The third day of the third lunar month—Dragon Raises Head.
Outskirts of Hanhai City, new Imperial Palace.
At the center of the Imperial Palace, Wang Chen stood atop the towering altar, Magic Sword in hand, his head raised toward the sky.
He wore a pristine white Daoist robe woven from Thousand-Thread Satin and a Dark Jade Daoist Crown, his entire bearing carrying an ethereal air.
The time had come.
When the sun reached the apex of the sky dome, Wang Chen's gaze sharpened. He immediately formed hand seals and activated the mana within his body.
The next instant, an invisible wind quietly arose around Wang Chen, spiraling about him before spreading in all directions at an astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, it enveloped the entire Imperial Palace.
And this was only the beginning!
Almost at the same moment, all seventy-two Mountain River Pillars scattered throughout the Hanhai Domain shuddered as one. The runes engraved upon their surfaces lit up one by one, like beacon fires relaying a message, instantly spreading across the entire prefecture.
The earth let out a deep rumble.
Flocks of startled birds took flight. Wild beasts fled their nests in panic, while countless shattered stones rolled down from the mountains.
Above the sky dome, wind and clouds howled!
At this moment, everyone living within Hanhai Prefecture looked up at the sky in shock.
They sensed something, yet had no idea what was happening. Their instincts told them that some earth-shaking event was unfolding.
The several hundred thousand residents of Hanhai City were especially terrified. Some even fell to their knees in the streets and prayed to the gods!
On the altar of the new Imperial Palace, Wang Chen's spellcasting had reached its most crucial moment.
Using his own strength to simultaneously activate all seventy-two