And yet, even so.
The concentration of rules here was still far higher than anywhere Shen Yi had visited before coming to the Immortal Sacred Land. That included Alvin's Mechanical Divine Domain and even the core region of the Broken Universe he had occupied.
The Immortal Sacred Land's reputation throughout the Boundary Zone was well earned. Even its outer hall, where visitors were received, offered an environment far superior to the outside world.
Shen Yi and Xilos appeared on a relatively open platform in the outer hall, formed from solidified starlight.
The platform stood in a corner of the outer hall, with a simple railing along its edge. Farther away stretched rows of halls and towers built in a consistent style. Though less imposing than the inner hall's main palace, they covered a considerable area and stood in orderly ranks.
Their arrival immediately drew the attention of several nearby Authority Holders.
Two or three hundred Authority Holders had gathered in the outer hall. They came in all shapes and sizes, and their auras varied in strength.
Some retained humanoid forms, while others were energy beings or alien creatures. Each remained in their place, waiting in line, conversing quietly, or silently contemplating the rules.
When Shen Yi and Xilos emerged from the pale golden curtain of light, many Authority Holders looked their way.
Most of those gazes held scrutiny, curiosity, and a trace of surprise.
Shen Yi and Xilos had not come through the outer hall's usual entrance. They had been transported directly from the inner hall.
To the Authority Holders who were waiting in line and paying Rule Fragments as required, that was clearly unusual.
And when those with keen senses detected the restrained but unmistakably extraordinary fluctuations of Shen Yi's Shadow Authority, along with the pure, searing essence of