New Wushan Town, Northwest Province, O'Brien Empire.
A strange figure shrouded in a green robe stood in the sky above New Wushan Town, surveying the ground below.
Only the gaunt, chicken-claw-like fingers protruding from his long sleeves offered any indication that this strange figure was probably a gaunt old man. His eyes glowed green, like a wolf's eyes shining in the darkness of night.
Behind him stood nine humanoid beings completely shrouded in silver robes. These nine Silver-Robed Beings stood respectfully behind the Green-Robed Gaunt Elder like servants, their hands lowered and heads bowed, deliberately keeping even their breathing as faint as possible.
"The Yulan Continent. This is the Yulan Continent..." An aged, low voice came from the Green-Robed Gaunt Elder's mouth, carrying a slight tremor.
It was not fear. It had been far, far too long since he had smelled these scents-the earthy tang of soil, the fresh fragrance of vegetation, the scorched smell of firewood in the distant cooking smoke. To mortals, these smells were utterly unremarkable. To him, they were like a wine aged for ten thousand years having its clay seal broken.
"Cough... cough..." Coughs rang out, and the Green-Robed Gaunt Elder seemed somewhat feeble. He pressed a gaunt hand against his chest, yet his green eyes shone with a frightening brightness.
"What a lovely scent. Such fresh vitality." He looked down at the enormous town below. The densely packed auras of life flickered in his perception like stars in the night sky.
After years of expansion and taking in new residents, New Wushan Town now had over ten thousand permanent inhabitants. Houses stood in neat rows, streets crisscrossed, and early-rising vendors were setting up their stalls in the town's central square.
The Green-Robed Gaunt Elder stretched out his chicken-claw-like hands, little more than skin, holding