I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 670: Hollow City

Underneath the dim, purplish sky, Jie Ming's form moved with silent grace far above the clouds.

The Great Void Step technique compressed his presence to the absolute limit of what could be perceived, causing even the surrounding winds to part and flow around his body.

His eyes, however, did not focus on the desolate, barren land that stretched out beneath him. Instead, they were drawn inward, deep into his consciousness, exploring the immense landscape of fate, a realm woven from innumerable points of light. The Fate Subsystem, emitting a soft golden aura from the center of his brow, worked diligently, processing the incoming data for his benefit.

His awareness followed the intricate threads of destiny that extended outwards, meticulously selecting the most fitting paths of fate.

Ultimately, Jie Ming's choice settled on a trajectory that resonated more closely with his own destined thread.

Based on its location, his ultimate destination appeared to be a moderately sized city situated in a secluded part of this plane.

Jie Ming subtly altered his direction and gradually increased his velocity.

Even with conscious effort to suppress his speed, it still consumed a full fortnight of continuous flight before he finally neared the designated area.

The first indication that reached his senses was the distinct energy field emanating from ahead.

The unique fluctuations originating from this 'Strange' were unlike anything he had ever encountered previously. The energy signature of the entire entity enveloped the city, possessing an unnaturally consistent and uniform density.

He descended from his lofty position, emerging from the concealing embrace of the clouds. The All-Purpose Eye within the depths of his pupils flared to life.

Before long, Jie Ming's vision registered the city itself.

From an external viewpoint, it bore no distinguishing features, appearing identical to any other medium-sized urban center on this plane.

Its streets formed a precise grid, with buildings ranging in height, creating a varied skyline. In the outskirts, factory chimneys stood sentinel, while in the core, the spires of churches reached towards the heavens.

As evening approached, streetlights began to illuminate one by one across the sprawling metropolis. Traffic moved at a measured pace along the major thoroughfares, their rear lights painting streaks of red across the fading twilight.

Closer to the suburbs, a modest residential area showed signs of life, with wisps of cooking smoke curling from chimneys and dissolving into the overcast sky. Objectively, everything presented a picture of perfect normalcy.

Yet, the All-Purpose Eye revealed a stark truth to Jie Ming: not a single living soul resided within this city.

Not only were there no human inhabitants, but there was no life whatsoever. Not even the tiniest microorganisms could be found.

The city existed as if it were a flawlessly rendered painting. The artist had employed the most delicate brushstrokes to capture every street and every lamppost, yet had inexplicably omitted the presence of any breathing creature.

The vehicles in motion, their illuminating lights, and the drifting cooking smoke were mere phantasms, projections of reality.

These projections possessed tangible mass, radiated energy, and even exhibited realistic physical textures, yet they lacked true existence.

A 'Hollow City'.

The term instantaneously surfaced within Jie Ming's mind.

He paused his flight, hovering in the air just above the city's periphery. The All-Purpose Eye meticulously stripped away the city's energy structure, layer by intricate layer, projecting the revealed data directly into his consciousness. The energy magnitude of this city was astronomically high—quantifiably several orders of magnitude greater than the combined energy of all the 'Stranges' he had previously encountered.

However, this sheer numerical superiority was merely the most superficial distinction separating it from other observed phenomena. Their fundamental essences were entirely dissimilar.

If 'Hazard Grade' Stranges could be likened to flickering torches, 'Threat Grade' to steady bonfires, and 'Disaster Grade' to raging forest fires…

Then this particular city… was akin to the blazing sun itself!

Consequently… it was undoubtedly of 'Destruction Grade'!

Jie Ming's pupils narrowed slightly. Despite his best efforts, a subtle current of excitement surged within his heart.

After regaining his composure and bringing his emotions under control, Jie Ming directed his gaze towards several points along the city's outer boundaries.

Individuals were present in those locations. It appeared that other cultivators, or wizards as they were known here, had also elected to venture to this site.

A swift evaluation of the energy signatures detected the presence of four seventh-level Grand Wizards, accompanied by more than a dozen sixth-level wizards.

They maintained their positions at varying distances around the city's perimeter, each maintaining a subtle separation from the others. Every eye was fixed intently on the city below, their expressions reflecting a spectrum of emotions and intentions.

Jie Ming recognized some of the individuals present. Their profile data had been accessible via the intelligence-sharing registry within the magic network terminal.

The elderly gentleman positioned at the furthest left, clad in a deep crimson robe and possessing a white beard and hair, was the seventh-level Grand Wizard known as “Crimson Flame.” He was a renowned master of fire laws, celebrated for no less than eight millennia.

The indistinct figure occupying the furthest right, completely obscured by a swirling black mist, was the seventh-level Grand Wizard, “Shadow Fiend.”

The woman in the center, appearing remarkably youthful, was the seventh-level Grand Wizard known as “Frost Whisper.” She was considered a peak master of ice laws, having achieved renown tens of thousands of years prior. The remaining sixth-level wizards were strategically positioned further out, a clear indication of their deference to the more powerful seventh-level figures.

Observing the established arrangement, Jie Ming naturally refrained from immediate engagement. Instead, he chose to land at the outermost edge of the assembled group.

Activating the Great Void Step at its minimal setting, he rendered himself as little more than a subtly indistinct shimmer in the air—neither actively attempting to conceal himself nor drawing undue attention.

His attention shifted towards the convergence point of the seventh-level Grand Wizards.

Though no audible conversation transpired between them, Jie Ming could perceive the potent spiritual forces clashing, indicating a silent discourse and negotiation via spiritual power.

High-ranking wizards exchanged information with remarkable swiftness and density. Within mere moments, multiple comprehensive rounds of negotiation were concluded.

Subsequently, Crimson Flame, stepping forward as their spokesperson, relayed the agreed-upon outcome to all assembled wizards.

His voice, while not projected loudly, ensured every word resonated clearly with each wizard present.

“You have all, I trust, grasped the true essence of this city. It is a Destruction Grade, urban-type Strange. Its core is the city’s administrative center. Its power significantly dwarfs any Strange we have encountered before, yet it possesses a singular, unyielding limitation: its sphere of influence is confined strictly within its own city limits and is incapable of outward expansion.”

He paused, his gaze encompassing everyone in attendance.

“However, a substantial number of secondary Stranges reside within the city’s confines. Their energetic signatures are intricately merged with the city itself. Any endeavor to seal this city without first purging these entities will inevitably falter. Our collective decision is straightforward: we shall first subdue these secondary Stranges, each wizard employing their individual capabilities. As for the city’s core, once its periphery is pacified, we will engage in a contest based on our respective strengths.”

No dissent arose from the assembled wizards.

The instant his declaration ended, the wizards acted in unison, transforming into luminous streaks of light and diverging towards various sectors of the city. The golden aura above Jie Ming’s brow intensified from a faint glow to a bright radiance as the Fate Subsystem fully engaged, aiding him in processing knowledge pertaining to fate.

Within the deepest recesses of his consciousness, innumerable threads of fate extended from the city’s distinct districts—some robust, others delicate, some luminous, others dim. The majority of these threads directed towards specific points on the city’s outskirts, precisely where the other wizards were now heading.

He pinpointed a particular fate thread leading towards the eastern district.

This thread, while not the most substantial, exhibited a distinctive “quality.”

It conveyed a sensation as if something at its terminus had formed a vortex, drawing in all adjacent threads.

Under the veil of the descending twilight, Jie Ming’s form silently descended into the lower altitudes above the city’s eastern sector.

Three other individuals were converging on the same area.

Judging by their selected destinations, these individuals were also adept in the intricacies of fate knowledge. Consequently, each had, without hesitation, chosen the most marked location.