Dusk had fully settled upon the Floating Mountain, draping the high summits in velvet shades of amethyst and indigo.
On the eastern plateau, the scene was poised in breathtaking stillness. The forty hand-carved stone lanterns glowed like captured stars. It cast warm, golden-amber halos across the wet dark rock flat stone slabs. Wild alpine irises, their purple petals brushed by mountain dew, swayed gently along the borders of the walkways. Through the black bamboo lattice screens, the vast sea of clouds two thousand meters below caught the twin silver and azure gleams of the rising moons, shimmering like an endless ocean of liquid silver.
Gathered around the main intake headwaters stood the inner circle of the Myriad Spirit Safe hall.
Tie Shan stood with his massive, star-iron hand resting upon the master red-bronze valve wheel. A huge four-foot disc engraved with ancient flowing-water glyphs. Beside him stood Da Shi, the Basalt Golem Sovereign. His sapphire-crystal eyes glowed with quiet underground pride. Su Ling’er stood gracefully wrapped in her vermilion robes. Her nine snowy tails were tucked behind her to avoid the damp stone. Gu Qingfeng leaned his shoulder casually against a massive cedar pillar, his plain wooden sword sheath resting against his hip, his weathered face softened by the warm glow of the lanterns.
