Already ashamed and full of self-reproach, Elders Horned Dragon and Tianjia recalled the price of their breakthroughs when they heard the High Priest's words. Their faces immediately burned with embarrassment.
Silence!
Utter silence!
The excitement and renewed vigor of a moment ago abruptly gave way to solemn silence. The Black Tower clanspeople hung their heads like wilted cabbages, their spirits deflated. More than anything, they felt nervous, uneasy, and lost.
The Black Tower Tribe now had over forty-five hundred members. In the past century or so, Silver Wing had been the only one to break through and become a member of the Witch Clan without outside assistance. She was an acknowledged genius on Mulberry Elm Island. To advance to Heavenly Shaman with just one Spirit-Path Restriction-Breaking Pill was already a blessing that reached the heavens. How could they possibly compare?
"I was merely discussing the matter at hand and expressing my surprise. There's no need to overthink it or blame yourselves!"
Sensing the drastic change in the atmosphere, Xiao Ying inwardly shook his head and offered an explanation, lest he undermine everyone's confidence. After a moment's thought, he asked directly, "You all know that my wisdom has only just awakened, so there are many things I don't understand. How exactly do breakthroughs work? I have faith in the two elders' aptitude. Why did this happen?"
"Phew..."
Only after hearing the High Priest's explanation did everyone come to their senses. They inwardly breathed sighs of relief, recovering much of their spirit.
Silver Wing pondered briefly, then chose her words and offered a concrete example. "The High Priest supplied one thousand Mortal-Shedding Dao-Achieving Pills this time, and we've used them all. A total of one hundred and sixty-nine clanspeople became members of the Witch Clan, giving us nearly one success for every