A chuckle rang out.
Not loud. Not piercing. But in this vile hollow beneath the world—where the roots of the Ephemera Tree whispered secrets older than memory—it sounded like a bell tolling through time.
Elder Mingshi froze.
So did every other Hollow Eye disciple in the chamber. Their expressions twisted in alarm, their Immortal senses flaring in panic. No one—no one—could enter this place without the Eye's permission. And yet…
A pressure more refined than sword Qi, more inscrutable than Dao intent, descended upon them like velvet nightfall.
From the air, space folded.
And a veiled woman emerged from nothingness.
Her form was cloaked in robes of starlight and nightshade, hiding her true form. Her presence as ethereal as moonlight reflected in still water. Where she stepped, the very floor of the sanctum bent ever so slightly, as if in awe of her existence.
Lin Mu's eyes narrowed before recognition bloomed.
"Saintess," he said with a smirk. "So you were watching."
