Xia Jue counted silently. Compared with when they had entered, there seemed to be several dozen fewer people.
Xia Jue shared his discovery with Su Jiu, who was still meditating to regulate her breathing at the time. She understood at once.
Though the thirteenfold compound grand array contained no killing arrays, there was no shortage of rogue cultivators nearing the ends of their lives, or infighting sparked by grudges between them. To Su Jiu, a dozen or so people disappearing was perfectly normal.
Among the six Formation Arts Artists, the two who had joined them last had aged terribly, looking decrepit and worn.
Su Jiu sighed at the sight.
Apart from the younger rogue cultivators with decent aptitude, everyone had gained at least a few wrinkles, including Zhen Jing's younger brother, Zhen Yue.
Su Jiu checked Zhen Yue's bone age. Even a Golden Core Great Perfection cultivator over three hundred and fifty years old had ended up like this. They must have spent quite some time in that time formation.
Fortunately, although that time formation drained one's vitality, it did not alter a cultivator's original bone age.
Su Jiu stepped forward and stopped Zhen Jing. "How long did you spend in the time formation?"
Zhen Jing gave Su Jiu a wary look, then relaxed upon seeing her robes. "An Azure Tide Sect disciple?"
Su Jiu's expression did not change, tacitly confirming her guess.
Weariness showed on Zhen Jing's face, but she gave Su Jiu and the others an honest answer. "We spent a full fifty years in there."
Su Jiu calculated the difference. Fifty years had passed inside, while only five hours had passed outside.
Ten years for every hour?
The corner of Su Jiu's mouth twitched. At that rate, this time formation had to be at least seventh tier.