Chapter 1583: Cloud City

“Is this Cloud City?” Han Li stood within a cyan glow, looking up at the distant sky with an unusually peculiar expression.

“Exactly! As the name suggests, Cloud City is the second type of floating residence in the Spirit Realm, second only to the Sky Islands. Although it cannot drift slowly with the wind like the Sky Islands, it can freely adjust its height with the changing seasons,” replied Jia Tianmu, standing beside Han Li, stroking his short beard with a hint of pride.

The two of them were currently atop a small hill, and in the sky hundreds of miles away, a massive floating city loomed motionless.

The city hovered tens of thousands of feet above the ground, shrouded in white clouds and constructed entirely from an unknown white material.

Perched at such a height and with its colossal size, the sight of this city was enough to strike awe into anyone seeing it for the first time.

Another striking feature was the dozen or so pristine white spheres surrounding the city. From a distance, they didn’t appear too large, but up close, their true scale became apparent—each was a behemoth with a diameter of ten thousand feet.

Due to only seeing one side of Cloud City, Han Li couldn’t accurately determine the exact number of these spheres.

“What are those?” Han Li asked, pointing at the spheres after recovering from his initial shock.

“Ah, Fellow Daoist Han is referring to the Cloud City Sentinels! They are the masterpieces of collaboration between our Wangu Clan and the Shijian Clan, serving as one of Cloud City’s trump cards for defense. As for the specifics, you’ll learn them soon enough once you enter the city. Haha, allow me to keep this little mystery for now!” Jia Tianmu replied with a mysterious smile.

Han Li was left speechless by this response.

However, he didn’t press further. Instead, his curiosity about this floating city grew, and he immediately rose into the air, his cyan glow trailing behind him as he flew toward it.

Jia Tianmu followed closely, enveloped in a white light.

From hundreds of miles away, the sheer scale of the city hadn’t been fully apparent. But as they closed within a hundred miles, even the well-traveled Han Li couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.

At this proximity, Cloud City seemed to blot out half the sky ahead.

Along the way, they began to spot the glows of other foreign cultivators, as well as various flying artifacts like beast-drawn carriages and spirit boats.

As they neared Cloud City, the number of foreign cultivators increased dramatically.

By the time Han Li could clearly see one of the massive spheres with his naked eye, the sky around them was teeming with countless flying lights.

Strangely, however, almost everyone veered away from the spheres, none daring to pass too close.

Intrigued, Han Li took a closer look.

With a faint blue glint in his pupils, the surface of the sphere appeared as if right before his eyes.

He quickly noticed that the material used for these colossal structures was the same as that of Cloud City. Upon closer inspection, however, the seemingly smooth white surface was covered in faint, tortoise-shell-like patterns.

The spheres appeared to be pieced together from countless fragments, each subtly shimmering with golden and silver runes, lending them an air of profound mystery.

Frowning, Han Li unceremoniously swept his spiritual sense over the sphere.

The moment it touched the surface, however, a powerful repelling force bounced it back, preventing any penetration.

Han Li wasn’t surprised. If something so mysterious could be easily probed, it would have been more shocking.

“Fellow Daoist, remember—if you’re carrying any metal treasures or materials, do not approach these spheres within a thousand feet. Otherwise, all metal objects will be forcibly seized and devoured. Cloud City will not compensate for any losses incurred,” Jia Tianmu warned, noticing Han Li’s scrutiny of the spheres.

“Such a thing exists?” Han Li was taken aback, though a glance at the others avoiding the spheres convinced him of its truth.

Many of the nearby flying lights changed direction, heading toward one of Cloud City’s massive gates.

At the gate, dozens of uniformed guards stood solemnly on either side, meticulously inspecting those seeking entry.

This careful scrutiny, however, only applied to those entering. Those leaving were completely ignored.

The guards’ armor covered them from head to toe, but their sizes varied drastically, suggesting they were of different races.

Han Li narrowed his eyes at the sight but continued forward, soon arriving at the gate alongside Jia Tianmu.

Around them, dozens of cultivators were descending to undergo inspection.

The so-called “inspection” involved guards wielding peculiar-looking disks, scanning unfamiliar faces while another recorded information.

Despite the absence of any visible barrier above Cloud City, not a single flying light dared to cross the towering walls directly.

This time, Jia Tianmu didn’t wait in line. Smiling, he walked past the waiting cultivators.

This “cutting in line” naturally drew displeasure, but a quick scan of Jia Tianmu’s cultivation—revealing him as an Upper Clan member—silenced any protests.

The guards, however, immediately took notice, their sharp gazes locking onto Jia Tianmu.

Their cultivation levels seemed no lower than his.

Unfazed, Jia Tianmu flicked his sleeve, sending a palm-sized black token flying toward the lead guard.

The guard caught it, examined it closely, and then, after a silent exchange via voice transmission, his expression turned reverent.

“Esteemed Master Jia of the Wangu Clan! Please proceed at once. Your clan’s elders have instructed that you report to Tianxu Pavilion immediately upon your return. Given the potential infiltration of Jiaochi spies, I shall dispatch guards to escort you,” the guard said respectfully.

“The elders are at Tianxu Pavilion? I’ll head there directly. As for the escort, it’s unnecessary. With Fellow Daoist Han accompanying me, we’ll be safe unless a Body Integration expert ambushes us. Proceed with your duties. Also, Fellow Daoist Han is not of our Tianyun people. Prepare him a top-tier free identity token. I’ll vouch for him,” Jia Tianmu commanded.

“As you wish, Master!” the guard replied promptly.

Han Li then stepped forward calmly.

The guards aimed their disks at him, releasing faint spiritual pressure waves.

Multiple strands of spiritual sense merged into one, sweeping over Han Li—a technique he’d never encountered before.

Cloud City truly lived up to its reputation as the core city of the Tianyun Thirteen Clans, where even gatekeepers wielded such extraordinary methods.

Upon sensing Han Li’s cultivation—Upper Clan seventh tier—the guards stiffened. Such power was rare even among their alliance.

After confirming no Jiaochi bloodline reaction, the lead guard relaxed. “Esteemed Senior, with Master Jia’s guarantee and your passing the initial inspection, we’ll prepare a high-tier identity token for you. This will grant you access to most areas of Cloud City, barring classified zones.”

“Thank you for your trouble,” Han Li replied amiably.

The guard, a Deity Transformation cultivator, humbly declined the courtesy.

The earlier offer of an escort was naturally retracted—with Han Li’s presence, it was unnecessary.

Soon, a jade token containing Han Li’s basic information was handed to him, and the guards cleared a path.

Jia Tianmu strode confidently into the city, with Han Li following leisurely.

“Fellow Daoist Jia, that technique of merging spiritual senses—what kind of secret art is it? Such a method would be a formidable weapon in battle!” Han Li asked as soon as they entered the city.