Li Tianying's murmuring was like a sigh scattered by the wind, drifting down among the intricate formation patterns on the Formation Peak Master's seat.
In that instant, his gaze grew distant and unfocused, as though it had pierced through the arena and the crowd before him to settle on some remote stretch of time and space that only he could see.
He continued murmuring that line under his breath, as though those seven words held something he had sought for so long yet could never reach.
Du Yushu failed to notice his distracted state. With a hint of teasing in his voice, he said, "Tian Ying, this little fellow has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. First fist techniques, then saber techniques, and now he's composing poetry too. Looks like what you taught him on Formation Peak wasn't wasted after all."
He waited several breaths, but Li Tianying gave no reply.
Du Yushu called him twice more. "Tian Ying? Tian Ying?"
Still, Li Tianying did not respond.
Du Yushu turned to look at him, and his expression abruptly grew grave.
Rather than calling out again, he extended his divine sense into Li Tianying's Cave Heaven.
The moment Du Yushu's divine sense reached the depths of that Cave Heaven, his heart sank. Faint, fine black lines were emerging on the surface of Li Tianying's Dharma Form. Like creeping vines, they slowly spread along its edges. Though they were only beginning to sprout, they already carried a deeply unsettling aura.
Du Yushu instantly withdrew his divine sense and stirred his true essence. "Everyone, an urgent matter requires our attention at the Songhe Gate. Please bear with us and take care of things here."
Before he had finished speaking, he had already grasped Li Tianying's arm and swept into the distance like