Godfrey finds himself in a city that looks much like the real Forbidden City but maybe a bit bigger than the estimates of the actual city.
He stood on a broad paved space before five bridges. Beyond the bridges was a neat formation of crimson taotie footmen with their black broad axes.
Ten thousand of them filled the courtyard, standing before the first gate. The Gate of Blood Accord. It was a wall with a gate in the middle and lying on this wall with its head resting on the roof above the gate was a crimson-scaled eastern dragon.
Four golden horns protruded out of its massive head and its long whiskers fell right down to the ground from the rooftop. The dragon had to be the guardian of this gate, and although its eyes were closed, Godfrey could feel the might of a Divine Tier radiating from it.
Of course it was weaker than the emperor’s ghosts but this was just the first guardian. There were more before he got to the emperor.
’Isolde. You’ll handle the right wing.’ His voice rang in Isolde’s chamber. She sat on her throne, legs crossed, waiting for his call.
The moment his voice echoed in her chamber, Isolde reached out for her spear.
’Solstice, take care of the left wing. Leave the main entrance of the palace to me.’
A pair of golden eyes shone from Solstice darkened chambers followed with the soft clinks of metal. Both generals were sent to their respective wings and sensing it, the crimson dragon’s eyes snapped open.
It felt the stir of mana, making it focus on the young man standing alone beyond the bridges. "Did you really step into the emperor’s domain alone?"
The dragon’s voice rumbled like a thunderclap within the clouds. It was filled with mockery at his stupidity.
"Of course not." Godfrey replied as portals flared up behind him, unleashing five thousand sword and shield knights and three thousand bow knights with billowing cloaks.
Before them was Mountain, huge and towering, Ballista, his armour gleaming under the sunlight, Tempest hovering above the army, his tendril wings spread out like a canopy over the eight thousand and the light he gave off was even brighter than that of the sun.
It made the armour of the Golden Order Knights radiant.
At the forefront were Lysander, his intricate, slender axe held firm, Lament astride his warhorse threatening to burst into the ranks of the taotie footmen.
The horse neighed restlessly. Dirge hovered in her banshee form, black mist billowing from her waist down. The lower part of her face which wasn’t covered by her helmet became too pale for a living being.
The mist billowing out of her was cold, just like Lament’s aura but his bore a thread of sadness while Dirge bore rage.
Her defiance, hence her scream.
Godfrey manifested an Echo armour over him, his eyes gleaming from his visor as he raised a longsword.
"I came with an army of my own." Godfrey’s reply made the infuriated dragon roar. The crimson taotie footmen responded as they burst forth with long powerful strides.
All the Golden Order infantry fell to one knee as if paying homage to their prince. Only Tempest and Dirge were exempted as they hovered above the army.
Three thousand archers aimed at the incoming taotie footmen now that those before them had gone down. It was a direct shot.
It took a while but Dirge kept on until the last footman fell on his knees, his axe clattering on the pavement blocks as the last wisp of life left it.
She left her banshee form and landed, staggering but Godfrey placed his hand behind her, giving support. He was quite small before this nine feet tall knight but... he was her prince after all.
The mana surrounding Dirge swelled, her staff once the length of a longsword grew to be even taller than her. It looked like it was cut out of a tree but this staff was completely made of gold.
The fur coat around her shoulders descended down her back a bit, increasing the regal air around her.
The white plume from the top of her helmet like a high ponytail remained the same. It went below her waist while the visor which stopped at her nose now had vertical slits.
The sheen of gold from her eyes could be seen piercing through those eye slits.
Upon checking the translucent monument beside her, Godfrey saw that she had joined his generals as a 22.0 Origin Tier knight with a 25.5 Paragon Tier potential.
And one of her most important skills had changed. She couldn’t only raise her kills to become her shadow wraiths but the kill of those sworn to the golden oath.
Godfrey looked around him. There were thousands of Throne Tier taotie footmen who would still have their innate skills as her shadow wraiths and there was also a dragon.
"My prince... May I?" Dirge asked exactly what was on his mind.
"Is that even a question?" Godfrey’s eyes gleamed.

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