The whispers within and outside the Nurturing Spirit Hall naturally did not escape the ears of the elders from the various sects.
"Hehe, the disciples seem quite enthusiastic about the rankings, don't they?"
Chao Wendao said with a chuckle as he stroked his beard.
"They're just youngsters who have yet to make their mark in the world. It's only natural for them to enjoy excitement."
Lin Anzai, Elder of Sky Profound Gate, smiled and shook his head as he rolled two dim prayer beads in his hand.
"Surely you elders don't also want to compete with Elder Yang, just like the disciples do?"
Li Jiujian, elder of the Limitless Sword Sect, narrowed his eyes and cast a meaningful glance at the other elders.
"Hmph, we're all old enough. Why would we care about such empty reputations? If this Martial Arts Exchange were not a tradition spanning over a hundred years, my Cloud Immortal Palace would never have bothered traveling all this way."
Wen Lingwu, elder of Cloud Immortal Palace, said disdainfully.
"It's all because of that rebellious disciple of mine, stirring up such nonsense... Once we return, I'll definitely teach him a lesson!"
Nangong Yuan wore a stern expression.
"That would be for the best, lest everyone compete too fiercely and harm the harmony."
Chao Wendao breathed a sigh of relief and took out a pile of tokens, distributing them to the other elders.
"These are Illusion Tokens from our Spirit Cloud Sect. Since the upcoming Martial Arts Exchange will use illusions instead of the Secret Realm, you may take your disciples to familiarize themselves with the various illusions over the next few days."
The elders of the various sects chatted for a while longer before each leading their disciples away.
Wind and Moon Pavilion.
The temporary residence of