The profound sense of unease that had settled over the VIP platform was palpable, even for Jian, long since having departed the arena. Grand Elder Mo’s ancient eyes, now fully engaged, had drilled into the empty space where ‘Van’ had stood, his low murmur of concern carrying an implicit weight. Ling Tian, too, had watched, his usual arrogance replaced by a grim, unsettling suspicion. The spectacle of Ren Hua’s shattered sword had sent tremors through the Sky Cloud Sect’s meticulously constructed facade, revealing a vulnerability to the unknown. They knew they were playing with fire, and the question of how hot it would burn was already being answered.
Hours later, the moon, a sliver of silver against the inky black of the Sky Cloud Mountain sky, cast long, distorted shadows across the sec
