In the main hall, the young National Teacher stood alone at the foremost spot, hands clasped behind his back as he looked up at the exquisitely lavish Ceiling Well, seemingly lost in thought.
Outside the imperial hall, Sword Immortals stood, sat, or leaned against railings at varying heights along the White Jade Steps on either side of the vermilion platform, chatting idly or drinking.
Ning Yao and Lu Zhi stood at the top of the steps, discussing their insights into the great bottlenecks of sword Dao cultivation. Ning Yao also asked Lu Zhi to keep an eye on Sun Chunwang.
Xiao Mo and Xie Gou sat on the steps by one side of the vermilion platform, discussing where to eat lunch and whether they could drink a pot of the famed Evergreen Palace brew.
Qi Tingji clasped his hands in his sleeves and leaned sideways against the railing, having a heart-to-heart with the Taoist Companions Guo Du and Ling Xun. Upon learning that Guo Du had secretly kept that map of the Savage Lands, Qi Tingji merely smiled and let it pass.
Mei Kan noticed that her disciple seemed somewhat distracted, but she did not think much of it, assuming only that Mei Dandang had never witnessed such a spectacle and his Dao heart had been shaken.
Zhu Su tucked his hands into his sleeves and, astonishingly, formed a sword seal. He quietly entered a state of sitting oblivion and forged the "Three Sounds" sword. Several sword cultivators beside him drank while helping guard his cultivation barrier.
Jiang Shangzhen and Mi Yu sat on the lower steps, with Chai Wu safely positioned between them.
The little girl was drinking from her bowl, secretly making up her mind to practice swordsmanship properly. She would not drink the Great Li Song Clan