Chapter 854: Skytree City

Thus, Tang San boldly followed the main road directly toward Skytree City.

There were already some nymphs traveling along the road, and just as Tang San had anticipated, when they saw his blue skin and the eight blue vines coming out of his back, none of them found it strange. At most, they gave him a quick glance before continuing on their way.

Tang San concealed his aura and walked toward Skytree City, blending in with these nymphs.

As he got closer, he could see that the trees comprising the city wall were tied together with a complex network of vines that left no space to pass through. In this area, the only passageway seemed to be between two towering trees, each standing over 1,500 meters tall.

The guards appeared to live on the giant trees themselves. As Tang San queued to enter the city, he noticed guards sliding down from the trees to switch shifts with those already stationed on the ground.

The guards were all plant-type beings. Based on Tang San’s knowledge of plants, these guardians appeared to be trees that had gained sentience. Their entire skin—or bark, rather—was dark brown, their bodies cylindrical with long limbs, and their forearms adorned with sharp spikes. Their heads were pointed, giving off a faintly sharp aura.

What kind of tree were these? Tang San still lacked a deep understanding of the Solstice Empire. During his time at Redemption Academy, most of his studies had focused on the demon races.

High-level demons could often transform into forms nigh-indistinguishable from humans. The more powerful they were, the more human they appeared. Meanwhile, the vast majority of nymphs were entirely different from humans, and even the stronger ones that could transform still displayed some visible nonhuman characteristics. As a result, most of the Redemption Society’s activities were concentrated in the Empyrean Dominion.

Tang San didn’t give much thought to these unknown nymph guards. From what he sensed, most of them were at the third order, with the guard leader being at the fourth order. They didn’t seem particularly strong, but they appeared rather tough and sturdy.

The nymphs queuing up to enter the city had to pay a fee. Tang San noticed that most of them offered energy-charged minerals or medicinal herbs rather than a common currency, as was typical in the Empyrean Dominion. This alone made it clear that the Solstice Empire was somewhat behind the Empyrean Dominion in terms of development.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Soon, it was Tang San’s turn. But just as he was about to pull out an ordinary energy stone to pass through, the guards’ behavior suddenly changed.

All the guards fixed their gaze on Tang San, first stunned, then simultaneously straightened their posture and raised their spike-like arms above their heads.

"Greetings, my lord," they said in unison, leaving Tang San equally stunned.

The nymphs behind Tang San were immediately taken aback. They quickly raised their own arms, or at least whatever appendages they had that seemed vaguely similar to arms.

Tang San, with his vast experience, although surprised, quickly reacted. He simply let out a cold snort and strode confidently into the city. There could be only one reason for such a reaction, given that his aura was restrained and they had no way of knowing he was at the eleventh order: There were some beings that looked like him in the city, and they were well-respected. It seemed that this disguise of his held considerable status.

Sure enough, the guards watched Tang San enter the city with their arms still raised in salute, without any sign of stopping him.

Upon stepping into Skytree City, Tang San’s first impression was one of comfort. The life energy in this city was not only incredibly rich, but it also had a vibrant, flourishing quality—youthful vitality. As he absorbed this life energy, Tang San could feel his life force rapidly rising.

His divine consciousness drew the vast energy into his body, nourishing his physique and bloodline imprints. Though the effect on his cultivation was not anything dramatic, this nourishment undoubtedly provided ongoing benefits to his physical well-being.

After passing through the gate, a hundred-meter-wide street stretched before him, flanked by giant trees. While these trees weren’t as massive as those outside the city, their canopies still covered the entire street. Under the midday sun, light filtered through the green leaves, casting a jade-green glow over the road—a truly extraordinary sight.

What a beautiful place!

Tang San couldn’t help but quietly admire the city as he continued walking forward.

The guards recognized the form he had taken, but it seemed that the ordinary nymphs in the city didn’t. Once he was inside the city, no one paid him much attention. Tang San was happy with this and proceeded deeper into the city.

After walking several kilometers down the tree-lined avenue, countless wooden houses came into view. Most of these houses were supported by trees, and many were built on or even carved into trees. The tallest trees were on the outskirts, forming a natural barrier, while the trees inside were not as massive but came in a bewildering variety. Many of the tree species were ones Tang San couldn’t have even imagined before coming here, let alone known.

The nymphs here were almost invariably plants, with a wide range of types and varying auras. However, there didn’t seem to be many powerful ones; most were only around the seventh or eighth order.

Based on what he saw, Tang San understood that for the Solstice Empire, this Skytree City likely held a similar status to that of Kali City in the Empyrean Dominion. That worked in his favor—fewer powerful beings meant fewer threats. Even if there was an Emperor supporting this city, it was not necessarily here all the time; Emperors were often in the Ancestral Court.

At any rate, he needed to find a way to gather information about this city.

With this in mind, Tang San headed toward the city center.

Skytree City was vast, perhaps even larger than Kali City, but overall, it was more backward. The Solstice Empire had little to worry about when it came to agriculture—after all, stimulating plant growth was incredibly easy for them. However, they were clearly lacking in industrial development. The tools here looked quite primitive, with most of them made of wood. Of course, the wood here was incredibly strong, likely close to metal in terms of durability, but it was not metal after all, and the craftsmanship left a lot to be desired.

After walking through the city for over an hour, Tang San came upon a sight that left him wide-eyed.

As it turned out, there was a city wall after all—an inner city wall, probably. But that was entirely normal. No, what caused Tang San’s jaw to drop was the fact that the wall was made of golden-colored wood, and it emitted a soft golden glow that bathed the surrounding area in a golden hue. Around the wall was a moat filled with golden water that seemed to be coming not from the ground but from the wall itself.

What in the absolute hell...

Tang San stood there in shock, unable to move for a while.

This wall was entirely built from goldenwood! Not living Golden Trees, but goldenwood, trunks of dead Golden Trees that had been processed into lumber. Judging by their appearance and energy they radiated, they were at least a thousand years old and at the eighth order or above when they were cut down to build this wall.

How many Golden Trees must have been used to build such a massive wall? And the moat—it was filled not with water, but with life energy condensed from the goldenwood wall! When life energy was plentiful enough, it transformed into this liquid: the Water of Life.