The pre-dawn air of the Azure Sky Market was cool and crisp, carrying the faint scent of woodsmoke and distant, exotic spices. Wang Jian and Princess Yue Lingshan arrived at the North Gate just as the first pale fingers of light touched the horizon. Yue Lingshan, still veiled and cloaked, moved with a quiet grace that even the loose robes couldn't entirely conceal. Wang Jian, his Night Fang strapped securely to his back, looked like any other young cultivator ready for an expedition – outwardly unremarkable, inwardly a coiled serpent.
The Stone Wolf Pack was already there, their silhouettes stark against the lightening sky. Senior Sister Meifang, the scarred leader, gave them a curt nod. Her eighth-stage Qi Condensation aura was palpable, a steady pressure. Senior Brother Gao, the burly one, was stretching his thick arms, a wide grin on his face. Junior Brother Fei, the nervous youth, fidgeted with the strap of his quiver.
