The two entered the hall, ignoring the Water Marsh Sect members on either side.
The somewhat younger brown-robed monk on the right passed several Painting Realm elders and walked straight to the end of the hall, taking the seat of honor with a rather casual posture.
A smile lingered at the corners of his eyes as his gaze slowly swept across both sides of the hall. He spoke softly, "Outside just now, I heard you all were arguing quite fiercely. Why has everyone fallen silent now?"
"..."
The Water Marsh Sect members held their breath as they looked on, unable to guess what the Buddhist Sect's arrival meant.
The elder who had been talking about disbanding moments ago was now drenched in cold sweat, his body trembling slightly as he scarcely dared look at the figure seated in the place of honor.
Yet the brown-robed monk's gaze still fell upon him.
"Were you the one who wanted to disband just now?"
Pinned beneath that gaze, the elder's body shuddered and a chill ran through him from head to toe. He opened his mouth with difficulty, wanting to explain.
"I..."
Before he could finish.
Boom—!
A deafening explosion erupted through the hall.
Dazzling golden light surged from the ground, instantly filling the entire hall.
Everyone felt a stabbing pain in their eyes and was briefly blinded. They instinctively raised their sleeves to shield their faces.
When that fierce golden radiance gradually faded, everyone turned their heads numbly and finally saw what had happened.
The elder who had just been about to defend himself had become a headless corpse, falling stiffly onto the cold blue-brick floor.
Scarlet blood gushed from his severed neck, swiftly staining a broad stretch of the ground red.
A genuine Painting Realm cultivator had been killed on the