I have Taoism and can understand other worlds

Chapter 629 Inner Ring and Outer Ring
The man in black revealed the stone token, and the guards of the Azure Sky Tower bent down to let him pass.

We didn't encounter any difficulties along the way.

Entering the inner ring of the Sky Tower, an even more prosperous scene unfolds before your eyes. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's bustling with people, and various exotic beasts come and go.

Jiang Wen was quite familiar with the divisions of the capital city. It was divided into inner and outer rings with the Cangtian Tower as the boundary. The outer ring was inhabited by various tribes, while the inner ring was the settlement of those tribes that worshipped the Holy Maiden Elder.

Therefore, the inner ring road is more prosperous than the outer ring road.

Here, there are bright clothes unseen in the outer ring, food that cannot be exchanged in the outer ring, and weapons that cannot be obtained in the outer ring. Of course, these can also be obtained within the territory or in some private trading places, but most Baixi tribesmen can hardly imagine life in the inner ring.

Women in pristine white gowns walked along the riverbank of the inner ring road, carrying golden containers to draw clean water from the river. Armored warriors patrolled by, their surging aura testifying to their strength. Carriages laden with fresh fruit traveled back and forth, transporting loads of delicacies to various parts of the inner ring road.

Yan Ming and the other young men who hadn't entered the inner ring stared wide-eyed. They gazed at the beautiful women, the incredibly sharp weapons, and the carts laden with meat and fruit, their faces filled with envy.

"Isn't that beef from a grass-fed cow? How can there be so much?"

"Sweet Dew Fruit! It's a fruit that's hard to find even in other places. I heard that eating just one can replenish your qi and blood. I never expected to see a whole cartload of Sweet Dew Fruit here!"

"Damn it! I want to live here too."

"You? Haha, let's talk when you reach the Blood Qi Transformation Realm."

The young people played and frolicked, indulging in fantasies about living in the inner ring road. Jiang Wen, on the other hand, watched the passing carriages and horses, feeling that there was an indescribable sense of distortion about this capital.

He had seen the tribes living in the outer ring; their lives were far from easy. Their living conditions were filthy, excrement was everywhere, resources were scarce, and they often suffered from hunger. They didn't wear the fine clothes of the inner ring people, only patched-up garments made of animal hides. When he first met Yan Ming in the Fallen Immortals' Quarters, he was wearing a similar animal hide garment.

Jiang Wen thought that the Baixi tribe maintained the original pursuits of the myriad tribes of Taicang, but he did not expect that the inner ring was very different.

It is not surprising that they indulged in extravagance.

"It seems the Baixi tribe isn't as fair as I thought, and its rigidity is even more pronounced." Jiang Wen coldly observed the laughing Yan Ming and his group. They seemed oblivious to anything wrong with the luxurious lifestyle in the inner ring. Instead, they were thinking about advancing further and moving to the inner ring.

"The conflict between the inner and outer rings of this divine capital already exists, or rather, the conflict between the Azure Sky Tower and the various races of the divine capital has always existed. Whether it is the Rock People or the Dragon People, the vast majority of them live in poverty. In a place where resources are so scarce in the Land of Divine Blessing, the elders of the Azure Sky Tower still enjoy a luxurious life. They are unwilling to share any resources with those who are starving and impoverished. So is this the true face of the Hundred Streams Divine Capital?"

Jiang Wen thought to himself that he had always had a strange feeling ever since he entered Baixi. After seeing the luxurious life in the inner ring, he finally understood.

The twelve-elder council system jointly established by the various tribes of Baixi was not as fair as he had imagined. In this perilous land, there were not many selfless heroes. Everything in Baixi was built on ignorance.

The giant beast moved slowly forward, and the scenery in the inner ring dazzled Yanming and the others.

It wasn't until they stepped into the Sky Tower that everyone snapped out of their daze of the bustling scene.

"It's really great to live in the inner ring," the group exclaimed.

Jiang Wen chuckled upon hearing this, then stood up and addressed Yan Ming and the others, saying, "Do you know whether the elders and holy maidens truly need to consume this mountain of food and exhaust this river of sweet rain?"

The group paused, somewhat taken aback. Before they could figure it out, the giant beast had already arrived at the foot of the Sky Tower, stopping before a massive stone platform at its base. The man in black leaped down first, gesturing for the others to follow.

Stepping through the stone gate, the light suddenly dimmed, completely isolating us from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

The atmosphere inside the tower was heavy and solemn, carrying an ancient and desolate chill. The first thing that came into view was an incredibly vast hall, with a high dome that disappeared into the darkness, its end nowhere in sight.

The dome is not supported by carved beams and painted pillars, but by massive, rough stone pillars, which are also engraved with ancient totems, only larger and deeper than those seen from the outside of the tower, as if bearing the weight of time.

The floor of the grand hall was paved with a single piece of dark stone, polished to a mirror-like shine, reflecting the sparse yet eternally flickering light above—not lamplight, but some kind of strange crystal or rune embedded in the dome and stone pillars, casting a cool, starlight-like glow that made this magnificent space hazy.

However, amidst this ancient simplicity and grandeur, there is also an undeniable display of extreme luxury and power.

Between the giant pillars hung silver gauze curtains, as thin as cicada wings yet tens of feet wide, which moved without wind and shimmered with a faint spiritual light, clearly no ordinary object.

Every hundred steps on the ground, there is a white jade platform with a basketball-sized luminous pearl floating on it. The soft halo illuminates the surroundings in every detail, and the brilliance of the pearl and the clear light of the stars intertwine to form a strange scene.

A unique sandalwood fragrance permeated the air; inhaling it invigorated the spirit and clearly had the effect of calming the mind and aiding in the cultivation of blood and qi, making it exceptionally precious.

The hall was extremely quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty space, making them seem exceptionally small. Occasionally, a waiter dressed in a plain robe, with a restrained demeanor, would silently walk by, ignoring Jiang Wen and his group of outsiders. Their orderly manner exuded an air of unapproachable solemnity.

Yanming and the other young people had already suppressed their curiosity and commotion outside, subconsciously holding their breath and focusing their attention. They were overwhelmed by the solemn and luxurious environment, not daring to even breathe loudly, and just carefully following behind the man in black.

Passing through the long, enormous hall, an even more magnificent palace gate appeared ahead. The gate was cast from a single piece of some dark golden metal, with reliefs depicting the worship scenes of the various tribes of Baixi, a magnificent spectacle.

The men in black stopped and stood on either side. One of them bowed inward, his deep but clear voice carrying into the room: "Elder, the person has been brought."

The heavy, dark gold doors slid open silently, revealing the scene behind them.

A more secluded, circular hall, seemingly situated at the heart of the tower, appeared before everyone's eyes.

The walls of the hall are all natural stone surfaces, untouched by much carving, yet they exude a rich spiritual energy. The crystals inlaid on them resemble the stars in the sky, moving slowly.

In the center of the hall stood twelve high platforms. Each platform was carved from a single piece of warm, white jade, emitting a hazy glow.

On the high platform sat only an old man.

He had three-foot-long dragon horns on his head, wore a simple linen robe, and had white hair and beard. His face was withered, as if he had become one with the white jade platform beneath him and the ancient stone walls around him, exuding the same ancient and silent aura.

There was no imposing aura about him, and one could not even sense much blood energy fluctuations. Only his eyes, which were so deep that one dared not look directly at them, opened and closed.

Inside the Azure Sky Tower, which symbolizes the highest authority in Baixi, there is only one person among the twelve elders at this moment.

The old man's gaze slowly swept over the crowd at the door, finally landing on Jiang Wen. His aged voice, like the friction of metal against stone, echoed in the silent hall: "Guest of the Baiyi tribe, you have arrived."

(End of this chapter)