A triumphant return, the whole city waiting with bated breath!

Seven days later, at the Great Yan Imperial Capital.

The wheat fields on either side of the official road had already put out ears. Driven by the wind, blue-green waves of wheat rolled south, layer upon layer.

On the nearby road, hooves kicked dust high into the air, stretching it into a long ribbon of gray-and-yellow haze beneath the sun.

Qin Yao rode on the Flamefire Black Steed's back, narrowing his eyes as he looked toward the gray-white outline at the end of the horizon.

In the morning light, the Imperial Capital's walls resembled a mighty dragon crouched upon the earth!

Spring winds tugged the banners atop the gate tower into snapping, billowing folds. Even from this far away, the great standard embroidered with a golden dragon could be seen dancing in the wind...

"Marshal, look!"

Xu Tie urged his horse closer and lifted his chin toward the walls, his voice brimming with barely contained excitement. "There are so many people up there!

"Those banners, all those different official robes—good heavens, has the entire court turned out?!"

Qin Yao narrowed his eyes. With the eyesight afforded by the sixth layer of the Innate Realm, he could see far more clearly than Xu Tie.

A dense crowd stood behind the battlements.

Official robes embroidered with golden thread and armor forged from darksteel crowded the wall, forming a decorative border pieced together from silk and iron.

Beneath the largest dragon banner in the center sat a figure dressed in black dragon robes patterned with gold.

Just as Qin Yao looked toward him, that figure suddenly rose and stood with his hands behind his back.

The strings of pearls hanging from his twelve-tasseled imperial crown swayed gently as he rose...

This figure was none other than the ruler of the Great Yan Kingdom—Yan