Only a few breaths had passed, but in that deathly silence, it felt like an eternity before the Cardinal finally recovered from his shock.
He cleared his throat, only to find his voice dry. He had to cough again before announcing loudly, "Cao Benqi of Heaven Dou Royal Academy wins this match!
"The Heaven Dou Imperial Academy Team advances to the final to compete for the championship!"
His voice echoed across the empty square, carrying a tremor even he failed to notice.
No one cheered.
No one applauded.
The entire square remained gripped by an overwhelming shock that refused to fade.
Everyone, whether the knights and bishops of Spirit Hall, the representatives of the major sects, or the Shrek and Godwind Academy members lying on the ground—
Every gaze was fixed on the figure at the center of the arena.
Ning Chen stood in the middle of the arena. The starlight surrounding him had completely faded, revealing his young, composed face.
He slowly exhaled, then turned and walked out of the square, step by step, back toward Heaven Dou Royal Academy's staging area.
As he passed Yu Tianheng and the others, he found them still rooted to the spot, as though they had yet to recover from the staggering scene.
Ning Chen stopped, glanced back at them, and said calmly, "Let's go."
Only that quiet call brought them out of their daze.
Yu Tianheng jolted, his gaze filling with complicated emotions as he looked at Ning Chen.
Shock, admiration, and a trace of awe even he had not noticed.
He opened his mouth to say something, but his throat felt dry. In the end, he merely gave a firm nod.
Dugu Yan, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Ye Lingling, and the others were no different.
They no longer looked at Ning