The woman called Lanmei sucked in a sharp breath. "Even you couldn't get a clear read on him, Sister? Then when he challenged that commander about the Hall Master, was he really not bluffing?"
"Could he truly have ties to the higher-ups of the Immortal Sacred Land..."
"Quiet!" the composed woman snapped.
"This isn't something we should speculate about. But after what happened today, I doubt this will end peacefully. That man is no ordinary Authority Holder."
Elsewhere, several younger Authority Holders gathered together, their faces caught between excitement and lingering fear.
A red-haired young man flushed with excitement, his fists clenched tight.
"My god!"
"That was... that was insane!"
"One palm strike! Just one! That arrogant commander and those Guides who looked down on everyone all went flying!"
"Did you see the commander's face? His eyes nearly popped out!"
"Hahaha! That felt good! So damn good!"
A steadier companion in black frowned and lowered his voice.
"Chi Yan, calm down!"
"It felt good, sure, but think about the consequences!"
"That was a commander of the Immortal Sacred Land! He represents Cangwu Hall!"
"He was humiliated in public. What happens to the Sacred Land's reputation now? They won't let this go."
"So what?" Chi Yan shot back.
"The commander made that wager himself. Everyone here heard him!"
"He didn't just move one step—he flew a hundred yards! Even the Sacred Land can't break its own word in front of everyone, can it?"
"Naive," said another man coldly. His face was grim, and a long saber hung across his back.
"The strong make the rules, and the strong break them."
"A wager? In the face of absolute power and authority, a wager is worth less than the paper it's written on."
"That man is extraordinarily powerful, and he's wild and arrogant