Chapter 190: Padamia

“Wow~!” Liuli exclaimed, staring at the distant object with eyes so wide they seemed about to pop out.

In fact, even Wu Qingsong felt the same. Gazing at the object, he found it difficult to breathe, almost gasping for air.

“Everyone, if this is your first time here, please allow me the honor of introducing you to the crystallization of all great power and wisdom, the gift of the gods, the eternal home of the immortals, the magnificent floating city of Padamia,” the horseman coachman proudly announced. “You’re in luck. The skies have been clear these past few days, allowing you to see it in all its glory.”

No one spoke. In the face of such a spectacle, anyone would feel an indescribable sense of awe, momentarily at a loss for words.

For it was a display of great power beyond the comprehension and resistance of mere mortals.

A massive, white floating island.

Even from at least a hundred miles away, once they left the forest and entered the plains, that object dominated everyone’s view, making it impossible to ignore or avoid.

All conversations inevitably turned to the magnificent floating city.

Wu Qingsong estimated that its area covered several square kilometers. From their distant vantage point, it was clear that this was not just a giant floating rock in the sky. It was a meticulously designed structure, divided into many layers and sections, interconnected by immense bridges and countless passages. It was a precise and complex system.

It resembled a gigantic clock suspended in the sky, with countless hands, gears, and decorations—a masterpiece of intricate beauty that words could scarcely describe.

For days, Wu Qingsong and Liuli couldn’t take their eyes off the ever-growing, ever-more-detailed, and increasingly beautiful sight.

Gradually, they could make out splendid palaces, towering trees, enormous temples, and statues. 

Liuli even saw the reflection of water and rainbows up there. The coachman confirmed this, explaining that the floating city contained numerous exquisite canals, fountains, scenic streams, waterfalls, and lakes, where rainbows often appeared. Because of this, it was also known as the Rainbow City.

“Uncle, have you ever been up there?” Liuli couldn’t help but ask.

“I don’t have that kind of privilege,” the horseman replied, a look of longing on his face. “Only elves and permitted half-elves are allowed to enter that place. If I could go up there just once, it would be worth dying for.”

“I’ve heard there are many paintings of Padamia in the imperial capital. If you’re interested, you can buy one to take home and keep as a souvenir,” said a traveler nearby.

It was only upon arriving here that Wu Qingsong and the others realized that Padamia was commonly used to refer solely to the magnificent floating city. The actual city below, inhabited by mortals, was simply called the Imperial Capital. Anyone who had seen the floating city, even from afar, believed that a mortal city could never bear such a name without desecrating it.

It was the symbol of the Elven Empire—unparalleled and irreplaceable.

Could such a powerful empire, capable of creating and maintaining such a grand miracle, really be overthrown?

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of doubt and powerlessness, even more severe than any he had felt before.

He wondered what the beastfolk thought when faced with such a marvel. As a modern person who had witnessed countless wonders, he still felt such emotions. 

How would those who were conquered and brought here feel?

By the evening of the third day, clouds finally gathered in the sky, gradually obscuring Padamia. Only a faint hint of green peeked through the clouds, reminding them of its location.

Though disappointed, people also felt relieved as they realized how sore their necks had become from constantly looking up.

“Hurry up!” 

A new emotion surged among them, the hope of reaching the Imperial Capital quickly to observe and experience it from the closest possible distance.

After an entire day, they finally arrived at the enormous city beneath the floating island. Since it was on the plains, they couldn’t see its full extent, but as far as their eyes could reach, there were buildings of all sizes stretching endlessly.

This city had no walls, as the elves believed that no one could ever threaten this place.

It was strange—just as they looked up, searching for Padamia in the clouds, they suddenly found themselves amidst the city, surrounded by buildings and people, creating an almost suffocating feeling.

The bustling noise and pungent smells engulfed them suddenly, catching them off guard and unprepared.

Wu Qingsong knew this city was the largest on the entire continent, located at the center of the Ladeano continent, at the confluence of two great rivers. Hundreds of docks, countless canals forming a dense water network, innumerable bridges, and marble-paved roads made up the city’s vast transportation system, like the veins of a giant, giving it the capacity to house and sustain a massive population.

This city was said to house a million people. The vast plains surrounding it supported tens of millions of civilians and slaves. They labored tirelessly, like countless cells sustaining the life of a colossal body.

Every day, an endless stream of supplies traveled by water and land from across the continent. These supplies converged here, making it the undisputed center of the world.

And in this world, there could only be one such city.

“Wu, why is it that now we’re here, we can’t see it clearly?” Liuli asked, puzzled.

Standing directly beneath the gigantic floating city, its grandeur was even more overwhelming. Yet, under its shadow, the once pristine and immaculate exterior turned into an unsettling gray. They had to crane their necks to see it, but from this angle, no matter how hard they tried, all they could see was the underside of the floating city, made up of countless stones.

All its beauty was gone.

A heavy sense of oppression began to hang over their heads. The enormous shadow covered most of the city, instilling a deep fear. Fear that this enormous structure might one day come crashing down, destroying everything beneath it.