Above The Sky
Chapter 2063 - 44: Spirit Casting Machine (Short - )
The Starfall Sea is essentially a gigantic circular depression, almost devoid of shallow sea ecosystems. Just a few dozen meters from the coastline, sunlight can barely penetrate the deep sea. This peculiar terrain does not render the Starfall Sea’s extensive circular coastline lifeless. On the contrary, the unique environment creates an unparalleled ecosystem.
On the surface of the Starfall Sea, there are many large, lotus leaf-like green umbrellas. They spread across the sea surface, resembling algae on a still lake. But in reality, these are organisms, or rather, a type of super-giant plankton.
This creature, named ’Splendor Light Worm’, once lived on the surface of the polar regions of gaseous giant stars. In such places, the atmosphere is incredibly hot, with abundant energy available from all directions, which the Splendor Light Worms exploit to evolve into this leaf-like form, allowing them to absorb as much energy as possible to grow larger, then split and reproduce.
Theoretically, they cannot survive on ordinary rocky planets. However, the Starfall Sea, during the daytime, with the sunlight’s heat and the high-energy radiation lingering in the Starfall Sea due to Heavenfall, makes the Splendor Light Worms feel right at home. The cold of the night is also akin to the freezing temperatures of a gaseous giant star at night and its equator’s severe cold. The mutated Splendor Light Worms, thriving on the energy of the sun and Starfall Sea, form the foundation of the ecosystem here.
During the time Ian approached Star City, his abilities allowed him to analyze almost half of the Starfall Sea’s ecosystem.
The oceanic temperature of the Starfall Sea, on average, even surpasses that of the Southern Sea close to the equator. Even the seafloor isn’t solely cold deep-sea water. Numerous giant jellyfish, ’Floc Light Jellyfish’, and Ian’s old friends, ’Thunder Light Jellyfish’, have large colonies here. Marine fungi ’Light Grating Fungi’ feed on Splendor Light Worms. They don’t resemble mushrooms but rather rolling tumbleweeds made of countless hyphae, rolling back and forth with the waves and currents.
Ian saw many fae enjoying rolling inside the Light Grating Fungi. This isn’t a good idea since the Light Grating Fungi are also food for other Starfall Sea creatures. In just a moment’s glance, Ian saw two fae being swallowed by a fish. Their fate... was to be a bellyache for that ’Glinting Firefly Eel’, a mishap that would earn them ridicule from their fellow fae for many days (or even lifetimes).
Furthermore, the Starfall Sea is home to numerous electromagnetic and light-radiation-based marine organisms. Even an ordinary fish passing by can emit light waves from its eyes, while a shrimp lurking on the seafloor can unleash an electromagnetic cannon with a punch.
To put it simply: the ecological levels in other places might range from 10 to 30 levels, posing a threat to ordinary humans but still manageable by novices. In contrast, the baseline level of the Starfall Sea starts at 20, with the highest ecosystems reaching levels 70 or 80, with several Fourth Level magical beasts!
Fortunately, these magical beasts are well aware of the fae’s strength and do not dare to cause trouble; thus, they survive.
Otherwise, the fae are certainly not averse to eating meat.
The burning fires of Heavenfall caused the earth to cave in, mighty winds stirred the still sea into waves, transforming the ocean, once visited by shards of a fallen Star God, into a realm of tranquility. The once lifeless heaven and earth have become a paradise for all beings.
"So full of life."
Witnessing all this, Ian felt quite moved: "I once thought that the star god’s fall, even if just a fragment descending, would render the place harsh, yet it has become so flourishing... Besides the star god’s corpses, surely it’s also due to the fae’s transformations."
"Is this also the reason why Star City is in the deep sea?"
[Ah?] The Fairy Queen blinked and then shook her head, saying: [Absolutely not! Star City is definitely not such an inconvenient thing!]
Then, the Fairy Queen began to explain some common knowledge to Ian.
The fae’s Star City is actually movable, sitting by the shore sometimes, residing in the clouds at others.
The ecosystem of the Starfall Sea is not just marine. The land is full of various formidable magical beasts and animated forests, while the sky is filled with terrifying gaseous creatures and ecosystems. The entirety of Star City can maintain its isolation from the world, free from the curiosity of humans, partly because the fae are quite adept in martial virtues and because the ecosystem surrounding Star City is indeed sufficiently daunting to keep strangers away.
Recently, for the past two years, it’s been deep in the sea, primarily because the Water Fae won against several other factions at the fae grand gathering two years ago. Everyone was willing to accept their loss and join the Water Fae in fish-watching.
[Speaking of which, all of this has something to do with you]
The Fairy Queen pressed a finger to her lips, thought for a moment, and said: [Your Perpetual Motion Machine Declaration was so impressive. The children all thought the Water Fae were cool, so there were especially many Water Fae during that period]
"Wow." Letting out a truly fae-like sigh, Ian heard the implications behind the words and couldn’t help but ask, "And now?"
[Everyone’s getting tired of watching fish; the current inclination is to take a spin through the mantle. There are plenty of lava and elemental life there] The Fairy Queen said: [In any case, wander around a bit, hold a big gathering every year. I don’t know what everyone thinks now, as long as they’re happy]
"Star City is indeed sturdy."
Ian spoke from the heart.
At this moment, Ian and the fae had already reached a vast plaza within Star City.
On the surface, Star City indeed resembles the Imperial Capital, but upon closer inspection, one realizes that rather than a human city, it is more like a giant coral reef, a massive living cluster of spiritual beings.