The main hall of Firefly Manor was even grander and more luxurious than the courtyard outside.
The domed ceiling was carved from a single piece of Starry Sky Crystal, its surface shimmering with iridescent light. Warm jade that nourished the soul covered the floor, while ancient paintings imbued with the essence of rules hung on the walls. A faint fragrance filled the air.
As Lin Yi followed World Lord Hong Yan inside, he immediately sensed several powerful, concealed auras.
They clearly belonged to the other World-Deriving Rank guests present, as well as a few Star Domain Rank experts who kept a low profile.
Most simply nodded to World Lord Hong Yan from afar. Their gazes lingered briefly on Lin Yi, filled with scrutiny and curiosity, but none approached him.
World Lord Hong Yan led Lin Yi to a relatively quiet spot with an excellent view and said with a smile, "Commander Lin, please rest here for now. We have many guests today, so I hope you'll forgive us if our hospitality falls short."
"Please attend to your duties, World Lord." Lin Yi smiled in reply.
After World Lord Hong Yan left, Lin Yi didn't hurry to sit down. Instead, he surveyed the crowded hall, where guests in fine clothes mingled over wine.
He wasn't particularly interested in this sort of purely social occasion.
Of course, the main reason was that he didn't know anyone there, nor did he feel like approaching the little circles that had already formed.
So Lin Yi casually called over a nearby attendant and took a cup of richly colored wine, shimmering with starlight, from the jade tray he carried.
"This is Vortex Derivation Nectar, a local specialty of this Star Domain. It's made from the essence gathered by a ten-thousand-year-old Star Core Vortex and brewed