A feeling of foreboding crept up on the cultivators after they saw what was on the other side of Immortal Skye's gate. It gave them an ominous internal signal to retreat.
By Sky Plane standards, the location's lavishness was obscene. Multi-million dollar mansions lined the area like castles, and unlike the other large buildings they had seen, these buildings had a sheen from Soul Qi reinforcement.
Despite the apocalypse, the area was clean and orderly, with little structural damage. Citizens moved between buildings, carrying supplies, fixing buildings, or cultivating on the grass. While everyone was busy doing something, the place had a sense of peace and tranquility—in the apocalypse.
However, this was just the backdrop for the real problem.
"Carpenters in the mid-Sky Realm…." A Heaven Realm cultivator with long black hair and gray eyes muttered in disbelief, "A gardner, too? Is everyone a Sky Realm cultivator here?"
"Possibly, Gabriel," Roxy whispered. "If the trades workers are this powerful, all their soldiers should have equal or greater power. So don't forget our forces' strength."
The people around her shivered. In the Sky Plane, people worked as carpenters, blacksmiths, miners, and in other trades for decades to earn new techniques. They were serfs who couldn't obtain military glory or power, so they remained poor and powerless.
However, the Immortal trade workers were stronger than they were! Sure, they were scouts in the Killian army, not infantry—but they had a higher standing than trade workers! It was almost offensive!
Since the Immortals had only ever acquired peak techniques, they didn't know the vast difference between an entry-level and a top-tier technique. However, the cultivators did, making them feel jealous and uneasy.
"Should we leave and warn the others?" Gabriel asked, walking through the gates. "Rushing in there without knowing their numbers or total strength is akin to suicide."
"Agreed." She replied, "However, leaving right now will trigger suspicion and potential retaliation. Look behind you; we're surrounded."
Once they got through the gates, they could finally see the people breathing in the Sky Realm atop the wall. There were twenty of them watching their backs, which meant nearly fifty Sky Realm cultivators and three Heaven Realm cultivators were in sight.
If they were to run away, the Heaven Realm cultivators could kill an unknown number of people, but most of their soldiers would likely die without a coordinated attack. However, they couldn't develop a plan while pretending to be dignitaries.
"I see…." Gabriel gulped, "We must contact our people immediately to prevent them from doing anything hasty. We're lucky we checked out this place first."
"We'll do it as soon as possible," Roxy whispered. "There's still time, so we'll be fine."
Sage smirked at Jake mockingly as they walked. The cultivators communicated with ultra-quiet speaking. It was a skilled form of military communication relying upon enhanced senses that only high-level cultivators had—cultivators like the cabinet members. Since they were also Heaven Realm cultivators, they could hear the cultivators clear as day.
Jake rolled his eyes at the redhead's smirk; they had established a mutual understanding that the cultivators were there to attack, so her smirk was snide and valueless. So he ignored it as he led the cultivators to a guest building to continue his agenda.
"This is a house?" A blonde cultivator asked in disbelief, "I haven't seen one this big before."
Despite being a guest home on campus, it was the size of a multi-million-dollar mansion—a far cry from the summer homes where the Sanctuary cultivators lived.
An open floor the size of a ballroom was directly inside the door, with two grand staircases on both sides leading to the second floor. Dozens of tables lined the wooden floors, giving it the atmosphere of a Viking feast. However, the backdrop was refined and sophisticated, like a Sky Plane castle—or perhaps even greater.
"It's so beautiful…" Roxy commented in amazement, gazing at a chandelier adorned with crystals, "Are those Qi stones on that ornament? There must be a thousand of them!"
"The chandelier?" Jake chuckled. "No, those are little machines that produce light. The crystals below it are just to make the light look prettier."
"That's hard to believe…." She replied hazily.
It was hard for her to believe that the crystals were anything less than magic. They danced around the room, casting prismatic colors everywhere. The sight was dazzling beyond words.
"It's the truth." He chuckled, "Now, please give us a moment to prepare food for your arrival."
After disappearing for five minutes, Jake returned with Sky Realm cooks, maids, and butlers. Despite their strength, they set the tables with food and lined them with artistic tableware.
"You have to be kidding me…." Roxy said, her breath shallow as she watched them work with severe anxiety. "Is it customary to give high-grade techniques to domestics here?"
"We don't have domestics here," Veronica smiled mysteriously. "Everyone in Immortal Skye has a peak sky-cultivation technique or higher. The cooks must cook because it's necessary; however, the maids and butlers have these roles because they lack talent."
The major's fight-or-flight response kicked in, and she desperately looked around, trying to find somewhere to contact her team. Unfortunately, she couldn't see an opening to leave.
"Are you looking for a bathroom?" Jake asked courteously. "If so, there's one right down the hall, and someone can lead you there."
"U-Uh, bathroom… yes." Roxy replied in confusion. "I'll go right away."
An "untalented" Sky Realm maid, wearing the most luxurious "princess dress" the cultivator had ever seen, led her to a bathroom. She acted naturally as they walked to the room, making small talk. However, she immediately went into panic mode once Roxy had secured her privacy.
Thu-dump!
Roxy hastily pulled a jade slip from between her breasts and channeled Qi into it, seeking to send word to her team. Her fingers were trembling, and they only got shakier.
Thu-dump! Thu-dump!
"What's wrong with this jade slip!?" Roxy's heart pulsed violently, seeing that the slip didn't activate! She tried again and again and again.
Thu-dump! Thu-dump! Thu-dump!
Every time she tried, it failed, making her heart pound like a blacksmith striking an anvil.
"It's that crazy barrier!" She whispered viciously. "What an ironic form of protection. The strike force will attack these people in an hour if I don't contact them right now!
I need to manufacture a reason to leave and warn my soldiers. We agreed to seize a bird's nest, not fight a goddamn war!"
The jade slip would glow white if the matching slip's owner died or the slip broke. It would glow orange if it couldn't make contact. However, it wasn't glowing, indicating that something was blocking the connection. She was certain it was Immortal Skye's otherworldly barrier.
However, whether it was the barrier or not, she had to find a reason to leave for ten minutes without triggering a battle. What could she say? What should she do? How should she approach it? It was driving her crazy!
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Ah!" Roxy cried in fear, jumping backward and nearly hitting the wall. She had her hand cocked back, waiting to release a wind attack.
"Ma'am, is everything alright in there?" The maid asked awkwardly. "The food's almost ready. If you need help with anything, let me know."
"No-no! I'm fine!" The brunette pixie cried, "I'll be out in a minute."
Roxy quickly jammed the jade slip between her breasts and left the bathroom. When she returned to the table, she realized that the outside force wasn't the only thing she had to worry about. Everything had changed in the ten minutes she was away.
—
A/N [03/20/2023]: My new novel, "[Greed Online]," is out now! Search for it in the [Explore] tab search bar to find it; I'm releasing 35 free-to-read chapters this week alongside PlayCult, so there's reading for days! Don't worry—I'm finishing PlayCult [see A/T].
Synopsis: a syndicate orphan decides to get rich by starting a criminal empire in an MMORPG instead of playing it. However, he's web-novel-protag-grade special, so he finds himself fighting everyone in sight for the right to financially-exploit players in peace.
Genre: It's not a villain novel. It's your classic MMORPG choose-your-trope-adventure novel where all options coincidentally end with the MC being a comically terrible human being.
You'll enjoy the novel so much that you'll be torn between rooting the MC on and calling the police. Read the first chapter, and you'll see what I mean. Check it out!
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l