The following day, at the third quarter of the Xu hour, Tianshu Pavilion on the main peak.
This grand hall, which symbolized the sect's highest deliberative authority, was ordinarily opened only for major events. Yet tonight, it blazed with lights, bright as day.
The Steward Disciples had long since instructed the menial workers to light all seventy-two bronze crane-beak lamps in the square before the pavilion.
The night wind swept past, and the lamplight swayed.
Several menial disciples hurried beneath the corridor, carrying jars of lamp oil as they spoke in hushed voices:
"Troubles really have been piling up lately... Peak Master Luo had barely passed when something happened to Cloudwater Supreme Sect."
"When is it our place to worry about such great matters? Just do our own jobs."
"I heard all elders above the Diheng Seat are coming tonight. I'm afraid something else has happened."
Before they had even finished speaking, figures began arriving from the various peaks, every one of them at least a True Origin Realm cultivator.
Experts of the Renzhi Seat and Diheng Seat came one after another. They nodded to each other in greeting without speaking much, their faces all grave as they filed into Tianshu Pavilion.
Chen Qing and Pei Tingchun entered the pavilion side by side.
The moment Chen Qing stepped inside, he drew several gazes.
Quite a few Diheng Seat elders gave him slight nods as greetings.
Chen Qing returned each salute in turn, his gaze sweeping across the hall.
More than a dozen people were already seated in the exclusive Diheng Seat seats at the front.
Chen Qing walked over at an unhurried pace and sat down, while Pei Tingchun took the seat beside him.
The moment he sat down, Chen Qing felt someone watching him.
He looked up and saw