“Of the forty-seven Martial Emperors who entered the Sacred Emperor Ruins, only twenty emerged, according to reports. The others may have perished within, or they can only come out when the ruins open again. As for our Third Elder…”
The middle-aged messenger paused, then said, “Our Third Elder didn’t make it out.”
“What?” The Jiuxiao Sect Master and the other two Martial Emperor elders’ expressions darkened instantly.
The other elders and disciples of Jiuxiao Sect trembled, their faces showing disbelief.
The Sacred Emperor Ruins had been talked about for countless years, opening only once every few centuries.
Waiting for the next opening?
Even if someone survived inside, they’d likely pass away from old age by then.
Did this mean their Third Elder had fallen in the Sacred Emperor Ruins?
This was hard for them to accept.
Hearing this news, Lin Xiao was also deeply shocked. Only twenty of the forty-seven Martial Emperors who entered had come out alive?
What exactly had happened in the Sacred Emperor Ruins?
“Is there any confirmed news on which Martial Emperors survived?” Yun Jing couldn’t help but ask.
This was a question on many people’s minds.
Gunlong Sect had sent two Martial Emperors, and naturally, the sect was deeply concerned.
Ziling and Linghu were also extremely worried about whether Zi Emperor and Ling Emperor had emerged.
Lin Xiao was similarly concerned for several people, eager to know which Martial Emperors had made it out, as this would affect the entire Southeast Region’s dynamics.
The middle-aged man nodded and answered, “From the eight great sects, Sect Master Dongfang, the Lingjian Sect Master, an elder from Juedao Sect, and elders from Mo Sect and Ming Sect emerged.”
“From the thirty-seven great families, Zi Emperor, Ling Emperor, Sheng Emperor, Qu Emperor, Yu Emperor, Zhen Emperor, Fan Emperor, Jin Emperor, Jin Huang, Mu Emperor, Tang Emperor, Duan Emperor, Xiang Emperor, Luo Emperor, and Wen Emperor, fifteen in total, came out.”
At this, the Gunlong Sect members’ hearts shook.
Gunlong Sect had sent two, and only the Sect Master emerged? The Third Elder had fallen?
This was hard for the group to accept. A Martial Emperor, a core pillar of Gunlong Sect, gone just like that?
Ziling and Linghu, however, sighed in relief. Zi Emperor and Ling Emperor were safe.
Lin Xiao was glad for those who emerged but felt regret for the Third Elder, who had highly regarded him during the Southeast Region Youth Summit. Yet, he had fallen in the Sacred Emperor Ruins.
Lin Xiao also noted that of the six great families he had grudges with, Xing Emperor and Yin Emperor didn’t make it out, while four did.
The Yin family held great terror, so he wouldn’t dare attack them again in the future. But the Xing family, if an opportunity arose, he wouldn’t let them off.
Of course, the immediate threat was from Lingjian Sect and the four great families’ Martial Emperors.
He had nearly wiped out the leadership of three families, and the Xiang family had lost tens of thousands of clansmen at their headquarters. The four families’ Martial Emperors would not let him go.
And with Jian Wudi’s death at his hands, Sikong Jian, a top figure in the Southeast Region, likely wouldn’t let him off easily either.
A storm was brewing in the coming days.
At that moment, Lin Xiao suddenly thought of another issue.
Only twenty Martial Emperors had emerged. What about the Stone Clan powerhouse who led the group to breach the Sacred Emperor Ruins? Had they not come out?
“At that level, they shouldn’t have fallen so easily. Perhaps they emerged unnoticed,” Lin Xiao thought to himself.
That Stone Clan figure was too mysterious and powerful. He didn’t believe they would fall so easily.
After a moment of silence, the Jiuxiao Sect Master took a deep breath and asked, “Any information on what happened in the Sacred Emperor Ruins?”
The middle-aged man shook his head. This was the latest intelligence, and he only knew which Martial Emperors had emerged.
Beyond Jiuxiao Sect, the news that only twenty Martial Emperors had emerged from the Sacred Emperor Ruins spread rapidly across the Southeast Region, causing a massive uproar.
Everyone understood what it meant for only twenty Martial Emperors to return.
The eight great sects were relatively fine, still having several Martial Emperors. But for the thirty-seven great families, this was a seismic shift.
Though there had been conflicts among families before, those were minor skirmishes. Martial Emperors were the true key to a family’s survival.
With only fifteen Martial Emperors emerging from the thirty-seven great families, the magnitude of this change was clear.
Upon hearing this, some families were elated, while others were filled with grief and outrage.
Ongoing conflicts between families came to a halt.
Some families even began preparing to cede cities, seek peace, submit as vassals, or flee.
Combined with the alliance of the Mo, Xie, and Ming Sects, and Lin Xiao’s clashes with the great families, everyone knew the Southeast Region was on the brink of major upheaval.
A day later, at Jiuxiao Sect.
The elites of Jiuxiao Sect and Gunlong Sect gathered in the sect’s main hall. Though they were discussing matters, hardly anyone spoke.
Even the elders and core disciples of Jiuxiao Sect didn’t dare suggest handing over Lin Xiao.
At this moment, everyone’s expressions were grave.
“Sect Master Ban, come out!” Just then, booming voices echoed from far away into the Jiuxiao Sect’s main hall.
“They’re here!”
Lin Xiao’s brows lifted. He recognized the voice clearly—it was Sikong Jian.
Lingjian Sect’s forces had arrived, even faster than Dongfang Kaiyuan.
“Let’s go!”
The Jiuxiao Sect Master waved his hand, leading the group out of the hall.
They saw, dozens of miles outside the hall in the void, a row of figures standing, twelve in total.
Each figure faintly exuded a terrifying Martial Emperor aura, like twelve towering mountains before Jiuxiao Sect, weighing heavily on the hearts of the Jiuxiao and Gunlong Sect members.
“Sheng Qianyu is here too?” Lin Xiao’s brows furrowed.
Lingjian Sect had three, Juedao Sect, with the return of an elder, had four, and Duan Emperor, Xiang Emperor, Wen Emperor, and Luo Emperor made eleven, as expected.
But among the thirty-seven great families, Sheng Qianyu, the strongest, was also present.
On their side, both Jiuxiao Sect and Gunlong Sect had lost a Martial Emperor in the Sacred Emperor Ruins. Even with Dongfang Kaiyuan, they only had six.
Jiuxiao Sect had defensive arrays, but they might not hold.
Lin Xiao could guess that Ling Emperor and Zi Emperor would likely come, but he didn’t know when.
“Sheng Emperor is here too?”
The Jiuxiao Sect Master’s brows also furrowed. He then looked calmly at the white-robed elder in the center and said evenly, “Sect Master Sikong, may I ask why you’ve come to our Jiuxiao Sect?”
