Chapter 22: Verdant Sigil Arcane Academy

  Although the wall encompassed the width of the river, it was accessible for ships as there were many large openings. Igor proficiently commanded his sailors and steadily navigated the ship to enter through one of the larger openings while avoiding other vessels. As the ship drew close to the entrance, a cultivator flew over. It was Damon’s first time observing a flying cultivator. Flight was a second-tier spell; therefore, the cultivator heading to them was at the very least a Channel Weaving Disciple. He was envious of the man’s ability to fly, prompting him to ruminate about his mental ability.

  Telekinesis is a form of flight… Although I cannot move my own body through telekinesis, I may be able to achieve flight by standing upon an object and causing it to float. I must test this when I get the chance!

  While Damon was excitedly nodding to himself on the side, the flying cultivator finally reached the vessel. The other cultivators from the Pavilion had also gathered on the deck of the ship to greet him.

  “Present your documents or seal.” The man was very apathetic and did not greet the gathering of Initiates below. It was very clear he held absolute disdain toward lower realm cultivators.

  Igor did not react to the man’s coldness and simply smiled and presented a large seal of a green pavilion enclosed by a large circle and various symbols.

  “The Verdant Sigil Pavilion, huh?” The man briefly inspected the seal before turning his gaze to the other cultivators standing on the deck. “Make sure you follow the rules of the city. If you aren’t part of the Assembly, you must remain in the east. Don’t make any trouble, or it might come back to me. You may proceed now.” He then turned and flew away, returning to his post.

  “Pshhh, he’s probably just an early stage Channel Weaving Disciple. What gives him the right to act so high and mighty?”

  “Yeah, seeing how he’s just a guard at the outer wall, he’s nobody special in the Guard Manor.”

  “The Guard Manor is inferior to the Pavilion as it does not contribute to generating profits. It is also inferior to the Academies, as they do not produce many high realm cultivators from their ranks, nor do they produce any battle prodigies. Their only duty and responsibility is maintaining the public security of the Tradehaven. He’s just acting that way because he is at a higher realm.”

  The other Pavilion cultivators started complaining and slandering the man after he had left.

  “Enough talking! Even if the Guard Manor is a lower-ranked organization within Verdant Sigil Tradehaven, they are still part of the same association as us. The guard is also at a higher realm than all of us, so how do you even have the gall to complain? If you are so passionate and courageous, why not complain directly to the Disciple? Otherwise, shut it and go back to your chambers to prepare. You will each have your own tasks and duties to accomplish once we arrive at the port,” admonished Igor.

  “... Yes, Captain.”

  The other cultivators, all at the early or mid stage, were at a lower realm than him and ranked lower within the Pavilion, hence they heeded Igor’s command. The ship sailed through the gates and entered the city. Damon looked around and saw countless ships sailing about: large trade vessels, medium transport ships, and even small private passenger boats. Their ship slowly turned and sailed toward a port on the eastern side of the city.

  “Brother Igor, can you explain more about the inner workings of this city?”

  “Of course, Damon. The city is separated into the eastern and western sectors by the Great Mountainvein River. The eastern sector is filled with many businesses and external establishments. It is the trade district, where the majority of visitors stay. The western sector holds the residences of a majority of the city’s citizens. It is also where the Academies and organizations other than the Pavilion are located. We are heading to the eastern port, as we will have to unload the shipment and report to the Pavilion. Once we arrive, I will arrange a separate ship to take you to the western port. The Assembly has been recruiting en masse for the past several years, so you shouldn’t have an issue with applying for a recruitment assessment. With my referral letter, you stand a high chance of success.”

  The Great Mountainvein River bisected the city, giving rise to two separate and distinct city environments, one on either side of the river. On the two sides of the city, major ports had been established on the banks, alongside many floating establishments. Located in the central location of the city, an enormous castle stood high upon an island in the middle of the river. This castle was forbidden to common visitors, home to the high realm cultivators of the Assembly.

  “Much obliged, Brother Igor. I am curious about one other thing. Why do trades across territories require these large vessels? Can’t the items be carried with storage pouches?”

  “Storage pouches are very useful, but they have a limited capacity. Some items may be too large for inferior storage pouches, and the quantity of items we carry would require far too many pouches. It is therefore more efficient to trade using ships. The higher realm cultivators may own superior storage pouches that can contain everything, but how could the Adepts or Wardens lower themselves to the position of a transport mule? They would only move if there is an extremely precious resource that cannot be entrusted to us Initiates.”

  The ship arrived at the eastern ports, docking in a reserved space. The Pavilion cultivators emerged from the hold and began directing the mortal workers to start unloading and transporting the cargo to their required destinations. Igor disembarked from the ship to meet the harbormaster and submit the necessary documents. Damon watched the entire process with keen interest, as he had never seen so many people display such impressive coordination, culminating in incredible efficiency. Soon, Igor hurried back aboard the ship where Damon was waiting.

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  “Damon, I’ve organized a boat to take you to the western port. That little passenger boat over there. Before you head off, let’s exchange arcane marks on our communication orbs. That way, we can keep in contact whenever we are both in this city.”

  “Communication orbs…” Damon recalled the crystal orbs he obtained in the pouches belonging to the Tower cultivators. However, they did not activate no matter what he had tried. “Ah, right. I don’t own one of those, yet…”

  “You don’t own one? That’s unfortunate. You should purchase one from any trade market as soon as you can. For now, I will inscribe my arcane mark into a parchment for you. You should do the same.”

  “What exactly is an arcane mark, Brother Igor?”

  “An arcane mark is kind of a personal seal or signature. Every arcanist has slight differences in their own arcane power; hence, leaving behind a trace of arcane power will allow one to track you down. The arcane mark is a crest you can design and channel your power into. By placing these marks inside a communication orb, we are able to contact each other through the orbs, within a certain distance.”

  “Ah, I see. Okay, let me quickly form a crest for my arcane mark, and I will inscribe it into a parchment for you, too.”

  Damon pondered for a minute, after which he remembered the oak tree badge he had in his storage pouch. I wonder if… Using this symbol will lead me to one day find the blood-related parents who abandoned me? He then inscribed the oak tree symbol into a piece of parchment and channeled a bit of his arcane power into it. He exchanged papers with Igor, finding Igor’s mark depicting an overflowing tankard. It was so simple and matched Igor too perfectly that he couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Okay, now that we’ve exchanged marks, I will transfer it into my communication orb later. When you purchase one, you do the same. Before I receive my next trade mission and leave the city, we can continue to keep in touch.”

  “Thank you, Brother Igor. I truly appreciate all the guidance and knowledge you’ve given me. I won’t forget it.” Damon humbly and sincerely bowed his back as though respecting a senior.

  “Don’t you go acting so distant just as we’re about to part. You must cultivate hard and live a long life. If we can both reach the Channel Weaving realm, we will be able to live for around 300 to 500 years. At that time, we can just relax, drink mystic wines, and chat all day without a care!” With a large grin, Igor pulled Damon up from his bow.

  “I will, Brother Igor. Don’t slack off and only focus on drinking and gossiping. Otherwise, I will overtake you in cultivation and leave you far behind! You will have to call me senior!” joked Damon.

  “Hahaha! That’s the spirit! Now go. Good luck with your assessment. I hope it all goes well. Let us meet again when fate permits.” Igor saw him off with a resounding laugh.

  Damon disembarked from the ship and boarded the little boat before looking back. He could see the small figure of Igor waving from afar. Although he had not known Igor for long, he had already grown quite fond of the man. He had promised himself not to allow social connections to hinder his cultivation, so he was feeling a little complicated.

  Brother Igor is such a kind man. Even though he is my senior in cultivation, he has never treated me with disrespect. Rather, he treats me as though I am a close friend… I thought I had to be indifferent to human connection and emotion to advance as a cultivator. Maybe, just maybe, I can befriend some true and loyal fellow cultivators?

  Although Damon was still facing the east, he could no longer see Igor, and the ship was quickly disappearing into the distance. He quickly settled his conflicted emotions and regained his calmness. He had decided to remain indifferent to the majority, only befriending people he was certain he could trust. He turned and faced the west. The boat he was standing atop was being propelled by an early stage Node Awakening Initiate. He must have cultivated a water-based art, judging from his proficiency with manipulating the water underneath the boat.

  After a few hours, the boat finally arrived at the western port. Damon asked the ferryman for directions to the Verdant Sigil Arcane Academy, thanked the man, and jumped onto the wooden pier. The Academy was a fair distance away, deep within the northwestern region of the city. Though riding a carriage may have saved him some time, he did not have many essence stones to spend. He also wanted to observe the city while walking to the destination.

  As Damon walked through the streets, he saw mainly armored guards, youths traveling around in groups wearing the same black robes with green lining, and the occasional young men and women walking around in leather garments. There were a few rare oddities wearing thick cloaks with hoods obscuring their faces or wearing scarcely anything, just enough to maintain their dignity. Though unsure about the oddities, he could infer the rest were cultivators from the different organizations belonging to the Verdant Sigil Assembly.

  One thing Damon noticed was the lack of mortals on this side of the city. Every single passerby had the power levels of a Node Awakening cultivator, with some even surpassing that. As he was looking around curiously, there was a sudden commotion up ahead. Damon hurried his steps to see what was going on.

  In the middle of the wide street, an enormous cage situated atop numerous wheels was being drawn forward by several strange beasts. The beasts looked similar to horses, but they were the size of a large bear. The bars of the cage were adorned with numerous runes, causing a curtain of mystical light to drape over every side. Within the cage were four different creatures. One was a huge hawk with brown feathers. Another was a large wolf with a black coat. The third was a massive green python, coiled up in the corner. The last was a small animal that looked exactly like a pet dog.

  Currently, the wolf and the hawk were fighting within the cage, aiming to shred each other into pieces. A dozen cultivators surrounded the cage, some of them casting spells to try to separate the beasts, while others seemed to be using large rods to separate the animals. It appeared as though Arcon and Auron were working together to transport these animals to their destination. After numerous binding spells separated and held down the two furious animals, the commotion finally died down. The cage on wheels started moving again, traveling toward the western end of the city.

  That was interesting. I’ve never seen such essence beasts before, maybe except for that dog… Though it must be special as well, if it was trapped in the cage with the other beasts. A smile grew on Damon’s face as he continued toward his destination. Such scenes, unable to be seen in a mortal city, were exactly what he expected from a mystical cultivation city. His heart began to beat faster in excitement.

  Damon navigated past endless rows of residential buildings before he finally saw a large and impressive building up ahead. The entire area behind the building was walled off, with other smaller buildings visible within. Engraved on the facade of the building were the words ‘Verdant Sigil Arcane Academy’. Damon’s calmness was once more broken by his eagerness at the thought of joining an association. Although it had not been confirmed, he believed Igor’s words and assumed it would not be difficult. After a long and arduous journey, he had finally arrived at a safe haven of cultivation.

  Damon has come a long way from the village.

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