Watch and Wait

The clouds gathering in the sky churned and rolled, and even the sword gate hidden within the void began to tremble slightly.

In the slightly damp air, a mysterious, ineffable sharpness seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

A vast, frigid wind swept in from the horizon, passing over layer upon layer of bluestone stairways, passing over an unknown number of acres of sword-dao plazas. It sent the robes of eight hundred core disciples clad in white fluttering. From the high platform, they looked like a surging sea of white clouds, spectacular beyond compare.

"Sword Qi is overflowing; the heavenly gate is trembling."

Cao Ming lightly tapped the edge of his stone chair with his fingers. An inscrutable look appeared in his eyes as he softly said:

"It's about to begin. Aren't you going to take this chance to look around nearby?"

"What's there to look at?" Ye Li asked indifferently without even raising his head.

After learning that this trip was truly just for observation, these unfamiliar faces, whom he did not even recognize from the files, found it difficult to stir any desire in him to converse.

"There's plenty."

Hearing the faint resentment in the youth's question, Cao Ming could not help but laugh. He then gestured toward several groups standing on the high platform as well and said:

"Just those people standing over there—the forces behind them either have Venerables holding the fort, or they are quasi-first-rate powers with several peak Domain Lords at the helm. Getting to know them in advance will do no harm to your future development."

"I still need to go up there and sit with that Old Ancestor of the Sword Sect later. Since you're idle here anyway, why not broaden your horizons?"

No sooner had he spoken than, as if to