From how they staked out the landing point of the light gate, how they surrounded Zhou Yuan, then encountered Han Xuanji and Li Fu, to Wang Jue's insistence on fighting and his inability to stop him, and finally the three of them falling to Han Xuanji's sword, everything was explained in detail without any concealment.
During his account, he took most of the blame upon himself.
As the vice-chairman, if he had insisted on retreating back then, Wang Jue how stubborn, would not have stayed behind to die.
Ultimately, it was his failure to stabilize the situation that caused him to squander a winning hand.
Overall, underestimating the enemy was the biggest factor in the outcome.
They originally thought that no matter what happened in the end, they could withdraw safely, but they never expected to suffer a crushing defeat and be ashamed to face Chi Yuan again.
Wan Kun listened from the side, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
He had already prepared himself to be publicly criticized by Liu Wanxu, since he was indeed going to take the blame for this operation.
But instead of shifting the blame to him, Liu Wanxu took the initiative to shield him from most of Chi Yuan's anger.
This sense of responsibility surprised him and made him feel somewhat ashamed.
After Liu Wanxu finished speaking, Wan Kun gritted his teeth and stepped forward, his voice low and sincere:
"Master, I also have an inescapable responsibility in this matter."
I misjudged Han Xuanji's strength, thinking that the four of us were enough to defeat him.
If I hadn't underestimated them and acted rashly, Wang Jue and his men might not have been defeated.
If you wish to punish me, I will have no complaints.
Chi Yuan glanced at Wan Kun, then turned his gaze to Liu Wanxu, remaining silent for a long time.
The wind on the mountainside made the four men's robes flutter, and the lightning illuminated his face in shifting light and shadow. As the light and shadow alternated, he took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.
He was certainly angry, but he felt an even greater sense of powerlessness that he himself was unwilling to admit.
They fought seven against three, but lost and even lost three of their own.
The other party was unharmed.
This is a losing proposition no matter how you look at it.
But assigning blame at this point is pointless, at least not now.
We need a few more people to help here.
Thinking of this, Chi Yuan suppressed his anger and opened his eyes, saying:
"Make a note of this for now. The most important thing right now is to gather the Thunder Token and head to the next heaven. We absolutely cannot let them get there before us."
Chi Yuan's voice returned to its usual calm. He looked at Liu Wanxu, then glanced at Wan Kun and the other two:
"I have found a clue. You will all set off with me immediately and tell me every detail of your fight with Han Xuanji along the way."
Since they are formidable rivals, we must understand them thoroughly.
I will never give him another chance. If I do, I will avenge this!
Upon hearing Chi Yuan's words, Liu Wanxu finally felt a weight lifted from his heart.
He knew perfectly well that Chi Yuan wasn't the kind of person who didn't know his place, so in this situation, he could only handle things gently; there was no other way.
To blame them now would be incredibly foolish.
To engage in internal strife when the losses are already so severe is simply irrational.
Liu Wanxu was aware of this outcome, but he didn't shirk responsibility. He readily took the blame to avoid Wan Kun continuing to be hostile towards him.
These words, while ignoring any responsibility for anyone else's actions, precisely target Han Xuanji, which is exactly the result Liu Wanxu wanted to see.
Liu Wanxu glanced at Wan Kun without making a sound, and saw that the latter's tense shoulders relaxed a little, and the trace of unease in his eyes finally disappeared.
Liu Wanxu took the initiative to take responsibility, which not only stabilized Chi Yuan but also won over Wan Kun, thus piecing together the hearts of the people who were on the verge of falling apart.
He's really gone to great lengths for this family!
Chi Yuan didn't say another word. He flipped his hand and collected all the remaining lightning liquid in the Thunder Pool. He stood up, his moon-white robe fluttering in the lightning wind.
He looked up at the mountain range to the north where the thunderclouds were densest, his gaze sharp as a knife.
Before Liu Wanxu and the others arrived, he had already independently discovered the approximate location of a Thunder Token, one of which was hidden deep within the ruins of an ancient Thunder God Hall in that mountain range.
With four more helpers, the success rate of collecting the tokens will be greatly increased.
As for Han Xuanji, he suppressed the surging hatred in his chest and transformed all his emotions into an even colder focus.
Instead of gritting our teeth here, let's let our actions speak for themselves.
If we really encounter them, he will personally take action and eliminate them.
At the same time, a message, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, was spreading at an astonishing speed among the trial participants in the Thunder World.
The message was naturally spread by informants deliberately placed by Jiang Hanzhou, but as the message spread, the specific source was no longer of concern.
The content itself is what matters.
Han Xuanji slew three core elites of the Ten Thousand Immortals Association with his Li Fu. Ten Thousand Immortals Association surrounded and attacked, but were instead overwhelmed. In the end, only four of them escaped in a sorry state.
Each time the news was relayed, it was embellished, and eventually, Wang Jue was portrayed as a useless piece of trash who couldn't even withstand a single sword strike from Han Xuanji, while Liu Wanxu was depicted as a stray dog fleeing in panic with its tail between its legs.
As for Zhou Yuan, he disappears from most versions of the story, and Li Fu is merely an accomplice watching the show; the real focus remains on Han Xuanji alone.
When Lan Miao heard the news, she was resting in a cave with several cultivators she had temporarily allied with.
The Rogue Cultivator spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had personally witnessed the battlefield, even vividly describing the angle at which Han Xuanji drew his sword.
Lan Miao listened quietly to the sound, her face expressionless, but her heart was surging with barely suppressed excitement and pride.
He had no doubt that Han Xuanji was incapable of doing all this.
He had witnessed Han Xuanji's skills firsthand. Back in Mystic Hue Valley, he knew that his junior brother's true combat strength far exceeded what others imagined. Now, hearing that he had killed three heroes of the Ten Thousand Immortals Association with his sword, he was somewhat surprised but had no doubts.
He clenched his fists silently, thinking to himself: If my junior brother can fight four against one, how can I, as the senior brother, not even handle a lackey of the Ten Thousand Immortals Association? How can I face my master when I go back?
At that time, he will have to send away at least one cultivator from the Ten Thousand Immortals Association.
Chi Yuan heard this news on his way to the ruins of the Thunder God Hall.
The group turned ashen-faced upon learning what was being widely circulated outside.
Chi Yuan remained silent for a long time. Han Xuanji's publicizing of this matter was tantamount to trampling on the face of their Ten Thousand Immortals Association and using it as a stepping stone.
And he, as the head of the association, was undoubtedly the most shameful.
This humiliation was more unbearable for him than the loss of three elite soldiers.
He didn't say anything, but quickened his pace.
Of course, Han Xuanji and Zhou Yuan were completely unaware of all this commotion.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, the two tried to avoid people and did not interact with others.
When they finally arrived at Thunder Dragon Mountain, Han Xuanji was completely unaware that his name had reached every corner of the mountain range even before he himself had.