Blood-Colored Lakeside, within the Black Palace.
The atmosphere was oppressive.
Huan Yan Ancestral Founder looked at the secret letter in her hand and remained silent.
Huang Qi Ancestral Founder reread the secret letter in his hand yet again. This was already the ninth time he had gone over this letter freshly delivered from the battlefield.
His expression flickered between light and dark, as if he still could not bring himself to believe it.
Heart Demon Old Man sat upon the Skull Throne, his gentle, limpid eyes like a tranquil lake filled with dazed bewilderment.
Not a sound could be heard within the great hall, making the stifling silence all the more unbearable.
After a long while, Heart Demon Old Man sighed. "Before the battle began, I had already calculated every variable that might arise. Yet in the end... we still fell short at the final step!"
His voice was filled with regret, along with a trace of unwillingness that was difficult to detect.
Huan Yan Ancestral Founder and Huang Qi Ancestral Founder both fell even more silent.
Indeed, Heart Demon Old Man had long since deduced every variable that would arise in this battle.
Only...
Knowing was one thing. When those variables truly occurred, they discovered just how terrifying they were.
"The key reasons for our defeat in this battle were twofold."
Huang Qi Ancestral Founder's voice was low. "First, a Contraband Item like the Epoch Fire Seed could actually trigger the Five Decay Dao Tribulation!"
"Second, although we knew Su Yi would Breakthrough Realm and undergo tribulation in desperate straits, we never expected the Immortal Tribulation he triggered to be even more terrifying than the Five Decay Dao Tribulation!"
"It was precisely these two points that gave Su Yi a chance to turn the tables, causing all our plans