True Person Yu Qing took a deep breath and rose to his feet.
He could not let things continue like this. If that child kept letting his thoughts run wild, the family's future pillar would have his Dao heart shatter on the Sword Trial Platform today.
He could sense Chu Shihan's current state—from the intermittent fluctuations in his aura, from that silence suppressed to the utmost limit, from that flushed face and those hollow eyes.
It was not simple humiliation and indignation. It was a sign that, after being hammered over and over again, he was about to break apart entirely.
No matter what, the most important thing for Chu Shihan now was to get him away from Shen Yuxi and Jing Cangyi—even though Jing Cangyi had not done anything yet.
True Person Yu Qing cleared his throat. His voice rang out above the Sword Trial Platform, steady and clear. "The Nascent Soul Division matches have all concluded. At this time tomorrow, the rewards for all victors of the Hundred Sects Tournament's martial competition will be distributed here. Those who are interested may come and observe the ceremony."
As his words fell, a murmur rose from the crowd. Some had already begun anticipating tomorrow's grand event, while others were still reliving the thrilling duel from moments ago. To them, this was merely the ordinary progression of the tournament. They had no idea what considerations lay beneath that calm announcement.
Only the core disciples and elders of the Profound Heaven Sect understood: the sect master was buying Chu Shihan time to catch his breath. One night was enough for him to recover somewhat from this storm in his mind. At the very least, he could get farther away from those two "culprits."
After speaking, True Person Yu Qing turned his head