Its main city walls rose more than a thousand zhang high, built entirely from blue-white, cloud-patterned spirit stones. Formation patterns interlocked across them in layers like clouds and water, faintly connected to the supreme-grade fourth-tier spirit vein beneath the provincial capital.
A Spirit-Suppressing Tower stood every ten li along the walls, the Dharma Eyes atop the towers slowly turning to reveal the qi mechanisms in all directions.
Before the city gates, people surged like a sea. Cultivators of every tier and mortal martial artists followed separate lanes, while carriages, spirit beasts, flying shuttles, and cargo boats entered different checkpoints according to the rules.
Countless caravans formed a winding serpent ten thousand zhang long. Vast quantities of spirit rice, spiritwood, spirit silk, Dharma artifacts, medicinal pills, talisman paper, spirit beast hides, and top-grade incense brought in by spirit boats had already formed one bustling market ward after another outside the gates.
Farther away, tall buildings rose in overlapping tiers within the city, soaring pavilions touched the clouds, and rainbow bridges spanned the sky.
There were Immortal Taverns suspended in midair, with pearl curtains hundreds of zhang long hanging outside. Watery light flowed across the curtains, actually reflecting the sun, moon, and tides of Cloud Dream Marsh.
There were Great Jin Government Offices with scarlet-gold upturned eaves, immortal officials and clerks versed in the arts coming and going before their doors, spirit plaques at their waists and their bearing disciplined.
There were the spirit residences of aristocratic clans, with recessed gates and lofty courtyards, their formation patterns concealed, bronze beasts at their entrances breathing fragrant clouds in and out.
There were also separate streets and alleys of tall mortal buildings. Lamps were just being lit and wine-shop banners fluttered, while the scents of roasting meat, spirit tea, cosmetics, and medicinal herbs mingled