Qian Tong smiled kindly. "No need to be nervous, young man. I only called you over because I want to ask you a few questions. Hmm, if you answer well, these will be yours."
As he spoke, Qian Tong pulled out several High-Grade Sacred Crystals and tossed them onto the table.
The waiter's eyes instantly went wide. He spent his days here pouring tea and serving water, earning only two or three Low-Grade Sacred Crystals a month. The High-Grade Sacred Crystals on the table were a staggering fortune to him.
If he spent carefully, he'd never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of his life.
He immediately bowed and scraped. "Please go ahead and ask, Senior! I'll tell you everything I know, hold nothing back. I may be just an ordinary person who's never cultivated, but I'm a local born and raised here. Whatever Senior wants to know, I promise you won't be disappointed!"
"Good." Qian Tong nodded, pleased that the waiter was so perceptive. He didn't beat around the bush and went straight to his question. "Tell me — are there any Void King Realm powerhouses here?"
"Void King Realm?" The waiter's expression turned solemn. He looked at Yang Kai and the others with surprise, then a look of understanding crossed his face. He chuckled. "You seniors must not be martial artists from our Cuiwei Star, are you?"
"Clever boy!" Qian Tong made no attempt to deny it. After all, anyone truly from this star wouldn't be ignorant of such matters.
Void King Realm powerhouses were the absolute pinnacle of existence on any Cultivation Star. If they really hailed from Cuiwei Star, they would certainly have heard of them.
The waiter gave a sheepish laugh. "Senior flatters me — I was just making a casual remark. But if you seniors have come to Cuiwei Star at this particular time, how could you not have inquired about these things?"
"What exactly should we have inquired about?" Qian Tong gave a cold snort.
The waiter replied without hurry, speaking in a measured tone. "Since you seniors are here, I imagine you've come to participate in that grand event. It's a bit early, of course, but that's no matter — just wait a couple of years. Others have arrived even earlier. As for whether there are Void King Realm cultivators… heh heh… when has Cuiwei Star ever lacked powerhouses at that level?"
He looked thoroughly self-satisfied, as though Void King Realm experts could be found around every corner on Cuiwei Star.
Qian Tong and the others exchanged glances, their interest piqued, and signaled the waiter to continue.
"I won't hide it from you seniors. Right now on our Cuiwei Star, there are two or three Void King Realm powerhouses. At its peak, there were more than a dozen, and among them were two supreme experts at the third level of the Void King Realm."
"Third level of the Void King Realm? Two of them?" Qian Tong and his companions trembled, their eyes going blank with shock beyond measure at the waiter's words.
"Is that true?" Mo Yu asked in a deep voice.
"I wouldn't dare deceive you seniors. Everyone knows about this. If you don't believe me, just ask around and you'll find out."
"So your Cuiwei Star is quite suitable for advancing and breaking through?" Qian Tong's eyes gleamed, his face full of eager anticipation.
Although he had felt none of the oppressive Laws that weighed down on the Ashen Dark Star since arriving here, whether or not to stay and cultivate and attempt a breakthrough here still required careful investigation.
To receive such intelligence from the waiter was naturally cause for delight.
"Of course." The waiter bobbed his head with a proud look on his face. "Isn't that exactly why you seniors came here?"
"You could tell that too?" Qian Tong was genuinely amazed.
"You jest, Senior. I may be an ordinary person, but this once-in-a-millennium grand event has already spread across the entirety of Cuiwei Star. Even three-year-olds have heard of it — how could I not know?" the waiter replied.
"Wait — what once-in-a-millennium grand event?" Yang Kai regarded him with suspicion. The waiter had already mentioned it once before, but Yang Kai hadn't paid much attention at the time. Every Cultivation Star had its own marvels and customs — for example, the Flame Scorching Desert on the Ashen Dark Star, which opened only once every few hundred years.
Cuiwei Star would naturally have something similar.
But from the waiter's words, this grand event seemed to be connected to Qian Tong and the others' advancement and breakthrough. He immediately paid close attention.
Hearing this question, the waiter froze in surprise and scratched his head. "What? You seniors didn't come here to participate in the Blood Prison Trial?"
"Blood Prison Trial?" Qian Tong and the others looked at one another, their faces blank with confusion.
"Tell us more — what exactly is this Blood Prison Trial?" Yang Kai tossed a few more High-Grade Sacred Crystals onto the table and gave a calm instruction.
The waiter swallowed hard, his face beaming with delight. He knew he'd stumbled upon generous patrons today and didn't dare slack off. He quickly cleared his throat. "The Blood Prison Trial, to put it simply, was prepared specifically for distinguished experts like you seniors."
"How so?" Qian Tong raised an eyebrow.
"Because those who participate in the Blood Prison Trial are all supreme experts at the third level of the Return Void Realm. I've heard that inside, they can break through to the Void King Realm!" the waiter declared, dropping a bombshell.
"Really?" Qian Tong shot to his feet, his expression one of extreme agitation.
The waiter flinched in alarm, then quickly nodded. "I wouldn't dare deceive you — the Blood Prison Trial is exactly like that. However, I don't know the specific details. You seniors can probably tell — I'm just an ordinary person, never having cultivated at all, so I'm not very clear on the finer points of the Blood Prison Trial."
"Then what do you know?" Yang Kai signaled for Qian Tong to calm down and looked at the waiter.
"I know that the current Void King Realm lords on our Cuiwei Star all participated in the Blood Prison Trial back in their day. Not only them — many Void King Realm powerhouses throughout this star field also emerged from the Blood Prison Trial."
"Martial artists from other Cultivation Stars come here too?" Qian Tong frowned.
"They do. Some arrived on Cuiwei Star several years ago, though the numbers were small. But as the date draws closer, more and more people are coming. That's why I assumed earlier that you seniors were…" The waiter looked at Qian Tong and the others with a touch of anxiety.