Chapter 271: Silver Heaven

The White Dragon Lord waited until noon before finally receiving a notification from the Tower Spirit: the purchaser dispatched by the Council to the Star Realm had returned.

Not long after, a magical servant delivered the magical materials he had ordered. Looking at the three items resting on the table, the White Dragon Lord frowned.

Three stalks of grass, so black they seemed ready to drip ink, were preserved inside a magical device. Ash-white, ominous patterns webbed across their blades. This was Weeping Soul Grass, a rare Magical Plant that could only grow in areas with dense negative energy.

Beside them lay two blooms, each boasting seven differently colored petals that emitted a refreshing, delicate fragrance. These were Exquisite Flowers, originating from the Emerald Night of the Seven-Layered Celestial Mountain.

Finally, there was a handful of brown soil brimming with the aura of life—this was the Soil of Life, which the White Dragon Lord had already collected in small amounts.

He had the Weeping Soul Grass, the Exquisite Flowers, and the Soil of Life. Only the Celestial Crocodile Dragon Heart Blood was missing.

It seemed his luck was poor. Even the Star Realm had no Celestial Crocodile Dragon Heart Blood in stock.

The White Dragon Lord furrowed his brow, though it soon smoothed out. The Celestial Crocodile Dragon Heart Blood was a material harvested from a living creature. As long as he knew the creature's habitat, hunting one down would hardly be a challenge given his strength.

"Tower Spirit One, I want all information on the celestial crocodile dragon."

"Celestial crocodile dragon: True neutral creature, dual attributes of water and light, social beast. Their packs inhabit the Starlight Marsh in western Lunia, the Silver Heaven of the Seven-Layered Celestial Mountain. The adult Creature Level of a celestial crocodile dragon is Level 18, and exceptional individuals can reach the Legendary Rank. The Weak Divine Power deity, the Lady of the River, Nyamona, is very fond of these simple-minded beasts."

Silver Heaven was the first layer of the Seven-Layered Celestial Mountain. It existed in a state of eternal night—not a terrifying darkness, but a night sky ablaze with countless stars. Furthermore, ninety percent of the entire plane was submerged in water.

Silver Heaven was not a problem, and the water was not a problem either.

However, the fact that the celestial crocodile dragon was actually tied to a deity gave the White Dragon Lord a headache. He sifted through his memories for information on this goddess.

The Lady of the River, Nyamona. Weak Divine Power. Lawful Good. Her portfolio covers streams and rivers, earning her the alternate title of Lady of the River. Based on her portfolio, she should belong to the Sea God Pantheon. However, possessing a kind nature, this goddess refused to join the chaotic evil Ocean Goddess Faction. Upon ascending to godhood, she allied with the Agricultural Pantheon, establishing her Divine Kingdom in Silver Heaven—Lunia.

This goddess is not adept at combat, and because she joined halfway through, she has always been a fringe member of the Agricultural Pantheon. However, because her Divine Kingdom lies in close proximity to the Justice Pantheon, her masterful diplomacy has earned her immense popularity among them, allowing her to maintain excellent relationships with numerous entities within the Justice Pantheon.

The White Dragon Lord furrowed his brow tightly. Regardless of whether this goddess was adept at combat, she was still a genuine deity of Weak Divine Power. Handling his High-Tier Legend combat power would not be a problem for her.

Therefore, the White Dragon Lord felt a profound headache, but the mere title of a deity was not enough to scare him off. If he couldn't do it out in the open, couldn't he simply poach one?

He was only one material short of completing the advanced Bloodline Advancement Ritual, and the White Dragon Lord absolutely refused to give up just like that. He decided to travel to Mount Celestia for a field investigation. If it proved truly impossible, he would simply have to settle for less.

His mind made up, the White Dragon Lord rose and strode toward the cross-plane Teleportation Chamber.

"Tower Spirit One, I am heading to Silver Heaven—the Starlight Marsh in western Lunia. Pull up the information for the city closest to that destination."

"You possess level-three authority. Authorization passed. Tower Spirit One recommends you travel to Willis City. Willis City is located in central Lunia, and the city's owner is the Night Watcher—Thomas."

The White Dragon Lord raised an eyebrow. The Night Watcher, Thomas, was also a deity of Weak Divine Power, except he belonged to the Justice Pantheon, and the entities of the Justice Pantheon were mostly incredibly formidable in combat. After all, if one had no strength, how could they uphold justice?

The Night Watcher—Thomas. This deity's image was that of a hunchbacked old man with prominent buckteeth. He looked incredibly ferocious, but he was actually kind-hearted. Clad in simple linen clothing, the bright lamp in his hand illuminated the darkness, and the longsword at his waist struck down evil. Ordinary people affectionately called him the Old Man Who Guards the Night.

To ordinary people without strength, the world was filled with danger, and the night even more so. Wild beasts sneaking into villages at midnight and goblins launching collective night raids were all monsters that could take a life, let alone gnolls and other even more powerful monsters.

Therefore, the vast majority of villages and small towns had the position of a night watchman. Their living habits were the exact opposite of ordinary people's: resting during the day and carrying an oil lamp to patrol the darkness at night, serving as the equivalent of nocturnal police.

If an accident occurred, the first to encounter danger was usually the night watchman, so most night watchmen possessed genuine skill. Their dedication and strength earned them the respect of ordinary people.

Due to the nature of their profession, night watchmen held zero tolerance for evil. The Night Watcher—Thomas was especially famous for his absolute hatred of evil. Once a villain was discovered entering his territory, the absolute best outcome they could expect was being expelled.

After pondering for a moment, the White Dragon Lord gradually relaxed. He wasn't traveling to Willis City to cause trouble. Furthermore, while he was no zealous, altruistic dragon, neither was he an evil dragon who slaughtered innocents. The Lawful Good Night Watcher wouldn't take direct action against him.

Having figured this out, the White Dragon Lord stood on the cross-plane Teleportation Platform and entered the coordinates provided by Tower Spirit One.

...

Silver Heaven—Central Lunia, Willis City.

A tall, young-looking Warrior stood guard beside a massive Teleportation Platform. He held an antique oil lamp in his left hand, leaving his right hand empty, and a longsword hung at his waist.

If someone observed this Warrior closely, they would discover that his body was slightly transparent and gave off a faint halo. He looked somewhat ethereal, almost like a ghost.

Of course, in the Seven-Layered Celestial Mountain—the gathering place of Lawful Good deities—it was impossible for an undead, negative-energy creature like a ghost to appear. This Warrior was a divine servitor, and divine servitors were transformed from the souls of believers. Lacking a physical body, they were energy lifeforms similar to elemental beings.

Willis City was the holy city of the Night Watcher, Thomas. Considering this Warrior carried an oil lamp and wore a longsword at his waist, his identity was self-evident: he was a divine servitor of the Night Watcher. His name was Bird, and his friends all called him Old Bird.

The divine servitor—Old Bird—was originally an adventurer. After growing old and frail, he returned to his hometown—a quiet, unnamed small town—and became its night watchman. After becoming a night watchman, he, like most night watchmen, worshipped the Old Man Who Guards the Night. During a fight against a vicious thug, he was unfortunately killed.

His physical body remained on the material plane, turning into nutrients for the earth, while his soul arrived at Thomas's Divine Kingdom.

After Old Bird was transformed into a petitioner, his body was restored to its youthful appearance. The sensation of his body brimming with strength stirred his originally peaceful heart, rekindling thoughts of adventure. Thus, unlike the vast majority of petitioners, he did not remain in the Divine Kingdom to enjoy a peaceful retirement. He continued to fight for Thomas, exterminating evil.

A thousand years passed. Old Bird accumulated a massive amount of merit and was promoted to a divine servitor by Thomas, granting him the Legendary Rank Level power he had always dreamed of. Furthermore, a divine servitor enjoyed tens of thousands of years more lifespan than a petitioner.

After becoming a divine servitor, Old Bird was stationed in the holy city of Willis to guard the cross-plane Teleportation Platform. Calling it guarding was less accurate than calling it maintaining order, giving directions to first-time visitors to Willis City, and moonlighting as a toll collector. The operational costs of a massive cross-plane Teleportation Platform were exorbitant, so usage was not free.

As for evil villains looking to stir up trouble, no one dared to cause a scene right on a deity's doorstep. Furthermore, this particular deity boasted explosive combat strength and a terrifyingly profound background; the Chief Deity of the Justice Pantheon was the God of Justice and Light, renowned across the myriad realms.

Furthermore, Willis City was Thomas's holy city. A so-called holy city was a city where the entrance to a Divine Kingdom was located.

A deity's Divine Kingdom functioned as its own plane. A Divine Kingdom usually relied on a super-massive plane, much like a small bubble clinging to a large one.

Since they were tethered, there was a connection point. This connection point served as the entrance and exit of the Divine Kingdom, and it was also the most vulnerable location of a Divine Kingdom. If a Divine Kingdom's connection point was attacked by enemies, in severe cases, it could cause the Divine Kingdom to detach from the host plane and be banished into the void, forcing the deity to frantically scramble to fix it.

Because of this, deities invariably constructed majestic cities around their connection points as a defensive frontline. These cities were known as holy cities. Tiamat's Evil Scale Fortress and the Platinum Dragon God's North Wind Temple were exactly the same.

Near the Divine Kingdom's connection point, a deity could continuously replenish their energy from the Divine Kingdom. They were akin to a Mage buffed by a Mage Tower, capable of fighting well above their level. Therefore, a Divine Kingdom's security was actually extremely high.

Only weak evil deities with no backing or too many enemies would hide the location of their Divine Kingdom.

The locations of the Divine Kingdoms for the vast majority of good-aligned deities were known, and they often clustered together.

This was the advantage of the good-aligned factions. As fellow members of a good alignment, they generally wouldn't have irreconcilable conflicts.

Conversely, if an evil deity bullied the weak and assaulted a good-aligned deity's Divine Kingdom, a large group of kind neighbors who loved fighting injustice would not simply stand by and watch.

The Lady of the River, Nyamona, who was poor at combat, had undoubtedly made the right choice by establishing her Divine Kingdom on Mount Celestia and clinging to the powerful backing of the Justice Pantheon.

After all, the Justice Pantheon boasted explosive combat strength and loved fighting injustice. As were the deities, so were their believers and divine servitors.

Thus, when Old Bird saw an evil Chromatic Dragon—a White Dragon—pop up on the Teleportation Platform, he immediately drew his sword. Glaring warily at the White Dragon Lord, he roared.

"Halt! Don't move!"

Having just arrived in Silver Heaven, the White Dragon Lord was immediately met with a malicious-looking divine servitor. He felt deeply frustrated and incredibly annoyed.

"You tell me not to move and I'm not supposed to move?! Do the people behind me not need to use the Teleportation Platform?! As a Teleportation Platform guard, you are failing your duty to keep it clear! Is this how you repay His Majesty Thomas's trust in you?! Are you trying to betray His Majesty Thomas?! You traitor!!!"

Old Bird was left utterly dumbfounded by the White Dragon's verbal barrage. I stopped a Chromatic Dragon. How did I suddenly become a traitor to His Majesty Thomas?!

The passing crowd was equally baffled.

During Old Bird's stunned silence, the White Dragon Lord stepped off the Teleportation Platform, thoroughly ignoring the dimwitted divine servitor.

Seeing the White Dragon Lord walking further away, Old Bird finally snapped back to his senses and hurriedly chased after him. If this White Dragon caused trouble in Willis City, it would be his fault.

"Halt right there!!!"

The White Dragon Lord looked back at the pursuing divine servitor and felt incredibly helpless. Wearing the skin of a White Dragon truly made traveling through Mount Celestia incredibly inconvenient.

"Alignment Check!"

The White Dragon Lord cast an alignment detection spell on himself. A white light bloomed over his head, and within the white light, there were faint traces of gold.

This proved that the White Dragon Lord was of the Lawful Neutral alignment, and even leaned slightly toward good.

This was not surprising. The White Dragon Lord had originally been of the Lawful Neutral alignment, but by establishing order in the Overseas Archipelago, stimulating production, and allowing hundreds of millions of monsters to live a good life, his alignment had shifted slightly toward the good faction as a result.

"Can I help you?!"

The White Dragon Lord asked, though he already knew the answer. Staring at the alignment aura above the White Dragon's head, Old Bird wore an expression like he was severely constipated. So it's an oddball Lawful Neutral White Dragon.

Since he was not of an evil alignment, there was absolutely no problem with him walking freely through the Lawful Good Willis City.

"Ahem, cough, cough."

Old Bird faked a few coughs to mask his embarrassment.

"It's nothing."

The passersby let out good-natured chuckles. Everyone understood what had happened: the dutiful Old Bird had seen an evil Chromatic Dragon pop up on the Teleportation Platform and drawn his sword in defense.

But clearly, the White Dragon was extremely dissatisfied with Old Bird's impulsive behavior, roasting him with a verbal barrage before stepping off the Teleportation Platform and proving his own innocence once Old Bird gave chase.

Ultimately, the entire incident was just a misunderstanding. Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, the crowd stopped spectating and went their separate ways, while Old Bird trudged back with a depressed look on his face.

"Halt!"

The White Dragon Lord's voice rang out from behind him. Old Bird turned around in confusion.

"Do you need something?"

"Cough, cough, how do I get to the largest material shop in the city?"

Old Bird pointed to the east.

"Follow the street ahead and turn east. Walk past three intersections and head north, and you'll see a massive signboard. That is the largest material shop in Willis City—the Azure Hand."

"Thanks."

Having obtained the information he wanted, the White Dragon Lord set off in the direction the divine servitor had pointed.

Old Bird moped his way back, but suddenly felt something was amiss. He came to a sudden realization and hurriedly spun around to call out to the White Dragon Lord.

"Halt!"

The White Dragon Lord looked back. "???"

"You haven't paid the Teleportation Platform usage fee yet! Thank you for your patronage! That'll be one thousand Divine Power Gold Coins."

The White Dragon Lord suddenly realized his oversight.

Divine Power Gold Coins were a special currency issued by the church of the Goddess of Wealth—Waukeen. The minting process for these gold coins was incredibly complex, and each contained a sliver of Waukeen's divine power, making them the universal currency in the Star Realm and the upper planes.

On the Nordhill Continent, a single Divine Power Gold Coin could be exchanged for ten thousand ordinary gold coins. The Teleportation Platform usage fee was equivalent to ten million gold coins, a staggering sum.

After paying the Teleportation Platform usage fee in full, the White Dragon Lord followed the divine servitor's directions and, sure enough, found a luxuriously decorated shop—the Azure Hand.

If he could buy the Heart Blood of the Celestial Crocodile Dragon in the shop, he wouldn't have to risk offending a deity by poaching. That would naturally be the best possible outcome.