The crack in the heavens closed completely.
The terrifying pressure weighing down on everyone vanished entirely.
The Four Symbols Barrier dissolved into specks of light in midair.
Emperor Jiang Wu, Old Ancestor Xuanming, Old Ancestor Cangwu, and the Alliance Leader reined in their auras and descended onto the High Terrace.
The four strongest experts in Central Province were all gasping for breath, each looking worse than the last.
Only the wind broke the silence in the plaza.
Tens of thousands of cultivators remained frozen in place.
Some slumped onto the paving stones and trembled, some clutched their chests and dry-heaved, and others could not even stay on their feet, collapsing onto their hands and knees.
Zhou Xuan stood at the edge of the High Terrace, both hands resting on the railing.
He looked down at these renowned figures of Central Province, his face showing neither relief at surviving the disaster nor excitement at repelling a powerful enemy.
"Everyone."
Zhou Xuan spoke. His voice was quiet, but carried just far enough to reach the entire plaza. His tone was flat, without the slightest inflection, dry and utterly devoid of emotion.
"These are the guardians of the Immortal Court you've worshipped for tens of thousands of years."
He raised a hand and pointed to where the heavens had split open.
"Murdering witnesses to silence them. Did you all get a good look?"
A long silence greeted him from below.
No one dared answer.
The Court Guardian Pavilion had inspired fear for tens of thousands of years. Even though it had nearly killed them all just now, many still felt their hearts pounding at the prospect of openly breaking with it.
Zhao Tu was a clever man.
He knew exactly when to step forward and declare his allegiance.
The master of the Supreme