Chapter 525: Where the Dream Begins

"Where do you intend to go?" Zong Wu inquired.

"Old Ghost Zong, can you even enter a dungeon looking like that?" Nalan Hongwu's face darkened; how could the man head out to hunt monsters when he could not even see?

"To tell you the truth," Zong Wu said, "though I have lost my sight, I learned a technique called Murderous Intent Perception from my instructor. Coupled with my years of martial arts practice, I possess enough experience in listening to the wind to discern positions. Dealing with mere monsters shall pose no trouble at all!"

"Is that so...?" Nalan Hongwu regarded him with immense skepticism.

"Otherwise, how do you think I managed to walk all the way here from the back street by myself?!" Zong Wu snapped in irritation.

"It matters not, it matters not," Su Tianji interjected. "We need not visit high-difficulty dungeons like the Dark Thunderland. We can simply head to another one instead, can we not? We shall tackle a... lower-difficulty one."

"Indeed!" An Huwei agreed. "Our quests here in Hendon Myre are nearly complete anyway. We might as well pay a visit to the West Coast."

Though the dungeons of the Sky Tower on the West Coast were generally of a higher level than those in the Grand Flores, it was everyone's first time entering them, meaning they could only opt for the normal difficulty, which shouldn't prove too arduous.

"So be it then." Nalan Hongwu pondered for a brief moment; he had heard legends of the Sky Tower back in Hendon Myre and happened to desire a glimpse of it himself.

Though they were far older than the younger generation, they were still mere newcomers here, and everything within this world filled them with a profound sense of novelty.

This was especially true for the legendary Sky Tower.

Lores foretold that it was the perilous but necessary path leading toward the world above the skies.

The West Coast was a port city adjacent to Hendon Myre, nestled within the territory of the Bel Myre Principality. Its maritime and overland transportation were exceptionally well-developed, bustling with frequent commercial trade, while also serving as a vital stronghold for the gateway to the Empyrean—the Sky Tower.

It stood as a grand metropolis in the Arad continent, second only to Hendon Myre.

In the original game, it lay immediately to the right of Hendon Myre, but now, to depart from this colossal city and journey to the West Coast, one had only three choices: carriages, airships, or teleportation.

Similarly, because the travel time between the two cities was no longer instantaneous as it had been in the original game (and most novices lacked the coin for teleportation), the quests requiring back-and-forth travel between the cities had been slightly adjusted.

As mentioned previously, the continent of Arad boasted a remarkably flourishing magical civilization.

This was even more pronounced in the nation to which Hendon Myre and the West Coast belonged; legend had it that Hendon Myre itself was a city erected in the desert by a great magus named Myre, utilizing a powerful magical array.

Therefore, the existence of high-end and peak magical creations like magical airships and teleportation arrays was hardly a strange occurrence.

Not only Nalan Hongwu and his companions, but many player adventurers who had completed their class advancements were also boarding airships or stepping onto teleportation arrays, venturing into this brand-new city.

Riding upon the magical airship and gazing downward from the sky, the azure port city seemed to melt into the exact same hue as the heavens. Phosphorescent glimmers of snow-white clouds floated upon the pristine surface of the sea, where vessels large and small passed by or lay anchored.

Peering down from the high altitude, a massive garden-like park occupied the center, from which orderly residential houses with white walls and red tiles radiated outward. Further beyond lay a verdant forest, its lush vegetation enveloping the entire garden-like city, surrounded by distant mountains under the leisurely drift of floating clouds.

If Hendon Myre was a bustling and prosperous metropolis, then the West Coast was a beautiful, charming harbor that held an aura of tranquility amidst its clamor.

Hendon Myre was the starting point for all the braves who arrived on this continent.

While the West Coast was the place where the professions they chose truly set sail.

"Wow—!"

"What a beautiful city!"

Mu Qing and Yue Bai were currently riding the airship, gazing at the cityscape below. This city, entirely distinct from the style of cultivators, truly offered a refreshing spectacle to the eyes.

Several people from the Western Polar Region had also reached the skies above this city via an airship.

The warm, fresh air and the beautiful port city surrounded by mountains on three sides resembled a dazzling pearl embedded within a lush green forest.

"This truly is a city that makes one wish to linger..." Luo Piaoling sighed softly. The cities of the Western Polar Region were all built upon the icy, snow-capped summits of precipitous cliffs. Although there were formations within the cities to regulate the temperature, the chilling winds howled incessantly, and the mountains were blanketed in a deathly white shroud of snow.

It was said that many cities in the Western Polar Region had been built step by step with the blood and bones of their ancestors, who had driven away powerful, fierce beasts in that harsh environment.

"To speak candidly behind closed doors... why do the cultivators of the Spirit State and even the Desolate Sea Region possess such blessings, and so many formidable figures..." Xia spoke with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "Despite living in such pampered environments, it is one thing for their martial skills and sword techniques to be so powerful, but they are even so much better than us at playing games... And then there is that Shadow Step; I wonder how these people's brains are wired to devise such combat techniques..."

Luo Piaoling's face twitched. "Didn't you previously claim that it was just a low-tier martial skill unworthy of the grand stage?"

"Hahahahaha..." Luo Piaoling suddenly realized and burst into laughter. "I never expected Miss Xia to be so stubbornly defensive despite being proven wrong?"

"What do you mean stubbornly defensive?!" Xia muttered. "Why is every single one of these people so incredibly capable?!"

Luo Piaoling sniffed the air. "Hmm? Why do I smell a sudden whiff of sourness?"

"You—!"

"Very well! Jokes aside." Luo Piaoling cradled the heavy sword in his arms, shaking his head with a smile. "There is still some time before we disembark from the airship. It is good to spend this leisure time admiring the beautiful scenery here."

He let out a sigh, a trace of envy woven into his words. "If we, or even our descendants, could one day live in such a beautiful city, how wonderful that would be..."

"You seem to quite like this place?" Xia asked in a cautious, testing tone.

"Indeed... look at the houses and the people here. Quite a few of them align with our traditions and style. In a city like this, I do not even feel too out of place." He shook his head, a bright and gentle smile appearing on his face beneath his golden curls. "Upon the snowy peaks of the Western Pole, one never catches sight of the sea, yet here, one can spend the entire day staring blankly at the gorgeous ocean."

"Putting it that way, it does sound rather pleasant." Xia frowned slightly at first, but then, as if a thought struck her, she said with a touch of nonsensical whimsy, "Do you truly love this place that much? What would you do if someone were to destroy it?"

Luo Piaoling tightened his grip on the sword in his hands and smiled faintly. "If such a day truly comes, even if I must forfeit this life of mine, I shall certainly strike them down beneath my blade!"

Promptly after, he shook his head and laughed at himself. "Yet it is merely a virtual world after all; how could anyone possibly destroy it? Do not overthink things."

Having spoken, he quietly resumed admiring the magnificent scenery beneath the airship.