Chapter 25 – Floating Sky Capital and the Mysterious Gray-Cloaked Old Man

The Sixteenth Iron Law of Magic: Under no circumstances shall one attempt any form of spatial movement on oneself!

The Seventeenth Iron Law of Magic: Magic Arrays related to spatial rules shall not be used in any place or in any manner without the confirmation of the Magic Association!

Elemental Mages, up to the High Mage level, practice and utilize their perception and communication with elements. However, Archmages begin to explore and utilize deeper “rules” that go beyond mere Magic Elements. One of the most intriguing rules for Archmages is spatial rules—Mr. Sylvester, the Academy’s Dean, is a prime example among these Archmages.

People refer to the manipulation of spatial rules as “Space Magic,” a rule that is extremely dangerous!

Ordinary Magic Arrays used to create storage devices like Space Rings and pouches have become very stable through generations of improvement and use. However, higher-level spatial teleportation remains a dangerous forbidden zone.

Nearly a thousand years ago, an Archmage obsessed with spatial rules attempted to use magic on himself, hoping to instantly move to another location—but after he disappeared on the spot, he was never seen again.

“My teacher hates the fact that the Floating Sky Capital is built so high up, and to this day, there’s still no reliable spatial teleportation magic!” Daniel, now dressed in a vibrant green robe, lamented in a vast, empty wasteland on the southern outskirts of the Imperial Capital. “So, us poor alchemists have to beg Elemental Mages to take us up there every time we come here.”

After saying this, he smugly glanced at Lin Wei and then at Haitie: “But alchemists are still much better off than some half-baked summoners. At least we have some gadgets to make ourselves lighter—beautiful Lady Haitie, would you be willing to carry me?”

“Of course…”

“Of course not,” Lin Wei interrupted Haitie before she could say “of course,” and turned to Daniel. “Having a beautiful Mage lady grab your wrist or link arms with you to fly up—that’s too much of a bargain for you.”

Daniel looked at Lin Wei warily: “What, are you jealous of me?”

“Of course not,” Lin Wei smiled and leaned closer to Duan Yu, his palm facing upward as a green light gradually revealed the form of Abel’s Vine. “Haitie, this is for you.”

Thus, the pitiful alchemist Daniel, who had a favor to ask, was tied firmly by the vine around his waist and hoisted up all the way.

The Floating Sky Capital is very high above the ground, but with the Mage’s flight spell, it doesn’t take long to reach.

Lin Wei looked up at the floating island city, flanked by two smaller floating islands, suspended quietly in the soft mist. Compared to the Imperial Capital, it wasn’t very large, perhaps only the size of an ordinary town on the continent, yet it commanded respect from all who saw it.

The main body of the Floating Sky Capital was not made of the continent’s rock and soil but of massive Five-Colored Sunstones—their soft white glow, lighter than the color of sunlight, emanated from the stones.

Sunstones, Moonstones, Cloudstones, and Starstones are special ores, categorized from one to five colors based on the Magic Elements they contain. A sixth color should theoretically exist, but it has yet to be discovered. Five-Colored ores appear as a soft white to the naked eye, sometimes with faint glimmers of color, and Five-Colored Sunstones are the top-tier material for carrying Magic Arrays—within the three floating islands, there are countless massive and complex Magic Arrays that have maintained the city’s mysterious and proud suspension for a millennium.

The Magic World has spent countless precious resources and effort to build such a miraculous capital in the sky—it is said that nearly half of the Magic World’s members reside in the Floating Sky Capital, and it even generously hosts a few nearly extinct races. Here, Mages interact and trade, and all the major and minor news of the Magic World can be heard… More importantly, the core of the Magic World—the headquarters of the Magic Association—is located here, overseeing the myriad affairs of this world that is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

As the four of them ascended higher, they could no longer see the bottom of the floating islands—the city’s face gradually revealed itself, like the earth illuminated by the rising sun at dawn.

The most striking feature was the enormous statue of a goddess standing at the center of the floating island, taller than any building in sight—her face was not clearly defined, but her flowing skirt, majestic crown, and the long scepter she held in her right hand were exquisitely carved.

“The statue of the Goddess of Light, Astherea, a relic from the Dark Age. Back then, everyone had to kneel and worship the goddess,” Haitie said. “This statue is truly massive—it’s said that the Dark Goddess Katanaphia also had a statue of her own, but its traces have been lost.”

Radiating from the goddess’s statue, the roads of the magical city extended outward. Unlike the straight roads of the Imperial Capital, they were slightly curved and intersected irregularly. Tall castles and low domed houses nestled closely together, creating a loose and leisurely beauty. Mages flew back and forth in the air, causing ripples of elemental energy, so when the four of them slowly descended, they didn’t attract much attention.

The landing spot was chosen by Daniel, who rubbed his waist, which had been hoisted up all the way, and pouted: “Although I’ve suffered unimaginable mistreatment, I’ve kindly brought you here—this is a place no Mage should miss.”

Lin Wei looked around. They were now on a curved street, completely empty, with no other Mages in sight. The closest structure was a small house with gray walls and a black roof, its black wooden door slightly ajar, with a series of indecipherable patterns—likely magical runes—painted on it.

“The shop of the Gray-Cloaked Old Man—a Mage can only buy one thing here in their lifetime. You haven’t bought anything here yet, have you?”

Lin Wei shook his head: “This is our first time here. What does this shop sell?”

Daniel mysteriously winked at them and began to explain the shop.

In the Floating Sky Capital, there is a mysterious old man whose age and origins are unknown—it’s as if he has always been in a desolate alley in the southwestern corner of the city, guarding a small shop. The old man always wears gray clothes, so he’s often referred to as the “Gray-Cloaked Old Man.”

The Gray-Cloaked Old Man’s shop has a strange rule: a Mage can only take one thing from the shop in their lifetime. Sometimes it’s bought, sometimes exchanged for something else, and if the old man is in a good mood, he might even give it to the guest for free.

Logically, such a shop should have gone out of business long ago, but the Gray-Cloaked Old Man never seems to have considered this issue, and any Mage who tries to buy a second item is mercilessly chased out with a wave of his cane!

“Anyway, this strange rule and the old man’s reputation are well-known. As for what he sells…” Daniel shook his head. “Some who’ve been here say it has the most precious things you can imagine, as well as the most ordinary!”

Initially, the three of them, seeing the desolate environment and shabby storefront, had no expectations for the shop. But after hearing Daniel’s words, their curiosity was piqued.

Haitie stepped forward and knocked on the worn black door.

A hoarse, aged voice, as if emerging from a decaying coffin, said: “Come in.”

Pushing the door open, they were greeted by a dimly lit room. Rows of crowded shelves filled the small shop, and on a dark, soft chair near the door sat a small old man in a gray cloak and a wide-brimmed hat.

Under the brim of his hat, his eyes shifted, first looking in Daniel’s direction, speaking slowly, as if he might stop breathing mid-sentence: “The green one, you’ve been here before… two years ago, right?”

Then, he slowly looked over Lin Wei, Duan Yu, and Haitie from left to right, his deeply wrinkled face seemingly forming a pleased smile: “And three fresh little ones…”