The glazed dome of Golden Jade Hall shimmered with molten-gold light beneath the radiance of the Holy Radiance Stones. The clamor of clinking cups and lively conversation flowed like a warm tide, drowning Imperial Plaza in a sea of celebration. Xiao Zhan and Ya Fei stood side by side in the seats of honor, receiving congratulations and compliments from every top faction in the Jia Ma Empire and its surrounding regions. Ya Fei wore a pure-white phoenix gown of warm jade and silkworm silk. The glow of happiness lent her peerless beauty an even more breathtaking allure, while her eyes brimmed with satisfaction that all had settled into place and boundless anticipation for the future.
"Brother Xiao Zhan, niece Ya Fei, I raise this cup to wish you both a lifetime of devotion and dominion over these lands!" Hai Bo Dong beamed, his voice booming like a bell. The wine in his raised jade cup rippled with icy blue chill, freezing tiny crystals in the air around him. Beside him, Guildmaster Fa Ma smiled as he stroked his beard, while the old prince Jia Xing Tian nodded in greeting. With the Empire's strongest gathered here, their presence was the clearest, most silent declaration of Xiao Zhan's status.
"Thank you, Elder Hai, Guildmaster Fa Ma, Elder Jia." Xiao Zhan raised his cup in return, his dark formal robes making his tall, steady bearing all the more pronounced. His gaze swept across the crowded hall below. The subtle gap left by the Nalan Family's absence had been filled by the warmth of countless other factions. The humble demeanor of the city lords from great cities like Black Rock City and Yan City, along with the generous gifts presented by the Alchemist Guild and Mercenary Guild, all proclaimed the dawn of the Xiao