He tossed a bag over to Ronald and said, "This is a bag of magic stones. It should be enough to ease your doubts, right?"
"Magic stones!" Ronald's eyes widened in surprise. These were rare items, used by mages to replenish their mana. Just one could be exchanged for a thousand gold coins. This bag—at least fifty stones—was worth a fortune.
"Good! In that case, I'll take your word for it!"
The young man smiled brightly. In the blink of an eye, he moved, and a flash of cold light appeared on the corpse of the Water Ape. A small hole appeared in its forehead.
The white-clad youth had already taken the magic crystal, and Ronald hadn't even seen how he moved. His speed and power were beyond belief.
There were rumors that there were many realms above the Body Refining Stage. Ronald wondered if this man had reached the peak of Body Refining or even the Soul Connection Stage.
Once the deed was done, the young man looked around and said with a smile, "Brother, you have quite a few interesting things on this ship. Where are you headed?"
"I've heard of an auction in the Chaos City, and I'm thinking of seeing it for myself."
"Ah, I'm planning to head to Chaos City as well. How about we travel together?"
Ronald furrowed his brow. These two were powerful and their origins unclear. He had no intention of getting too involved, but since they had already offered, refusing outright would be impolite.
He laughed heartily, "Well then, it would be best to travel together. With your strength, we won't have to worry about beast attacks along the way."
Half a day later...
On the deck, Ronald and the white-clad youth were chatting and laughing, while the girl in men's clothes stood quietly at the bow, lost in thought.
From their conversation, Ronald learned that the white-clad youth was named Liu Chen, and the girl was his sister, Liu Qinghan. They were not from Yunzhou but had come from Zhongzhou.
According to Liu Chen, Zhongzhou was the heart of the entire Tianheng continent, rich in resources, with great heroes, and vast in size. Yunzhou, on the other hand, was a small island in the southern part of the continent, separated by a vast ocean teeming with beasts. Crossing it was nearly impossible without a flying ship.
Liu Chen was quite talkative, and Ronald was no slouch either. They discussed everything from human history to the ongoing wars in Yunzhou, even debating methods of governing a nation. By the time half a day had passed, they were already calling each other brothers, with the bond of old friends who had just met.
"Brother Li, have you ever heard of the Ten Ancient Races?" Liu Chen suddenly asked.
Ronald was taken aback and shook his head.
Liu Chen smiled. "I once read about them in an ancient book. It said that in the ancient times, ten races rose to challenge the authority of the Gods, overthrowing the Divine Hall and creating a glorious civilization. But for some unknown reason, they gradually faded, and a few races disappeared altogether, while the remaining ones struggled to regain their former glory."
"Hmm? Even the Divine Hall could be overthrown?" Ronald raised an eyebrow. He knew that the Gods were the most powerful race on Tianheng, with long lifespans and extraordinary strength, firmly ruling over countless other beings.
Liu Chen stared into the endless blue sky and sighed, "Indeed. Heroes and legends fade with time. Now, the continent only remembers the Divine Hall, but no one knows of the glory of the Ten Ancient Races."
"Liu Chen, are humans one of those Ten Ancient Races?" Ronald asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Liu Chen let out a quiet sigh and did not answer.
Ronald sensed the weight of the moment and refrained from pressing further.
The two fell into a long silence. Eventually, Liu Chen spoke again, his tone casual but with a hint of intrigue: "Brother Li, as a lord of this land, what are your ambitions?"