"We've arrived." Lin Mu's voice could be heard, as everyone's vision slowly started to return.
They felt the familiar weight of their bodies again as well as the hum of the surrounding runes.
Similar to before they found themselves in a rather wide hall. But this hall was different from the one they were in earlier. The previous one was mostly built for function and didn't have any decorations as such.
But the current hall seems more like the hall of a royal palace!
There were white marble pillars marking the periphery of the hall while golden eaves adorned the ceiling of the hall.
There were fine carvings on the marble walls, that looked beautiful but if one looked closely they would see that each of the carvings also had runes embedded into it. Beauty and function were combined into this hall, making it a statement of power.
This was Lin Mu's first time seeing something like this and he couldn't help but be impressed.
'Simply the methods used to add the runes to the carvings alone is masterful. They managed to keep the structure of the formations while incorporating them into different murals.
Their judgment of choosing different murals to accommodate each formation is also phenomenal.' Lin Mu immediately started analyzing the formations of the hall.
For a lot of the other travelers, this was a stunning scene too and they couldn't help but be enthralled by beauty.
"The Holy Topaz Empire certainly deserves its position as being the oldest empire… its foundation is really deep." Shu Shaoxing was also in a daze watching everything.
'So this is the difference that deep foundations make… things like these cannot be built in just a few days… the people needed to make it also need to develop the skills over a long time. This is simply an example of the culmination of their efforts of thousands of years.' Lin Mu concluded in his heart.
Simply by arriving, Lin Mu had already started learning new aspects if formation creation. He wondered just what more could be found here.
'Seems like I'll be able to gain a lot more than just my initial goals.' Lin Mu thought to himself.
"Welcome Travelers! The Immigration Department of the Holy Topaz Empire hopes you have a pleasant experience in our home." An announcement was played at this time.
Lin Mu looked up and saw two small formations glowing on the roof.
"Voice Transmission and Voice Amplifying formations." Lin Mu identified the source of the announcement.
"Our staff will soon be guiding you all to the registration sections. Please follow them calmly and ensure that all goods and other items brought by you are safely secured." The announcement continued.
And just on cue, Lin Mu saw several people appearing from a large doorway at the front.
All of them were wearing the same type of outfits. They looked different from the loose robes that most people wore in the Rust Sky world. Instead, it looked like they were like shirts and pants that were tailored to fit them.
Their pants were plain white, while their shirts were yellow with white and cream colored embroidery on it. And at the left side of their chest one could see the royal crest of the Holy Topaz Empire: The Topaz Seal.
"Please follow us," The staff of the immigration department spoke.
But in all this, Lin Mu spotted a man wearing a uniform with a slightly different design. It was similar in a color scheme with the other staff, but had extra embroidery around the collar.
This combined with the man's demeanor made Lin Mu sure that he must be a higher ranked member of the staff.
"Honored guest, the supervisor is waiting for you. Please come with me." The man came to a stop in front of Immortal Juo and bowed his head.
"Mmm, alright." Immortal Juo agreed, having expected this since the start.
But before leaving, he turned to look at Lin Mu and spoke, "if you are looking for materials pertaining to Body cultivation, it's best if you head south. Go to the Land of Blood Strewn Plains."
After saying this, Immortal Juo took his leave and didn't speak much.
'So he had already guessed what I came here for… though it does make sense since he knew I was a body cultivator.' Lin Mu thought to himself.
Shu Shaoxing though had a different reaction.
"The Land of Blood Strewn Plains? He doesn't mean the Desolate Blood Battlefield, right?" he muttered in surprise.
"What do you mean?" Lin Mu questioned.
"You don't know about it?" Shu Shaoxing replied. "It's the legendary battlefield of ancient times."
"No… can you tell me more?" Lin Mu asked.
"Sure, but…" Shu Shaoxing looked at the people leaving the building. "I think we should first finish the formalities here."
"Of course." Lin Mu nodded his head and walked ahead.
The staff of the immigration department seemed to be very cordial and helped them find the right desk according to their purpose. The merchants who had brought goods were processed in a different desk, while normal travelers were processed in different desks.
Even among the normal traveler, there were separate desks depending on their identity. For example, nobles and aristocrats of other empires and kingdoms had different verification methods than just some itinerant cultivators.
Thankfully for Lin Mu, he was considered to be in the most basic category and didn't have to do much. Shu Shaoxing was the same, and the two of them were done with their registration in less than ten minutes.
"Please keep this card with you at all times. It will serve as your identification while you are in the Holy Topaz Empire, as well as function as a wallet." A staff member handed both of them a card that seemed to be made from some kind of crystal.
This was the first time Lin Mu was seeing an object like this. Just from his initial judgment, he could sense several formations in it.
'The encryption on it is very tough too… I don't think I've seen anything like this before.' Lin Mu thought.
"It can function as a wallet?" Lin Mu raised a brow.
"Yes. You can go to any of the banks in the empire and deposit your wealth there. The bank can appraise the wealth whether it be in the form of immortal stones, spirit stones, or other materials and quantify it according.
This will then be marked to your card and you can directly use it for transactions." The staff member explained.
"That's convenient…" Lin Mu said before furrowing his brows. "But doesn't that also mean that it can be stolen easily?" he questioned.
"Of course not, sir. Even if you do lose it, or someone steals it, they will not be able to use it. Not only does the card has your own brand on it, but it will also be bound to your blood. Other than you, no one will be able to use it.
Not even the bank authorities can do that." The staff member answered. "Also, if you do end up losing the card, you can always get a new one issued at your nearest bank." He added
"I see…" Lin M could certainly see the appeal of the card.
It made sense to use it for most people since they would have a difficult time carrying around immortal stones and other such things. Not to mention there could always be a chance of them getting stolen, or them being attacked for it.
By having a card like this, the fear of getting robbed was almost eliminated since the thieves or robbers wouldn't be able to do anything with the card. Plus, it also solved the need for having a large spatial storage tool. After all, not everyone could afford them.
Though in Lin Mu's case, having a card or not didn't matter, as his ring meant that there was never an issue about space and neither was there anyone capable of stealing anything from him.
'Though using the card is a bit better than just dumping immortal stones in someone's hand.' Lin Mu could see the benefits now.
Lin Mu and Shu Shaoxing each took the card and used their immortal sense to put their brand on it.
"You can also add the blood seal once you are at the bank. That will verify your identity there and create your account. That way, you will always have a secure place to deposit your wealth." The staff member added at the end.
"Alright. Thank you for your assistance." Lin Mu said before taking his leave.
He was impressed by the Holy Topaz Empire just from his initial interaction with the people here. Lin Mu could see the different in development between the different places.
'The Holy Topaz Empire is certainly ahead of the Eight Kingdom Alliance and the Huiqing Empire… though I wonder at what level the Dao Wind Empire is at.' Lin Mu thought to himself.
