In a single motion, the twenty sect leaders cupped their fists and bowed low. Sweat trickled down their foreheads, snaking along their noses. The faint splashes resounded in their ears, dwarfing the sound of the scraping doors.
An invisible pressure pressed on their shoulders, their own fears shackling their limbs, gripping their throats. Their powers, ranks, and prides became meaningless trinkets in front of the silhouette hovering inside the light.
It wrapped around him in a blinding, deceptively warm halo. But they knew the slightest outburst or provocation would spell their doom.
The deafening thuds of their hearts reverberated against their ribs, spreading into their bones for a moment that seemed to stretch forever.
Before they suffocated, however, the light faded. Cool natural shadows embraced their sweat-drenched backs like benefactors providing refreshments to thirsty travellers. Tian Long's head even moved slightly, as if thanking them.
