King Huli Qian had granted Lin Mu's request imdiately.
In fact, he had gone a step further.
He had assigned the Minister of Rites and Religion to act as Lin Mu's guide.
And now, early that morning, the minister had arrived.
Lin Mu's assigned courtyard within the palace was spacious and serene. Flowering trees surrounded a small pond where colorful fish swam lazily beneath the water's surface.
When Lin Mu stepped outside, he imdiately saw the visitors waiting beyond the courtyard gate.
A foxkin man with sleek silver fur stood at the front.
Behind him were a dozen royal guards.
Lin Mu observed them calmly.
Every one of the guards carried a strong aura.
Fourth Tribulation Stage Immortals.
anwhile, the silver foxkin minister himself radiated a deeper presence.
Fifth Tribulation Stage.
The man bowed respectfully.
"Honored guest."
"I am Minister Huli Ren of the Royal Ministry of Rites and Religion."
"The King has asked that I escort you to the Temple of the Guardian Beasts."
Lin Mu returned the greeting with a nod.
"Thank you for your assistance, Minister Ren."
In truth, Lin Mu did not require protection or escort. With his current strength, a squad of fourth tribulation guards was hardly necessary.
But this was royal protocol.
And Lin Mu had long since learned that sotis it was easier to accept such arrangents rather than argue against them.
He turned toward ng Bai.
"Are you coming?"
ng Bai's eyes lit up imdiately. "Yes, Master."
The boy had never seen a Guardian Beast temple before.
To him, the Guardian Beasts were legendary existences that had shaped entire worlds. The chance to visit one of their temples was sothing he did not want to miss. And while there were several in the Jui World, he had never been to them as they were far from his city.
anwhile, the others had their own plans for the day.
Daoist Chu had decided to visit the local branch of the Immortal Court.
Although it was not strictly necessary, he still held the status of a trainee official of the Western Immortal Court. Periodic reports about his location and activities were expected.
And since they were already in a civilized capital city, it was a convenient opportunity to send a status update.
"Perhaps they can relay our situation back to the Western Court," Daoist Chu had said earlier that morning.
"It is better to keep them inford."
Cattaleya, on the other hand, had found herself in a very different situation.
News of her victories in the Martial Fist King Tournant had spread rapidly throughout the palace overnight.
As a result, several nobles and ministers who didn't get the chance last night had begun requesting her autograph.
Over.
And over.
And over again.
Each ti they brought more people and their family mbers with them.
When Lin Mu passed through the courtyard earlier that morning, he had seen a long line of palace attendants waiting outside the guest wing.
Cattaleya sat at a table lazily signing jade slips, scrolls, and even pieces of
armor.
At least no one here asked her to punch soone into the sky.
"Progress," she had muttered sarcastically.
Elyon had taken a far more practical approach.
One of the kingdom's army generals had invited him to speak about military
matters and regional knowledge.
Elyon had accepted the invitation eagerly.
The two had quickly found common ground.
After all, Elyon was also a beastkin.
And beastkin naturally tended to understand one another better than humans sotis did.
Their conversation had turned into an exchange of intelligence.
They discussed neighboring worlds, regional powers, and historical conflicts in
the surrounding systems.
Elyon was particularly interested in learning about nearby beastkin clans.
Especially one.
The Dark Wolfkin... If there were any here.
While he did not expect to find direct answers imdiately, gathering
information was always the first step.
Back in the courtyard, Lin Mu finished preparing.
Then he summoned his beasts.
Little Shrubby appeared first, landing gracefully beside him in his smaller kitten
form.
The twin snakes followed.
Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang seed especially excited.
This would be their first ti visiting a Guardian Beast temple.
Previously, when Lin Mu had encountered such a sacred site, the twins had
remained within the Sleepscape.
But this ti they had insisted on accompanying him.
"We want to see them," Xiao Yang said excitedly.
"The legendary Guardian Beasts," Xiao Yin added.
They had heard many stories about these mythical protectors and were eager
to compare their own bloodlines against them.
Lin Mu simply smiled.
"Then co along"
With preparations complete, they departed the palace.
The royal escort moved efficiently through the capital streets.
The Temple District lay roughly ten kiloters from the royal palace, separated
from the bustling comrcial areas of the city. But as they approached the
district, the atmosphere began to change.
The streets beca quieter.
Incense smoke drifted gently through the air.
Foxkin and humans walked respectfully along the temple paths, many carrying
offerings or prayer slips or talismans.
The entire district felt calm.
Peaceful.
ng Bai looked around with fascination.
"There are so many people."
Huli Ren nodded. "The Guardian Beasts are revered by nearly every race on this world."
They soon arrived at the temple complex itself.
Even Lin Mu found it impressive.
The Temple of the Guardian Beasts was enormous.
In fact, the complex was almost as large as the royal palace itself.
Rather than a single building, the temple grounds were composed of many
smaller shrines and structures.
Stone walkways connected dozens of smaller temples, prayer halls, and morial shrines.
Many of the outer temples were open to common worshippers.
Foxkin families knelt before statues offering incense. Human cultivators quietly
recited prayers. So buildings even housed ancestral tablets where families
honored their lineage. But deeper within the complex stood sothing far
more imposing.
The Main Temple.
Unlike the auxiliary shrines, this central structure was surrounded by a guarded courtyard.
Entry into the main temple was highly restricted.
Ordinarily, only priests or mbers of the royal family were permitted to
enter. Common citizens were allowed inside only during major festivals or annual grand rituals.
However, Lin Mu's status granted him imdiate access.
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