Suddenly being greeted in this manner, Xiao Jiu was also stunned. Yet, turning her head to look at the lake surface, she saw a black-robed cultivator whose left cheek was charred and blackened, ugly to the absolute extreme, who had appeared at some unknown time. He revealed a joy completely different from everyone else's, and could not help but cry out with delight:
"Master!"
"Master?"
At this time, Dong Yan and the others on the boat had already been taken into the Self-Created World to avoid suffering collateral damage. However, quite a few cultivators still remained on the surrounding lake surface. They were very familiar with Xiao Jiu, but they found this old man in black robes who did not match her at all somewhat startling.
"I remember Nine Lass was supposed to be from the Tianfa Ling Sect?"
"That borderland sect probably lacks even the strength of a lower-tier sect, what is there to mention? But this fellow..."
"Why do I find him a bit familiar? Look at that half-face..."
The few people on the boat couldn't be bothered to pay attention to the surrounding whispers.
Little Five and Xuanhuang were also seeing this master of Xiao Jiu's for the first time. Previously, Xiao Jiu had always been tight-lipped about this person; although Yu Ci and the others had definite guesses, they hadn't deliberately inquired.
Baiyi, however, ignored the subtle situation within, and smiled dryly:
"Spirit Warding, you still have the leisure to show your face?"
"Not far from death, but I naturally still want to see my disciple grow up and make something of herself."
Yes, this ugly black-robed cultivator was none other than Spirit Warding Ancestor, who had founded a sect in the Myriad Ghost Grotto back then and could be called a grandmaster of his generation.