By the time the other four had obtained their spirit arts and returned to the great hall, Su Qing was sitting on a stone platform, clutching his lower back with a bitter expression.
Beside him sat Elder Zhu Tian in the same pose, clutching his lower back and staring resentfully at Su Qing.
"What happened?"
Tang Qian'er hurried over, ruffled Su Qing's hair, and asked with concern.
"Nothing."
Su Qing let out a forlorn sigh and said,
"I ran my mouth and got taught a lesson."
Then, looking at Mu Chen with some puzzlement, Su Qing asked, "What happened to you?"
At his words, everyone turned to look.
Mu Chen had been standing behind the other three, and their attention had been drawn to Su Qing and Elder Zhu Tian, so they only noticed him after Su Qing spoke.
Mu Chen was covered in injuries, his face pale and his tattered clothes dotted with bloodstains.
"What happened?" Luo Li's pretty face changed slightly as she hurried forward. Mu Chen looked even more bedraggled than he had after his battle with Yang Hong.
Elder Zhu Tian braced his elbow against his lower back and gave it a hard push. With a crack, his face filled with relief, as though a heavy burden had been lifted, and he spoke.
"Hehe, this little fellow came across a Divine Spirit Art. A Guardian with strength comparable to the Heaven Transformation Realm beat him into this state."
"A Heaven Transformation Realm Guardian?!"
Luo Li and the others were startled.
Although none of them had encountered a Divine Spirit Art, they had each obtained a quasi-divine spirit art.
Yet even then, the Guardians they had faced were only at the middle stage of the Heaven Fusion Realm.
Bing Qing glanced at Mu Chen, then shook her