At those words, the atmosphere around the fire pool instantly turned strange.
The three True Intent Cultivators from the Northwest had only just arrived and had yet to recover from their earlier shock. Now Luo Qianchou's words left them utterly baffled, and they looked in confusion at Bai Chuan, who had led them here.
The two True Intent Cultivators from the northeast also frowned and turned their gazes on Bai Chuan, unable to tell what this mighty Dao Academy cultivator was playing at.
They had arrived before the Northwest cultivators and had dealt with Bai Chuan several times already. Judging by his status and duties, he should have been a trusted subordinate personally appointed by Luo Qianchou in the Southwest.
Yet Luo Qianchou's words seemed to suggest that he was convinced Bai Chuan had already been tainted by the Demonic Dao.
The remaining four True Intent Cultivators, who had come to the Southwest from the Central Region, reacted far more directly.
The moment Luo Qianchou finished speaking, all four fixed their divine senses on Bai Chuan. If he dared make the slightest suspicious move, they would join forces to suppress him without hesitation.
Under that crushing pressure, Bai Chuan's expression grew grave.
But as the founder of a sect and someone who had witnessed the Southwest's Demonic Calamity unfold to this point, he remained composed in the face of Luo Qianchou's sudden challenge.
"Commander, what makes you say that? I was indeed responsible for selecting personnel, but the cultivators assigned to receive our guests were first screened and recommended by their respective factions."
Bai Chuan neither evaded the pressure nor backed down. "The lists of candidates were shown to the commanders of each faction. Only after the Secret Demon Extermination Guard made further adjustments were the names finalized."
"Still, if