Lu Quanan withdrew his gaze from Yi Yang, turned, and descended from the platform.
His steps were unhurried. The hem of his black robe swept over the stairs, and he soon disappeared through the doorway behind them.
Pei Zongyue raised a hand to quell the discussion on the drill ground and announced:
"Today's grand celebration ends here."
"Everyone, you may leave."
As his words fell, the Pacification Guard formed ranks on either side, clearing a passage for the various factions.
With the spectacle well and truly over, the crowd on the drill ground began to move.
Several monks from the Golden Sun Temple gathered around the injured Kongwu and Jingchen, conferring in low voices.
Before leaving, Jingchen glanced back at Mysterious Abyss several times, his eyelids lowered.
The people from the Profound Sword Pavilion escorted Xu Yu out.
Xu Yu held his broken sword against his chest, his expression largely unchanged. He had lost decisively this time, and accepted it just as readily.
Apart from the sect's former head senior disciple, he had never lost before. This time, another man had defeated him, but the elder leading the Profound Sword Pavilion's delegation kept his brow furrowed.
They had secured the position of Deputy Commander, but the commander's seat remained in the Heaven Patrol Office's hands. Taking the deputy position was scarcely different from taking nothing.
Yet no one could accuse the Heaven Patrol Office of breaking the rules.
Yi Yang had fought his way to the top, defeating Kongwu and Xu Yu before everyone. His strength was plain for all to see. Anyone looking to find fault first had to ask whether they could withstand a single slash from Mysterious Abyss.
Zheng Yan of Cangwu Mountain put away his horsetail whisk and followed his sect elders out.
The people from