The night passed in silence. Although they were deep within the Imperial City Mountain Range, Lin Yun’s group was perfectly safe thanks to the Black-striped Tiger. Not a single Demon Beast dared to approach them all night.

When it was time to head back, Lin Yun and Chen Xin sat on the Black-striped Tiger’s back. Although Wangcai and Li Ji were green with envy, they didn’t dare show the slightest dissatisfaction. A single glare from the Black-striped Tiger was enough to scare them witless.

What could they do? It was a Primordial Ocean Realm expert, after all. In their Noble Families, such a being was considered an Ancestor Level existence.

According to Wangcai and Li Ji, since they were deep in the Imperial City Mountain Range, it would take at least five days to reach the Capital City, and that was if they traveled nonstop.

Opting not to rush, Lin Yun and the others traveled by day and found a place to rest at night.

A full seven days later, Lin Yun’s group finally arrived outside the Yanhuang Capital. Still several thousand meters away, Lin Yun was already stunned by the sight of the city before him.

If Yunlu County City could be described as prosperous, then the Yanhuang Capital was simply magnificent. The entire city wall was coated in golden paint. Stretching as far as the eye could see, the wall was like a golden ribbon dancing across the land.

And that wasn’t all. Even from outside the Capital City, Lin Yun could see rows upon rows of golden rooftops in the city’s center. A fearsome majesty radiated from that area, powerful enough to make one tremble.

It was as if those golden buildings were the center of the entire world, and any command issued from within had to be obeyed without question.

"That’s the home of the Royal Family—the Imperial Palace," Chen Xin said, standing beside Lin Yun.

After spending a few days together, Chen Xin had come to terms with the fact that Lin Yun would never fall for her. Besides, Lin Yun had already explained his feelings to her quite clearly.

Though heartbroken at first, Chen Xin had accepted it over time. She figured that being friends wasn’t a bad alternative.

Having accepted this, Chen Xin became cheerful again in her interactions with Lin Yun, and Lin Yun, in turn, felt much less guarded around her.

Hearing Chen Xin’s explanation, Lin Yun knew he was witnessing the very heart of the Yanhuang Country. Whether in terms of economics, military might, or politics, the Imperial Palace was, without a doubt, its true center.

Many Martial Artists in the Yanhuang Country believed that there were no more than twenty Primordial Ocean Realm experts in the entire nation, but Lin Yun didn’t believe that number for a second.

’Just think about it,’ he mused. ’Mysterious City has three Primordial Ocean Realm experts, Yanhuang Academy has ten, and then there are the three Grand Generals, including Lin Xiaotian. How many is that already?’

’That’s sixteen Primordial Ocean Realm experts, not even counting those in the other Noble Families. Could the Royal Family really have only four? Is that even possible?’

’If even Yanhuang Academy has ten, the Royal Family must have more, not fewer. There can only be one reason for this misconception: the Royal Family is hiding the true number of Primordial Ocean Realm experts they possess.’

By Lin Yun’s estimation, the Royal Family had to have at least twenty Primordial Ocean Realm experts. Only with that kind of power could their position have remained unshakable for thousands of years.

Lost in thought, Lin Yun sighed. The time and resources required to build such a magnificent and imposing city must have been astronomical.

"Truly magnificent," he sighed involuntarily.

Hearing Lin Yun’s sigh, Wangcai, as a young master from the wealthiest family in the Capital City, was naturally knowledgeable about the Imperial City. He chimed in, "I heard that when the Capital City was first being built, it took nearly a hundred years just to complete the Imperial Palace."

During the thousands of years the Royal Family has ruled the Yanhuang Country, construction on the Capital City has never ceased. It has been continuously expanding, eventually taking its current form.

One could only imagine the sheer scale and magnificence of a city built over a millennium. And even now, construction in the Capital City hadn’t stopped; new buildings and city walls shot up from the ground every day.

This was the first time Lin Yun had ever seen such a colossal city. It took him a full quarter of an hour to compose himself, and then a thought occurred to him.

Turning to Wangcai, Lin Yun asked, "Won’t it be a bit too conspicuous to bring the Black-striped Tiger into the Capital City?"

Lin Yun’s worry was not unfounded. The Black-striped Tiger was a Tier Three Demon Beast, after all—an existence comparable to a Primordial Ocean Realm expert. To just ride it into the city like this...

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Lin Yun’s question, Wangcai simply smiled. "Young Master Lin, it’s better for you to experience the Capital City for yourself. As for the Black-striped Tiger, I can assure you it won’t cause the slightest ripple."

Hearing Wangcai’s reply, Lin Yun was baffled. ’Don’t tell me Tier Three Demon Beasts are running all over the place in the Capital City?’

Wangcai didn’t elaborate, merely gesturing that Lin Yun would understand once they entered the city.

His curiosity piqued, Lin Yun remained on the Black-striped Tiger’s back as the group of four slowly made their way toward the Capital City’s gate.

They covered the several thousand meters in no time and soon arrived at the city gate. When Lin Yun saw the long queue of people waiting to enter, his question was quickly answered.

There is a saying about a frog in a well. The frog, living at the bottom of the well, believes the world is only as big as the patch of sky it can see. The cause of this is its limited perspective.

In the queue, which stretched several hundred meters, Lin Yun spotted no fewer than ten Tier Three Demon Beasts. Their riders weren’t Primordial Ocean Realm experts; on the contrary, they were all young people.

Judging by their clothes and bearing, it wasn’t hard to see that these young men and women were all from Noble Families.

"Young Master Lin, the Capital City isn’t just home to people from the Yanhuang Country. There are Martial Artists from several neighboring countries here as well. A Tier Three Demon Beast isn’t that eye-catching around here," Wangcai explained.

Lin Yun quickly understood and felt relieved. Although Primordial Ocean Realm experts were few, it wasn’t hard for them to tame a Tier Three Demon Beast. In some Noble Families, many of the younger generation were gifted Tier Three Demon Beasts to serve as mounts and protectors.

Following the queue, it was soon their turn. Entry into the Capital City, it turned out, didn’t require any Primordial Stones. A city this magnificent probably looked down on such a meager entrance fee.

To enter the Capital City, one only needed to state their identity and receive a Token. The Token’s sole purpose was to serve as proof of identity within the city, but it also allowed the Royal Family to determine the holder’s location, which was crucial for the city’s security.

"Name, identity," a soldier guarding the gate—a Qi Sea Realm Martial Artist—said curtly, looking at Lin Yun. The soldier barely gave the Black-striped Tiger a second glance, as if such sights were commonplace, and simply took Lin Yun for another young master from some Noble Family.

"Lin Shan, student of the Yanhuang Academy’s Genius Class." He stated his name and identity without any concealment.

The moment the soldier heard he was a student from the Academy’s Genius Class, his expression immediately became respectful. Students of the Genius Class carried a great deal of weight in the Yanhuang Country.

This was because any student who graduated from the Genius Class would almost certainly be given an important position by the Royal Family. Every one of them was a rare talent, the kind the Yanhuang Country could not afford to lose.