Then there were the Dao's Five Houses, Heavenly Mountain, and even White Deer Palace, Xudao Mountain, Northern Sea Prefecture, the Three Mountains Floating Raft, Dragon Lord Dongting... and Yunlang.
The gathering surpassed even the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet. Almost everyone renowned in the Divine Capital had appeared here.
The sects' true disciples, and names known even beyond their sects-Lu Wei, He Yaoyao, Qiu Si, Qun Fei... all the familiar faces from the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet were here.
Still more eye-catching were those legendary names on the Crane List.
The man seated ahead of Heavenly Mountain's Qun Fei and Shang Yunning had to be [Red Steed], Nie Shangheng;
The man from Dragon Lord Dongting seated ahead of Lu Wei, sharing a table and drinking with Zhu Gaoyang, had to be Zhao Wue, first in the arts lineage and seventh on the Crane List.
The woman occupying Northern Sea Prefecture's foremost seat was naturally [Ruo], Qi Ye.
The red-clad, saber-bearing woman from White Deer Palace was naturally this generation's [Blade Ghost], He Hongzhu...
Each of those figures seemed weightier than the others, drawing people's gazes more readily into their depths. Unlike the Heavenly Mountain Sword Banquet, no one sat in the center, and there was no loud clamor.
Whether they arrived early or late, whether they belonged to the Teal List or the Crane List, every newcomer searched the gathering for the figure they wanted to see. Only after spotting a clean, empty seat over by Yunlang did they withdraw their gazes and find somewhere to sit.
Three years away from the Divine Capital-what bearing did the Young Sword Lord possess now, she whose sword had astonished Yu and Lin at eighteen?
The woman did not keep everyone waiting long.
Only a little later than most, that figure in white, bearing