Chapter 1166 - 526: Hero’s Gate, Mirage Dragon Relic
[Hero’s Gate had existed even before the establishment of the Vermilion Dynasty, serving as an essential passageway from the Western Territory toward the Central Region. The walls on both sides of the fortress cut across the desert and the Gobi, not only withstanding the clash of arms and war but also acting as the connecting link between the ancient divine capital Luoyi and the Western Territory.]
[After the founding of the Vermilion Empire, Emperor Wu moved the capital to what is now Capital City Yanjing, and the name of the divine capital Luoyi ceased to exist.]
[Now that the world has long been at peace, Hero’s Gate naturally wouldn’t be heavily guarded...]
[From afar, you see a sparse number of soldiers stationed at the gate and on the walls. A few Fire Worship Soldiers, clad in Black Armor, weapons in hand, are leisurely patrolling the ramparts.]
[This differs from what you have heard. The rumors suggested that as a junction connecting the Central Plains with the Western Territory, the passage should be bustling with ceaseless caravans, and the queues entering the gate visible even beyond a mountain range.]
[But now, Hero’s Gate is eerily silent; apart from a few isolated soldiers at the gate, there are no merchants in sight, leaving the place desolate and dead.]
[The soldiers guarding the gate appear indifferent, their pupils black and deep. As you approach with your fellow disciples, they show little reaction, until you produce the Passing Permit. Then, without a word, they take the token, glance at it, and let you pass.]
[The White Elephant Demon at your side feels quite uneasy, saying to you, "Little junior brother, why does it seem the closer we get to the Central Plains, the more something feels off?"]
[Could it be, little junior brother, that you anticipated this, which is why you didn’t fly directly to Luoyi and instead advanced step by step?]