Dawn on day three brought four spirit cranes descending through morning sky like judgment given wings and terrible timing.
Hunter felt them before seeing them. Spiritual pressure so massive it made his partially healed meridians ache in recognition of overwhelming power differential. Not Core Formation. Something beyond. The kind of cultivation that made Foundation Realm feel like insect watching gods descend.
Liu Mei's defensive formations bristled with warning energy before recognizing sect spiritual signatures and standing down. Everyone in Shadow Rest stopped what they were doing to stare upward as majestic white birds circled once, twice, then landed in the courtyard with grace that made gravity seem optional.
Four cultivators dismounted. Three Core Formation stages radiating controlled power. And one presence that made the others feel like candles beside bonfire.
Nascent Soul.
