On the outskirts of the Mother Star, at the Third Interstellar Port.
Compared to the gigantic integrated port Neji had seen when he first arrived on the Mother Star, this place was much smaller, yet its atmosphere was completely different. It lacked that orderly bustle and held more of a grim, chilling air. The port's platform structures were rougher, built from dark gray alloys and reinforced crystals. Most of the starships docked there were sharp-edged, heavily armed vessels designed for war, their hulls painted with vicious beasts or blade patterns. Their energy cannon muzzles glimmered dangerously in the darkness.
The Void Carriage carrying Neji landed in the designated area. The moment he stepped out, he felt several divine senses sweep over him—some powerful, some weak; some scrutinizing, some indifferent. All kinds of figures had gathered here, roughly forty or fifty people divided clearly into several small groups.
The largest group, with more than twenty people, mostly possessed mid- to late-stage Viscount Rank auras, while a few had reached Peak Viscount. Their clothing was relatively uniform, bearing obvious symbols of Longshi's faction. They looked arrogant, spoke loudly among themselves, and occasionally cast provocative glances at the others. Neji spotted Ōtsutsuki Huang among them, whispering to an especially burly man with a single horn growing from his forehead and an early Count Rank aura. When Huang's gaze flicked toward Neji, the resentment in his eyes was undisguised.
Another group of around ten had more restrained auras. Their styles of dress varied, but most were simple and practical. Some stood quietly alone, while others spoke in low voices in groups of two or three, maintaining polite yet distant boundaries from one another. Neji recognized several young nobles from the Conservative Faction or neutral factions whom he had met at the Star-Appreciation Gathering. They