It was the depths of winter. A thin layer of ice covered most of Sunset-Glow Lake, and the setting sun hung low, spreading pale crimson clouds of light across the ice in cold, glittering fragments.
At the center of the lake, the Immortal Abode Pavilion stood suspended above the frozen waters.
A thin frost coated its upturned eaves, and a wintry chill shrouded its carved beams. Beyond the railings, the distant trees had shed all their leaves, leaving only sparse, skeletal branches silhouetted against the dusk.
This was a refined gathering place reserved for the foremost prodigies of Azure Province Prefecture City. Ordinary cultivators and scions of prominent families could not set foot inside, even if they possessed power and wealth.
Today, the Immortal Abode Pavilion was filled with guests. The very finest of Azure Province's younger generation had gathered here, sitting around the braziers with an air of transcendence.
A man sat upright in the seat of honor. It was none other than Nie Nanfu.
His white robes were spotless, his bearing elegant and composed, and a faint sword intent lingered around him.
The Nie Household was one of Azure Province's long-established, foremost families. With a spirit cultivator ancestor presiding over it, its reserves were vast enough to reach the heavens.
On either side of the seat of honor sat renowned talents of his generation from across Azure Province.
Hai Wuya, the Hai Family's young master, stood tall and carried himself with bold confidence, yet his martial foundation was solid and substantial.
Yuan Louchen, the Yuan Family's young master, had steady eyes and meticulous thoughts. Among the prodigies of the great families, he was an exceptionally difficult man to cross.
The most eye-catching guest was the only woman among them—Mu Jieying.
She wore a plain dress, her beauty pure