After bidding their farewells, Jared, along with Dylan and the others, followed Ezequiel toward Allardland.
They were seated inside a grand carriage, pulled by eight magnificent spirit beasts known as flying tiger beasts. Each creature had enormous wings but the body of a tiger, making them a fearsome and majestic sight.
“Mr. Yorba, does Allardland really nurture so many spirit beasts?” Jared asked curiously.
It was well known that raising spirit beasts was costly and required a tremendous amount of resources. Many cultivators could barely sustain their own needs, let alone care for a spiritual beast.
Even among the larger sects, only a few people kept them due to the high maintenance costs. Yet, here in Allardland, spirit beasts were used for tasks as simple as pulling carriages. It spoke volumes about the wealth and prosperity of the land.
“It’s not that many,” Ezequiel replied modestly. “But considering the vast size of Allardland, spirit beasts are required in many places. We probably have a few thousand spirit beasts by now.”
“A few thousand?” Jared was startled, and even Dylan and the others were visibly shocked. Maintaining thousands of spirit beasts was a huge burden, one that most powers in the Ethereal Realm could never afford.
Sensing Jared’s surprise, Ezequiel quickly clarified, “No need to worry, Mr. Chance. Only a few dozen of them have fallen ill, not all of them.”
He had initially thought Jared might be daunted by the sheer number of spirit beasts in Allardland. After all, even if Jared had unparalleled medical skills, treating thousands of creatures would be exhausting.
“Mr. Yorba, if I may ask, what kind of ailments are these spirit beasts suffering from?” Jared asked, wanting to get a sense of the situation ahead of time.
“The symptoms are varied,” Ezequiel explained. “It’s difficult for me to describe them all. You’ll have to see for yourself when we arrive.”
“All right.” Jared nodded and chose not to press further.
The flying tiger beasts pulled the carriage swiftly through the sky. After nearly a full day’s travel, they finally approached a grand and imposing city. Jared looked down at the massive city, astonished by its sheer size and magnificence.
“Is this Allardland?” Jared asked in amazement.
“This is one of the capital cities of Allardland, Wusteria,” Ezequiel replied. “In fact, we’ve been within Allardland’s borders for quite some time. The Allardland region is vast, and it contains a hundred and seventy-two capital cities!”
Jared could hardly believe it. He had heard tales of Allardland’s power, but seeing it firsthand left him in awe.
As they descended toward Wusteria, Jared noticed something else-there were intricate arcane arrays surrounding the entire city. It was clear that Allardland had many powerful array masters and alchemists.
But if they also had alchemists, why had they failed to treat the sick spirit beasts? This only deepened Jared’s curiosity.
The flying tiger beasts landed gracefully at the city gates, and upon seeing the carriage, the guards immediately opened the gates with great respect.
Inside the city, townsfolk promptly cleared the path, standing still, frozen in place as the carriage passed by.
Jared glanced around and noticed that even the guards at the gate were Tribulator-level.
Dylan and the others had never seen a city like this before. They realized that in comparison, their own Yannopolis was insignificant.
Even Jared, who had traveled extensively and seen much of the world, was profoundly shaken by the power of Allardland.
