Above The Sky
Chapter 1173: 175: The Grand Stage of Terra World (9,200, thanks to Xiao Si Baga for the alliance leader's reward!)_3

Chapter 1173: Chapter 175: The Grand Stage of Terra World (9,200, thanks to Xiao Si Baga for the alliance leader’s reward!)_3

After all, behind every True Dragon, at least the fourth-generation and previous True Dragons, there exists a mindset and societal structure brought by another civilization.

Understanding the different societal structures of various civilizations can help a True Dragon better wield the power of the Spark and Bloodline within themselves.

Ian is not a True Dragon. But in the eyes of the King of the Dragon Mountain, the young man’s potential, and the changes he could bring to the world, far exceed those of the average True Dragon.

So… even representing Dragon Island.

He also wants to know.

“Canaan Moore, huh… Hmm. I’ve only seen the World Tree City.”

Ian leaned down, pressing his arms against the protective railing of the skyship. He said slowly, “Based solely on the comparison between World Tree City and the Imperial Capital… my assessment is neither works. Both cities have significant flaws.”

“Oh?”

The silver-haired beautiful woman also placed her hand on the deck. Her gold-red eyes followed Ian’s gaze to look at a small Elven town on the ground and said with a smile, “It seems our genius has very high standards.”

“I haven’t lived long in either the Imperial Capital or World Tree City.”

Ian did not respond to the words of the King of the Mountain. Although he was still looking at the scenery below the skyship, his mind was already back in the two unique giant cities on Terra: “But I have carefully observed the lives of people in both cities.”

“How should I put it… neither of them represents a normal life.”

Although Ian spent less than a week in World Tree City, he deliberately took two days to walk back and forth in the city, observing the lives of the Elven commoners.

In this soaring hive city, people live.

Behind windows of densely stacked residential apartments, like containers, covered in mist, there are the sounds of Elven women soothing children, the sound of couples quarreling upstairs, and the coughs of an elderly neighbor. Even though World Tree City’s ventilation is excellent, the air circulation inside the apartments is still somewhat poor.

In the narrow and dark alleys, there are mysterious Men in Black negotiating some sort of drug deal with a young Elf whose face looks withered. They had a brief argument but eventually finished with the young Elf angrily transferring funds.

And just nearby, in the dazzling, decadent atmosphere of the street, men and women in sheer veils, or even just body paint, called provocatively to passing pedestrians, selling their bodies. As the young man walked past, he could even hear the solicitation quite obviously directed at him, with several seductive and lustful gazes locking onto him without concealment.

This is life.

On the streets, a middle-aged Elf with dark circles and a receding hairline was speaking in a hushed voice, cautiously conversing with a superior behind a terminal; among the pedestrians, an older woman in simple, shabby clothes was sifting through the cleaners’ trash for usable litter; suspended workers, responsible for cleaning the city’s structural skeleton, hung from ropes within the gaps of densely packed housing, scrubbing rust and grime at a great height with strenuous effort.

At the entrance of many shops, owners chatted warmly with regular customers; there was also fierce arguing or even fighting due to pricing or service issues—amidst the wailing sirens of approaching guards, a hotdog vendor at the edge of the street frowned as he stared at his somewhat empty change box, pondering something unknown.

This is also life.

In the district where the Blood of the Ten Kings reside, it is inhabited by affluent people and those with power. There, the streets are wide and tidy, the air is fresh, passersby are elegant, the shops provide adequate service, and there are even many artificial vegetation landscapes and quite sizable aerial gardens.

But in the poorer civilian districts below, the light is dim, the air is relatively stale, and the streets are crowded like sardine cans. The buildings are marked with temporary repairs. Even with cleaning insects, some areas with problematic water systems are still full of sewage and stench, effectively turning them into slums. People there, clothed simply, gather in groups, occasionally going out to work for a few days, buying cheap food, and then secluding themselves at home for a while.

It’s not that they don’t want to work; they just lack job opportunities. World Tree City is vast and intelligent; many jobs don’t really require Elves, and the service industry only needs the best-qualified ones. Even if others can reside in World Tree City, they might not find opportunities to realize their dreams and only end up painfully rotting in the darkness.

Although there’s not much crime, the population is just too massive, so even within the two days Ian wandered, he witnessed several instances of guards responding to incidents.

Those flying patrol knights would charge into housing areas inside the city amid sharp sirens and lights, leading to conflict—these criminals are mostly Alchemists producing illegal stimulants or Sublimators secretly forming illegal organizations to exploit and control lower-level employees.

Though they possess power, they dare not move to the brighter and stricter Upper City District, hiding instead in the impoverished Lower City District. Black smoke dissipated by the wind follows the battle, affecting countless civilians, and even if compensated, what can ever recover the loss of life?

Every outing of the Blood of the Ten Kings, every venture of a significant figure, is greeted by cheers from all the Elves. Their very presence can bring Ouna, bring wealth, bring tomorrow’s breakfast, and next month’s rent. The people hope for and even yearn for those individuals to appear.