Heavenly Profound Continent, Eastern Xuan Region.
The former site of the Yuan Sect was now the undisputed foremost power of the Heavenly Profound Continent—the headquarters of the Heavenly Mansion.
Yet the immortal mist and sacred mountains of old were now shrouded in an oppressive atmosphere that made it hard to breathe.
The Guardian Grand Formation, the "Nine Heavens Taiqing Formation," had been fully activated. Beyond its barrier of flowing clear light lay strange, pitch-black clouds that churned without end.
Within those clouds flashed not natural lightning, but streaks of icy blue radiance, cold enough to pierce the bones and seemingly capable of freezing one's soul.
Upon Myriad Manifestations Square at the Heavenly Mansion headquarters, nearly all the continent's top powers had gathered in a dense mass.
At their head stood three extraordinarily graceful women, their faces covered in frost.
At the center was a woman in a plain white gown, her dark hair cascading like a waterfall. Her features were cool and peerlessly beautiful, like a fairy descending from the moon palace. She was Ling Qingzhu, mistress of the Nine Heavens Taiqing Palace, one of the Heavenly Mansion's three mistresses, and Lin Langtian's wife.
She held a longsword as clear as autumn waters. Faint Taiqing Qi swirled around her, while her gaze was sharp as a blade, fixed firmly upon the clouds overhead.
Yet the slight pallor on her exquisite face revealed just how great the cost was of sustaining the Taiqing Formation that spanned thousands of miles.
To her left stood Ying Xiaoxiao in light-colored robes, her slender figure somewhat tall. Her long dark hair was casually tied up and fell softly along her narrow waist. Her once graceful and steady face had become incomparably grave.
She gripped a pair of Green Longswords, whose blades flickered with green wind