Chapter 128: Wallsey City, Extremely Prosperous
Crossing over towering mountain ranges, vast deserts, and dense forests, Arius endured a
month of harsh travel, braving the elements before finally arriving at the branch of the Alchemy
Alliance—Wallsey City.
A city of seventy million inhabitants.
Within Wallsey City, mortals and cultivators alike mingled in the streets.
Throughout the ages, no matter how turbulent Aragon Kingdom became, Wallsey City remained
an unshakable sanctuary.
Even if the outside world descended into chaos, none dared to wage battle or cause strife within
a forty-thousand-mile radius of the city.
The entire city was built on the edge of a massive volcano—
This mountain, known as “Waltham Mountain,” was the largest volcano in the Aragon Kingdom.
Beneath it, rivers of molten flame surged endlessly.
However, through the mastery of ancient formation arts, the powerful elders of the Alchemy
Alliance had suppressed the volcano’s raw energy, harnessing it instead as a spiritual fire
source to aid in the refinement of precious alchemical pills.
As Arius descended from the sky, his gaze swept across the grand city, surrounded by intricate
formations and bustling with powerful figures.
In Wallsey City, only Level 4 cultivators and above had the privilege of flying freely.
For those below Level 4, walking was the only option—unless one possessed an exceptional
status.
The scale of Wallsey City was immense—nearly ten times the size of Pyrenees Mountain City.
It even rivaled the now-ruined capital of Aragon Kingdom.
In terms of prosperity, Wallsey City surpassed even the former capital.
Its city walls stood hundreds of feet tall and dozens of feet thick, crafted from top-tier artifact
materials.
No guards stood atop the walls—only faintly glowing runes flickered across their surface.
The aura emanating from those runes alone was enough to deter even Level 3 Realm
cultivators from daring to challenge them.
In truth, Wallsey City’s walls were no mere fortifications—they were a powerful treasure in their
own right.
If fully activated, the formations and runes embedded within the walls could annihilate even a
Peak Level 4 expert attempting to lay siege.
As for whether Level 5 cultivators resided within the city?
No one knew for certain.
But in the end, this was a city of the Alchemy Alliance.
Even if the city’s caretaker was merely a Body Tempering cultivator, no one would dare stir up
trouble.
To provoke the Alchemy Alliance was to court disaster—even a Level 5 cultivator would pay a
steep price for such foolishness.
Though the Alchemy Alliance was a loosely organized faction, its influence and wealth were
unparalleled.
Should it desire, the Alliance wouldn’t even need to dirty its own hands—merely a word from
them, and countless powerful sects and forces would willingly act on their behalf.
All visitors were allowed three days of free entry into Wallsey City.
However, beyond that:
● In the Outer City, a daily fee of ten spirit stone fragments was required.
● In the Inner City, the cost rose to thirty fragments per day.
● In the Core District, the daily fee was one whole low-grade spirit stone.
And don’t bother trying to cheat the system.
● Leaving and re-entering to reset the free three-day limit? Impossible.
● Hiding inside the city to evade the fees? Suicidal.
Every mortal and cultivator entering Wallsey City was issued an identity token.
If their stay exceeded three days without payment, the token would automatically be nullified.
And without an active identity token, the city’s protective formations would instantly erase any
unauthorized individuals.
There were no exceptions.
Even a Level 5 cultivator had to pay their dues if they wished to remain beyond three days.
The only way to bypass these fees was to become an official resident alchemist of the Alchemy
Alliance.
● Resident alchemists could stay freely in any city under the Alchemy Alliance’s control.
● They were also entitled to free cultivation residences wherever they traveled.
● Seventh-grade and above alchemists could even claim a personal residence built atop a
spiritual vein in any Alchemy Alliance city.
After waiting in line for two hours, Arius finally stepped through the gates of Wallsey City.
The city layout resembled a massive Eight Trigrams formation:
● The Outer City was divided into eight separate regions.
● The Inner City was structured in a yin-yang pattern.
● At the very heart of the city lay the true headquarters of the Alchemy Alliance’s
branch—the Core District.
This was the seat of power for all alchemists in the region.
The Outer City of Wallsey City was primarily populated by mortals and low-level cultivators.
The Inner City, on the other hand, was home to a concentration of Level 1 and Level 2
cultivators. However, despite the higher level of cultivation, mortals were still present in large
numbers.
Those who lived in the Inner City as mortals were either:
1. The families of mid-level cultivators or
2. The enslaved servants of cultivators.
As for the Core City, it was nearly devoid of mortals.
The few mortals who did reside there were individuals of extraordinary status, backed by
powerful Level 3 cultivators, or even Level 4 grandmasters.
Whether it was the Core City, Inner City, or Outer City, the cost of living and daily expenses
varied dramatically.
Even in the cheapest Outer City, ordinary mortals had no place to live.
Without a registered residency permit, the city’s steep lodging fees alone were enough to crush
any commoner’s hopes of survival.
Even low-ranking cultivators found it difficult to afford long-term residence in Wallsey City.
The millions of mortals who lived in the Outer City fell into three categories:
1. They were subordinates of a cultivator.
2. They were only in the city temporarily.
3. They were descendants of the city’s original residents, inheriting properties that granted
them residency permits.
The only way to obtain permanent residence in Wallsey City was to purchase a property—a
courtyard estate or manor.
Owning such a property granted a lifetime residency permit, removing the need to pay the daily
lodging fees.
However… even for a Level 2 cultivator, buying a home in Wallsey City was nearly impossible.
Why?
Because very few people were willing to sell their residency rights.
Living in Wallsey City meant safety—and that security was priceless.
Throughout the vast Continent, any city under the jurisdiction of the Alchemy Alliance was
considered an absolute sanctuary.
Thus, neither mortals nor cultivators residing in Wallsey City’s Outer City would part with their
properties easily.
In the Inner City, estates were indeed available for purchase—but their prices were
astronomical. Only wealthy Level 2 cultivators or high-ranking Level 3 experts could afford them.
As for the Core City, only resident alchemists of the Alchemy Alliance were granted permanent
living rights.
Arius strode through the wide, bustling streets, making his way toward the Core City.
The city was filled with countless businesses and endless storefronts.
There were restaurants, flower pavilions, gambling houses—
If Pyrenees Mountain City was a place of hedonistic indulgence, then Wallsey City was a place
where wealth was thrown around like dirt.
Here, however, the currency of excess was not gold—it was spirit stones.
Due to Wallsey City’s untouchable status and unshakable stability, the vast wealth of Aragon
Kingdom had gradually flowed into this city over time.
Even within the city itself, there were massive commercial enterprises directly controlled by the
Alchemy Alliance.
As Arius walked through the bustling and vibrant streets, a strange sense of déjà vu washed
over him—
A glimpse of his past life.
Towering jade pagodas, shimmering lantern-lit avenues, and streets that seemed to stretch
endlessly into the horizon.
Exotic beasts pulled extravagant carriages at full speed.
Mechanical puppet mounts—crafted from mysterious techniques—dashed through the streets,
their bodies gleaming under the city lights.
And beyond them…
Massive rune-powered trains, cast from solid steel, rumbled through the city, carrying
passengers to their destinations.
Arius exhaled softly, a flicker of longing flashing through his gaze.
“Will the De Molinos clan ever have a city like this one?”
The thought lingered in his mind, filling him with both admiration and ambition.