Ji Xinghuo strolled in the lower levels of Yunxiao City. The streets were wide and flat, bustling with activity, flanked by various shops and high-rise residences.
If one didn’t look at the appearances of the pedestrians, it would feel much like the cities of Earth in the Star Realm.
The Winged People love heights, so they built their houses very tall, with buildings dozens of stories high lined up neatly. Between the uneven heights of the floors, they planted many flowers, plants, and trees, like an array of aerial gardens.
The entire lower levels of Yunxiao City were styled this way, with nature and architecture blending together, providing a refreshing and delightful stroll.
The pedestrians on the street were of various forms.
Ji Xinghuo saw many races he had never encountered before, as well as several other types of aliens from the Thousand Peak Abyss Forest.
However, the Winged People and the Human Race were the most common.
Earthlings and the Human Race of the Star Realm are extremely similar in appearance, with little to distinguish their features, build, or temperament—their overall impression was rather average. As long as one didn’t claim to be an alien, others would certainly mistake Earthlings for a subspecies of the Human Race.
This also spared many hassles, as after all, aliens were quite noticeable in the Star Realm.
There was no public transportation system in the lower levels of Yunxiao City, as the Winged People didn’t engage in steam technology; for travel, people relied either on flying or on mounts.
Riding a Silver Winged Pegasus on the street, Ji Xinghuo was not conspicuous at all.
He had just entered the city when he saw several others riding Silver Winged Pegasi, along with various kinds of mounts—flying in the sky, running on the ground, swimming in the water—many of which he could not recognize.
The order within the city was very good.
Every few minutes, the Winged City Guards would fly overhead. In the event of a conflict, Winged Guards would descend from the sky to mediate, and if their warnings were ignored, they would kill on the spot.
After wandering the city for more than an hour, Ji Xinghuo’s horizons were greatly expanded.
The lower levels of Yunxiao City gave him a sense of novelty and familiarity. It had a primitive and barbaric look, yet also possessed advancements that technology alone couldn’t achieve.
The city welcomed all kinds of races.
Yet the hierarchy was strict, with the Winged People as the absolute ruling class.
Ji Xinghuo almost constantly activated his magnetic field senses, scanning everything around him when suddenly, surprise appeared on his face.
He turned his Pegasus around and headed towards another street and soon arrived at a hotel.
The sign above the entrance had multiple types of writing.
Among them were familiar Chinese characters and several major languages from Earth.
Ji Xinghuo’s magnetic field had already scanned the entire hotel. The building, not particularly large and about a dozen stories high, had been converted from the first to fifth floor into a layout much like Earth’s hotels. There weren’t many guests inside, just a few dozen, but they were all Earthlings.
As he approached the hotel, the attendant at the door saw Ji Xinghuo and immediately brightened.
"Guest, do you need a room?"
Hearing the common language of the Star Realm, Ji Xinghuo felt a sense of cordiality and nodded, "Yes." He dismounted and handed the reins to the attendant, "Please take good care of it."
While mounts were convenient for traveling, they were a nuisance to care for when not in use.
The more precious the mount, the more difficult they were to handle.
Thus, many Mutants could afford flying mounts but chose not to carry the burden. In battle, they were no help and couldn’t be easily discarded—carelessly letting them die would result in a significant financial loss.
"Rest assured, our hotel has specialized Mount Breeders with extensive experience that guarantee excellent care for your Pegasus," the attendant assured, patting his chest.
Ji Xinghuo entered the lobby of Cloud Wanderer, and a woman who was clearly the front desk manager had already heard his approach and came out to meet him with a smile.
She looked to be in her thirties, with a professional and delicate appearance, and had her name tag affixed on her left chest.
Ji Xinghuo glanced at it; her name was Jiang Wei.
Based on the magnetic field strength and ether energy fluctuations, she seemed to be an Advanced Mutant with impressive capabilities.
"Welcome, esteemed guest," Jiang Wei greeted warmly. "May I inquire your honorable surname?"
Ji Xinghuo casually gave a commonly used alias; there was no need to reveal his true identity in Yunxiao City.
Jiang Wei didn’t probe further and quickly completed his accommodation registration, then personally escorted him upstairs to his room and introduced the hotel’s services, similar to those on Earth.
"Manager Jiang," Ji Xinghuo asked, "when is Queen Ayi’s centennial celebration?"
"On the 19th of Dying Moon," Jiang Wei replied.
Ji Xinghuo calculated—it was in twelve days. He needed to enter Sky City above Yunxiao City before the centennial celebration ended to investigate the item connected to Wanxiang Star Pupil.
However, it wasn’t the right moment to inquire further.
Unaware of Ji Xinghuo’s thoughts, Jiang Wei took the initiative to introduce him to some of the activities surrounding the centennial celebration. They already started half a month before the celebration, such as the flying skills competition, the fighting beasts arena, martial arts battles, literature and dance performances, Feather Lamp Festival, and so on.
On the day of the centennial celebration, both the Upper and lower levels of Yunxiao City would have grand birthday parades, bustling with festive spirit.
Queen Ayi would appear at the celebration to accept tributes and congratulations from her subjects and guests from various parties.
It was said that many Winged Families, seeking to curry favor with the queen, prepared many precious treasures, and there would be a gift presentation part.
"Gift presentation..."
Ji Xinghuo’s heart sank.
Could the item he sought be one of those gifts to be presented?
If Queen Ayi, with her discerning eye, recognized its extraordinary qualities and it ended up in her hands, it would be almost impossible for him to obtain it.
"Thank you, Manager Jiang."
With no change in expression, Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment and then asked, "I was originally out exploring the Star Realm and just happened to hear about Queen Ayi’s centennial celebration, so I came to join in the festivities. After arriving in Yunxiao City, I found out that ordinary people can’t enter Sky City. I wonder if you have any connections?"