Hearing Elyon's words, ng Bai looked around curiously. "Why that na?" "You'll see soon enough," Elyon replied, motioning for them to follow.
They left the teleportation building and stepped outside. Imdiately, the reason beca obvious.
In the distance, towering mountains surrounded the city like protective walls. Their peaks were sharp, their surfaces streaked in shades of gray and black. When the sunlight struck them, they glimred faintly, reflecting tallic light. "Immortal Scale Granite," Elyon said, gesturing to the range. "The mountains here are made entirely of it. The kingdom's economy depends on mining it. They are the only suppliers of Immortal Scale Granite in the entire world." ng Bai whistled softly. "That explains the na."
Cattaleya grinned. "So the king wears a crown made of stone instead of gold?"
Elyon nodded. "Exactly. The royal family started as miners. Poor, ordinary miners who discovered a way to refine Immortal Scale Granite for use in high-grade arrays and constructs.
They built their wealth on it and eventually founded the kingdom itself. Their first king wore a crown carved from the sa granite that made them rich. It beca their symbol of perseverance."
Cattaleya nodded approvingly. "A rags-to-riches story. I like that."
Daoist Chu chuckled. "Poetic, in a way. A crown of stone for a people who built their lives from it."
As they continued down the street, Lin Mu's eyes lingered on the distant quarries visible beyond the city walls. He could feel the faint pulse of spiritual energy in the rocks. Immortal Scale Granite was indeed a unique material.
He turned to Elyon. "This is the place where the dwarfs were sighted, isn't it?" Elyon's expression brightened. "That's right. So independent dwarfs live in the mining settlents north of the capital. They're said to help with specialized talwork and refinent forges."
Lin Mu nodded thoughtfully. "Good. We'll finish the escort mission first, then return here to look for them."
"Agreed," Elyon said. "The Shanan Clan cos first. We'll head to their island after we check at the local rcenary guild and stock up on supplies."
The group continued down the main avenue, the faint ring of blacksmith hamrs echoing from distant workshops. The air shimred with heat and spiritual energy, and Lin Mu felt a growing sense of anticipation.
There were stories waiting to unfold here... about a forgotten clan, a kingdom of stone, and perhaps, the dwarfs who still carried the secrets of the forge. The sun had climbed high into the sky by the ti Elyon returned from the rcenary Guild. The group had spent the morning exploring the capital of the Granite Crown Kingdom, taking advantage of the short break to gather supplies and restock on essentials.
Lin Mu, of course, had taken the opportunity to indulge one of his habits.
By the ti Elyon arrived, Lin Mu's spatial storage ring was brimming with local ingredients dried stone herbs, powdered Rock Scute Beetle Shells, deep granite salts, and sothing the rchant had called "crystal kelp," a translucent seaweed that glowed faintly when soaked in Qi. He also carried several large bags of local Immortal beast at, preserved in salt and local spices.
Daoist Chu had rely shaken his head when Lin Mu handed him a jar of "fernted Lightning Claw Crab paste."
"Every world we visit, you find sothing stranger to eat," Daoist Chu had comnted dryly.
Lin Mu smiled faintly. "You never know when sothing could serve both as food and cultivation aid."
ng Bai had been less reserved. He had sampled half the things Lin Mu bought, coughing loudly after taking a bite of a spicy sea root that made his eyes water for several minutes.
Cattaleya had chosen to browse the weapon and armor stalls instead, while Daoist Chu stocked up on talismans and preservation seals.
By the ti Elyon rejoined them in their chosen spot at a tavern, everyone was ready to depart.
The wolfkin rcenary set down a rolled-up map on the granite table. "I got the directions," he said, his golden amber eyes reflecting the sunlight. "The coast is about half a day's flight from here. After that, it will take around six days of sailing to reach the Shanhu Coral Clan's island."
ng Bai's expression fell instantly. "Six days? We only have a week before the island subrges again!"
Before Elyon could respond, a low, rumbling growl echoed beside him.
The sound was unmistakable.
Lin Mu turned slightly, and with a flicker of red light, a familiar figure appeared beside him, a large feline with sleek crimson fur and streaks of lightning running along his body. His furry tail flicked lazily, and his eyes glowed with
quiet power.
"Little Shrubby!" ng Bai exclaid, grinning in relief.
The beast yawned, his sharp fangs flashing. "So we're traveling again, finally!"
"Looks like it," Lin Mu replied, smiling. "We have quite a distance to cover, but with your help, we can make it in ti."
Elyon chuckled. "I should have known. Six days by ship for common immortals, half a day for you."
ng Bai scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Right... I forgot we had Little Shrubby. Guess we'll be fine then."
Lin Mu nodded. "Let's not waste ti. We should leave the city first before we let him grow to full size. The last thing we need is people panicking about a massive fire and lightning beast appearing out of nowhere."
"Agreed," Daoist Chu said, adjusting his robe. "The local guards might think we're under attack."
The group made their way through the city streets. Fortunately, the Granite Crown Kingdom did not have any restrictions on flight. After ten minutes of walking past bustling markets and towering granite buildings, they reached the open plains beyond the city walls.
The landscape stretched endlessly in shades of gray and dark green. The soil here was dense and heavy, almost tallic in texture. Despite its color, life
thrived; hardy trees with greyish silver bark and deep-green leaves grew in clusters, and the air was thick with Immortal qi.
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