Above the imperial capital of the Wu Dynasty.
An enormous tower ship, shimmering with five-colored radiance like a heavenly palace, hung among the clouds. Though it was as vast as a mountain and as conspicuous as the blazing sun overhead, it seemed to occupy another plane of existence.
"It's so lively!"
Several girls aboard the ship-Xin Shiniang, Hongxian, Cui Yingying, Nie Xiaoqian, and Xin Shijiu-Mei-had gathered before a water mirror. Nie Xiaoqian, who had been a mortal until recently, exclaimed in wonder.
She, too, had embarked on the path of cultivation. Having received Hong Yuan's Three-Origin Burning Fire Art, she was now in the warm nourishment stage. As her essence, qi, and spirit grew, she became ever more radiant and enchanting.
Images shifted within the water mirror, showing the bustling scenes in the imperial capital below with perfect clarity.
For the Wu Emperor's eight-hundredth birthday, this mighty city, which had stood proudly in the world through eight thousand years of wind and rain, was holding an unprecedented celebration.
Thirty thousand six hundred glazed lamps, lit with the true fire of Talisman-Seeding Realm cultivators, wound from the inner city to the outer city. They burned day and night, sparkling like stars.
Within the mighty city, carriages, horses, and crowds thronged the streets in an unending stream. Nobles, members of great clans, sect disciples, and bold wanderers from the Wu Dynasty's twenty-seven circuits arrived in endless succession, their banners forming a forest.
"If you're interested, feel free to go down and have a look."
Hong Yuan reclined lazily in a comfortable position on a large chair, holding a white jade wine cup between his fingers. A gentle swirl released the rich aroma of wine.
He had concealed the Five-Colored Ship with his Illusion Art, leaving it suspended a hundred thousand feet in