Just as everyone stared in horror.
Ping'an suddenly blurted out:
"With two Half-Immortal Realm experts appearing at once, doesn't that mean we only need one more cultivator to ascend to a Half-Immortal seat before the Heaven-Treading Contest can begin?"
At these words, Heavenly Lord Xuanbei, Daoist Fengzhu, and even Ninth Madam all looked astonished.
Ninth Madam looked at Ping'an in surprise and said:
"You even know about the Heaven-Treading Contest?"
Realizing he had said something he should not have, Ping'a immediately looked apologetically toward Xu Taiping.
"It's all right." Xu Taiping smiled.
Then he turned his gaze toward Ninth Madam and the others and nodded.
"We learned of it through a chance coincidence."
Ninth Madam said thoughtfully:
"It isn't an absolute secret. It isn't surprising that you know."
Heavenly Lord Xuanbei said solemnly:
"The two of us can really only be considered to be taking our seats, not ascending to them."
Daoist Fengzhu nodded.
"Although our ascensions failed, our Half-Immortal seats have remained. We simply have to wait until our cultivation recovers before we can take our seats again."
"We don't count as cultivators ascending to a seat."
Ninth Madam also spoke:
"As you said, only three more Half-Immortals are needed now to reopen the Heaven-Treading Contest."
"But these three newly ascending to their seats."
"Refers to cultivators taking a seat for the first time, but rather cultivators who have already ascended to their seats yet have not returned to them."
After hearing Ninth Madam's words, Xu Taiping and Ping'an immediately understood and said with looks of realization:
"In other words, your Half-Immortal seats have remained all along."
Daoist Fengzhu's gaze suddenly turned cold.
"There are no few people in the Upper Realm coveting our seats, but of those who could outlast us, few remain now."
Xu Taiping nodded slightly,