Azure Luan Realm, Combat Space.
Zhou Ming's face revealed neither joy nor anger as he listened to the Foundation Establishment disciple reporting before him.
"Elder, we've investigated."
"This person who defeated Senior Brother Zhou Tian has very little information available. We only know his name is Li Hao. There is nothing else."
"His combat records are also extremely sparse. Only thirty battles are displayed, all victories."
"Other than his battle with Senior Brother Zhou Tian, we found records of three of his battles. Their level placed him outside the top hundred among Foundation Establishment cultivators—utterly ordinary."
"It can be confirmed that he concealed his strength."
"Not only that, when this person set up the challenge arena, Senior Brother Zhou Tian was not in the Combat Space at the time. Someone anonymously reported it."
"Although there is no conclusive evidence yet, based on the intelligence above, it is highly likely that someone set this trap deliberately to lure Senior Brother Zhou Tian into it."
"Furthermore, news of Senior Brother Zhou Tian's defeat—and even the fact that his magic treasure was taken—spread incredibly quickly. Within mere minutes, the entire Combat Space knew. What's more, footage of that battle appeared in Featured Matches almost as soon as the atmosphere had been stirred up. That isn't normal either."
As the disciple finished speaking, an immense force suddenly erupted, pressing down like a mountain. Even the air let out an incomparably muffled groan.
The people within fared even worse. Several disciples responsible for gathering clues were crushed flat onto the ground on the spot. Their spiritual bodies endured unbelievable pressure, their entire bodies plastered to the floor, unable to move even a finger.
That aura came swiftly and vanished just as swiftly.
In an instant, it was withdrawn.
Though the tangible pressure had disappeared, the