A few hours later, the ink-black curtain of the night had begun to thin slightly at the absolute edges of the world, making way for the first faint, grey light of the approaching dawn.
High above the mortal plane, Shangguan Mu'er stood suspended in the empty void, hovering silently between the atmospheric barrier and the starry expanse.
Her elegant dark robes rippled gently against the freezing, whistling astral winds that howled through the upper altitude.
From her supreme vantage point, she cast her eyes downward, completely overlooking the entire Eastern Region.
Below her, the vast region looked like a sprawling, intricately carved map of dark valleys, rugged mountain ranges, and the distant, twinkling dots of light emanating from the lanterns of the festive Spirit Hall.
She sighed heavily, a soft, misty breath that instantly crystallized in the sub-zero temperature of the high void.
