Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao rode on the Azure Sky Roc for nearly half a month before finally entering the territory of Dilan City.

“So this is Dilan City?” Qi Shaorong asked as the Azure Sky Roc landed just outside.

Dilan City, known as the Holy Land of Magic, enforced a strict rule: all who entered had to do so on foot.

Looking ahead, Qi Shaorong saw towering ancient spires reaching into the clouds, and a vast, weathered wall that stretched for thousands of miles—its broken, eroded structure still emanating an indescribable aura of authority.

“There are so many towers! And they’re ridiculously tall,” Qi Shaorong said, gazing upward in awe.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “It’s said that ancient mages believed the higher they stood, the closer they were to grasping the essence of magic. That’s why these towers were built so high.”

“There’s a whole forest of them,” Qi Shaorong muttered.

“Let’s stop admiring the towers and head into the city,” Zhuang Hao said.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Alright.”

“This wall is really falling apart. Must be tens of thousands of years old,” Qi Shaorong remarked casually.

“More like several hundred thousand years old,” Zhuang Hao corrected.

“Why hasn’t anyone tried to fix it?” Qi Shaorong asked, puzzled.

Zhuang Hao gave a wry smile. “Some have tried, but no one dares to. The wall is covered in countless magical inscriptions. Many are faded or incomplete due to the damage. Repairing it would inevitably disrupt the remaining magic.”

“You see, every year, countless magicians come here to study the spells carved into this wall,” Zhuang Hao added.

Qi Shaorong nodded thoughtfully. “I see. With all these spells, if someone’s short on incantations, they could just copy a few from here.”

“It’s not that easy,” Zhuang Hao explained. “Most of these inscriptions are written in ancient magical languages that have long been lost. So most of the spells here can’t actually be used.”

“Got it,” Qi Shaorong nodded again.

“Once we’re inside Dilan, we have to keep a low profile. There are too many powerful people here,” Zhuang Hao warned.

“Don’t worry, I am a low-profile person,” Qi Shaorong replied smugly.

Zhuang Hao: “…”

Once they stepped into Dilan City, Qi Shaorong immediately felt the rich presence of magic in the air.

Shops selling magic scrolls, enchanted artifacts, and raw magical materials lined the streets—there was no shortage of arcane commerce.

Among the city’s most thriving activities was tomb raiding.

As the cradle of magic, Dilan was the burial ground of countless legendary mages. The discovery of just one tomb often meant the unearthing of immense fortune. However, the tombs of ancient Saints were always riddled with deadly traps—one wrong step could mean certain doom.

Walking along the bustling street, Qi Shaorong’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “The average magical proficiency here is way higher than back in Yuan Kingdom.”

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Of course. Just look at the land prices. Property here costs dozens of times more than back home.”

“True enough,” Qi Shaorong agreed. Compared to Dilan, Yuan Kingdom felt like a rural backwater.

“Why is real estate so expensive here, anyway?” he asked.

“Because Dilan has produced countless Saint-level experts and is littered with ancient ruins. You never know when you might stumble upon a relic left behind by a great sage. Not to mention, the concentration of magical energy here is several times higher than in the Yuan Kingdom,” Zhuang Hao explained.

“No kidding,” Qi Shaorong murmured in agreement.

Zhuang Hao tugged at his sleeve. “Come on. They say that if you visit Dilan, you have to check out the Mercenary Guild.”

As soon as Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong stepped into the Mercenary Guild, a well-tanned, honest-looking mercenary approached them.

“Young masters, are you also here to explore the Tomb of the Fire Demon King Kunfeng?” he asked enthusiastically.

Before entering the city, both Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong had disguised their appearances and suppressed their cultivation levels. To outsiders, they looked like typical noble scions.

Qi Shaorong glanced around and noticed quite a few well-dressed aristocrats scattered throughout the guild hall.

He smiled and nodded. “Yes, we came for Kunfeng’s tomb.”

“We of the Ironblood Mercenary Corps just returned from there. We uncovered quite a few rare relics on this expedition,” the dark-skinned man said proudly.

“Sounds promising,” Qi Shaorong replied casually.

“If the young masters are interested, we can escort you to the tomb—but we do charge a protection fee…” the man trailed off suggestively.

“How much are we talking?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Title: Journey to the Magical Capital: Entering the Flame King’s Tomb

“The fee is one million gold coins,” the dark-skinned man said.

Qi Shaorong furrowed his brows slightly, then replied, “Alright.”
One million gold coins was already a significant amount in Yuan Country, but in Dilance City, it was actually a fair price.

The man rubbed his hands together and asked, “Could the young masters perhaps pay a deposit first?”

Qi Shaorong frowned again. “How much do you need up front?”

“Four hundred thousand.”

Seeing how readily Qi Shaorong handed over the deposit, the man beamed and led him and Zhuang Hao into the territory of the Ironblood Mercenary Group.

Inside the largest tent, a luxuriously dressed pair of siblings were gathered around the leader of the Ironblood Mercenary Group, listening intently as he boasted of his past exploits.

When they saw others approaching, the girl in the frilly dress turned around and asked, “Bal, who are these two?”

“Miss Goya, these two young masters also wish to explore the Flame King Kunfeng’s tomb. I figured we could bring them along,” Bal replied.

Goya frowned and said, “Bal, I paid three million gold coins to hire your mercenary group, and now you’re bringing two more people? If we run into danger, are you going to protect me and my brother or these two guys?”

Bal smiled and said, “Of course, if there’s danger, our priority will be protecting you, Miss Goya.”

Qi Shaorong narrowed his eyes and said sharply, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t be upset, young master. You’ve paid, so of course we’ll protect you too,” Bal replied, still smiling. “It’s just… not by our elite members. After all, Miss Goya paid triple your price. You get what you pay for.”

Qi Shaorong inhaled deeply, brows furrowed. So this guy who looks honest isn’t honest at all. No wonder hiring this mercenary group seemed so cheap—he’d thought he’d gotten a good deal, but in truth, he was just catching a ride on someone else’s expensive ticket.

Zhuang Hao had moved to the side and started a fire, roasting some meat.

Qi Shaorong looked at him and said, “You’re surprisingly good at going with the flow.”

Zhuang Hao smiled. “Why not? We can’t count on that group anyway.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “True enough.”

Miss Goya stepped out of the tent and asked, “You two are also going to Kunfeng’s tomb?”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Yes.”

Goya looked at their roast meat and wrinkled her nose. “You’re eating that?”

“Actually, it tastes pretty good,” Qi Shaorong said.

She rolled her eyes. “What’s so good about grilled meat? Come in and eat something proper. I prepared way too much anyway.”

Qi Shaorong stood up and, seeing no reason to refuse, followed her into the tent. “Alright, thanks.”

Inside, Goya asked, “Where are you two from? My brother and I came from Fanyue City, just outside Dilance. My grandfather’s the city lord.”

Dilance City had many satellite towns, each governed by a different lord. Anyone strong enough to become a city lord was someone not to be underestimated.

Qi Shaorong looked at Goya and thought to himself, This girl is so straightforward. She just gave away her background immediately.

Goya tilted her head. “So, where are you two from?”

Qi Shaorong smiled. “Just from a small, remote country.”

She looked at them with a mixture of curiosity and admiration. “You came all the way here from so far away? That must’ve been tough.”

Qi Shaorong smiled again. “It wasn’t too bad.”

He glanced at the table full of dishes and couldn’t help but be surprised. “You even brought a chef?”

Goya shook her head. “Oh no, I had our chef prepare all of this ahead of time and stored it in my spatial ring.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “I see. You really came prepared.”

Goya smiled. “My little brother is a picky eater. He’s not used to food from outside.”

Qi Shaorong glanced at the boy beside her. “You’re a great sister, Miss.”

These two aren’t here for adventure—they’re on vacation, he thought.

Goya just smiled and said nothing more.

“Miss Goya, I’ll step out for a patrol,” said Jin Ge.

Goya nodded. “Go ahead.”

She turned to Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao. “That’s Mr. Jin Ge from the Ironblood Mercenary Group. He’s only thirty years old and already built such a large team—impressive, isn’t he?”

Qi Shaorong gave a dry laugh. “Yes, very impressive.”

Goya looked at them, then said, “You two look about the same age as him, yet you haven’t done anything noteworthy. You should really learn from him.”

Qi Shaorong rolled his eyes mentally but said, “Of course.”

He ground his teeth a little in frustration. He had disguised himself when coming here, making himself look more mature than usual, but did he really look like he was thirty?

“Miss Goya, are you very interested in the Flame King’s tomb?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Goya smiled. “Who wouldn’t be? Rumor has it the Flame King’s tomb holds a Fire Source Crystal.”

Qi Shaorong smiled slightly. “I see.”