Qiu Ling wasn't the only one shocked at this development. Not far from him the gods that Jing He's uncle, the God of War Qiang Yan, had sent to guard him were equally bewildered. They had arrived not too long ago but before any demons had been able to attack their crown prince had been caught in an explosion that seemed to have been caused by a simple human. What should they do now?
The guards turned to their leader who frowned at the scene in front of them. "We should try and see if we can find out more but we can't do that as long as those mortals are there. Go and inform the God of War." He looked at one of the guards who instantly clasped his hands and retreated with a bow.
The leader turned back to face the situation in front. Ah, he really couldn't see anything important! The guy who had suddenly ambushed their crown prince was gone, too, and there was no clue as to where they could have vanished to. Was their Son of Heaven even still alive?
He gulped at this thought, his brow beading with cold sweat. The whole ground was soaked with blood, a few of the disciples who had been closer to the center of the explosion already dead, not much from their bodies still intact. As the one closest to it and with a frail mortal body to boot …
The leader took a deep breath. He couldn't lose his calm now. First, they had to make sure whether or not their crown prince was really dead. Well, even if he was this would just signify the end of his trial period. He would just wake up in the Nine Heavens again and most likely, this even counted as a trial. They didn't need to worry about that for now. This wasn't anything irreversible.
While the gods remained motionless on the sidelines Grandmaster Zhangsun was busying about. The people who had been hurt in the explosion were a few dozens of their best disciples. If all of them died, this might very well spell the end of the Yun Zou Sect. He couldn't allow that.
He didn't bother about the disciples that had been the closest to the explosion. One casual look was enough to understand that they wouldn't live through this. Most of them were already dead anyway and the few that were still breathing wouldn't have much more time. Even if he gave them the best pills he had on him, they probably wouldn't heal completely. In that case, it would be better to let them die. For a cultivator or practitioner, it would be unacceptable to become a mere mortal again and even one that was incapable of living an ordinary life.
Instead of treating them, Zhangsun Xun Yi hurried to the disciples that were injured but could still be saved. He didn't care for resources and just took out whatever he had that could be used. Precious pills and rare herbs could be refined or found again but these lives couldn't be brought back once lost.
Halfway through treating them, he gazed over at his own disciple. Qiu Ling didn't even attempt to help his fellow disciples out. It was as if they didn't even exist in his eyes. He really wanted to ask him to help out but finally reconsidered. He hadn't spotted Jing Yi anywhere so maybe his disciple's fiance was hurt, too? Or even …
He shook his head and turned back to the disciple in front of him, feeding him a pill. He shouldn't be thinking about this. He should concentrate on the task at hand. Then he could worry about Qiu Ling's matters. Furthermore, most likely that boy was still alive otherwise Qiu Ling wouldn't stand there that calmly.
Zhangsun Xun Yi hurried and finally treated the last disciple. Most of them were still gravely injured even though the gravest wounds had already closed. They were still covered in smaller injuries though, their faces pale as snow. They were in no condition to go back to the Yun Zou Sect now but at least he wouldn't have to worry about them dying anymore.
He looked over at the ones still lying on the ground. All of them were motionless by now. With how badly their bodies had been mutilated, he couldn't even say how many were lying there but it was probably still around a dozen people. A dozen people their sect had lost.
How would they make up for that? Especially since it was only a question of time until Qiu Ling would leave their sect. And when he left wouldn't that other dragon leave, too? That were another two talents they couldn't keep.
He had stayed in the Yun Zou Sect for so long, always hoping that it might become again what it had once been. Unfortunately, it seemed like that wasn't the case. What had been lost once would most likely be lost forever.
With a sigh, he stood up and slowly went over to Qiu Ling who was eying the ground suspiciously as if he was considering whether his fiance might have been swallowed by it.
"Qiu Ling."
He didn't get an answer. Qiu Ling just continued to look at the ground. He wasn't really considering what his master had feared though. No, he was trying to figure out how the secret realm was connected to this place. After all, it was quite likely that Jing Yi was in there right now.
No, it wasn't just likely. He was certain of it. After calming down for a bit and thinking things through he knew that nothing had happened to his beloved. If it had, he'd be able to feel it. After all, he had bound his soul to Jing He's early on. Even if this was just a reincarnation of his it would still be just the same as if he died. That kind of agony … he certainly would have felt it.
Anyway, if he wanted to get his Jing He out of that damned secret realm, he had to first understand this thing.