Chapter 165: Azure Water High Castle

Azure Water Street was not far away; after half a quarter‑hour, a very conspicuous hill could be seen in the distance.

The hill's slope was gentle, like a pot‑lid that rose from the plain; its highest point was only a little over twenty meters, its area exceeded one square kilometre, and at its foot a man‑made moat encircled it, channeling the river water that passed nearby.

Atop the hill stood a sprawling great castle, appearing ancient yet lacking any distinctive features.

The slope between the castle and the foot of the hill was mostly covered by green grass, offering an unobstructed view; at the base stood a wall over five metres high, surrounded by water on all sides, with only a wide stone arch bridge on the south side providing passage.

Overall, Azure Water High Castle resembled a military fort—easy to defend but hard to attack.

That was also a characteristic of early aristocratic castles.

Lei En's car had just entered Azure Water Street when activity erupted in the castle; batches of guards poured out, rushed down the slope, and blocked the gate at the far end of the stone arch bridge.

The vehicles coming and going on the street seemed to have received the news and all hurried away.

Shops and companies on both sides also shut their doors one after another.

As the car drove along the empty street, Lei En heard the heartbeats of people hiding behind doors and windows to spy, as well as their whispered murmurs.

"The Earl of Glamorgan has arrived!"

"Damn it, he won't attack the castle, will he?" someone cursed.

The person beside them replied helplessly, "Who knows? Whether the earl can take the castle or not, I hope it ends quickly and doesn't affect my business."

The party stopped on the stone arch bridge outside the castle.

Lei En stayed in the car, observing through the window; the gate opposite the stone arch bridge was over seven metres high, and guards stood on the wall, each clad in armor, weapon in hand, looking as if facing a great enemy.

These guards were fairly capable, all being first‑stage Iron Guards, ranked between level one and two.

By discerning the sounds of all things, it was determined that over three hundred people were inside the castle, with more than a hundred transcendents, including many Mid-stage and above masters.

More than twenty silver‑armored knights plus a Secret Fire Guard made it virtually impossible to capture the castle.

Not to mention, the castle surely housed even more powerful transcendents.

A figure shot out of the castle, surrounded by a magical shield, moving at extreme speed; in a few seconds it went from the hilltop to the base like a falling leaf, slowly landing on the wall and staring coldly at the car.

Although he said nothing, his presence imposed tremendous pressure.

"Legendary Wizard!"

Pan Xier's complexion changed dramatically, and the silver‑armored knights also stirred.

Lei En felt a shock; the Mo Du aristocracy had indeed dispatched a Legendary Wizard to garrison Azure Water High Castle, evidently having learned the previous Earl of Glamorgan's lesson and not leaving any opening.

Through his Soul Eye he saw that the wizard was exactly level ten, about to enter the Legendary realm soon.

"A level‑ten Elementalist, that's a bit tricky."

Lei En thought to himself.

The age of this Legendary Wizard was indiscernible, likely under fifty; among Legendary Wizards he was relatively young, but must not be underestimated.

No legend can be provoked lightly, especially a Legendary Wizard.

"Let's go."

Lei En memorized the figure's appearance and let the party continue onward.

Pan Xier and the silver‑armored knights breathed a sigh of relief, quickly urging their mounts, shielding the car as they accelerated, eager to leave Azure Water Street at once.

Lei En saw their apprehension but did not blame them; not everyone has the courage to oppose a Legendary Wizard.

Only after Azure Water High Castle disappeared did the tension in the party begin to ease.

Lei En asked, "Lady Ao Xiliya, do you know the wizard we just saw?"

"Mai Ti Er Du Lin," Ao Xiliya replied, "He is Speaker Modra's student, promoted to Legendary three years ago, an Elementalist specializing in wind magic, and has long been close to Earl Atrank."

Lei En heard two key words from that sentence.

Speaker Modra and Earl Atrank.

That speaker is the only woman in the six‑member Weizelan council, a Legendary High‑rank Wizard said to have lived for over a thousand years, extremely senior, born of a local Mo Du noble family, thus clearly aligned with the aristocracy and advocating their interests in the council.

Earl Atrank belongs to the Eiden Family, one of the seven extant great families.

The Earl of Glamorgan's domain borders three other territories: Viscount Stokeind's domain, Marquis Jiliu's domain, and Earl Atrank's domain.

During the Longshande era, the Duke of Silver Star once said that the greatest obstacle she faced in taking over the Earl of Glamorgan's domain came from Marquis Jiliu and Earl Atrank, who profited the most from it.

More than eighty years ago, it was highly likely that these two families covertly pushed for the extermination of the Dukagen Family.

They would never compromise with the newly arrived Earl of Glamorgan.

Ao Xiliya, seeing Lei En's thoughtful expression, asked, "Lord Earl, what do you intend to do?"

"I'll do exactly as the previous earl did," Lei En replied.

"You still intend to attack Azure Water High Castle?" Ao Xiliya's eyes widened in surprise; she replied dismissively, "That won't be easy—the castle's defenses are strong, and Mai Ti Er Du Lin is present; with so few of you, you might not even breach the gate."

She added, "I'm only responsible for your safety; I won't help you assault the castle."

"I know."

Lei En nodded and did not discuss it further with her.

He ran his fingers over the Soul Spear in his hand, a loot taken from that High‑rank Spearman, even taking the ammunition belt from the corpse.

That long‑range shot earlier left him unsettled but also sparked some inspiration.

He now had an idea; whether it would work required further study.

The party advanced within the Earl of Glamorgan's domain, soon reaching the outskirts; Lei En observed the scenery outside the car, passing dozens of factories, meticulously tended plantations, massive soul‑cultivation farms, and numerous private estates.

This territory was among the most economically active areas of Mo Du.

Lei En also saw many non‑human races; people were accustomed to outsiders, with elves and dwarves being the most numerous, even forming their own communities.

An hour later, the party finally arrived at the seaside landing field.

The car drove into the spacious airship dock, immediately drawing people's attention.

Lei En ignored the stares, verified his identity at top speed, passed inspection, boarded an airship with the car and twenty‑one silver‑scaled horses, paying a total of three Gold Shields.

This landing field operates four scheduled airship trips daily between the ground and Fu Kong Cheng.

Lei En arrived just in time, and the airship took off on schedule.

In just a moment, the airship rose to the altitude of Fu Kong Cheng and slowly approached it.

As the distance closed, Fu Kong Cheng grew larger before the eyes, like a massive wall crashing forward, soon filling the entire view and stirring panic.

The airship pierced Fu Kong Cheng's protective shield, as if poking a hole in a bubble, which quickly resealed.

After passing the shield, Lei En felt as though he had entered underwater; the space felt different from outside, though he couldn't pinpoint how.

The airship landed on a circular platform at the edge of Fu Kong Cheng.

"Kelaoaosi platform has arrived!" the administrator's voice echoed through the airship, announcing loudly, "All guests, please prepare to disembark."

Lei En sat in the car as it descended from the airship's rear compartment.

The view outside the car window left him dazed; every building shone brightly, the streets were clean and tidy, magical traces were everywhere, even street lamps were crystal, and towering Wizard towers rose into the clouds overhead.

In this wondrous sky city, even the air seemed fresh and sweet.

Along both sides of the street beneath the towers were shops dealing in magic.

Every passerby was a transcendent; Wizards were alarmingly numerous, as if spellcasters filled the ground.

Even the haughty Secret Fire Guard was filled with awe.

The squad moved along the street with little attention and smoothly reached the base of a fifteen‑story building.

A man dressed in a welcoming uniform approached, his face full of enthusiasm, saying, "Welcome to the Magic Hotel."

As he spoke, he opened the car door himself and bowed in a gesture of invitation.

Lei En glanced at the greeter and realized he was a transcendent; though only rank one, it was still impressive.

Having a transcendent as a greeter shows the hotel's high caliber.

Weizelan noted that Fu Kong Cheng has only three inns, and this one is the most upscale and safest.

Of course, it is also the most expensive.

Lei En booked an entire floor of rooms, placing everyone inside; the room charge alone was fifteen Gold Shields per day, meals extra, not to mention the upkeep fee for a silver‑scaled horse mount.

Such a steep price made his heart ache.

However, when he settled into his luxurious suite and saw the view outside, he felt it was worth it.

From here one can look down over the whole Fu Kong Cheng; not far ahead, taller Wizard towers are visible, and when the gaze widens, most of Mo Du spreads across the horizon, evoking a lofty sensation.

The blue sky and white clouds are close at hand, refreshing the mind and giving a floating, detached feeling.

"If placed in a past life, this would be the presidential suite of an unbeatable view!"

"It's just too expensive..."

Lei En muttered to himself that he had bought a villa and ranch in Longshande, left his father a capital for running the ranch, and now only had a little over three thousand gold left.

Staying at the Magic Hotel, with people eating horse feed, costs nearly twenty Gold Shields a day, which isn't enough to stay half a year.

If he cannot secure the Earl's domain within six months, or has no other income, he'll have to leave in disgrace.

Viola's record company is still in its expansion phase, so it can't share profits in the short term.

Lei En suddenly felt time was tight and didn't want to waste a minute, saying, "First go report to the Wizard Academy, return tonight to refine the plan, and start action tomorrow."

He knocked on the door of the adjacent room, and Ao Xiliya's figure appeared before him.

"Madam, I'll go to the academy right away," Lei En said with a smile.

(End of Chapter)