Chapter 10: The Grand Xia Imperial Capital

At the Yinglong Guard branch, Crimson Dragon Mountain range, beside the enormous pagoda-shaped teleportation array, a white-robed old man sat cross-legged, silently waiting.

“The Shaoyin clan really hates Ji Ning to the bone. They long ago asked us to keep an eye out and notify them immediately if we spot him,” the ten servants maintaining the array murmured to each other. “But they still sent one of their own Yinglong Guards to squat here long-term.”

“It’s been over a year. Ji Ning must have left Anchan Commandery long ago. This Shaoyin Yinglong Guard is still foolishly waiting here.”

“They say Ji Ning killed a young master of the Shaoyin clan named ‘Shaoyin Nong.’ How could the Shaoyin clan not go mad? Anchan Commandery is Ji Ning’s hometown, and this teleportation array is the largest in the commandery, capable of reaching anywhere in the Grand Xia Dynasty. Of course they’d keep a long-term watch here.”

Just as the ten servants were gossiping, the teleportation array suddenly lit up.

“Someone’s coming.” The ten servants all turned to look.

The white-robed old man, who had been sitting cross-legged all along, also opened his eyes out of habit. He had been squatting here for far too long; every time the array lit up or someone used it, he paid attention.

Hum!

Inside the teleportation array appeared a youth dressed in animal skins, with a small green snake coiled around his arm and a large snow-white dog beside him.

“Ji Ning!” The ten servants maintaining the array and the white-robed old man sitting cross-legged in the distance all exclaimed in shock.

Animal-skin youth? Green snake? Snow-white dog?

That was too, too iconic! Absolutely Ji Ning’s image.

“Is… is that Ji Ning?” the white-robed old man couldn’t help asking the ten servants. In his mind, even if Ji Ning really used the teleportation array, he should have been very discreet—changing his appearance, temporarily putting away his spirit beasts so no one could see them, and changing his clothes. But when Ji Ning appeared without any disguise, the old man found it hard to believe.

“Could it be a fake?” The thought crossed the white-robed old man’s mind.

“It’s him. That’s Ji Ning,” the ten servants said. “We’ve seen him several times. No mistake.”

“Yes, I am Ji Ning.”

The animal-skin youth stood inside the array, his gaze falling on the ten servants.

The ten servants were so frightened they stepped back several paces. This was a Yinglong Guard branch; if Ji Ning dared to kill, he would be hunted down. Though they knew it was unlikely he would act, the thought that Ji Ning, now hunted by the Shaoyin clan, might do anything, made them fearful.

“Everyone,” Ji Ning said, “I wish to go to the Grand Xia Imperial Capital. Please activate the teleportation array.”

“To the Grand Xia Imperial Capital?” The ten servants were stunned.

Instead of fleeing to some remote place, he was heading to the heart of the Grand Xia Dynasty?

“Activate the array now?” Ji Ning barked.

“Alright.” The ten servants hesitated a moment, then quickly agreed. Regardless, the feud between the Shaoyin clan and Ji Ning was a private matter. Ji Ning was still openly a member of the Yinglong Guard, and if he wanted to go to the Grand Xia Imperial Capital, they couldn’t stop him.

The ten servants immediately began fine-tuning the teleportation array.

“Wait, I’m going to the Grand Xia Imperial Capital too.” The white-robed old man also walked over and stepped directly into the array.

Inside the array.

Ji Ning and the white-robed old man looked at each other.

“You’re quite bold,” the white-robed old man said in a low voice. “It’s only been a little over a year, and you dare to return to Anchan Commandery?”

“This is my hometown. Why wouldn’t I dare?” Ji Ning glanced at him. “And you’ve been squatting here for over a year? How pitiful.” This man’s strength was mediocre. Ji Ning’s divine sense swept over the white-robed old man, estimating that he was probably a Wanxiang Adept, or perhaps a terrifying existence far beyond Ji Ning’s ability to detect. If he couldn’t sense anything at all, the other party would have to be at least a Celestial Immortal.

With Ji Ning’s current divine sense and perception of the Dao, for him to have no awareness at all, the other party would have to be at least a Celestial Immortal.

Clearly, this old man squatting here wasn’t a Celestial Immortal.

“You returned to Anchan Commandery, and now that your whereabouts are exposed, you want to go to the Grand Xia Imperial Capital instead? Hmph, Ji Ning, you can’t escape. Those my Shaoyin clan wants to kill are doomed,” the white-robed old man said.

“Oh, is that so? Then come kill me,” Ji Ning taunted.

“Both of you, the array is set. Destination: Grand Xia Imperial Capital.” The ten servants said as they stepped out of the array.

Soon the array lit up.

Whoosh.

The array was empty; all had vanished.

…

The Grand Xia Imperial Capital, the core of this major world, was a place of mixed multitudes and countless experts. Compared to its city scale and number of experts, Anchan Commandery was like a remote backwater town.

Within the Grand Xia Imperial Capital stood a towering mountain ten thousand li high, the highest peak in the capital, named—Yinglong Divine Mountain!

Yinglong Divine Mountain was the tallest structure, even surpassing the imperial palace’s most majestic Tianmang Hall by a slight margin.

Yinglong Divine Mountain was ten thousand li high, while the Tianmang Hall in the imperial palace was 9,999 li high. They were the first and second tallest structures in the Grand Xia Imperial Capital… and indeed, across the entire Grand Xia Dynasty, there were no taller buildings. Yes, buildings—Yinglong Divine Mountain itself was a massive treasure artifact!

Halfway up Yinglong Divine Mountain, there were many enormous teleportation arrays. This was the hub of this major world, where countless beings arrived daily via teleportation, even from other major worlds.

Whoosh.

One of the many teleportation arrays on the mountainside suddenly lit up, revealing a group: a white-robed old man, an animal-skin youth, a small green snake, and a large snow-white dog.

“He’s Ji Ning. Go report immediately.” As soon as he appeared, the white-robed old man’s gaze fell on two armored soldiers nearby, and he sent a telepathic message. These two soldiers were Shaoyin clan members permanently stationed here to receive guests and such.

“Ji Ning?”

The two soldiers were startled. They exchanged glances, and one of them immediately flew down from the mountainside.

Ji Ning, however, led Xiaoqing and Bai Shu leisurely to the cliff’s edge, overlooking the endless capital below. From this height, there was not a trace of cloud or mist. Though the mountainside was at an altitude of three thousand li, below was completely clear, every detail visible.

There was no dust either; everything was crystal clear.

Looking down, he could see the magnificent, enormous city, its end invisible. In the distance, he could faintly see another towering, majestic celestial palace—the Tianmang Hall, where the Grand Xia Emperor usually resided. Tianmang Hall was 9,999 li high, itself a treasure artifact, radiating dazzling lights of various colors: gold, silver, red, cyan, purple…

These myriad lights illuminated the entire capital.

At the same time, starting at about six thousand li up Tianmang Hall, clouds appeared—a layer of beautiful red clouds.

“Legend has it that the Grand Xia Imperial Capital’s Tianmang Hall is 9,999 li high, with red clouds at six thousand li, and above that other cloud layers, totaling nine layers of clouds! In majesty, it can rival the Heavenly Court’s Cloud Palace. Seeing it today, it’s truly extraordinary,” Ji Ning marveled.

“So tall! They say both Tianmang Hall and Yinglong Divine Mountain are treasures,” Xiaoqing exclaimed. “Look at the endless light radiating from Tianmang Hall. Such power… if this massive Tianmang Hall is a treasure, what kind of treasure must it be?”

“At least Immortal-rank, very likely a Pure Yang treasure,” Ji Ning said softly.

“Let’s go down.”

Ji Ning led Xiaoqing and Bai Shu, flying out from the mountainside.

Whoosh!

Riding the wind, they looked out over the endless capital, utterly awestruck. This was no mortal city; it could only exist in the heavens.

“Legend has it that the wandering immortal ‘Dong You’ led a host of immortals and god-demons from a major world, stormed the Heavenly Court, forced the heavenly forces to bow, and reunited with his beloved,” Ji Ning sighed. “Seeing the grandeur of the Grand Xia Imperial Capital, I believe a major world’s emperor indeed has such power.”

Ji Ning also noticed.

In books about the Heavenly Court and the Underworld, the Heavenly Emperor was not treated with great respect.

It seemed that a major world’s emperor could converse with the Heavenly Emperor as an equal. That was the impression Ji Ning got from reading many books.

…

Flying down from Yinglong Divine Mountain, they landed on a long road paved as if with clouds.

On this vast cloud street, as far as the eye could see, people either flew on treasures, rode in carriages, or rode spirit beasts. Not a single mortal walked on the street.

Ji Ning turned to look back. Behind him was Yinglong Divine Mountain, so tall its peak was invisible. “Yinglong Divine Mountain is even a bit taller than Tianmang Hall. Tianmang Hall is the Grand Xia Emperor’s residence, while Yinglong Divine Mountain is merely the Yinglong Guard headquarters. Why is it given such a high status?”

Ji Ning wondered silently. Building heights had strict rules. Tianmang Hall was 9,999 li high; no commandery city in the realm dared to build anything that tall. Yet Yinglong Divine Mountain was slightly taller.

“Truly the Imperial Capital,” Ji Ning said. “Let’s go see the imperial palace first.”

Ji Ning stopped pondering.

He took out a puppet carriage, wreathed in mist, pulled by a black dragon puppet. This carriage was left by Shaoyin Nong. Although the immortal Ju Hua had left far more treasures than Shaoyin Nong, including better immortal carriages, Ji Ning thought it best to keep a low profile.

Whoosh. The black dragon carriage flew, with Ji Ning seated inside, a green snake on one side and a White Water Marsh on the other.

Soon the carriage reached the foot of the imperial palace.

The palace walls were over ten thousand zhang high, with a massive gate guarded by four humanoid god-demons, each also ten thousand zhang tall. One had fiery red skin and snorted flames. One was cyan all over, surrounded by water mist. One gleamed with golden light, sharp golden energy in his eyes. The last was pitch black, with a large serpent coiled around him.

These four god-demons guarded the gate; entering or leaving the palace required their permission.

“My heavens.” Ji Ning looked at the four ten-thousand-zhang god-demons guarding the gate, trembling inwardly.

“Master, these four god-demons… they each feel as strong as that one in Yushan Great Wasteland,” Xiaoqing and Bai Shu marveled as well.