Chapter 291
On the vast dusty red plains stood dozens of spheres, which were connected together to form an enormous city . The city didn’t sit fully on land; instead, it floated within the large spheres .
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There were three dozen of those spheres, and each one of them was enormous and the size of half an Ethereal City . The entire city was the size of more than a dozen Ethereal Cities .
There was an asymmetric beauty to it . It was a startling sight, indeed . The spheres on the lowest layer that formed the foundation of the city and carried its full weight were half buried in the ground, with the other half exposed . They held the weight of the other spheres, and together, the spheres formed the Martian City!
From outside, the city seemed to be spread out in a topsy turvy manner inside the spheres . Countless buildings and endless crowds filled the spheres, be it from the top, bottom, left, or right .
It was a spectacular sight, mind blowing to someone visiting for the first time . This was the case for Wang Baole . He stood on the cruiser and watched as the Martian Colony City rapidly approached, growing larger in size as they neared it . His heart couldn’t calm down .
Despite the wide coverage of the Federation media, Mars remained a mystery . Dissemination of information outside the planet wasn’t permitted . As a result, there were few audiovisual recordings of the colony city . The few that had been allowed release to the non-Martian public had been edited . What had been shown in them was nothing compared to what Wang Baole was seeing with his own eyes .
As he stood reeling from shock and amazement, the cruiser slowed down . It was sucked into a sphere when it approached its left wing and neared its parameter . The cruiser landed in a port somewhere in the city .
With a low rumbling, it stilled . Wang Baole took a deep breath in, smoothened his shirt, then lifted his head and strolled out confidently .
Someone had already received news of his arrival and was waiting for him at the port . As soon as Wang Baole stepped out of the cruiser, a young man dressed in a white combat suit stood beneath the cruiser and cupped his fists towards Wang Baole in a deep salute .
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He had just arrived, and already there was someone ready to receive him and treating him with the utmost respect . Wang Baole looked forward to his future life on Mars . He laughed out loud and pulled the other young man up to his feet, starting to chat happily with him .
After greeting Wang Baole, the young man verified Wang Baole’s identity via his jade slip . Then, his face broke into a smile before he bowed again with a greater degree of respect and politeness .
“Pavilion Head Wang, our new Deputy Governor will personally assign you your new office . He is waiting for you . This way, please!”
The new Deputy Governor? Wang Baole froze . This was a pleasant surprise . He realized that the Ethereal Dao College Sect Lord must really favor him . The latter must have sent a message ahead of his arrival . Besides securing him a better posting, Wang Baole would also have someone to rely on while on Mars .
Wang Baole grew excited at the thought . He inhaled deeply and followed the young man in a white combat suit to leave the port . They boarded a personal city cruiser and sped towards the political center of the Martian Colony—Zone Eighteen!
The Martian Colony was formed from thirty-six enormous spherical city zones . They were named accordingly, with Zone Eighteen being the political center . The offices of the Governor and the Deputy Governor, as well as the headquarters of the three key administrative departments, were all in Zone Eighteen .
Wang Baole gazed out at the towering buildings and eccentric architecture as the cruiser sped past them . There were countless pedestrians on the walkways and numerous cruisers dashing past one another on what appeared to be roads . The entire Martian Colony City was bustling with life .
The Martian population was larger than the Ethereal City population . The colony city’s considerably greater size resulted in multiple waves of immigration and a spike in the population . Wang Baole had read up on the Martian Colony in detail prior to his departure . He knew that this city was not merely a colony city . To a certain extent, it could be considered an autonomous city under the Federation’s governing structure!
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The Martian political structure was slightly different from the Federation’s political structure . The officials from the lowest to the highest echelons of the administration hailed from the various political forces in the Federation . Besides the Governor, who answered to the Federation, the rest were self-governing bodies .
The military had its own base on Mars as well . They were affiliated with the Federation on Earth but functioned more like local warlords . The power the native Martians held wasn’t to be underestimated either . They continued to remain a significant political force despite repeated suppressions by the Federation .
The other political forces had established their presence in the colony city as well . It was a chaotic place, a microcosm of the current political climate in the Federation on Earth, as well as a cultivation ground for the rising heirs of the various clans and sects .
Wang Baole gazed at the world outside while reorganizing what he had learned about Mars inside his head . He gained a greater understanding of the planet . Finally, the speeding cruiser reached Zone Eighteen and landed in a public square .
The public square was a vast patch of land, and around it grew red trees and other plant life . In the middle of the square sat a building in the shape of a flame, which was painted in red . It stood out in the open . Wang Baole could feel waves of heat surging from the building as soon as he stepped out from the cruiser .
“This is the Deputy Governor’s personal office . Pavilion Head Wang, this way, please!” The young man in a white combat suit smiled lightly at Wang Baole and led the way . Wang Baole inhaled a deep breath . He lifted his head and stared at the flame-shaped building for a few long moments . Then, he followed the young man into the building .
A cool breeze welcomed him the moment he stepped inside, a stark difference from the heat outside . There was also Spirit Qi permeating the air, which instantly energized Wang Baole . He followed the young man to the highest level in the building .
There was a wooden door on this level . It was painted purple and shut .
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This was clearly the Deputy Governor’s office chambers . The young man in a white combat suit led Wang Baole to the door before retreating . Wang Baole smoothened his shirt out again . The various etiquettes he had read from the high officials’ autobiographies came to his mind . He tried to look professional and competent . With a serious look on his face, he stepped forward and knocked firmly—not too loudly, but loud enough that the Deputy Governor would hear him—and slowly on the door .
He knocked exactly three times .
Three neat knocks resounded in the air . Wang Baole was secretly impressed . As a Dharmic Armament master, he could tell with a single knock that this was a century old wood . It had been soaked in Spirit Fluid for many years and was one of the better grade materials for refining artifacts .
The Martian Colony sure is rich… Wang Baole sighed . The doors swung inward slowly, revealing before Wang Baole a simple yet elegant office interior .
Spirit Qi emanated from the aged couches and the desk . The Spirit Qi within was so thick that the room seemed to be enveloped in fog .
Through the thick Spirit Qi, Wang Baole saw a landscape painting hanging on the wall before him . In the painting was a snowy mountain with a river flowing down it . On the river was a single boat, and on the boat, an old man . He was kneeling, facing the mountain, and seemed to be praying earnestly .
The other details were indiscernible . That was because a towering figure was obscuring part of the painting . The figure stood with his back towards Wang Baole . When Wang Baole’s eyes fell on the man, he could feel a sudden oppressive force exuding from the latter . His heartbeat quickened . He could sense how powerful the man was .
A perfected Core Formation realm cultivator! Wang Baole had honed his skills at assessing the cultivation levels of Core Formation realm cultivators after his experience in the Mystic Luna Realm . He immediately sensed that the Deputy Governor was a perfected Core Formation realm cultivator . He hastily stepped forward and cupped his fists, extending a deep bow towards the man, who still had his back towards him .
“Greetings Deputy Governor, I’m Wang Baole!”
Wang Baole’s voice bounced off the walls in the chambers as the doors behind him slid shut silently . The Spirit Qi mist in the room seemed to shift with an invisible wind, dispersing . All of a sudden, the towering figure before Wang Baole looked clearer .
Wang Baole observed the distinct silhouette, thinking it seemed familiar . Before he had time to recall where he might have seen it before, an even more familiar voice rang out from the man before him .
“Wang Baole…”
Wang Baole’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he heard that voice . He stopped breathing for a moment . He was about to say something when the person before him turned around and revealed the face of a middle-aged man . Wang Baole couldn’t tell if he was smiling .
“We meet again!”
Giant… giant tree! There was an explosion inside Wang Baole’s head as his soul almost fled his body .