Although Sheng Xuehuai was unremarkable in appearance, he stood on the platform, chatting and laughing with Xian Nankui, commander of the Divine Strategy Army and a True Insight expert.
He had drawn the worst possible lot, yet remained utterly composed.
In bearing, at least, he was no less than anyone else.
His gaze first fell on the southern stands.
That was, of course, the "correct" order.
Because many people would look this way first.
At the center of the southern stands sat Ye Lan'er, known as Chu Kingdom's number-one beauty.
She wore an extraordinarily sumptuous gown that swept to the floor.
The embroidery of Phoenix Singing in the Wutong Tree looked lifelike.
Brilliant gold, ink green, and fiery red intertwined in a marvelous way, forming a one-of-a-kind treasure.
Every material used to make it was extraordinary, yet woven together, they served nothing but aesthetic value and held no artifact-like abilities.
From the moment it was made, it had been intended for her to wear at the Yellow River Assembly.
Since the Yellow River Assembly prohibited artifacts, it naturally prohibited magical robes as well. The artisans of Chu Kingdom's Heavenly Craftsman Bureau had used special methods to suppress any possibility of the gown developing abilities.
A dress so breathtakingly beautiful would eclipse anyone whose looks fell even slightly short.
But Ye Lan'er merely had to sit there for every gaze to gather on her face.
It was a face crafted with divine skill.
Every other beauty was merely an embellishment.
Her features defied description; one could only call them perfect. Every detail captivated the eye, even her eyebrows were just right.
Hers was an intense, dazzling, aggressively alluring beauty, yet her own bearing was gentle, cool, and secluded.
That fatal contradiction brought a breathtaking charm.
No man could tear his gaze