Floating Island - Triple S Talent

"Yo… how was it? Beautiful, wasn't it?" The voice of the female host once again echoed throughout the arena. "The dance you just witnessed is one of the prides of our Divine Sky Realm."

She smiled, pausing for a moment to let the audience savor the moment after such an extraordinary performance.

"Don't forget to take pictures!" she continued in a cheerful tone. "Trust me, you'll miss this someday."

After giving the audience time to capture the moment, she spoke again, this time with a tone that piqued their curiosity even more.

"Not any less exciting than the Celestial Dragon Dance, the next performance will bring you closer to nature…" She paused for a moment, letting the audience guess before continuing, "Let us witness the Dance of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms!"

As the girl stepped backstage, the lights across the entire area suddenly dimmed, shrouding the stage in total darkness. Only a few seconds later, the lights returned, revealing an astonishing transformation on stage. Now, hundreds of dancers stood there, dressed in shades of pink and brown.

Shen Yu narrowed his eyes, observing something each dancer was holding. "Umbrellas?" he murmured softly. However, what intrigued him more were the words he had just heard.

"Cherry blossoms?" His eyebrows slightly raised. This was the first time he had heard of such a flower.

His curiosity grew as the dance began. Slowly, from the center of the formation, one dancer opened her umbrella, followed by the others surrounding her. From a bird's-eye view, this formation resembled the petals of a blooming flower.

The pink hues of the umbrellas opening simultaneously created a breathtaking sight, as if a giant flower had truly blossomed on the stage. Then, small petals began to fall from above, swirling gently in the air before touching the stage, like a light snowfall drifting softly.

Shen Yu watched in silence, his eyes capturing every detail. As the flower at the center of the stage began to 'wither,' the dancers in the middle closed their umbrellas and replaced them with brown ones. With a well-coordinated choreography, they moved to form something resembling a trunk and branches reaching skyward.

"They're forming a tree?" he thought to himself. Awe began to surface on his face. This choreography was not only mesmerizing but also demonstrated an exceptional level of teamwork. Every movement was so synchronized, showing how diligently the dancers had practiced to create this near-perfect spectacle.

The cheers from the audience grew louder. Many waved glowing objects in their hands, creating a sea of twinkling lights among the seats. Some even shouted specific names, possibly calling out to someone they knew on stage.

Shen Yu remained silent, not joining in the commotion. However, his ears caught the enthusiastic discussions of his sect brothers seated nearby. He let their voices pass, choosing to stay focused on enjoying the performance.

The Dance of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms continued with a steady rhythm, taking the audience on a visually stunning journey. However, in the midst of the performance, something else caught Shen Yu's attention.

In one of the special areas covered by a canopy, an elderly man suddenly appeared.

He wore a simple black robe, without any jewelry or extravagant accessories. Yet, despite his ordinary appearance, there was something about his aura that set him apart. His face looked kind, but Shen Yu could not ignore the strange feeling that arose within him.

"Who is he?" Shen Yu murmured, his curiosity spiking.

How could he not be intrigued? The old man had appeared out of nowhere in one of the three special areas, as if his presence had been there all along without anyone noticing. That area was no ordinary place—only individuals of the highest status in the Divine Sky Realm had the right to sit there. Even he, a disciple of the Eternal Swan Sect—the top sect in the Guandu Realm—did not have the qualifications to be in that area.

Shen Yu observed the old man closely. There was no energy fluctuation emanating from him, no spiritual pressure felt. It was as if the old man was just an ordinary human without cultivation. But that was precisely what made him even more suspicious. Normally, even if he couldn't gauge someone's strength, he could at least sense a faint aura. However, this old man was completely silent—like an empty space in the midst of this grand stage.

Shen Yu narrowed his eyes as the old man began to walk slowly through the rows of seats on the left side, his steps light, almost soundless. As he moved closer to the center, Shen Yu's astonishment grew even more.

"Don't tell me… he's the right hand of the Guardian of the Divine Sky Realm?" he thought to himself.

The old man stopped and took a seat on the left side—two seats away from the Guardian's main throne. Instantly, Shen Yu's heartbeat quickened.

"I knew it… There's no way he's just an ordinary official," he murmured softly, his eyes remaining locked onto the old man's figure.

Not long after the old man's appearance, Shen Yu noticed several other figures beginning to appear in the special area designated for representatives of the Guandu Realm and the Silent Forest Realm. However, unlike before, this time Shen Yu was not particularly interested. Most of them were people he already knew. The Guandu Realm and the Silent Forest Realm could not be considered close allies, but their cooperative relationship had been established for over a decade.

However, Shen Yu's attention was drawn once again when another man appeared. Unlike before, this man wore a neat uniform adorned with several gleaming badges on his chest.

"A military officer?" Shen Yu murmured.

He had visited the Player realms quite frequently, so he recognized the pattern of their military uniforms. By observing the attributes on the man's attire, he could immediately conclude that this person held a high-ranking position.

Sure enough, after observing more closely, Shen Yu could sense the energy waves emanating from his body. This officer was no ordinary figure—he was a Grandmaster! But what shocked him even more was his seating position.

"He's sitting in the back?" Shen Yu's brows furrowed deeply.

A military officer with a Grandmaster level of cultivation should be highly respected, shouldn't he? According to general protocol, those seated in the front row were the individuals with the greatest influence. Officials like him did not just represent a single kingdom but an entire realm. Yet, the man sat calmly in the back row, showing no signs of discomfort.

And he was not alone. Moments later, more military officials began arriving, each wearing their formal uniforms with distinct honor insignias. They all had an early-stage Grandmaster level of cultivation—a power that, in the outside world, was enough to lead great armies or become key figures of a nation.

Yet, they all remained seated in the back row.

"If such high-ranking officials aren't in the front row, then who holds a position even higher than them?"

Shen Yu's curiosity deepened. His gaze now shifted to the front row, trying to guess who was entitled to those seats.