When one counter finally hit zero, signaling the death of all foreign cultivators who participated in the battle, the barrier surrounding the island vanished. Cheers erupted from the survivors, some filled with joy at their victory, others laced with grief for the fallen.
Feng Fan stood at the battlefield in silence, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he awaited the flying vessels' return. To his surprise, it wasn't five vessels that appeared, but only three.
He wasn't the only one caught by surprise—murmurs spread through the crowd as the other participants exchanged puzzled glances. The same question was on everyone's mind: What happened to the other two ships?
An elder from the Dao Seeking School, responsible for escorting the cultivators back, gestured for them to board before offering an explanation. His calm voice cut through the tension.
