Marquis Lin Shan's round trip between Mountain Overlook City and the Royal City, as well as his stay in the Royal City, took a total of half a month. If a Pseudo Transcendent Realm master needed this much time, then those below the Pseudo Transcendent Realm would need even more time.
The difference in cultivation between Chen Zong and Yan Wei was too great. Yan Wei had to take care of Chen Zong, so his speed was even slower.
Under Yan Wei's lead, the two took shortcuts, crossing mountains and ridges. They traveled at full speed during the day and only stopped late at night to rest and practice their Secret Arts and Martial Arts.
Along the way, they also encountered some dangers, such as some True Martial Realm Demonic Beasts or some powerful bandits. If it was Chen Zong, he would have to think of a way to kill him, but with Yan Wei, no one could stop him.
After a month, Chen Zong finally stepped into the King's Capital.
In this one month's time, even though Chen Zong's training time had been shorter than usual due to the constant travel, he had still managed to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation. He had reached the middle stage of the Ninth Refinement Stage, and his battle prowess had increased by another level. Furthermore, he had witnessed Yan Wei's attacks many times and had gained some insights from them, further enriching his swordsmanship.
The King's Capital was a bustling area surrounded by twenty-meter-high and five-meter-thick walls.
The ancient walls were mottled, telling of the vicissitudes of time. On the walls, there were sentries to monitor all movements outside.
The King's Capital was an important place for the King's Capital and could not be lost.
"Most of the powerhouses and geniuses of the King's Capital are concentrated in the King's Capital." Yan Wei said as he led Chen Zong to the huge ancient city gate, "If you want to make a name for yourself, you have to start from the King's Capital."
Chen Zong nodded.
Unlike the Monster Beasts in the Eastern Continent, the cultivators of the Cloud Dragon Dynasty had never been threatened by the Monster Beast Army. Therefore, their initial cultivation was not to resist the Monster Beasts, but to strengthen themselves and pursue the Martial Dao, making a name for themselves.
Even for many cultivators, making a name for themselves was a way to prove themselves.
"The imperial city is not like Linshan County. The royal family is the most powerful. There are also nobles and high officials in the imperial court. They have a lot of power and are very complicated. If you accidentally get involved, you may be swallowed whole." Yan Wei's voice was full of emotion, as if he had experienced it deeply.
"Young Master, with your talent and potential, once you display them, there will be many people who want to rope you in." Yan Wei thought about it and continued, "The marquis also warned me that no matter who is trying to rope you in, I have to see clearly and think thrice before I act. If you are unwilling, it is best to obtain the title of state knight and return to Linshan Commandery."
Chen Zong nodded.
"After entering the capital, let's go to the Guan Mansion first."
"Alright."
The Marquis of Linshan's name was in the mountains, so he naturally wasn't a rootless duckweed. His roots were in the royal capital's Guan Residence.
Within the Imperial Capital, the Guan Residence was also a well-known family. This was because the Guan Residence not only had the Marquis of Mountain Front, but also another marquis. His title was the Marquis of Zhengyuan.
Having two marquises in one family was very rare.
One had to know that in the entire Cloud Dragon Dynasty, there were more than ten thousand officials, but there were only twenty or so who had the title of marquis. Each county had a marquis overseeing it, while the other marquises were either in the army or within the Imperial Capital.
Currently, there were a total of five marquises in the Imperial Capital, and the Marquis of Zhengyuan was one of them.
In addition to the marquises, there were also five kings in the dynasty. Three of the kings were overseeing the three provinces, while the other two lived in the Imperial Capital.
The five kings were all true Transcendents, and were also one of the few Transcendents in the dynasty. As for the twenty or so marquises, they were all pseudo Transcendents.
As Yan Wei walked through the huge city gates, the roads were smooth and wide. There was an endless stream of horses and carriages, and it was bustling with activity.
Walking on the streets, Chen Zong felt the unique prosperity. This was something that even the Eastern Continent's True Martial Main City couldn't compare to, not even a tenth of it.
As people came and went, Chen Zong felt that many of them were emitting a tyrannical aura. It was the aura of inner force. Some of them were even tyrannical in their blood and Qi. Some of them even emitted an extremely powerful aura that far surpassed inner force.
The Eastern Continent claimed that everyone was a martial artist, but in fact, it wasn't. At least half of the people were still unable to practice martial arts. One was limited by talent, and the other was limited by resources.
After all, the Qi and Blood Realm in the martial artist system was the foundation of the foundation. It was closely related to the human body. Only by strengthening one's Qi and Blood Qi could one become truly powerful. This required a lot of food to supplement, and in the later stages, ordinary food couldn't keep up with the body's consumption. Forcing one to cultivate would only bring unnecessary wear and tear to the body.
After all, those who had the financial resources to buy herbs and so on were only a small part of the population.
When one reached the Qi Refining Realm, even if one didn't have suitable herbs or pills, they could slowly improve without harming the body.
But in the Cloud Dragon Dynasty, it was different. Everyone was truly a martial artist. Even if it was a peddler or a waiter in a restaurant, they were at least at the Qi and Blood Realm fourth stage.
With a strong Qi and Blood Qi and a strong body, they would have a better spirit. Naturally, they would work harder, earn more money, and further promote their cultivation, forming a virtuous cycle.
It could be said that the martial arts in the Cloud Dragon Dynasty had already formed a virtuous cycle. Unless there was a major disaster, it would only become stronger and stronger with the passage of time.
"Young Master, there's actually something special about the Royal Capital. It's divided into an inner and outer city. It's a city within a city." Yan Wei led Chen Zong quickly along the wide road and said, "The outer city is where many forces gather, while the inner city is where the royal family and the Marquis' residences gather."
The inner city was the real city of the Royal Capital. It was where the royal family resided, and was the most important.
Walking through the bustling streets, Chen Zong also saw the inner city's walls.
There were no shops within a thousand meters of the inner city's walls, and no idle people were allowed to come close.
The inner city's walls were ten meters high. Compared to the outer city's walls, although it was half the size, it was more exquisite. It seemed to be made of metal, and it looked very hard and unbreakable.
The inner city's gates were made of bronze and were tightly shut. There were two guards standing on each side of the gate. They wore silver armor and had long swords at their waists. Their expressions were cold and solemn, and their eyes were as sharp as blades. When Chen Zong and Yan Wei approached, the two guards' gazes immediately fell on their faces, as if they wanted to see through them.
Yan Wei's expression didn't change, but Chen Zong felt like he was being pointed at by a long sword, as if he was going to be pierced.
"Two Genuine Martial Realm warriors!" Chen Zong was surprised.
Using Genuine Martial Realm warriors as guards to guard the city gates was indeed a big deal.
Chen Zong could even feel even more obscure gazes coming from all directions, landing on his body. Each gaze brought about an invisible pressure, and he was sure that they were all True Martial Realm martial artists. They should be the so-called hidden sentries.
"As expected of the inner city of the Royal Capital. Such precautions." Chen Zong couldn't help but think to himself.
"Stop. This is the inner city of the Royal Capital. Unrelated people are not allowed to approach." One of the guards said coldly. He was a member of the Imperial Guard and took orders from the Emperor directly. Therefore, regardless of whether it was a king or a marquis, he would not show any mercy to anyone who violated the rules.
Yan Wei took out a token from his pocket. It was the token of the Marquis of Linshan.
After carefully examining the token and asking a few questions, the two guards opened the inner city gates and let Yan Wei and Chen Zong in.
There were no shops within a thousand meters of the inner city behind the city gates. It was very spacious.
The streets were as wide as the outer city, but the flooring was more exquisite. The shops on the left and right were not only larger, but also more extravagantly decorated. It was very impressive.
The people entering and exiting the shops were also dressed in luxurious clothes. They were extraordinary.
"The Guan Residence is not far from here." Yan Wei said. After leading Chen Zong forward, they turned into a street on the right. Not long after, they came to a stop, and a huge mansion appeared before their eyes.
…
"Yan Wei greets the Marquis of Zhengyuan." Yan Wei bowed, and Chen Zong followed suit.
This was the main hall of the Guan Residence. At the head of the hall was a middle-aged man who looked similar to the Marquis of Linshan, but seemed more mature. He was one of the two Marquises of the Guan Residence, the Marquis of Zhengyuan. He was the head of the Guan Residence and also the elder brother of the Marquis of Linshan, Guan Zaishan.
The two Marquises were a family of brothers. They were the Marquis of Zhengyuan and the Marquis of Linshan.
"You may dispense with the formalities, Guard Yan." The Marquis of Zhengyuan said solemnly. His imposing gaze fell on Chen Zong's face. Chen Zong suddenly felt like he was being seen through. However, the Leakless Body made Chen Zong's aura restrained. Even someone as powerful as the Marquis of Zhengyuan couldn't see through him.
As expected, the Marquis of Zhengyuan frowned slightly. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He couldn't see through him.
"You are Chen Zong. Are you my second brother's new disciple?" The Marquis of Zhengyuan asked with a serious expression.
"Yes." Chen Zong responded respectfully. This was his Honored Master's big brother. Just this point alone made Chen Zong have to give him the corresponding respect, not to mention the other party's identity as a Pseudo Transcendent Realm master and a Marquis of the dynasty.
"Second Brother asked you to come to the Imperial City for the State Knight title." The Marquis of Zhengyuan said unhurriedly, "However, other than you, there are others who also want the State Knight title. However, there is a limit to the number of State Knights conferred by the dynasty every year. Whether you can obtain it depends on your ability."
Chen Zong listened quietly. In this regard, there was insufficient information, so there was no room for him to interrupt. Yan Wei also listened quietly. The Marquis of Zhengyuan had always lived in the Inner City, so he had a clearer grasp of the dynasty's movements.
"In the past, there was only one State Knight title every year. Only one person could obtain the State Knight title."
Hearing the Marquis of Zhengyuan's words, Chen Zong wasn't surprised because Yan Wei had already told him this on the way here. One State Knight title per year was the limit, and it was possible that no one could obtain it. It could be said that the dynasty would rather have nothing than something substandard, which made the State Knight title even more precious.
"However, due to some special reasons this year, the preliminary decision was to increase the number of State Knight titles to three. As for the final decision, we will know after some time."
As soon as the Marquis of Zhengyuan's words came out, not only Yan Wei, but Chen Zong also revealed a face full of surprise and joy.
If it was only one spot, the competition would be very, very high. Chen Zong actually wasn't sure whether he could obtain it. After all, there were many geniuses in the dynasty, and he wasn't the only one.
However, if the number of spots increased from one to three, it meant that the chances had increased by a lot. Perhaps in the end, Chen Zong could obtain a spot and be conferred the title of State Knight.
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