Five days passed in the blink of an eye.
The carriage slowly came to a stop before the gates of Heaven Dou City.
Ji Ye lifted the curtain and jumped down. He looked up at the towering city walls and the enormous words "Heaven Dou" above the gate, then strode into the city.
He passed through the gate, walked along the bustling streets, turned a few corners, and stopped before a magnificent palace.
The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Ji Ye stood on the street outside the palace gates, gazing up at the tightly shut vermilion doors.
Ji Ye strolled a few steps to the side and turned into an empty alley.
The alley was narrow, its walls thick with moss. A few battered wooden crates lay on the ground, and the air was heavy with the damp smell of mildew.
He stopped and, after making sure no one was around, slowly raised his right hand.
A transparent halo shimmered at his fingertips, and fine ripples spread through the air.
First Martial Soul: "Void."
Activate!
A spatial passage.
The wall before him seemed to peel away like a layer of gauze, revealing a translucent, circular passage.
At the other end, he could vaguely make out the palace buildings, resplendent in gold and jade, their glazed tiles glinting in the sunlight.
Ji Ye stepped inside.
The next moment, he appeared at the end of a corridor inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Smooth white jade tiles stretched beneath his feet, while tall pillars lined either side, carved with exquisite patterns.
The corridor stretched into the distance. Every so often, a Soul Power lamp hung overhead, its pale blue crystal shade polished to a gleam and radiating a soft light.
Ji Ye didn't stop. His figure blurred, and his Second Soul Ring lit up.
"Second Soul Skill."
"Void: Inch-Distance."
His figure flickered through the corridor again and again. Each teleport was carefully kept utterly silent, and he landed with almost no weight.
He also suppressed the spatial fluctuations as much as he could, to avoid being discovered.
The palace was enormous.
Pavilions and towers stood in orderly profusion, linked by winding, shadowy corridors.
Guards patrolled everywhere, while maids hurried past carrying trays.
Ji Ye had no choice but to keep using spatial travel, each displacement landing precisely in a guard's blind spot.
An hour later.
Ji Ye had covered nearly the entire palace.
His face was growing pale.
Continuously using his Second Soul Skill was indeed exhausting.
His Soul Power was almost drained.
Ji Ye quickened his pace, darting between the pillars like a ghost.
Whenever a guard approached from ahead, he activated his Soul Skill and teleported behind a moon gate nearby. Once the footsteps had passed, he continued on.
Another half a quarter-hour or so passed. He had gone through eight palace gates, crossed seven gardens, and circled around thirty-two patrol teams.
Just as he was about to activate his Second Soul Skill again, a man in ornate armor suddenly emerged from the corner of the corridor beside him.
"Who goes there?! Stop!"
Ji Ye's figure halted, his steps faltering slightly.
The man was tall. His armor gleamed a dark gold in the sunlight, and a deep blue crystal was set into his shoulder insignia. He wore a finely crafted silver helmet, and a longsword hung at his waist.
He stood not far from Ji Ye. Rather than draw his sword, he held out one hand, and a formidable pressure of Soul Power spread from him.
The pressure of a Soul King surged toward Ji Ye like an invisible wall.
Ji Ye stood where he was, unmoving.
His expression didn't change in the slightest. He didn't even take a step back.
The pressure seemed to hit an invisible wall before him and dissipated on its own.
The guard captain's brows drew together slightly.
He increased his Soul Power output, releasing the pressure of a Soul Emperor.
The Soul Power lamps on either side of the corridor swayed in the force of it, their dangling ornaments clinking softly against one another.
But Ji Ye still stood where he was, his clothes not even fluttering.
The guard captain's pupils contracted slightly. He then withdrew his pressure, and a hint of surprise appeared in his gaze as he looked at Ji Ye.
He was a dignified Soul Douluo and the Palace Guard Captain, yet he couldn't see through the depths of this kid's strength!
"Who are you? Why did you trespass into the palace?"
Ji Ye dipped into a slight bow, adopting a deferential posture. His tone was sincere.
"I'm Ji Ye. I have something to discuss with the Crown Prince."
The guard captain stared at him for several breaths.
He had seen his share of spoiled young masters. This youth was dressed plainly, yet carried himself with unusual distinction. He hadn't so much as blinked in the face of Soul Emperor pressure, and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly. However one looked at it, he didn't seem like an ordinary person.
"What do you want with the Crown Prince?"
"I have something I need to hand over to the Crown Prince in person," Ji Ye said calmly.
"It's important."
The guard captain studied Ji Ye's calm eyes and fell silent for a moment.
"If you're here to deliver something, why not hand it to the guards at the palace gates or state your identity?"
Ji Ye smiled.
"Senior, look at how I'm dressed. My status is low, and I'm afraid the item would disappear before it ever reached the Crown Prince. And as for letting me in—do you think that's likely?"
The guard captain opened his mouth, then remembered how the guards often gave visitors a hard time based on their clothes. He snorted.
"Those fellows really do judge a book by its cover. I've reprimanded them a few times, but it did no good."
He gave Ji Ye another once-over.
"Dressed like that, you really don't look like someone from a great clan. But with talent like yours, you certainly aren't a commoner. Which family are you from?"
"Have you ever seen a young master from a great clan pretend to be a commoner?"
Ji Ye smiled as he asked, with a hint of self-mockery in his voice.
The guard captain studied him for two seconds, then decided not to press him further.
"Fine. Come with me. I'll take you to see the Crown Prince. But—"
His voice turned stern.
"If you try any tricks, my sword won't show mercy."
Ji Ye cupped his hands.
"I understand, Senior."
The guard captain turned and walked deeper into the corridor, his stride steady. His boots rang crisply against the white jade floor.
"Follow me."
Ji Ye followed three paces behind him, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
They passed through several palace gates and crossed a broad plaza. The buildings around them grew more and more ornate, and the number of guards increased.
The guard captain led him to a separate palace and stopped.
The doors were shut. Two guards in silver armor stood at the entrance, and they bowed slightly when they saw the guard captain.
"Is the Crown Prince inside?"
"Yes. His Highness just finished reviewing the memorials and is resting inside."
The guard captain nodded, then glanced back at Ji Ye.
"Wait outside. I'll go announce you first."
Ji Ye nodded and stopped at the foot of the steps outside the palace.
The guard captain pushed open the door and went in. It closed softly behind him.
Ji Ye stood at the foot of the steps.
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