The atmosphere in the reception hall remained oppressive.
Flender sat in a chair, took off his glasses, wiped the lenses, then put them back on. Zhao Wuji leaned against the wall with his arms folded, his face dark as the bottom of a pot. Yu Xiaogang was silent for a long while before finally speaking. "I've never seen a Soul Ring Configuration like Luo Chen's. Five Soul Rings—two purple, two black, and one yellow. This completely exceeds my research into the limits of Soul Ring age."
Dai Mubai stood by the window, fists clenched, saying nothing. The shock he'd suffered today was no less than Tang San's. He'd always believed himself to be among the very best of his generation, only to have some random person from Heaven Dou Royal Academy crush him utterly.
Tang San crouched on the ground, picking up the fragments of the Eight Spider Lances one by one and gathering them in his arms. Xiao Wu crouched beside him. She wanted to help, but didn't know where to start, so she could only watch.
"Xiao San, are you all right?" Xiao Wu's voice was tight.
Tang San shook his head. "I'm fine."
He didn't tell Xiao Wu that the moment Luo Chen released his pressure, he'd felt as if an invisible giant hand had seized him, making it hard even to breathe. If the Clear Sky Hammer hadn't come out on its own, he might really have ended up sprawled on the ground, unable to get back up.
Xiao Wu looked at his pale face. Her lips moved, but in the end she said nothing. She had her own worries, too. Had that silver-haired man seen through her identity? Had Dugu Bo noticed something when he gave her that look before leaving?
She didn't dare think