The Rune Ship entered the "City Entry" channel, passed through the ship security checkpoint, navigated multiple procedures, and finally arrived at the payment zone.

It was a long corridor lined with numerous hovering spaceship tracks. Ahead of each track was a Purple Lightning Magnetic Field Net. If a ship failed to pay, it would smash through, instantly having its systems destroyed by the electromagnetism of the net, rendering the entire vessel scrap. This seemed to be the Imperial Capital's show of force to all external visitors.

Ye Chen instructed the Green Rune Elder to dock the Rune Ship aside. Following the queue, he paid the city entrance fee of 100 False God Stones. Only then did the Purple Lightning Electromagnetic Net ahead disappear. The gap lasted only three seconds; the Rune Ship accelerated through just as it reappeared, blocking the next vessel.

Passing the Purple Lightning Electromagnetic Net, the Rune Ship, guided by an aeronautical robot attendant, arrived in a vast expanse of starry sky where many ships were moored, arranged according to stellar markers. If needed, passengers could request attendants for ship repairs or maintenance services.

Ye Chen sat composedly on the sofa, summoned Xiao Hei before him, flipped his palm open, revealing the Second Grade Genius Hall Genius Medal, and tossed it to Xiao Hei, instructing, "Give this to the service personnel. We can take the VIP route for air travel within the outer city of the Imperial Capital."

Xiao Hei took the golden, flame-edged medal, admired it briefly with delight, chuckled, and replied, "No problem." Saying this, he turned and walked out of the Rune Ship to communicate with the robot attendants outside.

Most of the aeronautical attendants here were robots from various civilizations, predominantly products of the Mechanical Civilization, equipped with advanced intelligent systems capable of humanized service, as well as simple communication and identification. Furthermore, as this was the Port of Entry, although their duties were merely service, these robot attendants possessed formidable inherent strength. Their brain chips were installed with detailed information on the forces of the many vassal states of the Yan God Empire, including the totems, medals, or representative tokens of each power. Thus, merely presenting the Genius Medal was sufficient for verification.

Before long, Xiao Hei returned, grinning, "It's settled."

Ye Chen nodded slightly and extended his palm.

Xiao Hei scratched his head, "What for?" Ye Chen glanced at him, "The medal."

Xiao Hei immediately deflated, pouting, and slowly retrieved the Genius Medal from his bosom, muttering, "I haven't even warmed it up yet..."

After presenting the medal, the Rune Ship switched directly to the VIP route, speeding along the channel until it reached the outer city of the Yan God Empire's Imperial Capital.

The entire area of the Imperial Capital was boundless, stretching nearly ten light-years. Calculating at over nine hundred million kilometers per light-year, the diameter was staggering. At the speed of the Rune Ship, flying from the outer city to the Genius Hall headquarters in the inner city would take at least seven or eight years. Fortunately, transportation within the capital was highly developed, with Spatial Wormholes and Jump Channels on major roads and avenues. Thanks to the benefits of the Genius Medal, the Rune Ship proceeded smoothly. The ship’s satellite system searched for nearby space stations and Helios Channels.

The Helios Channel was a common mode of transport in the ancient world, a channel shaped by light, its internal structure mimicking a black hole, possessing a strong attractive force, exceeding light speed tenfold, though it was not spatial warping, suitable for short distances within large cities. Besides the Helios Channel, there was also the Curvature Channel, built utilizing the principle of warp flight, originating from the Paradise Civilization. It allowed any object within it to engage in curvature flight—an idea previously only theoretical, which finally transformed from theory and dream into reality through various practices.

The Rune Ship located signals emanating from several Curvature Channel stations and sped toward a nearby one, landing at the aeronautical docking port. Xiao Hei presented the Genius Medal directly, bypassing all procedures, entering the VIP lane of the Curvature Channel immediately, with all consumption being entirely free. Within the capital, members of the Second Grade Genius Hall enjoyed free services for any consumption not exceeding 1,000,000 False God Stones.

Inside the Curvature Channel, Ye Chen selected 22 times curvature. Ordinary ships could only achieve a base level of curvature flight, with the maximum reaching 11 times curvature. However, a ship of the Rune Ship's caliber possessed technological sophistication far superior to common vessels, allowing it to easily engage speeds above 20 times curvature. This particular Curvature Channel station was not overly luxurious, peaking at 22 times curvature.

After cruising in the Curvature Channel for about eight days, Ye Chen returned to the cultivation chamber in the Demon God Palace and activated the time flow acceleration system within. Only eight days passed externally, yet two and a half years elapsed inside!

During these two and a half years, Ye Chen gained a clearer understanding of the Seven Star Diagram, while also cultivating the Blind Heaven combat technique and the Yan God Hammer! Initially, given Ye Chen's state of mind, inscribing the runes for the Yan God Hammer became difficult after reaching the sixth layer. However, after observing the Seven Star Diagram, those mysterious and complex energy runes in his mind seemed to become much clearer, and the inscription process flowed smoothly, like running water, unimpeded. He continuously inscribed up to the seventh layer; only when 198 energy runes remained until full completion did he feel awkwardness creep in, and the inscription speed slowed, becoming extremely arduous. Ye Chen avoided overreaching; he inscribed slowly, simultaneously comprehending the Seven Star Diagram, which was paramount. Once the 99-Star Diagram was fully comprehended, he would be able to touch the threshold of the God Realm and step into the True God stage!

Eight days later, the ship exited the Curvature Channel and arrived at a Spatial Wormhole, initiating a long-distance traversal, moving from the outer city of the Imperial Capital to the central district. Spatial Wormholes within the capital maintained negative energy stability, with leaps typically spanning a few light-years. To jump directly from the outer city to the inner city required using a VIP Jump Channel. The Rune Ship's detector found no VIP-grade Spatial Wormholes within a million kilometers, so they opted to use this short-distance Spatial Wormhole, free of charge, to reach the central district first, and then execute another spatial jump to successfully arrive in the inner city.

The inner city of the Imperial Capital was even more opulent. Starlight sparkled everywhere; the artificial atmosphere contained projection effects, allowing the sky to display whatever the Imperial Capital's Astronomical and Meteorological Bureau willed, as simple as changing a computer's background image. At this moment, the artificial sun in the sky radiated a warm, life-giving glow upon the crowds in the bustling streets. The avenue was wide and spacious, with a clear river running down its center, a hundred zhang wide, serving as a passage for boats and yachts—a way to sightsee on the water. Alongside it were Space Starlight Elevators, featuring floors made not of stone, but of crystal-like glass that mirrored the distant starry sky, creating the illusion of walking in space, an almost unreal, magnificent beauty that was breathtaking.

Opulence, beauty, refinement! Ye Chen was utterly stunned by the scene. He had never witnessed such grandeur even in animation; he could not imagine the immense human resources and materials required to create all this.

After exiting the Spatial Wormhole station, Ye Chen stored the Rune Ship and rented a Gliding Vehicle, about the size of a motorcycle, strictly for one passenger, with a speed of 3,000 kilometers per hour—surpassing ordinary commercial airliners on Earth (which travel around 2,200 km/h). The pilot of the Gliding Vehicle was a petite, exquisitely formed, jade-like woman with long, pointed ears—an Elf. A faint, sweet fragrance clung to her. After Ye Chen boarded, she politely inquired, "Where to, sir?"

"The nearest space station," Ye Chen replied.

"Please be seated," the Elven woman said, activating the Gliding Vehicle's energy windscreen shield, then engaging the smart navigation system. Once the engine started, the vehicle hovered to a certain height, and two streams of white vapor jetted from the rear thrusters, trailing cloud-like wisps as they soared toward the distant sky.

The Gliding Vehicle sped through the sky, offering a clear view of the city streets below. Looking down from high above was incredibly comfortable, and thanks to the windscreen, the biting wind was completely unfelt, requiring no squinting.

Not long after, the Gliding Vehicle followed the air lane to a space station 1,200 kilometers away. After paying 600 False God Stones, Ye Chen disembarked and entered the station. Here, there were passenger transport ships operated by the City Management Department. Ye Chen checked the routes and found a direct flight to Donglin in the inner city on passenger flight TP-394. The headquarters of the First Grade Genius Hall was located in Donglin City, inner city sector.

Ye Chen presented his Genius Medal and smoothly boarded the flight for free. Soon after, the passenger ship transported him to Donglin City. Upon docking, he quickly disembarked, found another Gliding Vehicle, and headed for the First Grade Genius Hall headquarters in the center of Donglin City.

The First Grade Genius Hall Headquarters presided over all operations and policies within Donglin City, situated at its very core. Within a 300-kilometer radius, the area was designated vacuum territory, forbidden to all unauthorized approach, equipped with anti-detection and anti-tracking systems.

"Stop," Ye Chen commanded, leaping off the Gliding Vehicle and casually tossing a bag of False God Stones before arriving directly before the grand gate of the city center. Looking up, he saw two majestic Dragon-Lions—lion heads on dragon bodies—standing guard, their presence solemn and powerful, inspiring awe. Behind these two Dragon-Lions was a gate resembling a Celestial Palace, towering into the clouds, its top invisible. Numerous guards stood before the gate, their auras dense; ten on each side—all were God Realm powerhouses!

Ye Chen's gaze flickered. After observing for a moment, he prepared to step toward the guards' leader. Just then, a roaring sound echoed from behind. In the sky, two ferocious beasts, entirely engulfed in flames, their four hooves churning, with scales cast like molten iron—resembling the mythical Qilin—pulled a luxurious metal carriage, descending from the horizon, an imposing spectacle as grand as an ancient Heavenly Emperor's procession.