Outside Pingsha Island, the stipulated time was nearly up. Only half a shichen remained. Still, there was no movement from within.
Jiang Chen was like a stone cast into the ocean, eliciting no response whatsoever.
Among the high-ranking officials of the Ten Great Sacred Lands, some secretly rejoiced, some sighed inwardly, and others felt genuine regret for the Eternal Sacred Land.
If Jiang Chen perished in the tenth forbidden island, it would be an utter calamity brought upon by no one. Prior to this, no one had even considered such a possibility.
It was precisely due to everyone's oversight that this tragedy had occurred.
The Grandmaster's face was now ashen, looking as though it could drip with gloom.
Just then, outside Pingsha Island, powerful auras suddenly surged forth from the void, one after another.
These formidable forces arrived with extreme speed, instantly descending to the ground.
It was none other than the Divine Dao ancestors of the Ten Great Sacred Lands, arriving together.
These ten ancestors had been stationed on the extraterritorial battlefield, but had made time to come here, specifically to discuss the matter of forming an alliance. Evidently, they had estimated that the Genius Grand Competition should have concluded by now.
Upon seeing the Divine Dao ancestors appear, the high-ranking officials of the Ten Great Sacred Lands hurried forward to pay their respects.
The Eternal Sacred Land's Sacred Ancestor saw the dejected, downcast faces of the Eternal Sacred Land's people and frowned as he asked, "What's going on? Has the Genius Grand Competition ended?"
The Grandmaster, upon seeing the Sacred Ancestor, was rendered speechless and overwhelmed with shame.
The Sacred Ancestor swept his gaze over the assembly, noting that everyone was present except for Jiang Chen. His heart sank, and he demanded in a sharp tone, "Where is Jiang Chen?"
The Grandmaster's face turned even paler, unable to meet the Sacred Ancestor's gaze. All of this was due to her negligence, leading to the current situation.
"What exactly happened?" The Sacred Ancestor was thoroughly furious now. Jiang Chen was the Eternal Sacred Land's most precious treasure; anything could happen to anyone else, but not to him!
Ziche Min felt equally frustrated inside, but seeing that the Grandmaster dared not speak, he steeled himself and said, "Jiang Chen... he entered the tenth forbidden island, and hasn't come out yet."
"Entered the tenth forbidden island?" The Sacred Ancestor repeated the words, and suddenly, his eyes narrowed sharply. "What? Entered the tenth forbidden island? None of you... warned him?"
The Sacred Ancestor clearly understood what that tenth forbidden island signified. In that instant, his heart plummeted violently. The news was a devastating blow.
On his way here, he had been mentally drafting plans, thinking about how to secure the position of Alliance Leader at the upcoming summit. Yet, the moment he arrived, he was greeted by this disastrous news.
Indeed, Jiang Chen had performed the best in the Genius Grand Competition, but precisely because he performed too well, he had entered the tenth forbidden island.
Was this... was this the will of the heavens?
The Sacred Ancestor glared coldly at the Grandmaster, his heart seething with rage. He truly wished he could strike her dead with a single palm. However, in front of everyone present, he finally suppressed his fury. His voice dropped, low and grim, "If Jiang Chen cannot come out, then you need not return to the Eternal Sacred Land either."
At this moment, other Sacred Ancestors approached, some offering words of consolation, others clearly there to watch the spectacle.
One of them said, "Fellow Daoist, since the Genius Grand Competition is now over, why not have everyone tally the results and determine the rankings first?"
"Has the time expired?" The Sacred Ancestor retorted coldly.