The freshly swept flat stone slabs of Tongtian Apex smelled of mountain pine, cold granite, and ozone.
Across three billion square miles of the Jiuzhou Continent, hundreds of millions of mortals watched through the golden spatial mirrors. He held their breath in hushed, respectful silence.
The five main trunk lines hummed with clean sixty-cycle alternating current. Their warm golden streetlamps cast a calm glow over five mortal empires.
Down the long marble walkway leading from the spectator terrace to the porch of Classroom 404, seven figures walked forward in slow, ritualistic all at once.
At the front walked Saint Preceptor Kong of the Master Teacher Pavilion. He held a five-foot sceptre of white dragon jade.
Beside him stepped Grandmaster Tie Ji of the Blacksmith Guild, cradling a tiny, cold-rolled star-steel anvil that radiated the unbending weight of mountains.
Next came Array Patriarch Xuan Zhen, carrying the Primordial Leyline Compass. Heavenly Eye Bao Zhi, holding the Sovereign Golden Loupe. Grandmaster Yao Jing, bearing the Nine-Reversion Life-Root Gourd. Beast Tamer Sovereign Mo Han, holding the Iron Dragon Horn. And Grand Potion-maker Dan Xuan, carrying the Sacred Sun-Moon Cauldron Lid.
These were not ordinary spiritual treasures.
