Chapter 29

Hao Qi got off the train with a plan in mind. It wasn't to avoid the group of young nobles, nor was it to show off. He intended to start from here and trek across the wilderness to Bai Cao Kingdom.

In the eastern region of the Blue Sea, Bai Cao Kingdom is a very important and special country.

It is a tiny nation, the entire country being only the size of a province in the Blue Shadow Republic where Hao Qi used to live, and even smaller. If compared to the size of the Earth from his previous life, it would be roughly the size of a city.

However, Bai Cao Kingdom is unique. It is a vast valley nation, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with only one entrance facing the Heavenly Sea Kingdom. The other directions are blocked by towering, snow-capped mountains.

Due to this unique environment, Bai Cao Kingdom is rich in various rare herbs and treasures. These precious herbs and treasures are not limited to surface species. In Bai Cao Kingdom, there are numerous mountain tunnels, and the entire underground area is densely covered with natural underground tunnels, underground rivers, and underground plains. If one had to describe it, it would be very similar to the Underdark in the Dungeons & Dragons series.

It is precisely because of this underground terrain and the valley territory of Bai Cao Kingdom that the precious herbal resources and numerous treasures are protected. From ancient times, a thousand years ago, Bai Cao Kingdom has been an important resource point in the eastern region of the Blue Sea. Several powerful countries have occupied it, and conflicts over its territory have often led to wars. All of this changed with the rise of the Heavenly Sea Kingdom, which, with its secret technology for crossing the Blue Sea, a vast commercial chain, and enormous wealth, as well as the inner force experts it has attracted, has secured the entrance to Bai Cao Kingdom, preventing other powerful countries from owning it.

At this point, the Heavenly Sea Kingdom would have inevitably occupied and owned Bai Cao Kingdom, likely setting it up as a city or province. In short, an independent Bai Cao Kingdom would be unlikely to exist.

However, the world is full of wonders. When the Heavenly Sea Kingdom rose, a hero also emerged in Bai Cao Kingdom. This was a native of Bai Cao Kingdom, whose family members died in the war, which was caused by the various countries coveting Bai Cao Kingdom's territory. After losing his family, this person experienced countless adventures and battles, gradually rising from a war captive to a near inner force expert in the slave army, and then to an inner force expert. He broke out of the slave army and was pursued by several inner force experts from the country that had captured him. He fought and fled, growing stronger over the years. During the decade of being hunted, he almost crossed the entire eastern region of the Blue Sea, making friends and enemies, and being jointly pursued by several countries. Among those who pursued him most actively was the rising Heavenly Sea Kingdom, which had already set its sights on Bai Cao Kingdom.

All of this came to a head when he was ambushed on a high mountain at the border of Bai Cao Kingdom. He fought against eight inner force experts and the armies of three empires. In that battle, his friends and companions were almost all killed, and he... transcended in that battle, finally achieving the Inner Qi Realm.

After that, the various countries' historical records did not mention him much. After all, records of Inner Qi experts usually stop before they achieve the Inner Qi Realm. To record more about their achievements after that would be seen as a provocation, and provoking an Inner Qi expert is something no country would want or dare to do.

In short, the situation now is that the Heavenly Sea Kingdom, which almost monopolizes the wealth of the eastern region of the Blue Sea, has a very small territory, a straight strip of land extending into the sea, hence its name. Several ancient powerful countries have collapsed, either splitting up or becoming new countries. Bai Cao Kingdom has become independent, with the Heavenly Sea Kingdom guarding its entrance. Bai Cao Kingdom has established a national medical university, which, in terms of personnel, political power, and national funding, surpasses the national government. This structure has been in place for over six hundred years.

Hao Qi originally planned to go from Ying Kingdom to the Heavenly Sea Kingdom and find a ship to cross the Blue Sea. However, he had been carefully considering his financial situation along the way. No matter how he thought about it, he didn't believe that his current wealth could buy such a ship. If he were to simply ride a ship across the Blue Sea, the chance of encountering a blue giant beast would be too small. He needed a ship he could control.

So, what methods could he use to obtain a large amount of money in a short time?

From what Hao Qi knew about the inner force realm, it is a class above the ordinary people. That is, unless one is an inner force expert, even a country's leader or king is naturally inferior to an inner force expert. Of course, due to social relationships, wealth, family or sect power, an inner force expert would still maintain etiquette and bow when meeting a king. However, making an inner force expert kneel or serve as a slave to an ordinary king is simply out of the question.

In terms of social status, inner force experts are like a different level of beings above ordinary people. Biologically speaking, this is also true, as inner force experts have evolved from ordinary humans to energy beings.

Because of this, it is not too difficult for inner force experts to obtain money, power, and honor. For example, in the countries Hao Qi has visited, the tasks available from martial groups often offer significant rewards. While these rewards may not all be money, if converted to money, even the simplest tasks are worth millions, and more difficult ones can be worth hundreds of millions.

However, there is a key point: each task requires a significant amount of time or effort. For example, in Ying Kingdom, there is a martial group task to protect the royal family for a year, with a reward of three hundred million. During this period, the inner force expert would enjoy the highest level of treatment, including food, accommodation, training materials, and personnel, all at the national level. Just protecting the royal family for a year would yield such a large reward.

Or, participating in wars or hunting quasi-inner force criminals, the rewards are also in the millions or hundreds of millions.

However, Hao Qi didn't have the energy to serve others, nor did he plan to participate in wars. As for hunting, he had some ideas. If the criminals were truly guilty, such as murderers or oppressors, he would consider acting as a righteous hero. This was a dream he had from his previous life.

Unfortunately, the warrants issued by these countries are mostly for political criminals, those who oppose the country's politics or interests. For these countries, the crimes of quasi-inner force or inner force experts, such as murder and oppression, are not considered crimes if they can serve the country. The country might even help them resolve these issues. The only ones likely to be wanted are those who oppose the country's interests. Hao Qi had no intention of getting involved in such political waters.

So, after much thought, Hao Qi could only think of a few ways to quickly earn money: exploring ancient ruins, hunting fierce or mad beasts, and obtaining treasures.

Among these, exploring ancient ruins would be the fastest way to earn money. The rewards could be enough to buy several countries, if any were willing to sell. However, the prerequisite is knowing where the ancient ruins are. Moreover, according to books, these ancient ruins are extremely dangerous, not something a few inner force experts can easily explore. There are even rumors of Inner Qi experts dying in ruins, so this option is not realistic.

As for hunting fierce or mad beasts, this is also a highly profitable venture. First, there are the rewards from the country for the task, which are at least in the hundreds of millions. Second, the bodies of these beasts contain a large amount of free energy that ordinary people can absorb, making them nearly as valuable as treasures. While not as valuable as true treasures, the sheer quantity means that a single fierce or mad beast could be worth half a country. However, the first challenge is finding these beasts. In a world where technology has advanced to the level of mid-20th century Earth, land-based mad and fierce beasts are almost extinct. As for the sea... the problem remains: do you need a ship first, or the sea beasts?

The last option is a matter of luck: finding treasures. These are plants, fruits, flowers, roots, or leaves that contain a large amount of energy that ordinary people can absorb. Each type of treasure is unique, but they are all incredibly valuable. While land-based treasures are rare, there are still many in remote areas. In the eastern region of the Blue Sea, the most likely, or rather, the certain place to find treasures is Bai Cao Kingdom.

Hao Qi, listening to the young people on the train discuss Bai Cao Kingdom, was already intrigued. After the conflict with the muscular youth, he decided to trek across the mountains and wilderness to Bai Cao Kingdom. These mountains and wilderness are areas that current human technology cannot develop, especially the high mountains near Bai Cao Kingdom, which are towering snow-capped peaks. In a world without airplanes, even quasi-inner force experts rarely venture into these mountains. Therefore, these mountains and wilderness likely contain treasures and possibly fierce beasts.

Moreover, Hao Qi also wanted to experience the scenery of the wilderness and mountains. Walking alone, stopping to admire the untouched landscapes, wouldn't that be a delightful experience?

After getting off the train, Hao Qi looked back at the train, then gazed at the vast, endless grassland. Feeling a surge of courage, he let out a loud roar that echoed like thunder. Then, he dashed into the boundless wilderness.