Calm Wanderer
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(AKJ)Chapter 113 - Southern Nexus Plaza and Heavenly Tree, Five Elements Bridges and Yin-Yang Earthen Columns
🕑 Added 2025-05-15 10:00:14 +0000 UTCBright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Demian's P.O.V.
The proud expression on the usually stoic face of his teacher brought a smile to Demian’s face before the young man replied. “She’s impressive. She’s called Leaping Yang Serenity?” The question was somewhat rhetorical, considering that those few words were painted very visibly on the hull, but Demian felt compelled to ask the question anyway. With a light nod, Sergei responded. “She’s a half-step Tier 4 flying boat, I bought in an auction in Central Island last year. Although her price was steep, she’s definitely worth it.” Tilting her head, Seraphine asked curiously. “You said half-step Tier 4?” After letting out a hum of approval, the older man explained. “A flying boat needs to possess at least one characteristic going beyond the normal Peak of Tier 3 for her to be considered a half-step Tier 4 Artifact. In the case of the Leaping Yang Fish, her firepower meets the criteria, even touching on the Low Tier 4. The rest of her attributes, such as speed or defense, barely reach the Peak of Tier 3, though.” Pausing for a second, he added with some wistfulness. “The only thing that bothers me is the fact that she has to rely on high-speed movements and can’t use teleportation...” Seeing him sigh, Ling rolled her eyes and exclaimed. “Men and their toys. I really don’t know what you’re complaining about. Isn’t this boat’s Peak speed already at the peak of Tier 3?” Faking a cough, Sergei replied. “Well, teleportation is very useful, so you can’t blame me for feeling greedy for it. Look at your Leaping Yin Fish. Didn’t her teleportation function help you get through that group of Peak Tier 3 Fiend Beasts’ blockade a few months ago? If I recall correctly, there were even a few Half-Step Tier 4 King Beasts leading the Beast Tide, right?” Waving her hand at his argument, she replied with amusement. “Whatever you say, Darling. Since the presentation is over, why don’t we take off? If we waste more time, little Bryn here will never be able to go through her Tribulation.”
Looking at those two banter warmed Demian’s Heart as a brief thought appeared in his Mind. ‘Seeing an ‘old’ couple really warms the Heart. I wonder if the girls and I will be as adorable after spending hundreds+ years with each other. Will we get bored with each other or not...? I guess I’ll have to wait and see...’ While lost in pondering, he suddenly saw the boat moving upward with no trace of jolting from the instant movement. Feeling amazed at how smooth the vessel’s flying was, the young man felt compelled to walk to the railings with Seraphine and Adeliya in tow. As for Brynhild, she also followed the group but stayed slightly to the side with a complicated expression on her face, his Soul Sense even catching her glancing in their direction many times. ‘She’s a really stubborn woman... Not that I can’t understand her point of view. If the woman I loved asked me to share her with other men, I doubt I could accept it... Actually, I’d probably do even worse things.’ He thought while a few shivers coursed his body as the particularly horrifying thought manifested in his Mind. ‘Let’s not think about that!’ He decided as his gaze fell on the striking scenery unfolding in front of his eyes. As the boat lifted even higher in the air, Sergei used a Sound Technique to explain. [”All of you should‘ve read the information Ling and I have given you the first time you arrived in the Estate, but seeing it in person will give you a much better perspective.”] As his voice stopped, the boat had already reached a few hundred meters in the air, a height that allowed them a clear view of their surroundings.
Pointing toward the Serene Mansion, which, due to the Protective Formation, was completely obscured by a dense fog, the older man explained. [”We’re currently in the Inner City, in the Great Tide District specifically.”] Pausing for a second, he added. [”Only those reaching a certain Cultivation Level and with the right accreditation can live here. Although there are no official ranks for the different Forces living here, there’s still an unofficial one. If they were to be divided into Low, Middle, and High Rank, we could be considered as Peak Low Rank, but that would be mostly credited to our respective professional King status, Array King for me and Alchemist Queen for Ling. As for our actual strength, we should barely reach Mid Low Rank. So, do take that into account in case you’re planning on offending people around this place. Mind you, we’ll still do our best to protect you, no matter the enemy, but our capability is limited. At least, for now, it is.”] Listening to his explanation, Demian’s previous resolution grew even stronger. ‘I can’t be a burden to Teacher and Aunt Ling! But life can be unpredictable, so the best way to prevent that is to grow stronger as quickly as possible!’ With a feeling of increased motivation, his gaze moved around, taking in the sight of tens of Estates scattered around the Serene Mansion, all obscured with a similar grey fog, with many smaller ones, a respectable part being as expansive as their own, and a few so large that the young man could not tell where they ended. The former were mostly located North of the Mansion, toward the Outer City, while the latter were located South of the City, toward the Heavenly Meteor Mountain Range, which was itself located in the center of Bright Star Island. The Mountain Range had colossal Mountains, among which Bright Star Mountain was located. That particular Mountain was closest to Bright Star City and one of the shortest of those mountains, hence its name. Despite its ‘short’ height, the young man was incapable of seeing its Peak, as only the base of the mountain was visible, which had already reached tens of kilometers high. All those pieces of information came from what was provided by his own Teacher with his Void Ring. ‘I wonder how high the highest Peak reaches...’ He contemplated, guessing that the height should be mind-boggling since there was no trace of that particular information in the bundle of Information Jade that had been gifted to him. ‘Well, it’s not particularly important, anyway. So, better focus on the useful stuff.’
As his Mind was busy taking in everything, Sergei continued. [“Another thing you need to keep in mind when you move about in the City: Keep on the designated Air Paths. If you fly anywhere else, you will either crash into Estates’ protective Formations or fly over them. Unless you reach a very high Cultivation Base, that will inevitably offend those people, which isn’t something you want to do. You should have the Ground and Air Paths Map in the Void Ring I gave you a while ago.”] It only took Demian a brief moment to remember the map in question since he had read everything his teacher had given him out of curiosity, even the less important information. His logic was simple: Possessing pretty much a photographic memory, or something that came very close to it, why should he not memorize everything he could? After all, who knew when an unimportant piece of intelligence could determine his or his loved ones’ survival? If the price was taking more time out of his normal training, then it was worth it. Plus, learning new things was something he used to enjoy when he was a Mortal, let alone when his current self was pretty much Cultivating to become a Godly immortal. With a quick thought, he associated the Map in his memory with the Air Path they were following, making it easy for him to understand where they were going. [”Are we going to Great Tide Main Avenue?”] He sent this voice to the other five before Ling shook her head and replied while wearing a playful smile. [”Exactly. Or more specifically, we need to follow the Avenue to reach the place we’re going to.”] In a curious tone, Adeliya asked. [”The Tribulation Plateau?”] With a slight nod, Sergei replied. [”The Upper Tribulation Plateau, to be precise. Not that it matters much whether we went to the Lower or the Upper, considering your Cultivation Base, but the Upper one will afford us more privacy in case of... Unpredictable events, shall we say.”]
His words brought a few speculations to the young man’s Mind, but he did not voice them out, rather choosing to wait until they reached their destination to ask his questions. Thus, the journey passed relatively quickly with Sergei and Ling explaining some trivia about Bright Star Island, things to pay attention to, things to avoid, etc. With the traveling Protective Formation activated, only a light breeze blew on the deck, making the two locks of hair framing Demian’s face flutter slightly, which, along with his thoughtful look, elicited a few heated glances from Seraphine and Adeliya. As for Brynhild, she was much more discreet, although the dangerous glint in her gaze did not reassure him in the slightest. ‘She wouldn’t...? Nah! She’s a proper and respectful woman. I’m clearly overthinking.’ He concluded, though his motivation to grow stronger received a major boost ‘out of nowhere’. Shaking his head, he then noticed the sudden change in building configuration down on the ground. [”We’ve arrived at the Great Tide Main Avenue. From here, the street runs somewhat diagonally through the entire District, from the Main Eastern Inner Gate in the North to the Southern Nexus Plaza in the South, with the former leading to the Red Tide Outer City District and the latter linking the three Inner City Districts and the Core City. The plaza is our destination. Or more specifically, our destination is located on the plaza.”] In the group’s eyes, batches of luxurious buildings appeared, along with Parks, Lakes, etc., all placed on each side of the expansive road below. The said road snaked around numerous hills, its length unknown to the young man, with the same exquisite symbols formed repeatedly by the different gray-colored cobbled stones laid out together. The emblem was three waves joined together, two small ones on the sides and one large one in the middle, a Moon overlooking the three, and the whole thing was inside a perfect circle. Feeling curious, Demian asked his teacher what it represented, and the older man’s response was: [”It’s the Great Tide District’s symbol. Each Outer and Inner District has one. To be honest, the reason for their existence is because of Bright Star City’s size. It’s so large that orienting yourself is a challenge for those newly arrived. Actually, those symbols are included in the Maps I gave you.”]
Indeed, Demian recalled those strange logos, although before Sergei’s explanation, he had not known about their significations and thus had not paid them much attention. ‘Funny how when you don’t know it, it’s so hard to guess, but once someone tells you the answer, it becomes so obvious...’ He contemplated, a feeling of amusement appearing in his Heart, while his attention fell on those elegant buildings below, each built with different materials, although the style used was strangely reminiscent of Ancient China, which was the exact style of the Serene Mansion’s own buildings. When he had arrived at the Serene mansion for the first time, he had thought the building design was simply that way to cater to Feng Ling’s demands since she looked and sounded Chinese, and by ‘sounded’, he meant ‘literally spoke perfect Mandarin’. Of course, with her current Rank, her ‘brain’s capacity’ was superhuman, so the woman could have simply learned and perfectly mastered the language without it being her mother tongue. Not only that, but whether it be Sergei or Ling, both wore western outfits on a daily basis, so Demian did not think further on that topic. Nonetheless, seeing all those buildings looking like pagodas and different ‘Chinese’ palaces, he felt that he might have been mistaken. Apparently, he was not the only one, as Seraphine’s voice resounded in everyone’s ears after a brief moment. [”How come all those buildings look like they come from some Wuxia movies?”] [A/N: Wuxia = Martial Arts universe with Inner strength but no Spiritual Energy. Equivalent to Low Fantasy. Xianxia = High Fantasy Cultivation Universe, Immortal and Gods.]
Her question was immediately followed by Ling’s chuckle, who replied. [”You know that Wuxia movies are influenced by Ancient China? It’s not just fantasy, but something that comes from History. Although that architecture technically comes from even further in the past, but...”] With an amused smile on his face, Sergei specified. [”What Ling means is that History is more complicated than the one you’ve learned of, something that goes beyond the few thousand years you’re aware of. Even those years of History are not exactly accurate. But, for now, you can think of this architectural style as the Ancient Chinese style. The two Eastern Inner and Outer Districts are built this way. As for the rest, the Western Inner and Outer Districts are mostly built in the Old European Style, similar to the Fallen Fire Estate Roman owned in Molkovia, and the Central Inner and Outer Districts are a blend of the two.”] With more questions than answers, Demian was about to say something when Ling interjected. [”No need to ask more. There are too many interlinked events, and explaining them would take hours at the very least. So, if you want to know more, it’s better if you guys go check the Bright Star Library. There, you’ll find all the answers you’re looking for.”] Knowing how stubborn the woman could be when she decided on something, none of the Mikhailovs protested but instead focused on the ‘journey’ they were on. Despite the relative leisure with which they were traveling, it only took them another hour to cross the few hundred kilometers separating them from their destination, which was a colossal plaza all made in precious spiritual wood. The structure’s appearance was completely unexpected for Demian, however, as it was something akin to an ancient water market with beautiful canals, river boats, and wooden pagodas, completely in line with the ‘Ancient Chinese’ theme they encountered previously, although there were some buildings that looked to be those ‘Old European’ style buildings his teacher mentioned previously. Besides the details already mentioned, what jumped out to him were ‘two’ main things. The first was five magnificent bridges laid out in a star pattern linking the three districts and the Core City beyond to the plaza itself. The second visible ‘feature’ was a gigantic tree located at the center of the circular plaza, its size reminding him of the World Tree’s description he read in the past, its canopy covering almost the entirety of the ‘water market’ below.
The astonishing view made it hard for the young man to stay calm, a feeling of utter insignificance washing over his Mind. ‘A tree as tall as those mountains in my previous life... What the fuck?! Why is everything so fucking big around here! Is that how insects feel about us? I really don’t enjoy that feeling’ He pondered wryly as he focused on calming his slightly hurried breath. Through his Senses, he noticed that everyone’s reactions were similar, with the sound of hurried breaths particularly loud in his ears. However, it did not last long as a wave of energy washed over them, soothing the tension coursing through their Bodies and Minds. Then, Ling’s voice resounded in their ears. [”Impressive, isn’t it? Better get used to it, because sights like these are a dime a dozen in the Federation and beyond.”] Indeed, Bright Star Island was after all only one of the Eight Inner Islands, and above those was Central Star Island, which was even larger. With that in mind, it was easy to understand that a tree bigger than a city in the Origin Islands was nothing to write home about. At least, that was what Demian should have thought, but everyone knew that theory and practice could be vastly different. In his case, he really needed some time to adjust to the absurdity. In a bid to distract himself from the humongous... Whatever that tree was... He asked. [“Could you explain why they put a tree of this size in the middle of the plaza?”] The mix of confusion and irritation in his tone brought a few chuckles from Sergei and Ling before the former answered. [”The Southern Nexus Plaza has this name because of two factors. The first is the fact that it’s the ‘nexus’ point between the Core City and the three Inner City Districts: Great Tide, Great Vortex, and Great Wave. But you all already knew that. However, what none of you knew is its function as one of the main nexus Points of Bright Star City’s Protective Formation. Not only is it well-defended, but the Elemental Energy concentration here is the best in the Inner City.”]
As those words left his lips, he then pointed toward the massive bridge they were about to cross and continued. [”This bridge is the Mortal Water Bridge and is one of the Five Mortal Elements Bridges. The Fire and Wood Bridges link the plaza to the Core city, and the Earth and Metal Bridges link to the Great Wave in the West and the Great Vortex in the center, respectively.”] While recalling the map in his head, Demian’s understanding of the City’s structure increased, prompting him to question, with awe lacing his tone. [”What about that giant tree over there?”] While sporting a small smile, the older man responded. [”It’s the Heaven Tree representing the three Elements of Wind, Thunder, and Lightning.”] Tilting her head, Seraphine asked. [”I thought Thunder and Lightning were only one Element...”] The older man nodded his head once before shaking it and said. [”It’s complicated. Although Lightning and Thunder present two different states, the two are intricately linked, so whether you say they’re one or two is correct. In any case, it doesn’t really matter. It’s just an arbitrary classification, not a Universal Truth.”] After pausing for a second, Sergei noticed the thoughtful look on their faces and added. [”Although we use words such as ‘Comprehension’ or ‘Understanding’, in reality, ‘comprehending’ universal laws is more akin to letting your Heart connect to the Universal Laws before creating an internalized ‘instruction manual’ copied from that connection. So, don’t focus too much on the form and miss the substance.”] With a slight shake of his head, he said. [”Anyhow, besides the Bridges and the Tree, there are also the Yin Yang Earthen Column below the Plaza, representing the Light and Dark Elements. There are 81 such columns, all disposed in groups of nines, which are themselves divided into threes... I won’t go further since it’s related to higher Formation knowledge and we have other things to do today.”]
With the boat’s current speed, it only took them a moment to cross the superb wooden bridge looming over the flowing Azure Heavenly River coursing below. As the name implied, the River originated somewhere in the Heavenly Meteor Mountain Range, although there was no mention of its exact source in the information Demian had access to. What was mentioned, however, and what he could observe in front of him, was the fact that the width of the waterway was so large, and the depth so deep, that calling it ‘internal sea’ would have been more appropriate, at least if it was not for the fact that it behaved like a ‘normal’ river, flowing from the Center to the North of the Island. ‘Whatever the case, it looks much cleaner than those ‘city rivers’ like the Seine or the Ganges...Swimming in those is like playing Russian roulette with your life...’ He thought randomly, while noticing the seemingly empty river market below them, prompting him to question. [”I wonder, why is the number of people so small?”] To which Ling replied. [”The Inner City only has a few million people, with most people being the close ones of Peak Tier 3 and higher Cultivators. Most of those people are around the Foundation Building Rank or higher and so spend most of their time cultivating to reach higher levels, with no need to eat. For Cultivators, the higher you go, the higher the difference in one’s Time perception. But you should have already noticed that, right? So, with hundreds, or thousands of years of lifespan, most of them would not waste their time coming here too often.”] To be honest, Demian admitted that it was not that there was no one below, but the size of the place was so gigantic that those tens of thousands or more people seemed insignificant, creating the illusion of emptiness. As he was about to reply, Brynhild suddenly interjected, breaking her sullen silence. [“Uncle Sergei and Aunt Ling, where is the Tribulation Plateau?”] Her words prompted a brief thought to appear in Demian’s Mind. ‘Right! We aren’t here for tourism. I almost forgot!’
With an amused smile at the obvious impatience mixed in her tone, he responded. [”Tribulations are tests from Heaven. Knowing that, where do you think the tribulation Plateau could be?”] While briefly pondering that problem, Demian’s gaze was subconsciously attracted by the lightning bolts falling on the gigantic tree’s crown from time to time, triggering a sudden inspiration. “Could it be...?” Despite having forgotten to use the Sound Transmission Technique, everyone had superhuman senses and thus heard him perfectly. The other three Mikhailovs, following his gaze and hearing his words, immediately understood, prompting Sergei to answer. [”Exactly. The Tribulation Plateau is at the top of the Heaven Tree.”] A brief thought came to Demian when those words reached his ears. ‘Well, I’ll be damned!’
