Just as emotions surged through Chu Yunhai, Sect Master Cao Zhen, seated at the head of the hall, slowly turned his gaze toward him as he stood below with his head bowed.
Cao Zhen wore a solemn expression. His tone was calm yet warm as he said, "Sea of Clouds, you may leave first. Cultivate diligently and strive to break through to the Qi-Nourishing Realm as soon as possible."
Chu Yunhai shuddered at those words, as though a thunderbolt had struck him, leaving his ears ringing.
The Sect Master had dismissed him alone while keeping Yang Jing, who had just broken through to the Qi-Nourishing Realm, in the hall. That difference in favor and regard seared itself into his eyes and heart like an unmistakable brand.
No further words were needed. The gazes of every senior figure present had already said it all.
Heaviness, bitterness, and frustration churned together in Chu Yunhai's chest, threatening to drown him entirely. He could barely breathe, and the anguish knotted inside him had almost reached its limit.
But the Sect Master's words were the sect's decree. As a disciple, he had no room to argue or linger. He could only force all those turbulent emotions back into the depths of his heart.
The corner of Chu Yunhai's mouth trembled despite himself. His lips pressed into a tight line as he barely suppressed the bitterness in his throat. Raising his head, he cupped his hands and bowed deeply to Cao Zhen on the dais, then said in a low voice tinged with an almost imperceptible rasp, "Yes. This disciple takes his leave."
With that, he lingered no longer. He slowly turned and walked toward the doors of the Main Peak Hall, one step at a time.
He deliberately held his back straight and kept every