The Sect Master of the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect stood rooted in place.
On her face hung the guilt of having failed to rescue Yaoyao.
But she did not chase after Wen Xue.
She knew that with her level of cultivation, she would never catch up.
That realization only deepened the guilt etched onto her features.
"Don't worry."
Suddenly, the Monster Elder's figure appeared before her out of thin air.
"My Lord, you—?"
The Sect Master's first reaction upon seeing him was shock.
This was the first time she had ever witnessed such a being leave that realm.
But once she recovered, she hurriedly bowed in deep respect.
Though she held the lofty title of Sect Master, she knew full well that the true master of the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect had never been her.
"I've already met with Wen Xue."
"Rest easy."
"Yaoyao will be fine."
The Monster Elder said.
Hearing those words, the Sect Master's expression immediately improved.
She knew that no matter how powerful Wen Xue might be, she was no match for this being.
"If my Lord were to intervene, then naturally Yaoyao would be fine," the Sect Master said.
"Did you just now feel... powerless?" the Monster Elder suddenly asked.
The Sect Master's expression froze for a moment before she answered: "Yes."
"As Sect Master, I was unable to protect those under my care. I am useless."
Yet the Monster Elder looked at the Sect Master with no trace of blame whatsoever. If anything, there was a hint of pity in his gaze.
"Go and meet Lord Long Xie."
The moment the Monster Elder's voice rang out, the Sect Master felt the world around her shift.
When his words faded, she found herself standing in a boundless expanse of sky and earth.
This was not her first time here.
She had previously come to this place to meet both Long Xie and the Monster Elder.
Only now, compared to her usual visits, there were many unfamiliar figures present.
There were tens of thousands of them.
But upon closer inspection, not a single one was human.
They were all monsters like the Monster Elder.
Some stood less than half a foot tall, yet their eyes contained the power of stars — as though a single glance from them could obliterate heaven and earth.
Others towered ten thousand zhang high, with clouds drifting only at their feet, as if a single stomp could shatter an entire world.
Such beings were beyond counting, and any one of them, if let loose into the martial world, could rule as sovereign.
But once their gazes rose to the horizon and fell upon that colossal dragon phantom that blotted out the sky and sun, even these mighty beings seemed utterly insignificant.
That titanic dragon shadow was Lord Long Xie.
"This junior pays her respects to Lord Long Xie."
The Sect Master hastily bowed in the deepest of salutations.
"Little girl, do you know what the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect was originally established for?" Lord Long Xie asked.
"To protect the Ancestral Martial Realm," the Sect Master answered.
That was what her predecessor had told her.
But Long Xie shook his head. "The current Ancestral Martial Realm — apart from the Ancestral Martial Lower Realm, the rest is dispensable. There is no need to protect it."
Hearing this, the Sect Master's expression shifted drastically. This was nothing short of demolishing everything she had previously believed.
"The Crouching Dragon Martial Sect was founded for the purpose of finding outstanding junior talents and nurturing them."
"The Crouching Dragon Martial Sect may appear weakened today, incapable of competing with the great powers of the martial world."
"But in truth, ever since its founding, our Crouching Dragon Martial Sect has indisputably nurtured juniors who reached the absolute pinnacle of their era."