The sky above Taichu Sanctuary Immortal City cracked open in blinding waves of golden lightning.
Between two towering peaks of the Northern Dragon-Spine Mountains, a colossal dimensional rift churned like a whirlpool of liquid violet silk.
This was the Heavenly Ascension Sky-Road—the ancient spatial conduit linking the mortal Nine-Prefecture Continent directly to the Central Heavenly Capital.
For ten thousand years, only divine imperial envoys, high-ranking tributary missions, and ascending saints had been permitted to cross this sacred threshold.
Today, twelve colossal dreadnoughts lined up before the vortex in perfect, synchronized battle formation.
At the center of the armada rode the Taichu Golden Sky-Cruiser, its crystalline battle-bridge gleaming with nine layers of protective lotus arrays.
Beside it, the repossessed Taichu Sovereign Creditor thrummed with the power of thirty-six overhauled dragon-blood engines.
Ten heavy armored cruisers formed an arrowhead around them, their void cannons primed, their decks packed with fifty thousand elite defenders in bright yellow municipal security vests.
