In truth, such unfounded accusations were entirely without merit. The people of the Shadow Moon Hall knew this, as did the people of every other power.
But who told the Emperor's Garden to hover right above the Shadow Moon Hall's territory? Everyone feared that the Shadow Moon Hall would have the advantage of proximity, yet none of them were willing to say it outright. Now that something like this had happened, they naturally seized the opportunity to make a big fuss about it.
After a great deal of bargaining—even shouting matches—the major powers on the Dark Star finally reached a consensus: even once the Emperor's Garden opened, the many experts of the Shadow Moon Hall would not be allowed to enter early. They would have to wait until all the other powers assembled together before making any plans, or else they would become the enemy of all.
The Shadow Moon Hall's current situation, while not exactly walking on thin ice, was far from good. After all, they had only recently gone through an internal crisis, and the morale of their people was shaken—they desperately needed time to recover. Faced with such an unfair proposal, they had no choice but to agree.
And now, Tianyun City could practically be described as bursting at the seams. The sheer number of people left behind by the various powers was enormous—the inns and guesthouses in the city had long since been filled to capacity, their businesses booming.
Even some of the smaller clans in the surrounding areas had been forced to take in a few guests, providing accommodation for those powers.
With so many people, conflicts were inevitable. After all, the major powers on the Dark Star were not exactly on friendly terms with one another—there was plenty of competition and old grudges between them. Once they crossed paths, it only took a few words before fists started flying, and all-out brawls were a common occurrence.
Warriors died nearly every single day. And the Shadow Moon Hall, as the host, naturally refused to meddle in the grudges of these visiting powers. As long as they didn't interfere with the Hall's own interests, it maintained a stance of watching from the sidelines.
Inside the stone dwelling, Yang Kai was following Yang Yan's instructions, channeling the power of space into those strange objects while listening to her speak. He would occasionally interject with a question or two, and Yang Yan answered each one in turn.
While they were busy, Yang Yan's expression suddenly shifted. She pulled a communication compass from her space ring, extended her divine sense to check it, and then gave Yang Kai an odd look, her expression laden with meaning.
"What is it?" Yang Kai asked, bewildered.
"Someone's come looking for you." Yang Yan pressed her lips together in a smile, then said meaningfully, "An old acquaintance of yours."
"Old acquaintance?" Yang Kai's face darkened. He didn't know many people on the Dark Star, and even fewer with whom he'd formed any real bond. Yang Yan's use of "old acquaintance" completely stumped him. He couldn't for the life of him figure out who might be looking for him, and there had definitely been something strange about the way she'd said those words.
"Who is it?" Yang Kai decided to stop guessing.
"Dai Yuan!" Yang Yan replied with a grin.
"She..." Yang Kai frowned. If it had been anyone else, he could have simply claimed not to be at Dragon Cave Mountain and refused the meeting. But with Dai Yuan, that wouldn't be right. After all, she had gifted him a crystal bead from which he'd obtained considerable benefits. Besides, the Stone Puppet had last time carved a tunnel through her Thousand Illusion Crystal Mountain, and Yang Kai had no idea whether the Crystal Gate had discovered the damage afterward. Perhaps he could use this chance to probe her for information.
At that thought, Yang Kai rose to his feet. "I'll go take a look," he said.
With that, he headed outside.
Before long, he arrived at the Grand Array protecting Dragon Cave Mountain. He took out a token, poured Saint Yuan into it, and a beam of mystical light shot forth from the token. The Grand Array that sealed Dragon Cave Mountain immediately split open, revealing a path leading straight to the outside.
Before Yang Kai had even taken a step, he heard a burst of noisy chatter coming from outside. A suspicion stirred in his mind—could it be that Dai Yuan hadn't come alone? When he made out what the people outside were actually saying, his expression darkened and he quickened his pace.
At that moment, outside the Grand Array of Dragon Cave Mountain, Dai Yuan stood there looking graceful. If one only saw her from behind, anyone would have assumed she was a breathtaking beauty. Her graceful silhouette seemed to radiate a spellbinding magic, tugging at the soul, drawing it ever deeper until one couldn't break free.
But if you walked around to face her, no one could associate her with the word "beautiful" in any way.
Dai Yuan was just as she had always been—her complexion was a sallow, darkish yellow, her face covered in blemishes, and her appearance quite ugly. She made no effort to hide it behind a veil, presenting herself to the world with this face openly and without the slightest embarrassment.
Beside her, a group of more than a dozen warriors in matching attire but at varying cultivation levels were staring at her. Many of them openly showed their disgust, pointing at her without any restraint. Among the group, a few women held their chins slightly raised, wearing expressions of clear superiority.
They weren't particularly attractive themselves, but compared to Dai Yuan's face, each of them immediately became a beauty, gaining an entirely unearned sense of superiority.
"Oi! I'm talking to you—what, are you mute?" The ringleader of the group shouted at Dai Yuan.
Dai Yuan turned her head and gave him an indifferent glance, with no intention of responding.