The headmaster of the Flying Flower Sect never witnessed the subsequent showdown between Chu Feng and Zhao Xuanhe.
Worried that the celestial treasure might suffer some mishap, he had already followed Ping Fan outside the ancient fortress, where he encountered the elders and disciples of the Flying Flower Sect.
However, upon seeing them, the headmaster's brow furrowed deeply.
Though he had already sensed that something was wrong, the sight of the Flying Flower Sect's people made him realize the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.
Right now, although the elders and disciples of the Flying Flower Sect were still wearing their sect's attire, their skin resembled toad hide — every single one of them looked like some manner of demon.
No wonder they had been barred from entering the ancient fortress. Looking the way they did, how could they possibly be mistaken for elders and disciples of the Flying Flower Sect?
Setting aside whether their status was sufficient, even if it was, they likely still would not have been allowed inside.
They simply did not look like people of the Flying Flower Sect at all.
Yet the headmaster of the Flying Flower Sect was still able to identify them by their mannerisms and expressions.
"What happened to you?"
"How did you end up looking like this?"
The headmaster hurriedly asked.
He had already realized that these people from the Flying Flower Sect had encountered a major problem.
If it were merely some ordinary elders and disciples, that would be one thing — but even the Supreme Elder had been reduced to this state. This matter was absolutely no small affair.
"Headmaster, we… we are sorry for the trust you placed in us."
The Supreme Elder actually burst into tears the moment he saw the headmaster of the Flying Flower Sect.
This was the Supreme Elder — a lofty figure who had lived for over ten thousand years.
In ordinary times, no matter what situation arose, he remained calm and composed.
What manner of grievance could possibly drive him to tears?
In truth, it was not just him — at this moment, every elder and disciple of the Flying Flower Sect was crying as well, and their weeping was utterly wretched.
"Stop crying. What exactly happened? Tell me now."
"Keep it brief."
The headmaster of the Flying Flower Sect was extremely anxious.
His anxiety stemmed from two sources.
First, he was worried about the celestial treasure.
Second, he desperately wanted to watch Zhao Xuanhe defeat Chu Feng with his own eyes.
Now he was almost certain that something had gone wrong with the celestial treasure.
So he hoped to learn the full account as quickly as possible, then return inside the fortress to continue watching the contest between Zhao Xuanhe and Chu Feng.
Hearing this, the Supreme Elder of the Flying Flower Sect did not dare delay. He related the events to the headmaster in a condensed manner.
However, beyond the fact that Chu Feng had killed some Flying Flower Sect disciples in the mountain range and seized the celestial treasure — nearly refining a guest elder to death in the process — they had endured yet another ordeal.
After Chu Feng snatched the celestial treasure, they had rushed here immediately, intending to report the matter to the headmaster.
But who could have guessed that along the way, they had fallen into a formation?
That formation was terrifying. Inside it, they not only suffered unbearable pain, but also endured the humiliation of having their souls interrogated.
This was why they had arrived later than Chu Feng.
This was also why even the Supreme Elder had broken down in tears.
Because inside that formation, he had endured torment unlike anything he had experienced in his entire life.
Even now, he could not forget it. It would likely remain a shadow over him for the rest of his days.
"Do you know who was behind this?"
The headmaster of the Flying Flower Sect asked.
If it were merely some junior, that would be manageable — they could simply seek revenge.
But the fact that even the Supreme Elder had been ambushed and trapped within a formation made him suspect that their true adversary was no simple junior.
How could a junior possibly overcome the Supreme Elder?
"We don't know. We never saw the one who set the formation."
"That formation was far too powerful. We couldn't sense any person's presence from within it."
"Logically speaking, that formation could have obliterated us entirely. He didn't kill us — he only tormented us and humiliated us…"
At this point, the Supreme Elder and the rest of the Flying Flower Sect's people broke into even more heartbroken sobbing.
"You lot are truly…"
The headmaster of the Flying Flower Sect was seething with fury.
However, with Ping Fan — the servant of Grandmaster Huizhi — standing behind him, he could not truly erupt, so he held himself in check.
If Ping Fan and the other outsider had not been present, he would not have cared about who was right or wrong and would have already struck out at the elders and disciples of the Flying Flower Sect.
In his view, as long as the task he had given these people went uncompleted, they were guilty of a grave offense.