Chapter 993: Journey to the Capital

Meng Zhang accompanied Han Yao and the others, using the long-distance teleportation formation to leave the Crossing Severing Mountain Range and arrive on the mainland of the Dali Dynasty.

Amidst the sensation of spinning and turning, time seemed to have passed by quickly as Meng Zhang's figure appeared in a grand hall.

The Five Punishments Guards who had arrived before him were already familiar with the place, leaving the hall and heading outside.

Although Meng Zhang had come together with these Five Punishments Guards, he had previously mentioned that he would act alone, and they didn't need to wait for him.

Upon stepping outside the hall, Meng Zhang found himself facing a colossal fortress.

Within the fortress lay numerous powerful defensive installations, both directed outward and inward. The garrison of this fortress consisted of the elite guards of the Dali Dynasty.

Key points of the fortress were heavily guarded, and squads of elite soldiers patrolled all around, leaving no blind spots.

Fortunately, Meng Zhang had arrived with the Five Punishments Guards, and he possessed the honorary status of a Five Punishments Guards member. Thus, he took a dedicated passage, and the inspection process was quite straightforward.

If it were any other Cultivator transported here directly, they would undergo rigorous checks, and their identity and origins would be thoroughly investigated before they could gain entry and exit privileges.

This place was the capital city of the Dali Dynasty, known as the Imperial Capital. It was the most critical location in the entire Dali Dynasty.

Whether it was in terms of internal or external affairs, the security measures were stringent, maintaining a high level of vigilance.

The long-distance teleportation formation was a shortcut directly into the Imperial Capital. Naturally, it was closely monitored. The consequences would be dire if enemies were to infiltrate here.

Similar fortresses numbered a total of four within the Imperial Capital.

Each fortress housed different long-distance teleportation formations.

These fortresses securely guarded the long-distance teleportation formations, ensuring no issues arose.

Through the long-distance teleportation formations within the fortresses, the Imperial Capital of the Dali Dynasty remained in close contact with the entirety of the dynasty, its various regions, and even enclaves beyond its borders.

An important factor in determining the extent of a dynasty's rule was its transportation and communication network.

The Dali Dynasty distributed numerous communication stone tablets to various locations, guaranteeing that information from the court could be promptly relayed across the land.

A multitude of long-distance teleportation formations covered nearly all the territories of the Dali Dynasty.

Bridging gaps and overcoming obstacles, the entire Dali Dynasty was united as one.Speaking purely in terms of territorial control, the Dali Dynasty surpassed the vast majority of sects within the Grand Dust World, including those Holy Land Sects.

After passing the inspection, Meng Zhang left the fortress alone.

He intended to wander around the Imperial Capital by himself, as there were matters he preferred to keep discreet.

These four fortresses were located in the four corners of the Imperial Capital, and the fortress where Meng Zhang was situated was on the eastern side of the capital.

Leaving the fortress, Meng Zhang's eyes took in the entirety of the Imperial Capital.

Within the city, apart from cultivators engaged in official duties, there were also high-ranking officials and dignitaries. Ordinary cultivators couldn't casually fly around within the city.

Cultivators were categorized into different ranks based on their status and position, each enjoying different privileges within the Imperial Capital.

For instance, in Meng Zhang's case, as the Taiyi Sect Sect Master and a cultivator at the Primordial Spirit realm, he could fly at most at a height of ten zhang (around 30 meters).

As a member of the Five Punishments Guards, he could fly within a space of thirty zhang (around 90 meters) on regular days. There would be no limitations during official tasks.

Ascending to a height of twenty or thirty zhang, Meng Zhang gazed into the distance.

The architecture within the Imperial Capital was very organized and orderly.

The entire city was divided into different blocks.

Each block represented a separate district.

Some were residential areas, and others were commercial zones.

As the capital of the Dali Dynasty, the Imperial Capital was a city where both immortals and mortals coexisted.

Of course, although mortals were numerous within the city, they were to some extent connected with cultivators.

They might be mortal relatives of cultivators or mortal servants serving cultivators, or even servants of servants, and so on.

Higher-level cultivators naturally had lower-level cultivators serving them. Lower-level cultivators, if from humble backgrounds, could only have mortal servants.

The city maintained good public order and a well-organized atmosphere.

Just as Meng Zhang had left the fortress, a dozen or so Refining Qi stage junior cultivators approached from the side.

They were locals who took advantage of their familiarity with the surroundings to act as guides and earn some income.

Meng Zhang randomly picked a seemingly honest young man and asked him to show him around the city.Although he had known from various pieces of information beforehand that the Imperial Capital was an immensely magnificent city, being there in person still left Meng Zhang greatly amazed.

Meng Zhang was a man of few words, struggling to find the right words to describe this colossal city.

The guide ahead displayed the Divine Movement Art and sped forward, while Meng Zhang followed at a seemingly leisurely pace.

Meng Zhang's trip to the Imperial Capital wasn't for sightseeing, and he had no intention of getting too distracted by unrelated places.

Guided by the local, he took a brief tour around the vicinity before proceeding to his destination as instructed.

After traversing residential areas and passing through commercial districts, it took them nearly half a day to circumvent a significant portion of the city and finally arrive at Meng Zhang's destination: the outskirts of the Dali Dynasty's Imperial City.

Meng Zhang raised a slightly surprised gaze at the guide. For a mere Refining Qi stage junior cultivator, his proficiency in the Divine Movement Art was quite impressive, displaying remarkable speed.

The Imperial City of the Dali Dynasty was equally a grand spectacle.

Its towering walls that soared into the sky were entirely constructed from meticulously refined wall bricks by skilled artisans.

The surface of the walls was covered with intricate runes and formations.

Atop the walls, members of the Imperial Guards clad in standardized armor patrolled to and fro.

Tall arrow towers stood in close succession, each housing artillery and crossbows created through mechanical arts.

Critical departments of the Dali Dynasty's court were situated in the outer precincts of the Imperial City.

Within the inner city of the Imperial City resided Ba Wudi and the concubines.

Meng Zhang tossed a spiritual stone, dismissing the guide, and walked directly towards the guards stationed outside the main gate of the Imperial City.

Initially dismissive and not casting a glance, the guards, upon seeing Meng Zhang present the Five Punishments Guard token, conducted a thorough inspection before allowing him entry.

If Meng Zhang hadn't joined the Five Punishments Guards and gained backing, if he had come here on his own, even just entering the Imperial City and reaching his intended destination would have consumed much time and effort.

Despite being a cultivator at the mid-Primordial Spirit realm and a lord of a sect, such status within the Imperial Capital wasn't as influential as that of a member of the Five Punishments Guards.

The Dali Dynasty spanned vast territories and housed numerous cultivators, with formidable experts abound.

Especially within the capital city of the dynasty, a significant number of top-tier cultivators from various regions gathered, and mid-Primordial Spirit cultivators were neither scarce nor rare.

Without special status or someone's recommendation, a mid-Primordial Spirit cultivator indeed wouldn't receive such warm treatment.

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