When he agreed, the two Hall Masters brightened. Then they turned to the crowd and pressed their hands gently downward.
The Authority Holders closing in from every direction were pushed back by that force. Their chatter faded as they retreated far away, though they still glanced back from time to time.
Before long, the area around the battlefield was empty.
Only seven presences remained in the clearing.
All seven Hall Masters of the Holy Land had arrived.
Shen Yi stood where he was and looked them over one by one.
Three of the Seven Halls were on his side for now. Of the remaining four, two looked reluctant but currently leaned toward him as well.
These seven never saw eye to eye and had never managed to gather in one place. Today, they were all here.
The Cangwu Hall Master stood in the distance, his presence markedly weaker. He looked diminished compared with when Shen Yi had seen him in the hall.
The blows from the Kunwu Branch had drained far more than the Holy Land's reserves. They had taken his own Authority too.
He did not even look at the two newly arrived Hall Masters, as though he refused to acknowledge that they had taken Shen Yi's side.
The seven stood in two groups.
Xilos remained half a step behind Shen Yi, the flames in his palm held low. His red eyes swept back and forth across the seven.
Once the surroundings fell completely quiet, the two newly arrived Hall Masters turned back to Shen Yi.
The one in front considered his words, then asked,
"Friend, could you let us have a look?"
"We need to know how effective the Flame of Continued Combustion is against the Black Fog—"
He stopped halfway through.
Shen Yi had spoken.
"Yes."
"But