The mountain towered into the clouds, towering over the island like a giant.
Alka and his companions were at the foot of the mountain, and even though they hadn't yet approached, they could clearly see it.
A gust of wind blew by, and Alka could sense that it wasn't a natural force, but rather a human-induced force.
The clouds surrounding the mountainside and above were blown away by the wind, revealing the entire sky. Sunlight streamed down, revealing the entire mountain before everyone.
The summit of this 6,700-meter-high peak was the highest point on the entire island, a king of the sky.
Alka blinked gently, and could clearly see a flashing red light at the summit. It clearly held a crown-level treasure.
It stood there, upright. Its precise form couldn't be seen, but it was certain it had an owner.
Because the location of this thing was so unique.
Without the cloud cover, the mountain peak rose steeply, and snow covered about two-thirds of its upper peak. In the sunlight, from afar, it shimmered with a magnificent light, inspiring awe.
"This mountain looks a bit like a volcano,"
Lucilia couldn't help but exclaim as she gazed at the mountain's appearance.
The mountain was surrounded by the sea, its waters as clear and azure as emerald blue. It was clearly different from other places. Even near the surface, you could clearly see the fish swimming below; it was so clear.
This place seemed out of place.
Some force must be at work.
Alka and the others couldn't help but slow down the boat, keeping their heads up at the mountain as they slowly approached.
As they got closer, the mountaintop became increasingly difficult to see, its peak piercing the clouds, its reflections glaring.
But as they moved closer to the ground, their view became clearer and clearer.
The peak had been visible from afar, but now, as they drew closer, they could finally appreciate the sheer enormity of it and the island that supported it.
The peak seemed so close, yet they knew the distance between them was still immense.
Now, the view from the mountainside was even more magnificent.
A vast complex of buildings sprawled down from the mountainside, forming a scene resembling a fairyland at dusk.
It was primarily the style of the buildings.
Sofia and the others simply found them beautiful, but they had never seen anything like it before. Only Alka felt an inexplicable familiarity with the architecture.
These buildings were imbued with an oriental mystery and splendor. The rolling roofs cascaded like mountains, their colorful glazed tiles shimmering in the sunlight.
Although many aspects differed markedly from the ancient architecture of his hometown, a unique charm remained.
At least they shared similarities, bringing back memories for Alka.
"How beautiful," Sofia couldn't help but exclaim.
The breeze that had previously dispersed the mist returned, this time blowing towards them.
The breeze seemed perceptible, often carrying a hint of green.
When it blew over everyone, they immediately felt refreshed.
Even the tree that formed the body of the Dawn Sound on the ship couldn't help but sway, expressing its excitement as the music played. He greatly enjoyed this breeze that carried life.
Julia, the Seed of Life, immediately noticed something and couldn't help but smile.
A harp appeared in her hand, and as she played, the breezes began to swirl around the crowd for a moment before dispersing.
"These are Breeze Spirits, the Seed of Life's best helpers. These Breeze Spirits only appear where the Seed of Life's Life Pods are located, blowing at a fixed time each day.
They can bring health to life and revitalize surrounding plants."
The Life Pods are the equivalent of the Seed of Life Church's cathedral.
Such structures are only found in relatively important locations.
If you think about it, the church on Twin Island could be considered cathedral-sized.
If the Seed of Life's buildings on this island are Life Pods, then the Our Lady's buildings are likely cathedrals.
The Church of the Holy Machine is the Mechanical Temple. Although the names vary, they generally indicate the importance of this area to various churches.
However, the location they were heading towards seemed a bit strange, as it was a cliff rather than a harbor. Judging by the ships coming and going nearby, the harbor should be on the other side.
On their side, abundant trees and vegetation, scattered small houses, and buildings on the mountainside extended to the front.
They were probably on the back side of the island, so the vegetation was remarkably well-preserved, and the breath of life filled them.
The surging waves crashed against the rocky peak, creating a roaring sound. The sound was like music, as if nature were paying tribute to the peak.
Julia, inspired by this, began to play her harp.
Looking at the trees on the back side of the mountain, the breath of life was unusually rich.
Judging by the breeze that had just blown by, if it turned out as expected, the Life Pod, or the Life Seed's home, should be here.
Although Arka had never seen a Life Seed church, it was said to resemble a giant plant. So, from a distance, within the woods, it would be almost indistinguishable.
The Voice of Dawn began circling the island, moving forward.
They were now practically driving close to the island, and could clearly see the buildings.
As they passed the woods behind them, a large number of buildings began to emerge. Across from them, the obstructing hillside and vegetation gradually lowered their sight. Without the obstruction, they could clearly see the architectural style.
It was identical to the buildings they had seen from afar on the hillside. Clearly, the people here had adopted this architectural style for the sake of uniformity.
Many large, monumental buildings, resembling wonders, can also be seen here, all in a similarly coherent style.
Just looking at these strange structures, one can sense the ancient atmosphere emanating from them.
Every pillar and every stone slab seems to bear witness to the passage of time.
"That should be the church of the Holy Machine Church, right?" Pororo said, pointing in a certain direction.
Although the church's exterior intentionally blends in with the surrounding style, its peculiar metal components and the inevitable gear logo still make it stand out in this place.
Even though the building has tried its best to blend in with the surrounding style, it still seems somewhat out of place.
"Sometimes I have to complain. Your church's aesthetic style is a bit off." Jason couldn't help but turn to Simon, looking at this incongruous building.
Because it really detracts from the overall appearance of the surrounding area.
Hearing this, Simon could only helplessly retort, "It's just that this style doesn't suit us. It's like building in Power City. Wouldn't it be strange if you built something like that?"
Though his argument was somewhat weak, everyone nodded in understanding. While the general aesthetic may sometimes be off-kilter, the Church of the Holy Machine is still quite good when it comes to mechanical aesthetics.
For example, the Mechanical Temple they were looking at now, while it seemed out of place in the overall atmosphere, was actually quite good when viewed in isolation.
Soon, they saw a large number of ships.
They were about to reach the port.
What they saw was a massive arch spanning at least one or two hundred meters.
Or rather, it looked a bit like a bridge.
Above the arch, they could see buildings and glazed tiles, pavilions and towers stacked one upon another.
However, what spoiled the view was that from those layers of towers, protruding gun barrels one after another. The elemental lights surrounding the archway were clearly some kind of elemental array or device.
This archway was actually a defensive fortress?
The port was just behind the archway.
"Once we're here, I think our Dawn of Voice's appearance won't be so conspicuous," Juanlu couldn't help but say as he looked at the ships passing by.
Of course, the most common ships here were the more ordinary ones.
You could also see the ironclad ships of the Church of the Holy Machine and the magnificent golden and pure white warships of the Church of the Virgin.
And the green sails of the Church of the Seed of Life, covered in flowers and plants like plants.
In addition, you could see all sorts of strange and bizarre ships.
For example, Alka and the others saw a giant sea turtle swimming by not far away, carrying a pile of buildings on its back.
Cannons could be seen on the building, clearly a "ship" built on the back of a sea turtle.
There was another ship of the same type, except the turtle had transformed into a giant fish, similar to the ship Arka and his companions had just seen when they reached the end of their forward channel.
"It's truly worthy of being a landmark island known throughout the Infinite Ocean," Sofia couldn't help but exclaim as he observed the scenery along their way.
They hadn't even reached the island yet, but just what they saw from the periphery was astounding enough.
Arka and his companions' ship attracted little attention. It was just a tree on board, wasn't it? Pretty normal.
They sailed safely into the harbor, and then, with the help of the guide boat, arrived at a port where ships were stored.
After stabilizing the ship in the berth, they could sense invisible magical veins connecting to the ship's bottom, as if it were undergoing maintenance.
The Voice of Dawn hadn't given any unpleasant feedback.
Everyone on the deck gazed towards the harbor. The harbor docks were bustling with activity. One could see what were presumably local defense soldiers busily weaving through the crowds. Their expressions were focused, and their strength was surprisingly around the third level.
This wasn't World Scar. If even the port soldiers were at the third level, the pinnacle of what ordinary people could achieve, it was a testament to the sheer strength of the force here.
A vast amount of supplies were transported to various ships using the power of treasures, various spells, and even the most common mechanical cranes.
The entire harbor dock stretched almost endlessly, divided into various areas with different functions.
This must be a relatively prosperous, clean, and tidy place.
"When you come to a place like this, you have to take a good stroll. Everyone, take a day off and we'll get back to business tomorrow," Alka couldn't help but say, looking at the bustling city.
Although it was a break, they were also just strolling around, restocking supplies on the ships and purchasing the materials they needed.
No matter what, this day was necessary.
Once we passed this village, there would be no more shops like it. It was unclear when we would be able to visit such a bustling signpost island again.
At Alka's words, everyone smiled and nodded, jumping down in groups of two or three.
Even the puppet girls chattered beside them, clinging to them and wanting to go along.
This resulted in everyone being burdened with several pendants.
Alka, Sofia, and Lusilia jumped down.
Lusilia sat on Sofia's shoulders.
They made their way through the crowd.
They arrived at the street leading to the inner city.
Upon entering, they saw something resembling a conscription office, with a long line of soldiers waiting.
Alka and the others took a look at the sign nearby.
"It's actually the World Scars support team."
"Not strong enough, next one," a priest wearing the robes of the Church of Our Lady said, glancing at the young man before him.
"I'm almost at the third stage. I'm sure I'll be promoted along the way," the young man couldn't help but say.
Hearing this, the priest glanced at him and said, "Then wait until the third stage."
"Willn't the third stage be too late? By then, I'll definitely be several steps behind everyone else in reaching the World Scars to provide support."
The priest was unmoved and waved his hand.
The young man could only shrug helplessly and leave.
Arka even saw a spark of light on the young man.
"It seems the people here are very enthusiastic about supporting the World Scars," Sofia couldn't help but say.
Hearing this, Alka looked around and said, "Although this place is large, you have to admit that it houses three large churches.
This is a recruitment notice issued by the gods themselves; it's incredibly attractive to these believers."
Alka also saw the sign that read "Support the Holy War."
Such a reputation was already prominent.
After looking for a while, they walked towards the street entrance, where they could see a dense cluster of buildings.
Various convoys of goods and people in various attire came and went.
The long street was lined with a dazzling array of shops, each one sporting a dazzling array of signs that flashed.
One could see some kind of luminous spell.
This scene conveyed to the three of them the prosperity of the island.
Among these numerous buildings, there were temples and shrines, exuding a sacred and solemn air. Although the buildings could sense an ancient aura, Alka was probably right; they were likely temples used to worship deities.
The aura emanating from them didn't suggest the Four Gods.
However, Alka didn't detect any overly sacred or powerful aura within these temples.
Perhaps it was more akin to ancestor worship.
Judging by the architectural style, it was clear that this was a tradition passed down from ancient times.
Due to their shared style, these temples blended seamlessly into the surrounding architecture, becoming part of the landscape.
Their grandeur and grandeur embodied the island's cultural heritage and beliefs.
Therefore, even after the Church of the Four Gods arrived, they didn't demolish these temples, preserving their original appearance.
Alka and his companions wandered the island.
The area they were currently visiting was likely governed by the Church of Our Lady. Although there were temples, Alka mostly saw statues of Our Lady inside shops, or golden ears of wheat hanging on the walls.
These were like symbols of Our Lady's daily prayers.
Essential items for a proclamation, and both are available in almost every shop.
It goes without saying that this is definitely an area governed by the Church of Our Lady. You can even see priests dressed in Church-style attire wandering the streets.
"But I don't see any Church of Our Lady. Where is it built?" Sofia wandered around for a while, constantly turning his head to observe, but couldn't find any building resembling the Church of Our Lady.
Whether it was from the information they'd obtained or the image of Our Lady they'd just seen, there should be a cathedral.
Such churches are generally very conspicuous, easily visible. Not to mention their sacred aura, which was easily perceived by Alka and the others.
"Are you looking for a church?" a priest in a white robe with gold trim suddenly asked as he passed by.
Alka nodded.
"The Cathedral of God's Peak is located on the mountainside. You'll have to climb quite a distance to get there."
Hearing this, Alka quickly thanked him.
The teacher's attention was drawn to Alka because of the rich holy light emanating from him, as well as the same light radiating from Sofia.
If he was not mistaken, they were a holy son and a holy daughter.