Chapter 339: Ethereal Fortress

Like Samiria, the Ethereal Fortress was a suspended sky city. Eight massive purple crystals surrounded a central primary crystal, generating the city's levitation, while hundreds of thousands of Amethyst Humans lived within its walls.

Unlike Nordhill, the highest governing body in the Emdas world was not a voting democracy. The Amethyst Human Sovereign of the Tommida Dynasty stood at the pinnacle of the world, ruling over the continent's races with the Amethyst Humans at their core.

After presenting his credentials to the Amethyst Human Sovereign, the White Dragon Lord was treated as an honored guest of the Tommida Dynasty. The Sovereign fully supported his desire to experience the local customs of the Emdas world and assigned him a guide.

"Lord Amos, a pleasure to meet you."

A brass dragon wearing an enthusiastic smile stood before the White Dragon Lord, folding his wings in a friendly Dragon Race greeting.

A powerful and extremely polite brass dragon—this was the White Dragon Lord's first impression of Mosahor.

...

Walking the streets of the Ethereal Fortress in his draconic humanoid form, the White Dragon Lord admired the Amethyst Humans' distinctive architecture.

True to their name, the Amethyst Humans favored the color purple. Everywhere he looked, the city's buildings were a dazzling violet. Purple street trees resembling maples lined the roads, streetlamps featured purple crystals perched atop poles, and the triangular purple houses looked like elongated pyramids.

The Amethyst Humans traveled on gorgeous flying carpets. They came in various ornate styles and sizes, steered by adult Amethyst Humans who wove back and forth through the sky.

The flying carpets passing overhead piqued the White Dragon Lord's intense interest.

"Unfortunately, Amos, only those at the High-Tier Level in psionics can pilot these flying carpets."

The brass dragon's words dashed the White Dragon Lord's hopes of trying to fly one himself.

Though slightly disappointed, the White Dragon Lord quickly recovered his mood and continued observing the Amethyst Humans' daily lives.

To facilitate carpet landings, a platform was built onto the second floor of the Amethyst Humans' conical houses. Two slender pillars supported the overhang, framing the front door between them.

This canopy-like platform served as both a parking spot for carpets and a shelter from the rain.

Beneath the canopy, every household hung a wind chime made of purple crystal. Whenever the wind blew past, they let out a crisp, tinkling sound.

The pleasant chimes drew the White Dragon Lord's attention, but he quickly noticed a peculiar detail: the purple crystals used to make these chimes looked exactly like the ones embedded in the Amethyst Humans' foreheads.

"Mosahor, the material of these wind chimes..."

"No need to be surprised, my kin. This is an Amethyst Human custom to commemorate the dead. An ordinary Amethyst Human has a natural lifespan of three hundred years. When they die of old age, the crystal on their forehead naturally falls off."

"The Amethyst Humans have worshipped the wind since ancient times. They fashion the crystals of the deceased into wind chimes, believing that the wind can communicate with the dead. The crisp ringing of the chimes is the laughter of their departed loved ones."

"I see."

The White Dragon Lord understood.

The brass dragon was quite chatty, and Mosahor continued.

"These wind chimes are more than just decorations. In times of war, they serve a great purpose."

The two dragons had happened to wander into a blooming violet garden and found a bench to sit on. The White Dragon Lord adopted a posture of attentive listening.

"As you know, Amethyst Humans are born with powerful spiritual energy. The purple crystals on their foreheads are the crystallization of that energy. You can think of them as containers that store spiritual power—vessels of psionic energy. The Amethyst Human civilization is built entirely upon this psionic foundation."

The brass dragon pointed to the massive purple crystals floating outside the city.

"Whenever there is an energy shortage, His Majesty the Sovereign collects these civilian crystals. Brimming with stored psionic energy, they become a new power source..."

After the brass dragon's detailed explanation, the White Dragon Lord gained a deeper understanding of the Amethyst Human civilization. While Sky City used elemental energy as its power source, the Ethereal Fortress ran on psionic energy.

Neither energy source was strictly superior to the other; they each simply had their own strengths.

Elemental energy was incredibly diverse, capable of endless combinations and transformations. Psionic energy, on the other hand, packed formidable power and worked miraculous effects. As long as there was enough psionic energy, creating things out of thin air was entirely possible.

After learning more about the Amethyst Humans who ruled the continent, the White Dragon Lord asked about the other races in the Emdas world.

"There are over a hundred intelligent species in the Emdas world. Among them, the Amethyst Humans have the strongest overall power, but they don't hold absolute dominance. The humans, the Dragon Race, the sea folk, and the sandworm people living in the deserts are also extremely powerful. Aside from these major races, there are numerous others..."

Through the brass dragon's introductions, the White Dragon Lord gained a general understanding of the major races across the Emdas world.

In the Emdas world, the Amethyst Human Sovereign was equivalent to an emperor, while the leaders of the other races were like feudal lords. Everyone lived within their own designated territories, coexisting in peace. The leaders of the major races only gathered when facing events that concerned the entire world.

Guided by the brass dragon, the White Dragon Lord spent a day touring the Amethyst Humans' territory, admiring the fruits of their civilization and tasting their traditional cuisine.

Immediately after, the White Dragon Lord embarked on a journey across the Emdas world to visit the other races. He was deeply fascinated by the species that did not exist in Nordhill.

...

Three nights later, in the western Emdas world on the Kesa Great Prairie, within the Stonehoof Minotaur Tribe.

Though tonight was no holiday, the Stonehoof Minotaur Tribe brimmed with a festive atmosphere. There were blazing bonfires, horned horses and sheep lined up for slaughter, colorful flags fluttering among the tents, and numerous jubilant Minotaurs performing songs and dances.

However, this was more akin to the joy of surviving a disaster than mere jubilation.

Earlier that day, an earthquake had triggered a stampede across the Kesa Great Prairie. Just as the Stonehoof Minotaur Tribe was about to suffer heavy casualties under the trampling hooves of the frenzied beasts, two dragons had descended from the sky and shielded the entire settlement.

Naturally, the White Dragon Lord and his brass dragon guide earned the gratitude and friendship of the Minotaur tribe. To honor them, the Minotaur chieftain specifically organized tonight's celebration.

Sitting by the bonfire in their draconic humanoid forms, the White Dragon Lord and the brass dragon feasted on fine food and milk wine while enjoying the ancient nomadic tribe's uniquely wild song and dance performances.

The White Dragon Lord was highly intrigued by the Minotaur culture.

Minotaurs were a race absent from Nordhill. They had heads like yaks, robust bodies covered in variously colored shaggy fur, massive reverse-jointed hooves, and short, stubby ox tails. Altogether, they looked rather endearing and simple-minded.

The White Dragon Lord didn't sense much simple-mindedness from them, but their enthusiasm was undeniably genuine.

A roasted horned horse was brought before the two dragons. This was another animal not found in Nordhill. They somewhat resembled the sacred beasts of the elves, the unicorns. Both were equine creatures with a spiraling horn on their heads, but the horned horse was much smaller; an adult was only the size of a sheep.

The roasted horned horse hadn't been skinned, nor was it seasoned with spices. The Minotaurs had packed the slaughtered animal whole into a peculiar container and buried it within the bonfire. After baking in the fire's intense heat, the container was pulled out to cool, then opened to retrieve the meal inside.

By now, the horned horse's outer skin had roasted to a charred crisp, exuding a rich, meaty aroma. Mingled within that savory scent was a faint hint of green grass, as the animal's hollowed-out belly had been stuffed with a special type of sweetgrass.

The Minotaur chieftain drew a specially crafted curved blade, showing off his superb carving skills before the two dragons.

With the tip of his curved blade, the Minotaur chieftain scored a few lines across the pitch-black roasted horned horse. Then, as easily as stripping off clothes, he peeled away the blackened hide, revealing the golden-brown roasted lean meat inside.

After scooping out the sweetgrass stuffed inside the animal's belly, the chieftain, who wore iron rings on his horns, smiled and gestured invitingly to the applauding dragons.

"Honored guests, please enjoy."

The White Dragon Lord gave his thanks, tore off a strip of golden-brown meat, and popped it into his mouth to savor. Although the Minotaurs' crude cooking techniques lacked the diverse flair of the White Castle Royal Kitchen, it possessed its own unique, primitive flavor.

After the song and dance concluded, the fully fed and watered Minotaurs held an ancient wrestling tournament. The White Dragon Lord, the brass dragon, and several tribal elders sat on wooden blocks to watch.

The massive crowd of Minotaurs formed a large circle around the bonfire. Inside this larger ring, right next to the flames, a smaller circle was drawn with white powder.

Two burly Minotaur men, bare-chested and wearing animal hide skirts, stood inside the smaller circle, glaring fiercely at each other with wide, bovine eyes, neither willing to back down.

The Minotaur chieftain stood up from his wooden seat, which was carved with primitive patterns, and barked the command to begin in the ancient Minotaur tongue.

At the signal, a dense rhythm of drumbeats erupted. Amidst the deafening war drums and overwhelming cheers, the two brawny Minotaurs placed their hands behind their backs and slammed their foreheads together.

Horns locked against horns, foreheads pressed tight. Their reverse-jointed hooves began to push, stomping deep prints into the prairie soil.

This was a trial of strength and endurance. Whoever forced their opponent out of the circle would claim victory, earning the tribe's adoration and priority in future mating rights.

Surrounded by the earth-shaking roars of encouragement, the long fur on the two stubborn Minotaurs gradually grew soaked, clumping together as beads of sweat the size of beans dripped down.

The next day, after bidding farewell to the hospitable Minotaur tribe, the White Dragon Lord resumed his journey.

Over the course of more than ten days, under the guidance of the brass dragon who knew the continent intimately, the White Dragon Lord traveled all across the Emdas world. He also visited several native dragons, as well as powerhouses of other races.

As the time for the celebration drew near, the White Dragon Lord and the brass dragon ended their travels and teleported back to the Ethereal Fortress.

By now, the Ethereal Fortress had landed on a stretch of plains, slotting into the terrain as seamlessly as a plug fitting into a socket. Had he not seen the city floating in the sky over a dozen days ago, the White Dragon Lord wouldn't have recognized at a glance that this was a mobile war fortress capable of flight.

Inside the Ethereal Fortress, the various races of the Emdas world's continent gathered together. Just like in Nordhill, driving away the demons was not the achievement of any single race, but the combined effort of every species across the entire continent.

Upon returning to the Ethereal Fortress, the White Dragon Lord checked into the foreign guest sector. This area was strictly reserved for the representatives sent by the major invited factions.

Most of these factions were internal members of the Avengers Alliance. Sharing a common enemy meant that despite internal competition, the alliance remained remarkably harmonious overall.

As was customary, the White Dragon Lord visited the allies on good terms with Nordhill, familiarizing himself with the other representatives.

Among the numerous allies, the ones that interested the White Dragon Lord the most were undoubtedly the other four main members of the alliance, aside from Nordhill.

They were the Emdas world, represented by the Amethyst Humans; the Rudesiva World, represented by the brown-skinned orcs; the Hinamo World, represented by the blue-skinned sea folk; and the strongest of them all—the magical civilization represented by humans: the Otag World.

The Otag World was the undisputed powerhouse of the alliance, boasting an illustrious reputation across the myriad planes of the multiverse. A persistent rumor circulated throughout the Star Realm that the Otag World was the heir to the Arcane Empire.

However, the White Dragon Lord had learned through Council channels that this was no mere rumor. Even if the Otag World wasn't the legitimate successor of the Arcane Empire, it was absolutely a beneficiary of its civilization.

Dense clusters of Arcane Empire ruins were scattered across the Otag World. Judging by their distribution and scale, one could deduce that the Otag World must have been a vital territory of the Arcane Empire during the ancient era.

The deep ties between Nordhill and the Otag World traced back thirteen thousand years. Back then, when Nordhill suffered a demon invasion and looked outward for allies, the most crucial partner they found was the Otag World.

Though the Otag World hadn't directly participated in the war, the massive repository of magical knowledge and theory it provided allowed Nordhill's magical civilization to leap forward a whole tier in a very short time. Even after more than ten thousand years of development, Nordhill's magical civilization was still playing catch-up.

The Otag World's representative was a young-looking High-Tier Legendary Mage. Since this visit was purely a courteous exchange between allies, the White Dragon Lord didn't speak with him extensively; he only learned his name—Alan.

Among the representatives sent by the various planes, the vast majority were not High-Tier Legends. After all, powerful planes like the five great worlds were incredibly rare. Most planes only possessed a handful of High-Tier Legends. If those few individuals couldn't spare the time to attend, they could only send figures of the Legendary Class.

Time ticked by. Finally, it was the day before the celebration began. The Amethyst Humans began preparing the venue. The location they chose was situated on the plains right outside the Ethereal Fortress, and the representatives of the major factions were invited in advance to observe the site's construction.

Looking out over the plains, the White Dragon Lord felt somewhat puzzled. While this stretch of pristine prairie couldn't exactly be called rugged, it was by no means flat. It seemed rather shabby for a celebration venue.

He wasn't the only one; the others felt the same way.

But the Amethyst Human Sovereign certainly hadn't invited everyone over just to embarrass himself. The White Dragon Lord waited patiently for their performance to begin.

Suddenly, the Ethereal Fortress behind the crowd of representatives emanated a strange energy fluctuation. The purple crystals began to radiate a brilliant violet glow.

This was the manifestation of coalescing psionic energy!