The Ten Districts

Catching up to Turtle Can Fly was no easy matter. Flying boats were not all created equal. The ones owned by these young masters of the capital were great at showing off wealth but they were merely the entry-level budget models. They flew but they did not fly fast. It was faster than anything that could move on the ground but it was nothing compared to an immortal's speed.

Chen Wentian and his beautiful disciples sat within Turtle Can Fly, squeezed together comfortably, without a clue of the mayhem they had left behind. If he did know, he still would not be bothered. The people of the capital were arrogant but they still had common sense. They would not dare to openly offend an immortal, not with their tiny bit of status. The difference between an immortal and a mortal was still like heaven and earth, although for them, it was more like peering upward from the tallest mountain from the flat ground.

Chen Wentian currently had a map unfurled on his lap. His disciples were all draped over him, peering intently at its contents. Their fragrances mixed in the confined space and it made the normally stale flying carriage smell amazing.

The map was of the Eastern Sanmu Metropolis. It covered the entire area of thousands of kilometers so the labels and lines were tiny and hard to see. As they studied, he explained everything he knew in detail as this information come into use during this trip.

The vast metropolis was made up of ten distinct regions called districts. Each district was huge, with many cities and towns and own geography, climate, and ecosystem. Each district contained millions of humans and many immortal sects with different cultures and lifestyles.

The place where they arrived was the Ember Cliffs of the Canyonland District. This district was mountainous, dry, and filled with countless canyons formed naturally or created artificially to gain access to the rich fire-attribute spiritual energy springs below. Its quality was on par with the Great Smoky Mountains but lacked that place's danger and unpredictability. Most places were safe but there were still areas within the district that are extremely challenging for mortals and on occasion even for Spirit Lords.

The Forest District lay to the north and was covered with powerful trees filled with spiritual energy. There were trees of all shapes and sizes, various elements, and even trees made of metal. A place called Gold Tree was its hub and one of the richest places in the city. Instead of buildings, people lived inside or atop trees. It was a place filled with nature energy.

In contrast with that was the Lake District where the entire land was dotted with tens of thousands of lakes. The largest, Lake Bai Gui, was so big and deep it was almost like an inland sea. There were countless freshwater species of aquatic beasts raised in these lakes and some of them could grow incredibly powerful. The Dao of fishing was extremely popular here and they would have contests often to see who could catch the most powerful spiritual water beast.

The Wild District was nearby, home of the Eastern Sanmu Beast Preserve. This district had the fewest number of human residents as almost the entire land was given over to beasts. There were mountains, forests, and rivers, all perfect conditions for raising rare and valuable species. While the eastern wilderness produced many more times the number of beasts, these were random and with varying degrees of quality. The people of the Wild District prided themselves in raising high-quality beasts that were rich in spiritual energy and the most beneficial for human consumption and cultivation.

To the north was the River District which fed its water into the Lake District and received its own from far off mountains. Countless small rivers flowed from north to south and there were even some that were interconnected. There was a strong aura of water-attribute and cold-attribute spiritual energy here that enriched the rivers, providing a great place for cultivators of such arts.

The waters of the River District were clear and calm. The shores were gentle and great places to live. This resulted in the district being the hub for pleasure and entertainment for the whole capital. There were theaters, art galleries, restaurants, high-end shops and auction houses, and of course, the best brothels in the entire sub-continent. There was absolutely no competition about this fact, the River District was the best when the red lanterns were lit up at night.

Among the less exciting districts, there was the Rural District which was filled with vast, arable land in all directions. Fed from the rich waters of the River District, the Rural District produced the best crops that any immortal could hope for. It was impossible to continuously slay beasts to feed so many people and most of the food came from this district.

The Trade District was located to the west. It dealt with all kinds of trade in and out of the city, whether it was to all the other provinces in the sub-continent or cities in the main continent. It was full of merchants, businessmen, and people seeking to make money off of the needs of immortals and their disciples. It was the most important congregation of mortals that were not associated with any immortal sect or organization in the whole sub-continent.

There was another district which was the most populous region for mortals, the Old District. It was what the capital used to be before it expanded to its current size. The resources there have all been depleted and there was nothing of too much interest. It was simply used as a mass place of residence for those that could not afford to reside in the other districts. Therefore, it also gained the name of the Poor District.

The people of the Poor District, almost all of them that were able to, worked in the other districts in various jobs and professions. The pay was much better compared to anything they could get in their home district. They were cheap disposable labor for others, trying to support their families which they left behind. They would only have a few chances to go back and visit each year but they work incredibly hard, seeking riches and possible breakthroughs in their Daos.

"Wait, master. That's only nine districts!" Lin Qingcheng said.

"Chengcheng, I know… I left the best for last." Chen Wentian chuckled. "The final district is also the grandest district. It is the seat of the Spirit Kings of the Immortal Association who preside over this land. It was established here because of the vast mine of spiritual crystals that was discovered beneath. It quickly became a cultivation dreamland for the strongest cultivators. It is called the Sky District. In fact, we're already there!"

Turtle Can Fly landed gently and the door opened. The disciples stepped out, one by one, and were greeted by a sight most of them had never seen before. They were on a platform high above the ground which was attached to an incredibly tall pagoda. The trees on the ground below were like tiny grains of rice. There were clouds drifting past, above and below their heads.

The pagoda was already over fifty stories tall where they were but it went up even higher for another ten or so stories. But that wasn't all, the everywhere around them was filled with similarly massive, sky-scraping pagodas. Each one was more impressive than the next. And finally, rising above the rest were four great towers that were even taller and exceeded over a hundred stories!

The wind suddenly gusted and it was gentle yet filled with unfathomable power. This was what it felt like to stand among giants, in a truly immortal place.

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