Everyone took their seats in the Yun Clan Main Hall.
Now that the discussion had reached this point, the atmosphere was no longer purely festive and congratulatory. An unspoken gravity had settled over it.
"When the list stirs, Heavenly Origin is bound to change." Jiang Shouzhuo leisurely sipped his... wine, looking utterly unruffled.
Yun Yuan had just tossed it to him. These two certainly lived up to their thousand-year friendship over wine, sharing the same tastes.
True Person Xuanwei picked up the thread, lightly swaying his horsetail whisk as he turned toward Yun Che in the seat of honor. "Fellow Daoist Yun, speaking of the Nine Heavens Azure Cloud List, one clan's circumstances are quite intriguing."
The First Elder narrowed his eyes slightly and stroked his beard without betraying any emotion. "Do you mean the Ji Clan of Great Zhou, True Person?"
"Indeed." True Person Xuanwei nodded, slowing his speech a little. "The Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty sent no small number of prodigies to this Azure Cloud List competition. Yet, in the end, those who left the Heavenly Origin Platform alive... aside from the siblings Ji Shuyue and Ji Lingri, every last one was wiped out. Great Zhou has never suffered such a disaster since its founding."
At those words, the atmosphere in the hall tightened slightly.
Sword Venerable Azure Sky rested his hand on his sword hilt and chuckled, though the smile never reached his eyes. "When something strays from the norm, there must be a demon at work."
Jiang Shouzhuo took the opportunity to secretly nudge the Second Elder, lowering his voice. "Old Yuan, tell me honestly. It really wasn't your doing?"
The Second Elder glared, his beard bristling. "Bullshit! Am I the sort of spineless coward who only attacks juniors? If I were going to do anything,