Chapter 155

The night descended upon Sky Jade City, but the Celestial Summit Palace did not sleep. Hovering a thousand feet above the mortal realm, the magnificent fortress was bathed in the ethereal, silvery glow of thousands of floating spirit-lanterns.

Inside the Grand Concourse, a sprawling hall built to host the continent's finest elites, the atmosphere was a chaotic mix of forced revelry and barely concealed anxiety. The Lower Division delegations had gathered in full force.

Provincial Lords, top sect masters, and their respective Participating Generals mingled throughout the hall, exchanging cups of hundred-year-old spirit wine and polite smiles. Laughter echoed across the room, but it was noticeably louder than necessary. Everyone seemed eager to boast about their province, their sect, or their chosen champion, as if talking loudly enough could drown out the unease hanging over the gathering.