"Aren’t you going to stop by the Magic Potion Workshop to rest for a bit?"
"No need. Let’s head out directly." Ian shook his head.
This was Silver Sail Port, and he hadn’t forgotten that the Collins Clan was one of the powers in control of the nearby Silver Sail City.
He had yet to formally join the Justice Clan. If he were to be targeted by them now, it would be incredibly troublesome.
The clamor of Silver Sail Port gradually faded behind them.
Fortunately, Collins and that Level Two Wizard never appeared; it seemed they had truly forgotten their unpleasant encounter with Ian.
Aidele and Delia walked in front, leading Ian and Gaga through the Teleportation Area on the outskirts of the port.
Over a dozen Teleportation Arrays constructed from obsidian were arranged in a circle, with a line of people in front of each one.
There were Wizards, servants dragging cargo containers, and guards wearing the crested uniforms of different families.
In the air, the distinct ozone smell from activated Space Runes was particularly strong.
"The intercity teleportation network of the Eastern Territory is uniformly maintained by the Seven Towers."
Aidele’s voice was soft, but her steps didn’t falter. "To get to East City, we take Array Number Three."
She handed over three silver-blue Crystal Stones, which the Grey-robed Wizard guarding the Teleportation Array accepted.
He merely glanced at the Dark Gold Badge on Aidele’s cloak before nodding and stepping aside to let them pass.
The moment Ian stepped into the Teleportation Array, the obsidian patterns beneath his feet lit up with a silver glow.
His vision suddenly distorted, as if an invisible hand had "pulled" him from where he stood.
A bizarre kaleidoscope of colors flashed before his eyes, and a low, spatial hum filled his ears.
Gaga gripped his collar tightly, its small paws trembling slightly.
Three seconds, maybe even less.
He felt solid ground under his feet. A dry, warm air carrying a mixed scent of wood ashes and smelted metal washed over him.
Ian steadied himself and looked up.
His first impression... was one of immense height.
The Teleportation Array was situated on a high platform, offering an unobstructed view.
Directly ahead, a colossal city built entirely of dark cyan megaliths lay sprawled across the vast plain like a slumbering ancient beast.
The city walls were over a hundred meters tall, their surfaces covered with the marks of time’s erosion and a dense web of faintly glowing defensive Runes.
Atop the walls, watchtowers stood every few hundred meters. A basketball-sized crystal floated above each tower, emitting stable detection waves.
Farther in the distance, in the city’s central district, several spires pierced the low-hanging clouds.
The tallest tower was bathed in a flowing, silver-blue halo. At its peak, a massive crystal ball rotated slowly, casting a faint glow upon the clouds for dozens of kilometers around.
That was the Justice Clan’s "Time Trace Tower."
Just by looking at it, Ian could feel a slight tightening in his Sea of Spirit.
The energy fluctuations emanating from the tower were vast and ancient, carrying the unique obscurity and weight of the Time Rule.
It was more restrained than the seven Crystal Giant Towers of Silver Sail Port, yet also more oppressive.
"East City," Aidele’s voice sounded beside him.
She gazed at the High Tower before them, her expression complex.
"This is one of the three main cities of the Justice Clan, and also... the place where I was born."
The plaza below the high platform was bustling with people.
Wizards in robes of various colors hurried past. Merchants steering levitating flatbeds or small Mechanical Bodies weaved through the crowd. Apprentices scurried by, clutching boxes of materials.
The level of noise was a magnitude lower than in Silver Sail Port, but everything was more orderly.
Everyone’s face showed a clear sense of purpose; there were few idle strollers.
The Magic Concentration in the air was at least thirty percent higher than in the port district.
"The Elemental Energy here... is so active," Ian muttered to himself.
"Three medium-sized Demon Veins converge beneath East City."
Delia explained softly, carrying a suitcase as her gentle gaze swept across the plaza.
"The clan has managed this place for over ten thousand years. The city’s defenses and Energy Gathering Rune Arrays have long since been perfected."
Aidele didn’t linger, walking straight down from the high platform.
At the edge of the plaza, a line of identical, dark grey carriages was parked.
The carriages were pulled by six-legged, lizard-like creatures that stood nearly two meters tall at the shoulder, their bodies covered in fine scales. Their eyes were docile, and they exhaled faint puffs of white vapor with each breath.
The coachmen were all burly men wearing grey tunics, their auras around the level of a Level One Apprentice.
Aidele walked to the third carriage. The coachman saw the badge on her cloak and immediately bowed, pulling the door open.
"To the south side of the city, Golden Oak Street." Aidele’s voice was devoid of emotion.
The interior of the carriage was more spacious than it appeared from the outside, utilizing simple spatial extension technology.
The seats were upholstered in dark leather, and the windows were fitted with one-way glass.
The lizards set off at a steady but surprisingly fast pace, soon merging into the stream of traffic on the main road.
Ian observed the city through the carriage window.
The streets were wide enough for six carriages to travel side by side.
The ground was paved with neatly cut, greyish-white stone slabs, their seams inscribed with intricate cleaning and Solid Runes.
The buildings on both sides had a uniform architectural style, mostly three-to-five-story stone structures with various shops on the ground floor.
Signs advertised Magic Potion Materials, Witchcraft Tool forging and repair, Scroll transcription, and even laboratories for rent.
The proportion of Official Wizards among the pedestrians was astonishingly high.
Ian could sense the aura of a Level One Wizard almost every few hundred meters.
He even saw a few Level Two Wizards, most of whom were hurrying along or accompanied by attendants.
Occasionally, a more luxurious, purely energy-driven levitating vehicle would drive past.
Their chassis were branded with the badges of different clans, and pedestrians would consciously make way for them.
Order, a strict and rigid order, permeated every detail.
The carriage traveled for about half an hour. The surrounding buildings gradually became shorter, and the streets grew quieter.
Finally, it stopped in front of a row of three-story stone townhouses that looked quite old.