An Overwhelming Hospitality

Sha Rulai stirred from his thoughts, drew a deep breath, and stared at the list. "The number of Spirit Seeds this time is lower than last time."

Bai Yulou said, "Yes, it's nearly half as many!"

Sha Rulai asked, "How could it be down by so much? Why isn't Jin Kingdom on the list?"

Bai Yulou reported, "Hardly any of Jin Kingdom's and Zhao Kingdom's people came out!"

"Oh!" Sha Rulai was somewhat surprised. His gaze swept across the valley, and indeed, he saw no one from Jin Kingdom. It was the first time Jin Kingdom had been completely wiped out in the Tiandu Secret Realm. He asked again, "How many came out?"

Bai Yulou said, "Ten thousand went in. Only around three thousand came out."

That was no lie. Jin Kingdom and Zhao Kingdom were gone, taking two thousand people with them in one stroke. The four factions Niu Youdao had lured and killed, along with Spirit Sword Mountain, had lost roughly another thirteen or fourteen hundred. Of Four Seas' two thousand men, around thirteen or fourteen hundred had also been lost. After Han Kingdom and Song Kingdom had each had one contingent lured to its death, Jin Kingdom had put them through another round, costing them more than half their remaining forces.

Adding in the scattered losses from all the fighting and slaughter among the various sides, only about three thousand people had emerged.

Sha Rulai's brows rose slightly. Compared to the more-than-half casualties of previous years, this was considerably higher. He turned his head and said, "Investigate it. Find out how Niu Youdao took first place!"

"Yes!" A blank-faced man beside him answered.

Bai Yulou understood. They were going to use Misty Pavilion's secret forces to investigate how Niu Youdao had taken first place within the secret