Prince Yang Jinyan's heart had not beaten steadily since the Royal Barrier's deployment began. It pounded frantically, like a drowning man desperately beating against a locked door in a flooding room. Despite his racing pulse, he forced himself to remain composed. After all, he would be emperor one day, and an emperor must always appear calm and dependable.

He crouched behind the rubble of what had once been the Hei clan compound, accompanied by Hong'er and ten of the Yang clan's strongest cultivators. The City of Suns bore countless scars. Liu Xing's attack had been immensely powerful; the pillar of light he had unleashed had flattened countless buildings, the Hei clan compound among them. If not for the wooden signboard bearing the clan's name and the remnants of their black gate, the ruins would have been unrecognizable.

Yang Jinyan peered around the rubble toward the looming castle. Its golden walls still gleamed pristinely, creating an unsettling contrast against the surrounding devastation. As he watched, he wondered whether Liu Xing had received his signal. His group and the others were already in position. The golden castle had many possible entry points. The main gate gaped wide, accommodating the thousands of abominations that had walked there, but numerous smaller entrances dotted the castle's perimeter. There were passages for gardeners, chefs, workers, and servants scattered throughout, as well as special entrances for supporting clans and the most trusted retainers. These smaller entrances were typically concealed and discreetly guarded. After all, as his father had once said, it would be unseemly for the golden castle, a symbol of power, wealth, and glory, to appear riddled with doorways.

His group intended to use one of the most secure entrances, one reserved for only the most trusted individuals. It was the same passage his sister Yang Liangyu and her late nanny had used whenever they felt adventurous enough to explore the city. His eyes focused on a bush some distance from the main gate. Near it, he expected to find a dragon mouth carving that would only appear in the presence of certain individuals. Though the bush was well-concealed and difficult to spot from the main gate, he would not risk rushing toward it until Liu Xing had drawn away most of the spirit beasts.

"From this close, I've just realized how brave and yet foolish Liu Xing must be to take on this role," Hong'er commented beside him, her eyes focused on the marching abominations in the distance.

"His willingness to lure those powerful abominations could be seen as either tremendous bravery or pure recklessness. Though I'm inclined to believe that he's simply kind and understands that only he can lure them out," he replied.

The abominations were strong beyond comprehension. The qi emanating from each of them as they cackled and giggled felt like an ancient ocean stirring to life, threatening to unleash a world-swallowing tsunami. All twelve members of Yang Jinyan's group were Core Splitting realm cultivators, but none had achieved seven cores. Even the most powerful Core Splitting cultivator in the Twelve Sun Empire would pale in comparison to these creatures. These abominations possessed strength reminiscent of the five great sects, capable of fighting far above their apparent level.

"It makes me wonder if he truly belongs to one of the great sects," Hong'er added.

At first, Yang Jinyan was confused by her meaning, but then he understood. She was not referring to Liu Xing's power. No, she was speaking of his character. People from the great sects were usually extraordinarily talented or came from prestigious backgrounds. Such individuals typically possessed tremendous pride, much like the elders of his clan, the Hei clan, the Wu clan, and even his brother. Indeed, many who held high positions within his empire shared this trait. Yang Jinyan himself possessed such pride and typically could not tolerate rudeness or foolishness in his presence.

He tried to view the situation from Liu Xing's perspective, imagining himself, a disciple from a great sect, discovering an empire under attack by formidable spirit beasts. Would he risk his life to save that insignificant empire, or return to the sect and ignore their plight? It was just a small empire, after all. The Purple Moon Sect would not suffer greatly from its loss, and even though the spirit beasts were strong, they posed no real threat to the sect as a whole. That was Liu Xing's position, and as Yang Jinyan considered it, gratitude welled up within him. Without Liu Xing's help, his sister would have been violated, and they would have had no hope of reclaiming the empire.

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The vibration of his communication orbs interrupted his thoughts, a sign that Liu Xing had accepted his signal and would soon make his move. A few moments later, a deafening explosion shattered the air. A massive mushroom cloud bloomed in front of the golden castle before a column of yellow, condensed qi split it apart.

Recognizing Liu Xing's signal, Yang Jinyan and his people bolted toward the bush.

The bush nestled between two old trees near the white wall surrounding the golden castle. For a moment, Yang Jinyan considered simply jumping over the wall. There was a garden on the other side, and a straight run would lead to a stairway up to the middle levels. He quickly dismissed the foolish thought. The secret passage would be far safer.

Yang Jinyan ordered his retainers to search the area. It was Hong'er who found it. It was a dragon head carved with an open mouth and a green gem at its center, jutting out from the ground. Yang Jinyan crouched beside it and touched it with his index finger, channeling his qi into the stone. The green gem flared to life instantly, and a rumble echoed around them. He searched for the source of the rumble and saw one of the trees slide aside, revealing an entrance to underground stairs. He led the group down the stairway, and the entrance sealed itself behind them.

For a moment, they stood in complete darkness, then light gems flickered to life, illuminating the narrow passage.

Yang Jinyan had never actually used this secret entrance before; he had never needed to. As a prince, he had always used the proper gates. The passage was tight, allowing only two people to walk side by side, with glowing gems studding the ceiling to light their way. At the base of the stairs, it widened just enough for three.

When they reached the bottom, a soft yellow light gently illuminated this section, casting a warm glow that stretched toward a plain door in the distance. According to Hong'er, this door led to one of the kitchens. She had also mentioned other secret passages branching from the kitchens up to the middle levels.

They moved briskly through the passage and reached the door. After confirming no presence on the other side, Yang Jinyan ordered Hong'er to take the lead. In the unfamiliar kitchen, Hong'er revealed another secret entrance. This passage was wider, but according to her, quite long with multiple connecting doors along its length. As they hurried through, Yang Jinyan noticed chips in the paint and stains on the floor. Clearly, this passage saw frequent use.

"Our destination is the door at the end of this hallway," Hong'er said. "That one connects to the middle levels."

Yang Jinyan nodded and took the lead again. They soon reached the base of a wide, spiraling staircase. But they did not rush to climb it. For the past minute, they had felt increasingly powerful qi presences. Yang Jinyan knew with certainty that beyond their intended exit waited powerful spirit beasts.

He ascended first, with Hong'er behind him and the clan members following. At the top, they entered a long, brightly lit hallway. Unlike the yellowish glow of the secret passage, harsh white light illuminated everything here. Subtle, intricate carvings of the battle that led to the founding of the Twelve Sun Empire adorned the white walls. Part of him wanted to study these carvings, if only to delay confronting whatever emanated such overwhelming qi.

The double doors at the passage's end bore intricate carvings as well, but Yang Jinyan viewed them not as art to be appreciated, but as gates to hell itself. Still, they had to pass through them to reach the upper treasure room.

Yang Jinyan flicked his finger, summoning a yellow talisman. As he had told Liu Xing, he possessed talismans that could help them move undetected. Rather than granting true invisibility, they merely diminished one's presence. Though valuable for its ability to conceal twenty people simultaneously, its effect would last for about twenty minutes. He activated it without hesitation and began moving slowly forward.

Each step made his heart thunder. As they crept forward with careful steps, Yang Jinyan felt the walls and ceiling tremble slightly. Distant rumbles and faint explosions reached his ears. Liu Xing was likely battling thousands of abominations outside. He hoped all the creatures inside the castle would rush out to join that fight, but the chance seemed low. The worms appeared more interested in entering the castle, and judging by their numbers, he knew there were almost as many of them as the snake-limbed abominations.

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