The training grounds did not remain their gathering place for long.
Imperial guards soon began directing the tournament participants toward the palace.
Lines of cultivators moved through the wide capital avenues under strict supervision, escorted in groups through gates that most common citizens would never be permitted to approach.
The closer they came to the imperial district, the quieter the surroundings became.
The outer noise of the festival city faded behind high stone walls and layered courtyards.
Eventually, the procession stopped within the vast imperial courtyard prepared for the ceremony.
Rows of tournament participants were arranged into orderly formations across the polished stone square. The courtyard stretched wide beneath the sky, its pale marble surface reflecting the early sunlight like water.
Imperial guards stood at every boundary.
Their armor gleamed beneath the light, spears planted firmly against the stone.
