When the herald called the name, a stir ran through the younger cultivators. From among the guests, a woman in dark-blue robes stepped out—Mi Ling.
Her expression was composed, her eyes calm yet sharp as a blade hidden within silk.
"The Starry Sky Alliance extends its congratulations," she said evenly. "This Starcore Pendant was recovered from the ruins of the Seventh Heaven's Spiral. May it bless the union."
As she presented the box, her gaze brushed briefly over Dong Rou—measured, assessing—before she turned and departed without another word.
"What is this woman doing here?" Dong Rui's voice echoed coldly in Liang's mind through a sound transmission.
Liang's expression did not shift in the slightest. His reply was calm, almost indifferent. "I was the one who invited her."
Dong Rui's eyes flickered with surprise. "You? Why would you do such a thing? Is she not your sworn enemy?"
