Yunlan City, Heavenly Mechanism Tower.
The tower rose nine stories high, its sweeping eaves and interlocking brackets lending it extraordinary grandeur.
As the All-Knowing Tower's most important venue for releasing information in Cloud Province, it normally teemed with visitors.
Today, however, surging crowds packed both the inside and outside so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Everyone kept glancing toward the floating cloud platform at the highest point inside the tower.
That was where major announcements were usually made.
"As expected of the All-Knowing Tower. With only a few months left before the Cloud Dream Ancient Land opens, they've chosen this moment to update the Cloud Province Rising Stars Ranking ahead of schedule."
"Heh, who wouldn't want to be the first to know who'll stand at the pinnacle of Cloud Province over the next few decades?"
"Ah, I should have come earlier. Then I could've grabbed a good spot."
Inside the Heavenly Mechanism Tower, martial artists gathered in great numbers, their discussions filling the air.
"Xiao Wangsheng of the Azure Cloud Sect should still hold first place on the Cloud Province Rising Stars Ranking."
"I heard he broke through to the profound martial tenth layer not long ago. Surely no one can shake his position at the top?"
"First place probably won't change. It's second through fifth that we should watch."
Someone answered.
"The Moon Fairy of the Mystic Moon Pavilion, Zhu Yan of Crimson Flame Mountain, and Lin Chen of the Four Seas Merchant Guild should all make the top five. We just don't know their exact positions."
"I heard the Limu Sect produced a fierce contender named Li Tianxing. His battle record is incredibly formidable. He should be a dark horse..."
Amid the clamorous discussion were analyses, guesses, anticipation, and arguments.
Just as the atmosphere reached