"Is that really the Queen herself? She came personally?"
"The First Heir's cultivation output has been — have you felt it? Early last month she was Core Formation. Now she's—"
"Do you think it's a technique? Some kind of accelerated—"
"She's gorgeous," said someone near Sun Mei, in the tone of someone who has forgotten they're speaking aloud.
Sun Mei turned.
The 'Silver Phoenix' had docked at the arena's elevated arrival platform — a stone shelf built into the upper wall for large clan ships. The gangway had deployed. Guards first — Lin Clan silver-and-gold, a dozen of them, descending in two-column formation with the crisp efficiency of a household that was running well. Then attendants, then staff, then—
The Queen descended first.
