ability to deal with behemoths.

Or, the big kid who is so hungry that he can't catch small insects and small fish.

For young people or adults, hunting in underground caves is the best choice. Tang Shidao also discovered that the underground cave was the city's 'grain factory' and 'meat factory', the largest food supply point. The people here don't have farmland, and they eat whatever grows on the ground. Not long? Hungry.

"Your Excellency, can you excuse me?" Tang Shidao was watching, and suddenly a slightly trembling voice asked.

Tang Shidao turned around.

At this time, a respectful young monk next to him was bowing his hand, and there was a taste of panic in his eyes that could not be concealed.

"What's the matter?"

"Yes, I beg your pardon, Your Excellency. Our city lord sent a contemptible person to greet us, did we have anything to offend? Regarding the matter in front of the city gate, the city lord has already executed more than ten people, and I hope that your Excellency will not have any misunderstanding. If you are free, the city lord still wants to invite you to be a guest, I wonder what you think? The young monk didn't even dare to report his name, and all he opened his mouth was to apologize and get to the point.

"Your city lord is only around Saint Realm 2, right?" Tang Shidao said lightly.

"Yes, yes, Your Excellency." The young monk's heart was shocked. The strength of a character who can speak like this is definitely above that of Saint Realm 2. After thinking about it, he quickly added: "However, the father of the City Lord is also the Lord of a City, and he has the magical power of Saint Realm 6. ”

"Doesn't the family even have a realm master?"

"Oh...... That, that ......" The young monk broke out in a cold sweat, and he couldn't answer at all. In fact, he knew what level the Realm Lord was, and he also knew what the Supreme was, and even the Dharma Spirit Lord and the Ancestral Spirit had heard of it.

But.

In the Wasteland of the Last World, the more powerful the character, the closer the place of life to the Secret Spring.

The mage powerhouse who is far away from the secret spring, the closer he gets, the worse his strength becomes.

It's not that you can't get close, it's that you don't dare to get close.

The energy around the Secret Fountain is the most abundant, and likewise, the danger is also the highest. Ordinary mages are strong, let alone absorbing, and they can't even bear it. It's like steel can be thrown into a fire, you are firewood, and if you throw it into a fire, you are sent to death. Similarly, if the flame temperature is too high, the steel will not be able to withstand it. At the level of the Holy Realm, you can still be a mess away from the secret spring, and if you get closer, you don't need others to kill you, you don't have the ability to survive yourself.

"Your Excellency...... You, you ...... We, we ......" the young monk could not finish speaking, and his spirit was about to collapse.

"Let me ask a question?"

"Yes, please." The young monk answered immediately, no matter what he had to ask.

"Why is it safer underground than above?"

"Huh? Do you mean, living creatures and the like? Uh-huh, yes...... Because, because of the core of the Void Elemental Soil, some associated minerals will be generated around it. These associated mines are also extremely resilient and may even shelter a place for safety. The Secret Spring gathers energy from all directions, but it does not fight or grab the core of the Void Elemental Land. ”

"Isn't it?" Tang Shidao smiled.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's what you said, I'm sorry for the saffe. That, well, the Secret Spring, it'...... It can't help the Void Soil, so the closer it is to the Void Soil, the safer it is. In a place like ours far from the secret spring, the underground cave is also the safest and has the largest number of creatures. "The young monk did not dare to refute, here power is truth.

"Don't worry, just answer my questions, I won't embarrass you."

"Huh? Thank you...... Thank you for your magnanimity. The young monk broke out in a cold sweat.

"Again, why are these people starving?"

"This ...... With regard to this, Your Excellency, I beg your pardon for not being able to explain, there are many reasons for this. Generally speaking, because of the Secret Spring Stone Altar, mages rarely cast spells in cities or neighboring places, because it is easy to make mistakes. So, planting and breeding is difficult. Similarly, animals or plants with magical powers have a hard time surviving. If a demonic beast is injured or fighting, it is likely to be killed by draining energy, and the same is true for the destruction of demonic vegetation. ”

"Turned into a dry wreck?"

"Yes, you are right, respect and Your Excellency. Another reason is that some people feel that civilians need to work hard to get more food. So, deliberately reduce the sale. In fact, everyone is very busy at work, but in exchange for less food. After all, because the altar is there, it is inconvenient to cast spells, so there is a shortage of food. ”

"Why don't you tear down that stone pillar?" Tang Shidao asked again.

"Ah...... This, no, of course not. Your Excellency doesn't know that our Red Flame City can exist because of this altar. It belongs to another team of strong people, and I don't know who it is. In short, we must commit enough energy within the allotted time before we can live in peace. If the payment is insufficient, the lord of the city will have to pay it himself. ”

"If you don't have this kind of stone pillar, it means that there is no one to shelter you, is this considered a protection fee?"

"This ...... This ......" the young monk was speechless. The answer was yes, but he didn't dare to tell the truth. The answer is no, that's a lie.

Does he dare to deceive the mysterious person in front of him who doesn't even look at the realm lord?

Of course not.

"I know, you don't have to say it. Does every city have such stone pillars? ”

"Yes."

"Every secret spring has a master?"

"This ...... It is rumored that each secret spring is controlled by a group of people, and even, multiple groups are in control. However, no one can have it. Because the Secret Spring is also a passage, it has a very special inner world inside. In addition to guarding the outside, someone needs to explore the inside. So, it is necessary for multiple people to cooperate. "The young monk came as soon as he opened his mouth, and this must have been known to everyone.

"I'll give you food, can you help me get some money and something to prove my identity?"

"Huh? Of course, of course. You don't need to give anything, we'll be happy to handle it for you. "In the face of the strong, the weak can only stammer unconditionally.

"No, just change it for me." Tang Shidao waved his hand.

A large number of magical grains and fruits were scattered all over the place.

This kind of stuff is easy to obtain.

Strictly speaking, any mage chamber can be massively planted. It's just that the others don't have the ability of Tang Shidao: open the space door to the Secret Spring Stone Altar, and they will not be robbed of a trace of energy by the Secret Spring Stone Altar.

The young monk was stunned, not understanding how Tang Shidao did it.

But.

Others quickly arrived and took their things away...... These ingredients are cultivation treasures.

Five minutes.

Tang Shidao exchanged a large sum of money and also obtained an identity certificate from Red Flame City: Spell Monk, Tang Feng!