"Greetings, Commander Gao!"
Along both sides of the corridor leading to the Imperial Court's core district, guards clad in Starry Heavy Armor struck their right fists to their chests and solemnly saluted Gao Zheng's group.
The clanging collision of armor echoed through the austere corridor, displaying the Ninth Guard Regiment's unquestionable standing within the Empire's hierarchy.
The group proceeded without obstruction until they stopped before an enormous golden door.
Carved upon it was the Empire Emblem of sun and moon shining together amid encircling stars, exuding an aura of majesty and antiquity.
Two guards stood before the door. Unlike the guards outside, they did not salute, merely giving silent, slight nods.
Then starlight flowed around their bodies as vast stellar power poured into the door.
The emblem on the door seemed to ignite in an instant, radiating a gentle yet imposing glow.
"Buzzz—"
With a deep hum, the massive golden doors slowly opened inward, revealing the profound hall beyond.
What was even more startling was that the energy fluctuations emanating from these seemingly ordinary gatekeepers had reached the peak of the Starry Sky Realm, just a hair away from the Bright Moon Realm.
With such powerful experts guarding the entrance, the Imperial Court's deep foundations were plain to see.
Once Lu Xuan's group entered the hall, the golden doors behind them silently closed amid soft, dazzling golden light, completely severing the inside from the outside.
Beneath their feet, a Blood-Red Carpet stretched forward. Its material was extraordinary, and rather than ordinary patterns, it bore a Ten Thousand Mile Territory Map of the Star Lan Empire woven through secret arts.
Mountains, rivers, and the veins of cities lay faintly within it, while phantoms of sun, moon, and stars slowly circulated and waxed and waned across the carpet. Walking upon it felt