The morning mist burned away as the sun rose over the inner citadel of Iron Wall, unveiling the colossal expanse of the Grand Martial Plaza.
Tens of thousands of martial hopefuls, young cultivators, and wanderers from across thirty-six imperial prefectures packed the wide granite tiers beneath the shadow of the mountain gate.
Above the plaza, the soaring spires of Mount Heaven's Reach hung suspended in the clouds, their golden defensive arrays casting radiant patterns across the flagstones.
For the commoners of the lower wards, this triennial gathering was their single chance to step out of the coal dust of the smelting alleys and earn an entry rank within the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Ye Chen stood in the fifth staging column of the unranked applicants, wearing the rough linen coat and scu
