Moonlight streamed through the window, sprinkling the floor with silver frost. The mirror on the dressing table gleamed, reflecting every fine detail of the young woman holding the Myriad Realms Universal Talisman and watching the light screen before her.
The girl's underclothes had been washed to a snowy white. Her family could not be called poor, but neither could it be called well-off. Her gaze was fixed as she watched a video of an earlier Human Ranking challenge, captivated by the top-ranked fighters' breathtaking applications of their moves and influenced by the distinct yet equally intimidating auras they exuded. She had gained a great deal from it and was eager to try, as if unable to wait to improve herself.
When the video ended, she turned her head toward the dressing table and saw herself reflected there, her eyes shining and her cheeks flushed with excitement.
Then her gaze drifted outward. The moon shone brightly beyond the window, and the night was clear and tranquil. She could hear the rustle of wind through the leaves, occasionally accompanied by the rumble of a Mechanical Carriage passing by. Everything was so peaceful and still, and beauty arose of its own accord.
"The Mo Palace brought tools that made travel and communication convenient, transparent glass far superior to bronze mirrors, and ancient methods that greatly increased harvests of grain and livestock. The Myriad Realms Universal Talisman broadened the horizons and expanded the knowledge of most martial artists. Heaven's edge is close was no longer a privilege reserved for Bodhisattvas..." Her heart was calm and peaceful as descriptions of the current world from books about the Southern Wilderness naturally flowed through her mind.
Indeed, just five years ago, her family had barely been free from worries about food and clothing. Meat and vegetables appeared