The battle was over.
Tianluo City's Spirit Pagoda had returned to the Spirit Pagoda's control.
The hall was thick with the stench of blood and scorched flesh. Evil Soul Masters' corpses lay sprawled across the floor, their black blood pooling into small stains. The walls were covered in blade marks, spear scars, and burn marks. Several surviving chandeliers swayed faintly from the ceiling, casting flickering shadows.
Xiao Cheng stood in the center of the hall, using the Azure Sky Divine Spear as a crutch to support his weakened body. His breathing was slightly labored, and sweat trickled down his cheeks from his forehead, gathering at his chin before dripping onto the floor with soft taps. Though his Soul Power had not been exhausted, the near-instantaneous expenditure of such a vast amount had put considerable strain on his meridians.
"Xiao Cheng, are you all right?" Leng Yaozhu hurried over and supported his arm, concern flickering in her eyes. With her hand on his arm, she could feel his muscles trembling slightly—the normal reaction to overexerting one's Soul Power.
"I'm fine. My meridians are just under a bit too much strain." Xiao Cheng waved a hand, took a deep breath, and circulated his True Dragon Qi to nourish his meridians. "I'll be fine after resting for a while."
"The situation was urgent. There was no time to worry about that." Xiao Cheng spoke calmly. "If I hadn't acted, all those hostages would have died. Then there would have been no point in us coming here to rescue them." His tone was calm, but the resolve in his words made everyone present feel their weight.
"You did save them. That's true." Qiangu Dongfeng walked over, his expression stern. "But you must also watch out for your own safety. If you made a mistake