Crash!
Countless bolts of lightning tangled together, forming a colossal electric serpent, and a far more terrifying phantom vaguely took shape behind it as it launched a savage assault on the uninvited intruder that had barged into the storm layer!
Sizzle! Arcs of electricity crackled wildly across the Giant Serpent's hull. The original defensive energy barrier began to warp, its appearance clearly showing that it was struggling to hold.
"Running low on energy? Every lightning bolt hits with over 300 degrees of power?"
Leylin stroked his chin.
An attack of 300 degrees was already quite rare even among Tier 3 Wizards. Combined with this environment and the unending barrage of lightning, even a Crystallized Wizard would find it extremely difficult to hold out.
Short of a Morning Star Wizard, the only others who could barely pass through would be dozens of Tier 3 Wizards banding together in a joint convoy, relying on Airship defenses for protection and constantly replenishing themselves with Magic Stones and magical potions.
And this was precisely why every ticket in and out of the City in the Sky was driven to astronomical prices — enough to bankrupt a formal Wizard.
"If it weren't beneath their notice, those Morning Star Wizards could make a fortune in Magic Stones just by handling the shipping routes!"
Leylin mused idly.
Of course, Morning Star Wizards were staggeringly wealthy and wouldn't spare a glance at such meagre profits. Moreover, their lofty disposition made it a foregone conclusion that they would never stoop to something so beneath their dignity.
Leylin, meanwhile, was not idle. A terrifying aura of soul force radiated outward, enveloping the entire Giant Serpent within it.
Hummm! Bolstered by the soul force's support, the Giant Serpent's defensive barrier immediately stabilized, reinforced by a thick additional layer that resembled black crystal, radiating a feeling of dense solidity.
The deck of the Giant Serpent, which had been trembling moments ago, was now as steady as a mountain.
But that was not all. Wisps of dark flame also clung to the exterior of the energy barrier. Before the lightning bolts could even strike the Giant Serpent's hull, the black flames devoured and absorbed them in large quantities, sending the ship's energy reserves soaring.
The black flames even formed a corridor in the void through which no bolt of lightning dared cross.
By the end, the Giant Serpent charged wildly through the storm layer with complete abandon, yet the lightning no longer dared to strike at all.
"Oh?" Leylin's gaze swept toward one spot. After a brief chuckle, the Giant Serpent transformed into a streak of black light and shot away from the area.
"Phew…" It was only a long while after the Giant Serpent had departed that the clouds here finally parted, revealing a Lightning Elemental — its upper half humanoid, its lower half an endless vortex of lightning-element particles.
"Terrifying human!" It was only now that it could mutter to itself, its voice still trembling: "He discovered me long ago! The mere weight of his gaze left me frozen — not even the few Morning Stars before him could give me this kind of feeling… Could he actually be a Radiant Moon Great Wizard?"
At the thought of this, the Lightning Elemental's body trembled further, its eyes filled with dread as it stared in the direction Leylin had vanished…
Boom! The black storm clouds were blasted apart as a streak of black light tore across the sky, trailing a vast expanse of black flame in its wake that left magnificent arcs and streamers across the void.
"Phew… So this is the City in the Sky — the Wizard sanctuary in the heavens!" Standing on the deck, Leylin gazed upon the colossal city suspended in midair, a look of genuine astonishment drifting across his face.
What hung in the sky was none other than a floating city built upon a hemispherical floating island! The city was enormous beyond measure, covered in the shimmering glow of all manner of magical formations. Here and there, a few tiny black dots — looking like ants from this distance — slowly drifted away from floating vessels. But with Leylin's keen eyesight, he naturally knew these were no ants; they were Wizard Airships far larger than even the hundred-thousand-ton ocean liners of his previous world!
Only when compared to the floating city would these colossal airships seem far too minuscule.
"Though I already knew the City in the Sky was a floating city, mere images and written descriptions can't compare to seeing it with your own eyes — how awe-inspiring!"
As the Giant Serpent drew ever closer, the City in the Sky grew larger and larger. A faint, golden holy light rose slowly from the city's center, draping the surrounding sky in a beautiful afterglow.
"Peace! Tranquility! A beautiful city!" Even Leylin couldn't help but cry out in admiration.
"Ding! The Giant Serpent has received a communication request!" The Chip's voice rang out at that moment. Leylin's personal airship naturally had ground-contact communication tools, and it was the floating city that had now detected them.
"The Feile family's devices — sure enough, they've tampered with them!" A cold glint flickered through Leylin's eyes. This was something he had long known about, and since it was merely for communication convenience and hadn't crossed the Morning Stars' bottom line, it had been tolerated.
And coming aboard the Giant Serpent had been entirely Leylin's own deliberate choice. Otherwise, he could have infiltrated the city on his own long ago — and who would have been able to detect him?