The candle flames burned quietly.
Wisps of smoke silently dispersed through the ancestral shrine, which was filled with rows of memorial tablets.
Below.
An elderly man in yellow robes stood at the very front, grief on his face as he surveyed those before him.
Before him, Nascent Soul cultivators stood silently with their hands lowered, crowding the already small ancestral shrine.
His voice was heavy and strained:
"...In this battle, our sect's ninth Sect Master, Shao Yangzi, along with Grand Elder Yan Wenzheng, Second Elder Xun Fujun, Third Elder Ren Xiao, the Fourth Elder... as well as Heavenly Origin Hall Master Lü Zhuang Mei, Earthly Treasures Hall Master Xi Kui, Human Virtue Hall Master Du Wei, Southeast Garrison Commander Yao Wudi... all gave their bodies to mend the heavens and departed in ascension!"
"Of our sect's twenty-seven Spirit Transformation cultivators, only this old man, Senior Nephew Xumi, the Western Sea Garrison Commander, and Senior Nephew Pang Xiu, the garrison commander of the Myriad Phenomena Scripture Repository, remain..."
"Among the Nascent Soul cultivators, Divine Elegance Peak Master Ge Shoucheng, the Pure Origin Peak Master... Gold Emperor Peak Master Wei Rong... Divine Body Peak Master Qi Rulian... Firecloud Peak Master Chi Liequan... the Heavenly Origin Hall Deputy Hall Master... the Earthly Treasures Hall..."
"Of the entire sect's two hundred and sixteen Nascent Soul cultivators, only one hundred and thirty-five remain."
"Except for those still in seclusion, all of them are here."
The old man's voice sank.
On the incense altar, brand-new memorial tablets stood silently.
"But..."
The old man's voice suddenly rose:
"In this battle, not a single Gold Core cultivator of our sect was killed or injured!"
"All cultivators below Nascent Soul who remained in the Chen Kingdom also returned to Great Jin in time!"
"I am ashamed that I could