Just as Palace Lord Shengyuan rolled about on the ground in agony, howling without end, his breath fading to almost nothing—
Buzz!
A faint, nearly imperceptible ripple spread through the void. A black-robed figure silently appeared in midair, standing suspended in the air.
His body was slightly hunched, wrapped in a black robe. His aged face was lined with the marks of time, and his eyes were as deep as ancient wells. At this moment, however, they held an unconcealable trace of helplessness and... astonishment.
Mo Lin seemed to sense something and looked up. Upon recognizing that aged face, he was briefly stunned before a flicker of understanding crossed his eyes. A teasing smile curled his lips.
"Well, if it isn't Grandpa Hei? We haven't seen each other in years. Why were you hiding off to the side watching the show? What made you finally come out now?" Mo Lin spoke casually, his tone familiar and teasing, as though he had met an old friend.
Behind him, Yao Yao's delicate body trembled the instant she saw the black-robed elder. Her cold eyes widened at once, filled with incredulous delight. Her eyes reddened slightly as she called out softly, "Grand... Grandpa Hei?"
The black-robed elder—Cang Yuan—first gave the miserable Palace Lord Shengyuan on the ground a complicated look before turning toward Mo Lin. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he spoke in an unhurried voice tinged with emotion. "I thought you brat had run into serious trouble, and that this old man would have to risk exposing himself to save you. Who would have thought... you'd give me such a tremendous surprise instead."
His gaze swept over Mo Lin. When he sensed the incomparably solid, vast aura within him, far surpassing that of an ordinary Two-Lotus Saint, as well as