The arrival of the Qingling Sect team at the tournament grounds sent shockwaves across the sect assembly.
Disciples and elders alike turned their heads, stunned into silence. The rules of the Intersect Trials were clear: each sect was to send five cultivators—no more. Yet nine figures walked proudly beneath the twilight sky—six young talents and three elite guardians, their auras thundering with high-level cultivation.
The silence didn't last long.
Whispers turned to murmurs. Murmurs ignited accusations.
"How dare Qingling Sect defy the rules?"
"They sent elites! What kind of competition is this?!"
"This is favoritism! Favoritism cloaked as strategy!"
The crowd of sect masters and elders began to surge with indignation. One after another, their voices rose like a tide of swords.
But the man standing at the center of the storm—Sect Master Lin Tianyan of Qingling Sect—remained calm as still water.
He raised one hand.
His eyes, normally gentle and wise, now gleamed with cold steel.
"肃静." (Quiet.)
The word echoed across the arena like a divine decree.
Silence fell instantly. Even those most bitter could not meet his gaze.
Sect Master Lin turned and spoke again—not to argue, not to explain.
"All surviving disciples of every sect shall report what they faced—directly to the Council Room. Now."
The command left no room for debate.
Even those who had come to criticize now found themselves questioning what had truly occurred.
📜 Inside the Grand Council Hall
The chambers buzzed with tension.
One by one, the disciples of the various sects stepped forward to report what had happened within the Demon-Infested Trials.
The air grew heavier with each testimony.
They spoke of ambushes in the mist… demon nests lurking in sacred grounds… corrupted beasts cultivating dark Qi… formations etched in blood.
Several sects had lost disciples. Some had lost all.
Wounds and tear-streaked faces bore silent witness.
Elders clenched their fists. Sect Masters exchanged grim glances.
The atmosphere turned grave.
Then it came—the turn of the Qingling Sect's team.
Ling Xuanye stood at the front, flanked by Shui Lin, Yue Chányīn, Huo Shan, Feng Ruo, Su Feilí, and the three elite guards.
He spoke clearly, hiding none of the hardships they endured.
From the first moment of encountering demon packs, to the blood-filled rivers and illusions.From the desecrated chambers of demonic cultivation, to the separation in the red mist.From the battles with mutated beasts to their final desperate escape.
But when it came to how they survived the encounter with the Demon Empress… Xuanye paused.
He met Su Feilí's gaze.
She nodded faintly, giving him a subtle cue.
Xuanye continued.
"We escaped by chance. While she was distracted… we seized the moment, and fled with everything we had."
A murmur swept the room. Some believed it. Some didn't.
But Su Feilí subtly turned toward Sect Master Lin and gave a short, respectful bow—an unspoken assurance that more would be explained in private.
And Lin Tianyan understood.
He said nothing.
But his heart trembled at what might've transpired.
🛡️ The Call for Unity
When all had been said, Sect Master Lin Tianyan rose from his seat.
His robes of silver and indigo fluttered like celestial banners.
"My fellow sect masters," he said. "What we have witnessed today is no longer a test of strength between the young. It is a sign."
"A sign that the boundary between realms is weakening."
"The demons are no longer bound to their nests—they walk upon mortal soil."
He pointed to the blood-stained reports, to the injuries, to the despair written on the faces of every disciple who spoke.
"This is not a matter of tournament rules. This is a matter of humanity's survival."
"I call upon every sect present—to join Qingling. Let us descend upon the corrupted ground again, and see for ourselves what danger sleeps beneath the surface."
There was hesitation.
Some, like Sect Master Wen of the Cloud Flame Sect, stood immediately.
"We shall come. The Flame defends the world."
Others exchanged glances.
But one voice snarled from the shadows.
"Or perhaps you exaggerate to cover your rule-breaking."
It was Elder Ma of the Iron Bone Valley, his tone sharp as broken steel.
"Is this your scheme, Qingling? To mask favoritism with prophecy?"
But his accusations didn't find ground.
Most had heard the disciples' testimonies. They had seen the injuries. The fear. The awe.
Sect Master Lin's voice returned, cold once more.
"Come. Or don't. But if your disciples vanish next season, do not call it fate. Call it your arrogance."
That silenced even Elder Ma.
In the end, the majority agreed.
And so, with sword and seal, an allied force was dispatched—composed of elders and peak-core cultivators—to investigate the site once more.
🔥 The Aftermath
The corrupted land still festered with ominous Qi.Bones of demons still littered the cursed halls.Rivers of blood still dried into the rock.
But of the Empress—there was no trace.
Only her aura lingered, like a whisper of vengeance.
The investigating forces returned.
The Council bowed in mourning to the disciples who had fallen.Spiritual memorials were erected.The Tournament was officially postponed.
As the crimson sun rose over the tournament grounds—
Sect Master Lin Tianyan stood proudly beside his disciples.
And with quiet pride and heavy burden, he turned homeward.
Back to Qingling Mountain.
Where secrets would soon be revealed—and new storms would begin to rise.
To be continued...