Chapter 98: Nexus
We entered through three sets of massive wood gates built into a thick concrete wall that was the Flame Sect. There was also a wood covered pit between two of the gates. This had to be the biggest wall I had seen so far. It was as thick as two houses and at least ten stories tall. It was also built on top of a mountain.
The number of people that would be needed to siege such a location would be insane. This world did have trebuchets, since they were based off of wood and counterweights. But on top of the wall I noted trebuchets as well. With the height advantage, it would be insane to assail such a location with conventional armies.
“Does anyone actually attack or are the walls just for show?” I asked Vice Leader Tan.
“Cultivators are superior physically to normal people. If a group of cultivators looks to attack, they would rush the walls with scaling equipment or attempt to punch through them. That is why any self-respecting sect would build like we do. What does your sect do?”
“Arrays and formations. Even then it would be up to the elders to fight if there was a serious attack. Walls like these, while impressive mean nothing if you can fly to bypass them,” I replied.
“Flight, you know the secrets of flight? It is a legend,” the Vice Leader said.
“Perhaps that is one thing we can trade when I discuss things with your Sect Leader,” I replied, and the Vice Leader nodded. “I will say that you won’t be able to make the necessary arrays or formations, and technological flight will be tricky without metals or combustion engines. The lack of energy and metal prohibit such things.”
“Ah, that is true. But perhaps as a curiosity or something to be worked on in some of the Elder’s spare time.” We cleared the wall and entered the Sect itself. The mountaintop was quite large with the ground inside being at a higher elevation. I had noted that the tunnel through the wall was at an incline. The interior only had four stories from the ground to the top of the wall.
There were a cluster of buildings nearby right after we entered, but in the distance, I could see large fields growing a range of plants. I had also noted that the outside of the Sect was being farmed as well. “While it will probably never happen, we can last two years in the event of siege. But the primary concern is enemy cultivators, since we are in a good relationship with the Flame Emperor. His family is one of the founding families of the Flame Sect,” Vice Leader Tan explained. Ah nepotism at its finest with cultivators putting their relatives into key positions, like Emperor.