The Rakshasa Sea.
Outside Pagoda Mountain.
Two figures appeared out of thin air on White Jade Plaza.
The moment they landed, Ji Yuan looked around, taking in the familiar yet strange surroundings.
The plaza's ground was paved with whole slabs of white jade, each engraved with intricate, mysterious patterns.
Behind the plaza, Pagoda Mountain, once hidden away, had now manifested in the world.
It floated in midair.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary mountain, with nothing remarkable about it. A Formation must still have been concealing its true appearance.
At the very center of the plaza stood a figure.
It was a humanoid Bronze Puppet.
Its body was cast from dark bronze, with fine runes etched into its joints. Its face was a smooth bronze plate without features, save for two narrow slits where a glint of crimson occasionally flashed.
Though its body was cold, hard metal, it wore a coarse linen robe washed so often it had faded white.
The robe hung loosely from the puppet, its cuffs and hem frayed. Against the cold, rigid bronze, it made for a strange, mismatched sight.
It was the Ghost Envoy Ji Yuan had met years ago in the Rakshasa Sea.
Mu Xueyao's eyes lit up the moment she saw the Ghost Envoy.
She let go of Ji Yuan's hand and reached the Ghost Envoy in a single step.
Tilting up her little face, she called out with a grin.
"Grandpa Ghost Envoy!"
The Bronze Puppet lowered his head slightly. Crimson light flickered in his two narrow slits.
The Ghost Envoy looked at her and said in a raspy voice, "I knew you ran off to find this brat."
"I didn't expect you'd actually find him."
At that, Mu Xueyao grabbed the Ghost Envoy's arm and shook it.
"I wasn't