The golden dragon carriage perched upon the high sovereign balcony dissolved into ribbons of radiant light as Sect Master Zhao Tianxiao stepped out into the open sky.
He did not walk down the carved marble staircase like the mortal judges, nor did he use a flying sword to descend from the clouds.
With every step he took through the empty air, a platform of solid golden Qi crystallized beneath his boots, ringing with a deep, bell like resonance that shook the foundation of the suspended coliseum.
The sovereign pressure radiating from his imperial robes descended upon Station One like a falling mountain, crushing the lingering heat from the air and pressing the three thousand spectators deep into their stone benches.
The white marble flagstones around Ye Chen’s boots groaned under the im
