They didn't stay long in the town of Potillman to replenish their supplies before heading north.
That was the decision Chen Mu made after he had a general understanding of the distribution of power in the Heavenly Drum Village District.
He had previously thought the Heavenly Drum Village District was within the sphere of influence of Moon Frost Island, but he now knew how wrong he was.
Moon Frost Island was the largest power in the Heavenly Drum Village District, but it would be a big mistake to think they could occupy a ruling position there.
What was most numerous in the Heavenly Drum Village District were the small forts scattered in the ice and snow areas. It was said that there were about 200,000 small forts in the entire district, and only 30 percent of them belonged to the sphere of influence of Moon Frost Island.
The remaining small forts were either fighting on their own or forming some small alliances. Some of their histories were even older than Moon Frost Island's.
Every small fort had a small town, but there weren't many small towns like Potillman.
One of the main reasons Chen Mu decided to go to the ice and snow district was that Moon Frost Island's control over the non-ice and snow district was far better than the ice and snow district.
Although Chen Mu hadn't had any dealings with Moon Frost Island, the Big Six had given him a bad impression.
Of course, he couldn't sell the Federation Comprehensive Academy cards he had in his hands in a place like Potillman, which would be tantamount to handing himself over to someone else's territory.
The ice and snow district was a vast expanse of ice and snow mountains, with more than 200,000 small forts scattered among them.
Those small forts were actually slightly larger bases in the wilderness.
Generally speaking, the permanent population was only in the tens of thousands.
In the ice and snow district, even Moon Frost Island didn't have much control, not to mention the other families.
That kind of environment was what Chen Mu wanted.
The permanent population in the ice and snow district was seven times that of the non-ice and snow district, which was far beyond what Chen Mu and the others had expected.
It wasn't until he heard the guide's explanation that he suddenly understood.
It turned out that in the harsh and cruel environment of the ice and snow district, the growth of card artisans' perception was quite a bit faster than that of the non-ice and snow district.
That led to a large number of card artisans flocking to the ice and snow district, while the non-ice and snow district, which had a pleasant environment, had fewer people living there.
That was a characteristic of the Heavenly Drum Village District, but it wasn't the only one among the five flourishing districts.
For example, the Northern Reaches District, where Desert Camp was located, was perennially hot and short of water, and the environment was similarly abominable.
What surprised Chen Mu even more was the reality of card artisans in the flourishing districts.
Compared to the weird tempers of the card artisans in the ordinary residential districts, the professional integrity of the card artisans there was much better.
They were always very busy, rushing around all day long.
Brenton was like that.
He was the guide Chen Mu had hired, and his perceptual strength was at the fifth level. As a guide, Chen Mu only had to pay 2 million Oudi.
At that price, if you were in Pomelo or Eastern Shang-Wei City, you would probably only be able to hire a card artisan at that level for a day.
But there, 2 million Oudi could hire him for two months, which was beyond anyone's expectations.
But Chen Mu quickly detected the difference.
Although Brenton's perceptive strength had reached level five, his combat strength was much worse than Xiaobo's. The two of them were not on the same level at all.
And this was under the situation where Xiaobo didn't use the Wheel. Once he used it, the battle would end in a very short time.
That puzzled Chen Mu, Bogner, and the rest.
It wasn't until Brenton explained that everyone came to a sudden realization.
"This is the first time I've seen such a powerful battle card artisan as Mr. Xiaobo. Your energy control is simply superb!
I think you must have gone through countless life and death tempering to get to that level? "Brenton asked with a face full of amazement.
He was about 1.9 meters tall, with a head of golden hair that was very eye-catching in the sunlight. He was a sunny, handsome big boy.
That wasn't wrong. Xiaobo had been hunting alone in the jungle for quite a few years, during which he had experienced countless battles.
"How can a card artisan grow if he doesn't experience battle?" Xiaobo asked with a puzzled look.
He felt that was common sense. What was the use of a card artisan who hadn't experienced battle?
"Is that so?
Is that the concept of battle card artisans? "
Brenton scratched his head, looking a little puzzled. "Our training should be at the training base.
Battle card artisans are really awesome! "
"Are card artisans divided into battle card artisans and other card artisans?" Xiaobo looked even more puzzled. It wasn't just him; the others looked the same.
Although there were construction card artisans among their ranks, card artisans of other specialties weren't common, and they would be considered special talents in the common residential districts.
"A card artisan is a card artisan, and a battle card artisan is a battle card artisan!"
Brenton looked serious as he looked at Xiaobo with a puzzled look. He then asked, "Isn't the capital like that?
That's really strange.
Everyone in the Heavenly Drum Village District learns how to become a card artisan from birth. When we're older, we can choose our specialization.
There are very few people who become battle card artisans, but they are all very strong. "
"Everyone is a card artisan?" Xiaobo was startled.
In the common residential district, there were only a handful of people who could become card artisans.
"Right!" Brenton said matter-of-factly. "How can I find a job if I don't become a card artisan?
I have to pay 700,000 Oudi in welfare every month. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to keep my two-star resident benefits. "
"What are the two-star resident benefits?" Xi Ping asked curiously. That was the first time anyone had heard such a strange term.
Brenton already didn't find it strange. "I guess the capital and the Heavenly Drum Village District implement different standards.
For a local like me, the benefits I get are directly linked to my contributions.
Depending on how much you pay in each month, the benefits you enjoy are also different.
For example, if I pay 700,000 Oudi every month without a break for a year, I can get the two-star resident benefits.
If I don't stop for three years, I can get the three-star resident benefits.
The higher the star, the better the benefits.
Especially for some specialized courses, there's no way to learn them without benefits.
If you can't learn those skills, you can't find a good job, which is a vicious cycle. "
"What's your specialty, Brenton?" Xiaobo asked curiously.
"Perceptual smell," Brenton said.
Everyone looked at each other, and Xiaobo asked, "What's that?
The name sounds strange. "
"It's normal that you haven't heard of it!
It's a rather obscure specialty, which uses perception to distinguish the different molecules in a smell to determine their composition.
But my current level is still too low. If I were at a high level, I could become an aromatic card artisan.
The salary for an aromatic card artisan is very high. "Brenton looked longing.
"That awesome?" Xiaobo was startled.
He had never heard of using perception to analyze the various molecules in a smell. How fine would a card artisan's perception have to be to do that?
Not only Xiaobo, but Chen Mu was also surprised.
"It's just so-so.
My perceptual sensitivity isn't enough right now, and I still can't make precise analysis.
Simple is fine, but if it's a little more complicated, like those natural perfumes, I can't handle it. Their composition is too complicated. "Brenton was a little embarrassed to respond.
The more they listened to Brenton, the more surprised Chen Mu and the others were.
The level of development of the Heavenly Drum Village District was far behind the ordinary residential districts, not because of any particular technology but because of a kind of overall, all-around lead.
They had developed a systematic method of using perception and had penetrated it into all areas of life.
By comparison, the ordinary residential districts were behind by who knew how many years.
Chen Mu and the others had been born in the ordinary residential districts, and they had a greater sense of belonging there. Everyone felt rather upset.
Brenton was rather talkative, and he kept introducing some of the Heavenly Drum Village District's customs and customs along the way, which really opened everyone's eyes.
"Don't think the ice and snow district is deserted.
You'll find that it's a lot more flourishing than Botillman.
There are quite a few cities there, all built on ice that never melts. They are real cities on the water.
Ha ha, you can never imagine what it would be like to have millions of people living on the ice. To tell the truth, I was surprised the first time I saw it.
And, if your power is high enough, you can go to the underwater communities.
The Heavenly Drum Village District is the only one in the five flourishing districts that has an underwater community. It's fun in there, but it's too expensive, and the requirements for power are very high! "Brenton looked regretful.
Everyone had long since heard all kinds of new terms for the past few days, and they kept the underwater communities in mind.
Brenton's expression suddenly changed. "Not good!
We've run into a flock of dingbirds!
Run! "
Everyone's heart skipped a beat, and they rushed to keep up.
"Dingbirds?
What kind of birds are those?
Where are they?
How come I haven't found them? "Xiaobo looked around curiously, but he didn't find any shadows.
Brenton's expression was terrible, and he smiled bitterly. "The dingbirds are very fierce and fast. We can't run.
My perception has detected their scent molecules in the air! "
"Something is coming toward us, and it's fast!" The card artisan in charge of scanning had just discovered the situation.
Without Bogner's command, all the small teams immediately prepared for battle.
The noncombatants and the shuttle cars were surrounded in the middle, and the five small teams and the elite group of card artisans were surrounded in the outermost layer.
Lu Xiaoru and the others were on the second layer, and the noncombatants were in the very center.
Brenton was sizing up the team with curiosity.
Although their level wasn't high, they were well-trained, and no one showed any signs of panic.
Even the noncombatants in the middle were calm.
What a strange team!
A trace of curiosity arose in his heart, but it was immediately shrouded in fear and unease.
His luck was really bad, to have run into such a headache-inducing creature as the dingbirds!
He couldn't help but regret encountering such a thing as the first time he was a guide.
The bitter smile in his heart deepened as he swept his eyes over the team.
Apart from Mr. Xiaobo, who had combat power, most of the other card artisans were around level four in perception.
He wouldn't dare to have any extravagant hopes for such a team.
Although Mr. Xiaobo was awesome, he alone couldn't guarantee the safety of the entire team.
A clear cry came from the distant sky, and the black dots in the distance were closing in on them at an alarming speed.
Everyone finally saw clearly what kind of bird the dingbirds were!