Chapter 1323: 1323. Chief Ash

Vagona city was immense. Humans of various ranks filled its streets, but all of them wore robes and armors made out of divine materials.

Large mansion-like buildings illuminated the area with the whiteness radiated by their metal. Those radiances obtained different shades after they passed through the crystals embedded in their surface, so the city's halo didn't disappear in the light of the sky.

White metal and crystals also filled the streets. Everything structure in Vagona city appeared perfectly polished and devoid of any stain. It was a divine scenery, an environment that no lower plane could offer. Still, the presence of heroic cultivators left Noah confused.

The invasion of the Eternal Snakes had confirmed the presence of heroic existences in the Immortal Lands, but Noah didn't know how that process worked for cultivators.

They weren't magical beasts that could live off of the "Breath" in the environment. They needed to overcome real-life struggles to build their individualities and push them through the heroic realms.

Noah didn't even know how newborn humans survived the pressure of the higher plane. There had to be some specific procedure to allow the birth of those weaklings, and he guessed that only wealthy cultivators could build families in that environment.

'There is too much that I don't know about this place,' Noah concluded as he studied the scene.

The buildings on the peripheral areas of the city had large labels that described their functions. Runes and images shone on their surface and radiated ideas that made anyone understand which activities happened inside.

Noah didn't recognize the language used on the labels, and there seemed to be different ones according to the owners of those buildings. Yet, those runes, letters, and signs exuded true meanings that translated them into a message that he could understand.

Blacksmiths, libraries, inscription halls, and other types of shops filled the outer circle of Vagona city. There were even a few restaurants among them, and multiple customers waited in line for their turn to enter them.

Noah found himself lost in that flourishing environment. He had gone from the complete wilderness to that crowded scenery, and that sight left him speechless.

'I can only explore and see,' Noah concluded in his mind as he ventured through the large streets of Vagona city.

Noah didn't unfold his consciousness, but his superior awareness allowed him to hear the many topics spoken by the crowds that surrounded him.

The heroic cultivators mostly spoke about trivial matters. They named famous chefs and designers that only involved the style of certain inscribed items.

Instead, the cultivators in the seventh rank were mostly silent bystanders who didn't interact with anyone and became lively only once they entered the buildings.

Noah couldn't hear what anyone said once they entered the buildings. A barrier prevented sounds and auras from seeping out of those structures, so he couldn't overhear any valuable information.

Still, he could see how the crowds of weaker cultivators showed respect for the existences in the seventh rank. They opened the path for anyone capable of divine might, and the same happened to Noah when he walked through the streets.

Noah saw crowds opening at his passage. The cultivators in the heroic ranks didn't dare to stand in his way even if they had suffered from the expansion of his consciousness. They revealed pure respect at his sight, and they felt no anger when they moved to let him pass.

It was needless to say that Noah felt wary when he saw that behavior. His lack of knowledge of the customs of that place made him worried about eventual repercussions to that generosity.

However, he could only accept it for the time being. Noah could only hope that he wouldn't have to compensate anyone for that type of respect.

There was a limit to how appealing the various shops appeared to Noah. He found some interest in the robes made of divine materials, but he barely browsed through the items shown in the open before moving forward.

His abilities had always gone against armors of any kind. Noah could consider them now that his spells didn't destroy his clothes anymore, but the sturdiness of his skin made him ignore those pieces of equipment.

Noah had yet to learn about the type of currency used in the Immortal lands, so he didn't want to focus his study on such ignorable items. His main focus remained his centers of power. He had to understand why his dantian had stopped growing before thinking about inscribed weapons.

The library was the most appealing structure in his eyes, and Noah didn't hesitate to walk toward the biggest one once he gained a general understanding of that area of the city.

The structure had tall walls around its perimeter and a large gate that featured a group of guards wearing light-yellow robes. Those cultivators were all rank 7 existences, and a few of them went past the gaseous stage.

A series of thick books that radiated the word "knowledge" occupied the label of that library. Noah also saw a peculiar rune that didn't exude any specific meaning there, but he didn't fail to notice the same design draped on the robes of the guards placed on the entrance.

'This building must belong to a specific organization,' Noah guessed as he neared the library.

The line opened when he walked toward the structure. The heroic cultivators waiting for their turn to enter let Noah pass, and some divine existences did the same after they inspected his cultivation level.

Noah didn't know why he was receiving such respect, but he put everything in the back of his mind as he waited to enter the library. He knew that he would eventually find the answers to his questions, and his focus remained on the structure that could provide them.

A group made of five cultivators gathered on the gate when it was Noah's turn to enter. Four of them were in the gaseous stage, while the last radiated the aura of an existence in the liquid stage.

"Do you have any affiliation with the Sailbrird family?" The liquid stage guard asked Noah when he reached the entrance of the library.

The cultivator was a tall woman with short black hair and shining green eyes. She wore a light-yellow armor that carried more details compared to her underlings, but her aura lacked any individuality.

Noah could sense the power radiated from her figure, but he couldn't feel any individuality inside it. The liquid stage woman could contain the entirety of her law while her aura spread through the sky. It seemed that the control of her true meaning surpassed what Noah was able to comprehend.

"No," Noah replied.

He didn't dare to lie in that situation, but the woman didn't seem satisfied with his answer and continued questioning him about his political affiliations.

"Do you have a special status given by the five Lords?" The woman asked only to receive a negative answer.

"Do you own a series of buildings in Vagona city?" The woman continued, but Noah shook his head.

"Are you part of some minor organization?" The liquid stage cultivator asked, but Noah shook his head again.

The surprise on the woman's expression increased every time he gave her negative answers. Noah was trying his best to remain honest until he understood how things worked in the Immortal Lands, but it was clear that those inhabiting the higher plane had values that he had yet to grasp.