However, after an hour, several people from the fifth-grade sects emerged together, closely followed by the contingent from the Three Star Sect.
Conspicuously absent from their ranks was Ding Tong. Sect Master Zhu’s expression turned cold as he stepped forward directly. "Elder Tanlang, where is Ding Tong?"
Elder Tanlang had clearly anticipated Sect Master Zhu’s question about Ding Tong, and his face was equally gloomy. "This Ding Tong is very strange. Ever since he entered Huanbo Mountain, I have been trying to contact him, but there has been no news at all. It’s as if he never entered Huanbo Mountain in the first place."
Sect Master Zhu’s face turned ashen as any lingering shred of hopeful fantasy was utterly shattered.
Judging by this situation, Ding Tong must have perished. Moreover, he had likely perished not long after entering.
How could they possibly know that Ding Tong, arrogant and proud, had immediately set out to hunt Jiang Chen the moment he entered, only to be swiftly counter-killed by Jiang Chen?
As for Elder Tanlang contacting Ding Tong, Ding Tong had indeed received the contact, but with his proud temperament, how could he possibly obey Elder Tanlang’s commands? He didn’t even deign to reply, simply continuing to hunt Jiang Chen on his own.
Therefore, his mysterious disappearance led Elder Tanlang to suspect that he had never even entered Huanbo Mountain.
"Could it be that during the array’s teleportation, he was sent into the spatial turbulence?" The group members were all discussing it animatedly, offering one theory after another.
The only ones remaining who hadn't emerged were the Sacred Sword Palace and the Great Sanctity Hall.
It was just that not long after the Three Star Sect's people came out, the Sacred Sword Palace's forces emerged as well.
However, the Sacred Sword Palace's group was missing two members and looked thoroughly disheveled. Elder Xi, who had been leading the team, had sustained rather serious injuries.
This prompted Sacred Sword Palace Master Wang Jianyu to furrow his brow. "Elder Xi, what happened?"
Elder Xi spoke through gritted teeth. "That Great Sanctity Hall Elder, Xiang Qian — he's unreasonable and overbearing. He attacked and wounded me. If we hadn't been quick enough to crush our jade slips and teleport back, I'm afraid my life would have been forfeit."
These words caused an uproar.
Elder Xiang Qian of the Great Sanctity Hall did it? What was that about?
Wang Jianyu flew into a rage, glaring at Xiang Wentian, patriarch of the Great Sanctity Hall's Sacred Elephant Clan. "Patriarch Xiang, may I ask what exactly your Great Sanctity Hall means by this?"
Xiang Wentian smiled with an air of calm indifference. "Brother Wang, you're asking me — but who should I ask? Elder Xiang Qian and the others haven't come out yet. We can't simply take one side's word for what happened."
Wang Jianyu burned with fury. "You think my subordinate would lie through his teeth? Of all the sects he could have named, why would he single out your Great Sanctity Hall?"
The Great Sanctity Hall was no pushover. Seeing Wang Jianyu's hostile tone, the patriarch of the Sacred Lion Clan sneered, "Wang Jianyu, if that's how you want to put it, then what exactly do you intend to do?"
Wang Jianyu was momentarily tongue-tied. What could he do? Pick a fight with the Great Sanctity Hall? He'd have to be strong enough to win first!
Still, this was a grievance he absolutely could not swallow, no matter what.
His aura surged, and behind him, the faint outline of a colossal sword materialized in the void. Wang Jianyu spoke in a deep, heavy voice, "The Great Sanctity Hall may be powerful, but that doesn't give you the right to bully others without cause. Though Wang may be unskilled, I absolutely will not stand by and watch my disciples be trampled upon. Your Great Sanctity Hall may be overbearing, but surely you cannot silence the talk of the entire world? Does being somewhat stronger mean you can do whatever you please among the various sects of the Myriad Phenomena Region?"
It had to be said that these words carried a strong undertone of provocation, yet they managed to stir up a certain shared sentiment among the great sects.
Just then, the teleportation array trembled once more, and the last batch of the Great Sanctity Hall's contingent emerged from the formation.
Elder Xiang Qian grinned grotesquely at the tense standoff. "You, surnamed Xi — you're not dead yet? Perfect. Let's have another round."
This was truly adding fuel to the fire, making Wang Jianyu's eyes practically bleed with fury.
Fortunately, Xiang Wentian stepped forward to douse the flames at that moment, barking, "Xiang Qian, what is going on here?"
Xiang Qian chuckled slyly. "Patriarch, that Sacred Sword Palace is utterly shameless. They were plotting against the people of Dan Qian Palace, and I was merely intervening when I saw an injustice. Then this Xi fellow started spouting nonsense, so I had no choice but to strike back in anger."
Elder Xi, upon hearing this, was so angry he nearly coughed up blood: "Xiang Qian, can you be any more shameless? You are clearly trying to force information about Elder Chen's whereabouts! You..."
Elder Chen?
Only then did Wang Jianyu recall that Elder Chen from Sacred Sword Palace had not yet emerged.
"Elder Xi, what is truly going on here?"
Asked directly, Elder Xi suddenly didn't know how to answer. Should he say that Elder Chen had gone to hunt down Jiang Chen? And that Xiang Qian was now attempting to "be the oriole lurking behind the mantis stalking the cicada"?
Either way, it was hardly a glorious affair.
Elder Yun Nie, however, saw the situation with perfect clarity, and a trace of anxiety welled up in his heart. It seemed Sacred Sword Palace had used some method to track Jiang Chen's location and was attempting to intercept and kill him.
And while the people from the Great Sage Hall were bound by the Heavenly Oath and could not make a move against Jiang Chen, they were keen on tailing the Sacred Sword Palace people to play the oriole themselves.
The Sacred Sword Palace folk were cunning, splitting their forces into two groups to lead the Great Sage Hall members away.
This meant that Elder Chen had gone alone to hunt Jiang Chen!
"Yun Nie, what exactly is going on?" Palace Master Danchi seemed to have guessed something as well — right now, only Elder Chen and Jiang Chen had yet to appear.
As for the others who were missing, they had all been confirmed dead.