Published: February 24, 2025
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
The nine great chiefs flashed from the Spirit Vessel and, in the next moment, appeared on the left side of the Battle Rankings Platform. Facing the dazzling array of spiritual wine and spiritual fruit on the jade table, they remained unmoved.
Shen Qingqiu looked up with utmost respect at the nine great chiefs seated, deeply bowing, “Elder of the outer sect, leading the outer sect elders, I pay my respects to the nine chief elders!”
At this moment, over a hundred thousand outer sect disciples knelt down, bowing their heads and shouting in unison, creating a deafening roar, "Disciples pay their respects to the nine chief elders!"
At this time, the chief of the Holy Spirit Lineage, the Holy Spirit Path Practitioner, waved his hand lightly from his seat, "No need for formalities."
"Thank you, Chief!" Amidst the enthusiastic shouts of the disciples, they all stood up.
The thirteen elders of the outer sect also straightened their bodies.
"Hmm." The Holy Spirit Path Practitioner nodded, then with hopeful eyes, his deep voice resonated across every corner of the vast venue:
"Qingqiu, our sect has invested a huge amount of spirit stones to train the outer sect disciples, first opening the time-space tunnel to the Fallen God Canyon, and then the Seed of Time and Space Sacred Tower, providing trial disciples with a place for cultivation."
"Now that the trial disciples have returned, the chief and the other chiefs are very much looking forward to it. Why don’t you bring the trial disciples up to the platform quickly?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqiu responded, turned to look at Tan Yun and the others, and ordered, "Trial disciples, heed my command, immediately come up to the Battle Rankings Platform."
"Disciples obey!" Tan Yun and the other trial disciples swiftly vanished from below the platform and soon appeared neatly on stage.
"Hmm?" The Holy Spirit Path Practitioner scanned Tan Yun and the others with a frown, "Qingqiu, there were over three thousand trial disciples, yet only 861 are here now. Do the others not know that the chief and the other chiefs have come? Hurry and summon them to the platform!"
Upon noticing there were so few people, the Holy Spirit Path Practitioner first thought that some trial disciples must be missing, not that they had perished.
The other eight chiefs felt the same way.
Although the nine chiefs were stationed in the Inner Sect, they were aware that the most powerful demon beasts in the area surrounding the Fallen God Canyon were only at the adult second tier level, which was not enough to cause the deaths of over two thousand trial disciples.
Moreover, it had been tens of thousands of years since the outer sect disciples had undergone trials in the Fallen God Canyon, and historically, even in the most severe trials, the number of disciples lost had never exceeded five hundred.
Thus, the nine chiefs were certain that there were still returning disciples who had not yet arrived. Consequently, they looked at Shen Qingqiu with slight displeasure.
To have to step away from their busy affairs to come to the outer sect and still have to wait for the trial disciples to arrive was clearly an indication of Shen Qingqiu's inefficiency as the leader of the outer sect.
Seeing the displeasure of the nine chiefs, a look of panic crossed Shen Qingqiu's murky eyes, and he hurriedly bowed to explain, "Reporting to the chiefs, this time, a total of 861 disciples returned from the Fallen God Canyon trial, and they are all here."
"What did you say? Are you implying that the other disciples are dead?" The Holy Spirit Path Practitioner's gaze pierced Shen Qingqiu's eyes like a sword.
Shen Qingqiu remained bowed, bracing himself as he answered, "Reporting to the chief, some of the other disciples died at the hands of demon beasts, which is why only this many remain."
Shen Qingqiu deliberately avoided mentioning Tan Yun's involvement in the killings, demonstrating just how protective he was of Tan Yun.
Upon hearing this, the other eight chiefs displayed varied expressions but remained silent.