The sky stretched clear and spotless for ten thousand miles!
At the gates of the Heaven-Dominating Sect!
Flights of welcoming jade steps extended for dozens of miles, paved with the finest warm jade and shimmering with a lustrous glow. They wound upward from the foot of the mountain, following its contours all the way to the ceremonial platform on the main summit, Heaven-Dominating Peak.
Thousands of elite Heaven-Dominating Sect disciples stood on either side of the jade steps, all dressed in silver-gray martial uniforms. Their auras were solemn and steady, their long halberds held at an angle, their figures straight as pines. Their ranks were as precise as if carved with knives and axes. Every pair of sharp eyes swept the surroundings in vigilant concentration, every movement displaying the stern discipline of a thousand-year-old great sect.
Tens of thousands of guests streamed up the jade steps, most accompanied by servants and bearing lavish congratulatory gifts. They surveyed the sect's arrangements as they walked, their eyes filled with wonder and envy, while conversations rose and fell around them.
Banners bearing auspicious clouds hung in profusion from the cliffs along the way, spiritual patterns flowing across them. Peals of bells echoed on the wind, spiritual springs murmured through the mountains, and rare flowers released their fragrance. Rich spiritual energy washed over the guests, leaving many less accomplished scions of prominent families marveling inwardly and envying the Heaven-Dominating Sect's deep foundations.
Just inside the gates, an immense reception plaza had been specially set aside. A vast essence-gathering formation was engraved into the ground, and spiritual energy billowed like clouds.
Reception stewards stood watch in organized shifts, their robes fluttering as their booming announcements rang out one after another without pause. They announced each arriving guest's name and status, registered their gifts, and directed