Standing behind the woman was a man with rather peculiar features — a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, his eyes narrow and slit-like as though they could never fully open, revealing only two thin gaps. He had a protruding overbite, his upper teeth jutting out over the lower, giving him a comical appearance reminiscent of a rabbit.
The man looked wretched to the extreme, and standing beside the stunningly beautiful woman in front of him, the visual contrast was jarringly stark. She appeared impossibly lovely, while he was unspeakably ugly.
However, from their positioning it was clear that the buck-toothed man was likely a junior or disciple of the palace-robed woman. He stood a full step behind her, his expression one of reverence as he hovered in midair, looking every bit like one who followed her lead without question. His cultivation was at the first layer of the Return Void Realm, though the Holy Element undulations radiating faintly from his body were far more refined and pure than those of an ordinary first-layer Return Void cultivator.
Upon seeing the woman, Yang Kai's expression darkened. He had no idea who she was or where she came from. If she turned out to be an enemy, things would get truly difficult. Facing this palace-robed woman, he felt a faint sense of suppression — a feeling that neither Jin Shi nor Granny Feng had ever managed to evoke in him.
That alone spoke volumes. Her strength was clearly a cut above theirs.
But when he spotted the buck-toothed man, a look of surprise crossed Yang Kai's face.
He recognized him. That buck-toothed man was none other than Ge Qi — the same person who had traded a Star Emperor Token with him for spirit pills after the last auction at the Treasure Assembly Hall!
Yang Kai's impression of him was exceptionally deep, for one reason alone: when this fellow had caught sight of Yang Yan, he had acted like a mouse encountering a cat. Not only was he terrified, he was practically reverent, even referring to himself as "Little Qi"!
Someone with such distinctive looks and such bizarre behavior — how could Yang Kai possibly forget?
He also remembered that after the pill trade, Ge Qi had mentioned that if the opportunity arose, his elder would come to pay respects to both Yang Kai and Yang Yan. Thinking back on it now, that palace-robed woman must be Ge Qi's elder, and the spirit pills he had wanted to trade the Star Emperor Token for had been prepared for this very woman.
Were they friend or foe? Yang Kai's brow furrowed, his expression uncertain.
However, the arrival of these two succeeded in drawing everyone's attention, easing the tense atmosphere that had been on the verge of erupting into violence.
Moreover, once the powerful figures from the various major forces got a clear look at the woman's face, every one of them showed expressions of disbelief. Some even turned pale with fear, as though they were terrified of this palace-robed woman.
Even Mo Xiaosheng of the War Heaven Alliance and Cheng Pengxuan of the Thunder Platform Sect wore the same looks. The two exchanged a glance, both revealing expressions of wariness, inwardly cursing their luck.
As two of the most powerful figures on the Dark Star, the War Heaven Alliance and the Thunder Platform Sect bowed to no one — except for the mysterious Star Emperor Mountain. And Mo Xiaosheng and Cheng Pengxuan were Grand Elders of their respective forces, holding positions of great authority and commanding extraordinary strength. For both of them to show such wariness, the palace-robed woman's identity and background were clearly extraordinary.
Yang Kai observed their reactions carefully. Though he still didn't know whether this newcomer was friend or foe, or where she came from, he could tell that this palace-robed woman was certainly a figure of tremendous renown.
"How… how can it be her?" Back on the Shadow Moon Hall side, Qian Tong looked as though he had seen a ghost, blinking hard, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
Fei Zhitu's mouth hung open like a hippopotamus's, his appearance no better than Qian Tong's.
"Elder, who is that senior?" Wei Guchang asked curiously from the side. The moment the palace-robed woman had appeared, without uttering a single word, she had already suppressed every powerhouse present with her overwhelming aura. This left Wei Guchang both puzzled and inexplicably excited.
Now this — this was what a true powerhouse should be!
"She? She is the former Sect Master of Star Emperor Mountain…" Qian Tong answered through lips that tasted of bitterness.
Wei Guchang's body jolted, and his gaze toward the palace-robed woman grew even more reverent, as though he had never imagined this senior's background could be so immense.
Star Emperor Mountain — it was the most mysterious and most powerful force on the Dark Star. No one knew how many experts they possessed, nor how deep their reserves ran. But it was said that Star Emperor Mountain had inherited the legacy of the Starry Sky Great Emperor, so even the two giants — the War Heaven Alliance and the Thunder Platform Sect — instinctively felt a head shorter when facing them.
Fortunately, Star Emperor Mountain had no interest in competing for territory. They rarely appeared on the Dark Star. Otherwise, there would have been no room for any other sect to develop — the Dark Star would have been unified under Star Emperor Mountain long ago.
Though Qian Tong had spoken softly, his words still reached the ears of the palace-robed woman. She turned her head slightly, casting a glance from her phoenix eyes in their direction. Under that single look, Qian Tong felt his scalp tingle and forced out a strained smile.
The younger generation of warriors might not recognize this palace-robed woman, but every Return Void Realm expert at the second layer or above present knew her name — and knew her terrifying reputation. Recalling the great upheavals that had occurred during the century-plus she had presided over Star Emperor Mountain, Qian Tong felt even more uneasy.
Why would she appear here?
"I have not ventured out of seclusion for a long time. I never expected that upon my return, I would encounter so many old acquaintances." The palace-robed woman suddenly parted her ruby lips, her voice as pleasant and melodious as a spring breeze, soothing body and soul alike. "Little Qian, Little Fei — the two of you have reached this level as well. It seems your years have not been wasted."
The moment this palace-robed woman opened her mouth, she sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Qian Tong and Fei Zhitu — venerable elders of the Shadow Moon Hall, long past the age where youth was any concern — had just been addressed as "Little Qian" and "Little Fei" by this woman.