"How audacious! Have you gone blind? Take a look at this!"

Seeing the captain give the order, Mu Xia walked forward. With a flip of her wrist, she took a butterfly-shaped jade token from her robes.

The jade token wasn’t large. Its jade was crystal-clear, and faintly engraved upon it was a complex pattern. A single glance was enough to tell it was the token of some great power.

Nie Yun had subdued the two sisters, Mu Qing and Mu Xia, but he didn’t know what power they belonged to.

"So you’re from Butterfly Manor... Ah, please, come in!"

Once he got a clear look at the butterfly token Mu Xia presented, the captain’s expression changed instantly. He hurriedly ordered the surrounding soldiers to stand down.

"Hmph!" Seeing the captain was a fair-weather opportunist, the group paid him no mind and walked into Guangming City with their heads held high.

Guangming City was even more prosperous than it appeared from the outside. However, its order was far better than Divine Wind City’s. There were no hawkers crying their wares on the sides of the street; instead, it was lined with shops filled with all sorts of goods. People came and went, the crowd flowing like a weaver’s shuttle.

The currency used throughout the Seven Great Empires was Gold and silver notes. Nie Yun had struck it rich several times and was now in charge of an entire Empire, so he naturally wasn’t short on money. However, there was nothing here he wanted to buy, so after a brief, casual look, he led the group onward.

Everyone in the group was at the Ultimate Venerable level, so they were all incredibly fast. Glancing around superficially as they went, they arrived before a massive estate in less than an hour.

"This must be Di Lin Villa. When members of the Royal Families from the other Six Great Empires visit, they’re all housed here!"

Following the voice, Nie Yun looked up and saw that the estate was exceptionally opulent, almost like an Imperial Palace. Its multitude of buildings were layered one upon another, with high, pecking eaves and interlocking corners—a sight of indescribable beauty.

"Halt. Di Lin Villa is a restricted area. Unauthorized personnel are forbidden from entry!"

As they approached the estate’s entrance, several guards came forward to intercept them.

These guards were clearly far stronger than the soldiers at the city gate. They strode forward with the gait of a dragon and the step of a tiger. Their arms were exceptionally muscular, with veins bulging on the surface. The aura of their stimulated True Qi formed a unique field around their bodies, like a suit of armor.

’Peak of Armor Realm!’

’For ordinary guards to be at the Peak of Armor Realm... Guangming City truly lives up to its name. Its military might is terrifyingly powerful!’

"We are..."

Baihua Xiu stepped forward, about to speak, when a group of figures emerged from the courtyard. A sarcastic, mocking voice called out from a short distance away.

"Well, look who it is. Isn’t it the treasonous usurper from the Divine Wind Empire? I’m surprised you actually have the nerve to come here!"

Looking toward the source of the voice, they saw it was none other than the Fifth Prince, the very same one whose arm Nie Yun had broken.

The Fifth Prince had already been treated; his broken arm was completely healed. With both arms clasped behind his back, he stared at Nie Yun, his eyes filled with an indescribable coldness.

Beside the Fifth Prince stood a man in his thirties. An air of profound authority radiated from him, making it obvious that he held an extremely high position.

Tiny whirlpools of Spiritual Qi formed around the young man, drawn unnaturally toward him with every move he made. Though his specific Cultivation level was impossible to discern, the fact that he could passively absorb Spiritual Qi indicated he had already opened all of his Meridians. He was an expert not to be underestimated!

"Du Shang, this is that usurper from the Divine Wind Empire. He hasn’t been officially invested by our Divine Holy Empire, so his title is illegitimate. He has no right whatsoever to stay in Di Lin Villa. Drive him away!"

After his taunt, seeing that Nie Yun and his group didn’t respond, the Fifth Prince casually gave an order to the guard, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Alright everyone, scram!"

The guards were all opportunists as well. Seeing the Fifth Prince’s blatant disrespect, their gazes toward Nie Yun and his companions turned contemptuous.

"Scram? This is His Majesty the Emperor of the Nie’s Empire, here to attend the summit of the Seven Empires! You’re telling us to leave? If His Majesty the Emperor of your Divine Holy Empire were to investigate this, could you possibly bear the consequences?"

Hearing the Fifth Prince’s words, Baihua Xiu’s pretty face flushed with anger as she roared,

"Attend the summit of the Seven Empires? Heh. Not just anyone can attend. Why don’t you wait here? I’ll go report to His Majesty and see what he commands. If he says you can enter, I will welcome you with full honors. If not, then I’m afraid you’re out of luck! Of course, the Imperial Palace is a good seven or eight miles from here. A round trip would probably take a whole day... assuming you can stand the wait. You’re welcome to camp out on the street, I suppose. The esteemed Emperor of the Nie’s Empire, sleeping on the pavement... how amusing! Ha ha!"

The Fifth Prince burst out laughing, looking utterly delighted.

’In Divine Wind City, he wouldn’t have dared. But this was Guangming City—his turf. Here, if this guy dared to make a move, he’d be killed for sure, with absolutely no chance of escape!’

"You..."

Not expecting the Fifth Prince to be so shameless, Baihua Xiu’s eyebrows shot up in fury. Just as she was about to make a move, a figure flashed before her, and Nie Yun was standing in her way.

"Heh. So, if I understand you correctly, we’re not allowed to stay here?"

"That’s right. This is Guangming City, not your Divine Wind City where you can do as you please. Let me make things clear for you: this is my territory. Here, if you’re a dragon, you coil; if you’re a tiger, you crouch! You don’t follow my rules, and you’ll find yourself on a one-way street to the grave!"

The Fifth Prince grinned.

"’A dragon coils, and a tiger crouches?’ What if I say no?" Nie Yun smiled faintly.

"No? Hmph. Then you’re just asking to die. In Guangming City, I could come up with a thousand reasons to have you all killed! And believe me, not a single person would dare to speak a word in your defense. You believe that, don’t you?" The Fifth Prince’s eyes glinted, revealing his killing intent.

"I don’t." Ignoring the threat, Nie Yun turned his head and glanced at his companions. "Don’t waste your breath on this moron. Let’s go."

With that, he ignored the Fifth Prince and his entourage and strode toward the courtyard.

"You’re courting death! Du Shang, form the array! Kill these trespassers for breaking into Di Lin Villa—"

The Fifth Prince obviously hadn’t expected the young man to completely ignore his threats. He let out a furious roar, but before the sound even faded, his vision blurred, and a figure appeared right in front of him.

"What do you want!"

When he got a clear look at the figure, the Fifth Prince jumped in fright. It was none other than the young man who had just been speaking to him. In a panic, he flipped his palms and thrust them forward.

"Royal Family’s Top-Grade Martial Art, Emperor’s Fire Burning Heaven!"

The Fifth Prince knew the young man before him was powerful, so he didn’t dare hold anything back. The True Qi throughout his body seethed as he instantly unleashed a Royal Family’s Top-Grade Martial Art.

True Qi surged wildly from his palms, forming a searing wave of heat that roared forth like a coiling dragon.

Emperor’s Fire Burning Heaven carried the aura of an Emperor, its scorching flames like a soaring Flood Dragon. This technique was considered a famous ultimate move even in Guangming City, one that only those with the status of a Prince were qualified to cultivate. As it was suddenly unleashed, the surrounding guards were blown back by the aftershocks of the heatwave, looks of terror on their faces. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)