He looked at Austin's baffled face. "What? This is different from what you imagined, right?
All right, let's get inside. You'll know it soon," Mad Old Man said with a faint smile as if he had read Austin's mind.
He then started to walk towards the village.
Austin, Caroline, and Tyler followed him.
As soon as Mad Old Man reached the village, a group of kids who were playing caught sight of him. They instantly swarmed around him and called him grandpa, several of them were around two to three years old. They hugged his legs and asked him for candies.
Mad Old Man took out a handful of items from his Space Ring. Austin's eyes narrowed as he saw the items on his hand. 'You can't be serious. Those are nine-grade, ten-grade pills, not sweets, ' Austin thought.
Austin easily recognized the pills. Being a pill refiner himself, he knew that those pills contained a great deal of spiritual energy. And they could also improve one's physique and enhance body strength.
Based on the pills' fragrant scent, Austin assumed that the pill refiner had added some materials to enhance their taste.
The kids started to disperse after each of them were given one or two pills.
Austin's eyes widened in shock as he saw the kids popped the pills into their mouth and began to chew them like candy.
'Pills are good for cultivators, but you need to be careful before you take any of them.
We must only consume the pills that are suitable for our constitution and cultivation base.
Cultivators must not consume any pills or elixirs that are beyond their cultivation base. The excessive spiritual energy inside those pills can lead to injuries, or even deaths.
How could these little kids eat those ninth-grade, and tenth-grade pills like sweet treats?' Austin brooded worriedly.
"Sir, will these kids be okay after they consumed these high-grade pills?"
Austin asked w
power
Moments later, Austin's feet felt the ground.
He curiously looked around and surveyed his surroundings.
He found himself in the mountains surrounded by old, towering trees and gigantic rocks.
Plants and waterfalls were everywhere, and there was even a cobble-paved, winding path which led to quiet spots.
There were various buildings and pavilions built on the mountain. All of them were grand and imposing.
It was a secluded place that was surrounded with a much denser spiritual energy compared to the outside world.
"Just like the Mysterious Nether World, this seems to be an independent space too,"
the gnome said.
"You have a point."
Austin nodded his head in agreement. 'Perhaps the base of the Flame Holy Land is an independent space like the Mysterious Nether World.'
"Boy, this is our base.
All right. This is where you will stay and start your cultivation.
Tyler, show him around and find them a place to live.
Oh, by the way boy, always keep it in mind: competition is everywhere; Only tough opponents make you stronger," Mad Old Man said as he smiled at Austin.
He then left and flew towards the palace on the top of a mountain.
Austin was stunned. 'This old man is trying to tell me something.'