"You don't have a permit and your origins are unknown. You'll need to be inspected first."
The guard's tone was firm and by-the-book, completely ignoring that Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Keke had already taken defensive stances.
He didn't believe anyone would dare stir up trouble under Spirit City's very walls.
Even if someone from the upper three clans came and acted suspicious, they'd have to obediently undergo inspection—that was Spirit City's policy, and a clear display of its formidable backing.
"H-How exactly are we getting inspected?"
Two little hands rested on Aether's shoulders, Paimon's voice full of surprise.
"You, watch them. I'll go summon the Captain of the Guard."
The guard gave no further explanation, merely signaling to his comrades to keep a close watch before turning on his heel and heading back into the city.
"Traveler, what do we do now? We can't get in…"
Paimon looked utterly dejected. She had been dreaming of a delicious feast, only to be stopped right at the gate.
"Spirit City is the home of the Spirit Hall. Security here is extremely strict. Ordinary spirit masters can't just stroll in."
Zhu Zhuqing, who seemed familiar with Spirit City, explained the basic rules.
"Eh? So that means this place has an identity check?"
"Yes."
"Zhuqing, do you have any way to get us inside?"
Paimon turned to her with hopeful eyes.
After coming all this way, to be turned away now would be too cruel.
Zhu Zhuqing pressed her lips together and cast a stealthy glance at Aether.
"These people probably don't recognize His Excellency. If they did… we'd likely have been escorted inside already."
In the world of Douluo Dalu, strength was everything—and the man beside her stood at the absolute peak.
If the Spirit Hall knew His Excellency had arrived in their city, they'd have surely rolled out the red carpet. Elders, maybe even Title Douluo, would have come to personally welcome him.
Especially considering that not long ago, the Pope of Spirit Hall had crossed paths with His Excellency, and during their interaction, had implicitly deferred to him.
If she learned that His Excellency had come to her own stronghold, she'd probably fall over herself to host them—not leave them waiting here to be inspected like commoners.
"That's right! Back in Teyvat, whenever we showed up somewhere, everyone recognized us immediately! They'd take us around and feed us all sorts of tasty things~"
Paimon proudly puffed out her little chest. She was well-versed in this sort of reception.
The longer she and the Traveler had journeyed through Teyvat, the more well-known they'd become.
Toward the end, they couldn't even step into a new nation without someone recognizing them at first glance.
But now? These guards were clearly clueless. None of them recognized who they were… not that she had any Spirit Hall friends to begin with.
Were they really not going to get in today?
Just as Paimon was growing increasingly anxious, a well-organized squad of guards emerged from within the city.
Their captain's gaze lingered briefly on Paimon, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. He shuddered, then quickly looked toward Aether.
A floating sprite… a golden-haired young man…
There was no mistake. This had to be the mysterious Traveler and Paimon from the rumors!
These idiotic guards—how dare they delay these walking disasters?!
"My sincerest apologies, my Lord and Lady Paimon, for not realizing your esteemed presence in Spirit City!"
The Captain of the Guard was already sweating cold bullets as he rushed to kneel on one knee before them, clasping his fists in apology.
If anything big had happened recently on the continent, any faction of significance would've heard of it by now.
A mysterious youth had appeared out of nowhere, wielding unimaginable divine power. In Heaven Dou City, he had defeated a top-ranked Title Douluo—Sword Douluo himself—in a single blow. His name had Instantly swept through the spirit master world like wildfire.
Countless factions and sects were desperate to approach him, but none had dared make contact directly.
As the Captain of the Guard, he knew full well that many who couldn't approach this mysterious powerhouse had instead chosen to side with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—the very same clan now basking in glory thanks to its rumored connection to him.
That clan, once one of the top three, now utterly outshone the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan in both reputation and the strength of its elite spirit masters.
Even Spirit Hall itself had held a special internal briefing not long ago, providing detailed illustrations of the mysterious young man and the floating sprite who accompanied him.
The Grand Elder Qian Daoliu had personally emphasized: should anyone encounter this individual, they must not show the slightest disrespect—and must report immediately.
Now, the group standing before him perfectly matched that description: golden hair and a floating sprite.
The more the captain thought about it, the more terrified he became. Head bowed low, he prayed this mysterious powerhouse wouldn't take his life for this blunder.
"Eh? You know me?"
Paimon's eyes went wide with surprise upon hearing the captain say her name outright.
"You must be the legendary Lady Paimon…"
The captain lifted his gaze slightly, confirming her identity.
"Hehe, hello~"
Paimon chuckled sheepishly.
It looked like their fame had really spread far and wide. They'd only just arrived on this continent, and already they were household names~
"Greetings to you as well~"
Relief washed over the captain when he saw they weren't angry. In fact, Lady Paimon was even greeting him politely.
"So then, my Lord and Lady Paimon, are you here to enter the city?"
"Mhm! We want to go in."
Paimon nodded furiously like a pecking chick.
If this guy recognized them, then he should know they weren't the bad sort. Looks like getting into the city was back on the table!
"Please, right this way—"
The captain straightened and bowed, gesturing respectfully for them to enter.
"Hehe~ Thank you!"
Paimon beamed and turned to Aether.
"Traveler, let's go in~"
Aether nodded. Zhu Zhuqing and Yu Keke, still cradling Fire Meow Meow, followed close behind as the group passed through the city gates.
As they vanished into Spirit City, the captain urgently ordered a nearby guard:
"Quick, report to Elder Yue Guan—tell him that man has entered the city!"
"Yes, sir!"
The guard didn't dare delay. He activated his spirit power and sprinted off toward the main hall as if his life depended on it.
Spirit City, as the base of the Spirit Hall, maintained notoriously strict security.
Most of the security work—patrolling, guarding the gates—was handled by standard spirit masters.
Within the Spirit Hall's inner zones, however, protection was the responsibility of its elite direct guard. These guards had far higher average spirit power and were tasked with safeguarding key buildings and maintaining order in critical areas.
But the highest tier of defense came from the Hall's elders.
While they didn't usually handle day-to-day security, each was on duty rotation within Spirit City and would be called into action during major incidents or emergencies.
And today, the one on duty was none other than the man mentioned by the captain—Elder Yue Guan.
He was one of Spirit Hall's elders… and a Title Douluo known as Chrysanthemum Douluo.
_
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