Elder Guo stared at the explosion scene in shock, his face ashen as the reality of what had just happened settled in his mind. With trembling arms, he tried to push himself up from his position.
"Junior brother..." he whispered.
"Stop moving, you're still hurt," Elder Huang spoke gently, her hands steadying him as she helped him sit back down. Though she bore injuries herself, her focus remained entirely on caring for her senior brother in this devastating moment.
She studied his face, noting the hollow look in his eyes. This had to be the worst day of his life. Even when his golden core was injured years ago, he hadn't worn such an expression of utter devastation. But how could he not? Guo Shantian, Mei Zhiyuan, and Wei Tianxu had all trained together under the former sect master. They weren't just fellow disciples—they were best friends who had sworn brotherhood to each other.
