Painted towers rose high, with reed awnings and mat-lined halls, and carriages and horses gathered like clouds.
Thousands of streaks of escaping light sped through the sky like stars streaming across the heavens, stirring up layer upon layer of silver waves, their brilliant radiance a splendid sight.
When Chen Heng arrived at Carved Light Lake, he found the place far livelier than during the previous Dharma Assembly, with many spectators in attendance.
Everywhere, people called out to friends, colorful lanterns dazzled the eyes, and flutes and drums clamored to the skies.
Many Flying Pavilions and Shell Palaces had already risen on the high cliffs all around, packed close together. Maidservants in lavish sashes and long skirts moved among them, their figures indistinct, their faint laughter drifting over like swallows chattering and orioles singing, clear and melodious.
Chen Heng's spiritual perception was keen. Ever since arriving at the lake, he had faintly sensed several gazes cast his way from the Flying Pavilions and Shell Palaces on the surrounding cliffs.
Those gazes held no malice, however, only bashfulness or scrutiny.
He looked back and saw that all those Flying Pavilions and Shell Palaces were shrouded in a thin mist, making their interiors difficult to discern...
Dragon Women?
After a brief consideration, Chen Heng looked no further. He simply sat down casually on a cloud and quietly awaited the assembly's opening.
This man had a pale face and yellow beard, and wore an earth-yellow Daoist robe, with the True Yang One Qi Kerchief wrapped around his head and a Seal hanging at his waist. His build was lean, and the mysterious qi around him vaguely condensed into the shape of a walled city.
The several Xiantian Demon Sect disciples around him were all astonished.
The three strands of Sword Qi on the golden