Your voice was mild, yet your words struck Xu Wuji in the chest like a heavy hammer.
He was not the only one shaken. Jade Terrace Fairy, Cao An, and the others felt their hearts tremble too. They were prodigies of the same generation, but in the eyes of these sect masters, the word "prodigy" seemed lighter than a feather. Who among those who had passed the Second Nine Heavenly Tribulation had not once towered over their peers?
"True Person Tongxuan, forgive the offense."
You gave Beast Emperor, Divine Crow Daoist, Blood Sea High Person, and the others a slight nod, then led the Taihua Sect members and Shi Jinghong away.
Beast Emperor and Divine Crow Daoist departed in turn.
The demonic shadow vanished, leaving only the Righteous Dao cultivators standing amid the silence.
True Person Tongxuan's gaze settled on Xu Wuji. His voice was calm.
"Wuji, you received Senior Brother Nine Yang's personal teachings from childhood. Within the sect, no one could surpass you, and your path has been smooth."
He paused. "You should remember your defeat at the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury, and what happened today."
"The path of cultivation has never been easy."
"You must understand that beyond one sky lies another, and beyond one person stands another."
Xu Wuji lowered his head in silence. Chen Xuanzi's profound Spirit Qi Returning to Origin seemed to flash before his eyes once more, along with that boundless sword intent, fine as mustard seeds. However he turned it over in his mind, he could find no way to counter it. He had never seen such an art.
Tongxuan continued, "Before Senior Brother Nine Yang made his name, he was nothing remarkable. He lost to others too, but each battle made him stronger."
"In the end, he became the foremost cultivator in