Chapter 323: Arriving at the Royal Capital

Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Arriving at the Royal Capital

Chapter 323: Arriving at the Royal Capital

The white-gold skiff hovered magnificently above the colossal gates of the Imperial Capital.

Outside, the streets were entirely gridlocked.

The carriages were moving slowly on the avenue, while countless travelers had completely halted their steps, their necks craned upward to see the person high in the skiff.

’Is that really him?’

The thought echoed in the minds of nearly every single person standing in the sprawling plaza below.

They hadn’t even come for their own business.

The vast majority of the crowd had flocked to the capital for two reasons alone: tomorrow’s dynasty-shaking duel, and the hope of catching a single glimpse of him.

The legendary backer of the Celestial Elixir Pavilion.

Grandmaster Korryn.

Aside from a very select few people, no one in the entire Solathane Dynasty had ever known what Grandmaster Korryn actually looked like.

And now, the legendary figure was standing right there on the deck of the white-gold skiff!

"I see him! He looks so noble and dignified!"

"What an unfathomable aura! Just standing there, he feels like a sacred mountain!"

"So that is the man who dared to challenge the Alchemy Emperor..."

Countless pairs of eyes stared up in the sky in reverence, trying to brand the face of Grandmaster Korryn into their memories.

Meanwhile, suspended in the air near the boundary array, the patrol guards of the Imperial Capital were sweating profusely.

This was the man who had publicly bet his own life to challenge the Alchemy Emperor!

He didn’t dare to make the decision to block this man on his own.

If he offended an existence like this, his life wouldn’t be worth a single copper coin.

With trembling fingers, the commander hastily retrieved a glowing golden transmission talisman from his spatial ring.

He channeled a thread of essence, sending an urgent message.

A few seconds passed.

Buzz—!

The talisman flashed with a response.

The patrol leader’s expression immediately turned extremely respectful.

He stored the talisman away and bowed deeply from atop his mount.

"Forgive my insolence, Grandmaster!" the commander shouted respectfully, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. "The Royal Court has been expecting you! Please, enter the capital!"

He waved his hand frantically at his men.

"CLEAR THE PATH!"

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The hundreds of elite Imperial guards and their flying spirit beasts instantly parted like the splitting of a massive sea, opening a wide, unobstructed path through the sky.

Rhain simply placed his hands casually behind his back.

"Proceed," Rhain ordered calmly.

BOOM—!!!

The white-gold skiff surged forward, cruising majestically past the bowing Imperial guards and passing straight through the shimmering boundary arrays of Solathane City.

The moment their skiff officially crossed the threshold into the Imperial Capital—

[Ding!]

[Location Sign-In Node detected: Solathane City — Imperial Capital.]

[Would you like to sign in?]

’Sign in,’ Rhain confirmed internally without a single second of hesitation.

[Location Sign-In Successful!]

[Congratulations! You have received the Emperor-Grade Artifact: Heavenly Illusion Piercing Mirror.]

[Item automatically sent to System Inventory.]

Rhain’s heart skipped a beat as a torrent of profound knowledge integrated directly into his mind, detailing the artifact’s properties.

[Heavenly Illusion Piercing Mirror: An Emperor-Grade Artifact. When infused with Soul Power, this mirror can instantly shatter any illusion, barrier, or concealment array below the Monarch Realm. Furthermore, it can reflect a fatal essence attack even from a Monarch Realm directed at the host back upon the caster with double the original destructive force. Cooldown Period is 24hrs.]

Truly worthy of an Emperor-Grade life-saving artifact!

To not only neutralize an attack from a Monarch, but to reflect it with double the destructive force—it was an ultimate trump card that could instantly turn the tide against an overpowering enemy!

"A perfect harvest," Rhain murmured softly to himself.

There was still exactly one day left before the highly anticipated Alchemy Duel.

Vulcan, ever the efficient manager, had already secured a private, heavily warded residence for their delegation within the capital.

The white-gold skiff adjusted its course, gliding directly toward their designated sector.

Rhain stood at the edge of the deck, the cold wind of the high altitudes brushed past his flowing white robes.

His gaze drifted toward the distant horizon.

What he saw made his eyes narrow slightly.

Several towering structures pierced the clouds like massive golden and crimson spears.

But right in the dead center of those monoliths stood a structure that was completely absurd.

It was so impossibly colossal that even from the high altitude of the skiff, Rhain could not see its pinnacle. It vanished entirely into the highest stratosphere.

Rhain had never seen anything like it before in his life.

He could only imagine how unimaginably colossal and magnificent those structures truly were up close.

"Master."

A respectful voice broke his observation.

Peregrine stepped forward, stopping half a pace behind Rhain.

He followed his Master’s gaze toward the towering monuments of civilization.

"That central structure is the Royal Palace," Peregrine explained, his voice carrying a trace of deeply ingrained awe. "And the colossal estates surrounding it belong to the other Imperial Families of the dynasty."

Peregrine looked at the distant skyline with admiring eyes.

"Their accumulated power, their foundation, and their wealth... they are simply unparalleled. They are the true masters of this dynasty."

Rhain listened to Peregrine’s explanation in complete silence.

His dark grey eyes did not show a single trace of fear, awe, or reverence.

Instead, a chilling, murderous light flashed deep within his pupils.

’Lucius,’ Rhain thought coldly.

That man must be sitting comfortably inside one of those magnificent structures right now.

-------------------

Meanwhile, high above the bustling streets of the capital.

At the apex of the Royal Palace, within an incredibly opulent pavilion that overlooked the entirety of Solathane City.

Lucius stood gracefully on his grand balcony.

He had just received the urgent transmission from his border patrols.

The news that Grandmaster Korryn had already entered the capital.

The corners of his lips slowly curled into a triumphant smirk.

From his vantage point, his amber eyes pierced through the distance.

Miles away, he could clearly see a tiny, white-gold dot gliding through the sky

Rhain’s skiff.

Lucius rested his hands on the polished marble railing, a venomous light swirling in his eyes.

’You rejected my envoys. You refused my invitations..." Lucius murmured, his velvet voice dripping with self-complacency. "You dared to act so high and mighty, hiding behind your closed doors."

"But look at you now." Lucuis let out a mocking scoff.

"In the end, didn’t you still have to come exactly where I wanted you."

A chuckle escaped his lips as he saw the tiny dot going farther and farther away from his vision.

"Welcome to Solathane City, Grandmaster Korryn."