Eat a trench and grow a wisdom, the ancients were honest and did not deceive me. Qian Jing dragged his tired body and walked slowly in the flow of people, gradually understanding where his mistake was. It is not something that can be done by putting on local clothes, turning into a local appearance, and speaking the language of the locals, but there is still a lot of knowledge to learn, a lot of training to be carried out, and a lot of digestive and antidote to swallow.

Even on Earth, when special forces go on missions in other countries, they have to get a bunch of anti-epidemic shots. Qian Jing didn't eat himself to death, maybe it was luck, maybe it was the protective aura of the White Flag grocery store that was working secretly, no one can say.

"I should have thought of it! Stinky tofu is toxic to the Fortress Stars, and it requires complicated and expensive alchemy to detoxify it if you want to eat it. Conversely, local food is also very likely to be harmful to humans. By the way, didn't Captain Chang want more than anything else was food from the earth? If the food in this place could be eaten simply, he would definitely eat it directly. I'm so stupid!"

Qian Jing no longer dared to stuff the roadside things directly into his mouth, no matter how sweet it was. The only way to taste the food is to detoxify them with food flavorers and legion bread - this method is too expensive for others, but Qian Jing doesn't really care. Qian Jing planned to buy some on the way back after visiting the big competition area. In addition to making safe food, I also gave some to Laisha.

The competition area of the magic competition is divided into several venues according to different events, such as gladiatorial arena, craft field, maze survival, magic engineering, environmental control and biology competition, etc. These venues are functionally different in size, but they are all in the same place. The "Peseta", a magical ellipsoid building that rises straight to the sky, is located in the center of the competition area, and magicians use spatial magic to divide the playing field. All those who watch and participate in the game must first enter the peseta and then buy a ticket before they can go to the various interior spaces.

It's a super complex, no smaller than any other mega building on the planet. Standing in the shadow of the building and looking up, Qian Jing's neck was a little uncomfortable because of the back, and he could only vaguely see the top of the building. In order to better defend against sandstorms, this is the same as other buildings on the fortress star, the entire tower has no external windows, so Qian Jing can't accurately count the floors, and can only estimate that it is about the same as a 150-story building.

There is no need for an elevator inside, there are various portals that connect the different areas, and people just need to follow the instructions and walk into the corresponding portal arches. The interior of this high-rise building is cramped compared to Earth, with a massive rune-carved marble column taking up most of the central space, running through the floor and dome of the tower. The runes continued to glow with changing colors, and the flow of energy of unknown types quickly jumped between the words, leaving a brilliant afterimage in the vision of the money mirror.

This massive pillar clearly serves two functions: to support the building, and to support the energy expenditure of all the magic. All of Stronghold's magic is based on the application of the earth element, and the energy drawn from the sand-filled earth gives magicians the opportunity to use their imaginations. The proximity to the earth element has influenced the character and aesthetic of the Strongholders, and the heavy, sturdy element permeates all of their creations, and architecture is no exception. The interior of the tower is occupied by pillars, and the spiraling passages around the pillars are also bloated and wide, leaving little space for various shops, and each one has the feeling of a small gatehouse. Fortunately, there is still space magic, which can expand the internal space of the store, otherwise it would not be able to receive the crowd here.

Inside the tower, visitors are thoughtfully equipped with signboards, and they can find various services by following the directions. Qian Jing looked at the sign blankly, although the words on it were translated, he just didn't understand what it meant. He had the feeling that Grandma Liu had entered the Grand View Garden, and he also had a sense of powerlessness in the face of huge cultural differences. It seems that the appearance of a person can be easily changed, but knowledge, knowledge and culture can only be accumulated slowly.

Qian Jing had no choice but to wander around the tower casually, enjoying the pleasure of ignorance. He also paid for tickets to watch the game, but he could only watch the excitement but didn't understand why, just like watching a movie with only special effects, but no plot, dialogue, and background knowledge. Even in the fiercest gladiatorial arena, he was very nervous and excited when he saw the fight between people and between humans and monsters, but he was far less engaged and excited than the real fortress stars around him.

However, he saw Professor Zhang's name on the scoreboard, and he had already broken through the qualifying round and entered the stage of the Group 2 points stage. According to the format, he has to go all the way to Tier 5 and finish in the top two of the Tier 5 group before he can reach the final of the gladiatorial category with the other divisions.

Once the top five finishers in all categories have been decided, the grand finale will begin, and everyone will be put into a specially prepared maze to survive and move forward, solving problems and fighting for the ultimate championship. The championship is where the real brutality is, and it is said that most of the playing areas have no rules or even referees, except for a fixed rest area. This means that even the winner of the craft competition has to compete with the champion of the gladiatorial arena. Because of this format, it was a good choice to participate in the Maze Survival Tournament before the finals, and like Lyusa Wende, everyone wanted to get a sneak peek of the finals.

The mixed format of the big melee may seem unfair, but this is the essence of the survival of the multiverse, just like the only unit of measurement that can be unified in the Ring Alliance is the "civilization continuation protection". Qian Jing still can't turn this corner, but this doesn't affect him from wandering around here.

Since he couldn't understand the magic competition, Qian Jing immediately shifted his interest to magic items. According to the guide, after passing through three teleportation arches in a row, Qian Jing found the magic item shop. Unlike shops on Earth, where they greet guests at the door, a milky white crystal ball, the size of a pumpkin, sits at the entrance on a sturdy marble base.

Two Fortress Stars walked over in front of the money mirror and shook their hands on the crystal ball in turn. The crystal ball immediately began to change color, giving one person a golden color and another a dark brownish yellow. "It's better for you to have a higher magic sensing ability, it seems that you've been paying attention to studying lately!" the two of them said and laughed, pushed open the door and walked in.

Qian Jing stepped forward and saw instructions written on the marble base. The darker the color, the better the Earth elemental's magic sensitivity, and the higher the brightness, the stronger the element's ability to mobilize and use. The other colors have their own recommended product sections, but the black color reads, "We're sorry, but we can't provide you with service." ”

"Don't be black, don't be black. Qian Jing put his hand on it as he muttered, and the crystal ball was as black as if it had been stained with ink. He didn't give up, took his hand, put it down, tried it several times, watched the crystal ball flicker black and white, and finally sighed and turned to leave.

Not everyone has such a thing as magic talent, and according to Qian Jing's understanding, there are also some people in the fortress who don't have magic talent. However, the innate conditions can indeed bring great convenience, but as long as they train hard, the Fortress Star will eventually be able to use magic - and only when this condition is met, the Fortress Star can be called a magical civilization.

Qian Jing also saw several magic schools that specialized in training, just like English cram schools on the streets of his hometown. Qian Jing really wanted to sign up, but the shortest course span for zero-based and untalented people, such as Qian Jing, took one year, and he didn't have that much time. Moreover, Qian Jing is an earthling, not a fortress star, and magic has not penetrated into the bloodline from his ancestors, so it is likely that after a year of study, he still can't master the elemental energy, and his time is wasted.

"If you have a magical talent, you can directly use magic equipment, how handsome!" Qian Jing could only express pity from his heart, and then continued to move forward.

After buying some small decorative souvenirs and buying a few clothes, Qian Jing's eyes lit up and he saw a bookstore. Fortress Stars lack plants, so they don't have the kind of paper on Earth, and generally use slate books in fixed locations such as homes and training centers. Books that can be carried around require a reduced weight, which can only be obtained by processing leather by means of magical alchemy, which is small in quantity and expensive. However, Qian Jing has a lot of money that has nowhere to spend, and the idea of buying books just arises.

There was no need to test the magical talent here, and Qian Jing walked directly through the portal and entered the bookstore. The cabinet for the books is ten meters high, from floor to ceiling. There are no flying signs, and everyone has to go up and down ladders. On Earth, the books in the cabinet are closely arranged, with the spine facing outward. Here, the leather book covers face outward, separating each other from each other, and are neatly presented in front of the money mirror.

There was only one owner in the bookstore, and he raised his head, squinted at the money mirror, and then lowered his head and went about his own business. Seeing this, Qian Jing didn't bother him, he just needed to set his eyes on the books, and went shopping alone.

Most of the books are still related to magic, after all, this is the core of the Stronghold Star civilization. The lack of paper limits the number of literary works, and the only books that are basically novels are actually magicians' adventures and research diaries. Maybe you could supply the Fortress Star with a printing press and export the paper, as long as the paper could withstand heat and dryness, and be as strong as possible and wind-resistant—it might be a business opportunity. He jot down the idea and continued to wander the bookstore.

"The Magic Picture Book?is it actually a graphic rather than a rune?" Qian Jing found a book with a black cover, and the red title was very conspicuous. An inexplicable attraction emanated from that book, and in an instant all the other books around it became dispensable. Qian Jing didn't move the ladder, but climbed directly onto the three-layer bookshelf with his hands and feet and took it down.

"It's strange, why do I want this book so much without reading a single page?" The book is actually not thick, only about 100 pages, about the same as some travel magazines provided on airplanes. Except for the title of the book, there is no writer's name on the cover, only the words "Vasa Painting Academy".

When you open it, there is no text at all, just a variety of line patterns, starting with the simplest straight lines and perfect circles, then moving on to complex and graceful pattern curves, and then dazzling geometric compositions. The money mirror in front can be understood, and the last few pages directly see that his vision is blurred. And at this moment, he found that the figure on the plane protruded from the surface of the paper and turned into a three-dimensional figure.

"I had a big rub! Why didn't I think of it earlier!" Qian Jing patted his head and jumped up directly. In the past, in some books and magazines, there were occasional figures in which as long as you looked at the paper and tried to squeeze the two eyeballs towards the middle to turn them into "cross-eyeds." Some children could not restore their cross-eyed eyes, and there were many problems, resulting in the gradual disuse of this kind of three-dimensional painting, until it developed into safer 3D glasses and VR technology. However, this kind of three-dimensional painting may be an important way to solve the problem of "painting a flat surface and three-dimensional" for Qian Jing!

Qian Jing hurriedly held the book and looked at it carefully, and he found that the lines on the leather page were all hand-drawn, not mass printed. This is great, Fortress Star has no computer technology and PS, what he wants is the ability to draw by hand! Thinking of this, Qian Jing couldn't help laughing, and then he heard a snort behind him, "Although you are only a customer, you also have to keep quiet......

Qian Jing hurriedly turned around, lowered his voice and said, "I'm sorry, I found a good book, I was too happy." Boss, I want this book, are there any more books of this type?"

The owner of the bookstore took one look at it, and then said, "This type of book is only available in Vasa Painting Academy, and I only have two books here, one about lines and one about colors." The book is completely hand-painted, very expensive, sixty stone elemental coins per book if you want. ”

"No problem, I'll give you one hundred and twenty. "It's a waste of life to bargain for something you really like, Qian Jing took out the money cleanly, without hesitation at all, and the generosity scared the boss.

"Boss, are there any other bookstores around here? Will there be any books from the Vasa Painting Academy? Is there a version with explanations other than this simple drawing?"

Qian Jing asked questions like a cannonball, and the bookstore owner shook his head vigorously: "There are very few books in the Vasa Painting Academy, I don't think you can easily find more, unless you are particularly lucky." To tell you the truth, I have a backlog of two books here for a long time, after all, there are very few people who come to the competition venue to buy books. If you really want more, you can try your luck directly at Vaasa Painting, which is not far from here, and I can give you the address. ”

Qian Jing hurriedly thanked him, remembered the address, picked up the two books and hurriedly set off. His steps were brisk, and he didn't feel hot or even tired when he stepped on the scorching sand in the sun. His mind was very focused, and the noisy voices around him turned into a vague drum beat in the distance, less than half as loud as his own heartbeat and footsteps. The aroma of the food becomes ethereal, if there is no more, and it no longer stirs the nerves. The lively scenes, those magical objects that once fascinated him, have now turned into bizarre shadows in Qian Jing's field of vision, losing details and no longer allowing him to be even a little distracted. Qian Jing hugged the book tightly, his fingers involuntarily rubbing on the cover, and there was only one route to the Vasa Painting Academy in his heart.