itch.io

an inner wilderness will be faster than paragon cities

the imperial city should be faster in certain spots than wildernesses

I can only answer the 2nd question. Deeper wildernesses at the stage of the game I'm guessing you are at has better cultivation than what the outer imperial city offers or paragon cities offer.

Familiarity in Willbrook will unlock some bonuses when maxed, in towns it usually unlocks scenes, though the game does not tell you when you have unlocked them all (unless things changed since I played those parts).