Chapter 495: No Need for the Third Match

The phrase "Miracle of the Nether Spring" was the final confirmation. Everything Chi Xingxun and the other two had said was true.

Xiao Ru slowly scanned the crowd and continued to speak...

"If the Crystal Profound Paper isn’t enough proof that these three emerged from the Nether Spring Mountain Range sane..."

"Then this young Sword Attendant’s Heavenly Destiny Bone is proof enough."

A third of Chi Yuan’s Heavenly Destiny Bone had turned pitch-black and was riddled with holes, exactly like that of every other Maze Madman.

Still, Xiao Ru looked up at the fourteen core figures from Rising Moon City’s sects atop the city wall...

"All fourteen sect leaders, come down now and verify their Heavenly Destiny Bone and the Crystal Profound Paper."

"The stakes are too high. I need all of you to inspect them thoroughly and give me your assessment."

At her words, the fourteen sect leaders, Qian Ya’s father among them, all leaped down from the city walls. Some went to view Chi Xingxun’s Crystal Profound Paper, while others took turns examining Chi Yuan’s Heavenly Destiny Bone.

After his inspection, the Sect Leader of the Shengting Sect announced gravely, "The Crystal Profound Mirror Image on this paper perfectly matches the accounts given by Maze Madmen over the years. What’s more, the auras and figures of these three individuals are also recorded within. There is absolutely no problem."

In the end, of course, they all agreed there was nothing wrong.

As Rising Moon City was located on the edge of the Nether Spring Mountain Range, its sect leaders naturally had a much deeper understanding of the Nether Spring Illusion Array than people from any other city on the Biyue Continent.

An incredibly excited expression slowly spread across Xiao Ru’s face...

Her once-icy face was now wreathed in smiles. "Someone! Send a message to Biyue Hall at once! Report this directly to the Biyue Hall Master... This is certain to attract the full attention of the Green Bone Palace."

As soon as she finished speaking, one of her subordinates immediately dispatched the message.

Meanwhile, Chi Xingxun, Lu Dingtian, and Chi Yuan were trembling with excitement. They were already imagining how blissful their lives were about to become. Chi Xingxun, in particular, was thinking, ’I’ll definitely be made an exception and become a disciple of the Green Bone Palace.’

With this thought, Chi Xingxun exchanged a look with Senior Brother Feng of the Shengting Sect. They were about to become fellow disciples of the Green Bone Palace.

This was the excited conversation Lu Chao had witnessed between the two earlier.

Lu Dingtian, for his part, was lost in his own wild fantasies...

’Lu Chao, you treacherous son! Too bad you’re already dead in the Illusion Array, or perhaps you’ve emerged from it, completely insane...’

’What a shame that none of the fourteen sects in Rising Moon City found you in the Nether Spring Mountain Range.’

His gaze swept over all the rescued Maze Madmen, but there was no sign of Lu Chao.

Why was Lu Dingtian so certain that Lu Chao was either dead or insane?

Because when they were thrown out of the Illusion Array, they had seen that Lu Chao was no longer on the river path. He had definitely fallen into the river.

He must have been unable to withstand the terrifying attacks of illusory memories in the river’s current, leaving him either dead or insane.

It was just like those six Yan Soul Guards. Not long after they started crossing the river, two of them had dropped dead.

’Azure Flame Domain, Great Wu Empire...’

’When I return, I won’t just be riding Chi Xingxun’s coattails—I might even become a member of the Green Bone Palace.’

’Yin Ye, and everyone in the Azure Flame Sect... you all just wait. You will tremble.’

Lu Dingtian’s fantasies continued to run wild, but he suddenly clenched his fists and muttered, "Unfortunately, Hanyang wasn’t found either."

Lu Dingtian had also failed to find his own son among the rescued Maze Madmen.

This was to be expected. Lu Chao had long since dug out Lu Hanyang’s Fire Roaring Saint Bone, turning him into a cripple.

There was no way he could have survived long enough to be thrown out of the Illusion Array alive.

Just as Chi Xingxun and his group were lost in their own thoughts, and just as the people of Rising Moon City were reeling with shock and disbelief...

Suddenly, Senior Brother Feng from the Shengting Sect spoke up softly, "By the way, Lord Xiao, since Brother Chi and his two companions also came from the Illusion Array, shouldn’t our sects be awarded points for them?"

His voice sounded particularly jarring amidst the atmosphere of awe for the "Miracle of the Nether Spring."

Instantly, everyone from Rising Moon City was stunned.

But two sects weren’t stunned at all: the Shengting Sect and the Thunderbolt Sect. Senior Brother Feng speaking up had been part of the plan all along, and this was the moment to execute it.

At the same time, the color drained from Lu He’s face. She turned to look at Lu Chao beside her again.

Lu Chao smiled faintly. "I told you just now. Things aren’t that simple. You need to be prepared."

Instantly, Lu He’s expression shifted wildly.

Her mind was in turmoil. She didn’t understand how Lu Chao knew three sane people would appear.

Lu Chao’s voice continued...

"The point difference between your sect and the Thunderbolt Sect is small, and the total score for the third round is only 600 points. If Lord Xiao awards the Thunderbolt Sect more than 600 points, you’re finished."

Hearing this, Lu He froze. For a moment, she felt like she couldn’t even do the math.

At the same time, Qian Ya, who was sitting at the front of the Qianjian Sect contingent, had unknowingly risen to her feet. Among the fourteen sect leaders, her father’s expression also changed drastically as he instinctively looked toward Lord Xiao.

Xiao Ru, still reveling in the "Miracle of the Nether Spring," was taken aback for a second. But she quickly recovered, nodding with a smile.

"That is only right. You should indeed be awarded points."

Whether due to her current excitement or the rules of the Rising Moon City competition, awarding points was the proper course of action.

She glanced at Chi Xingxun and the other two...

"However, we’ve never had anyone emerge from the Illusion Array sane before. How should the points for this be calculated?"

"Let’s do it this way: 500 points per person."

"The Shengting Sect found one, so they get 500 points. The Thunderbolt Sect found two, so they get 1,000 points."

Xiao Ru announced this casually. The members of the Shengting Sect smiled, and the members of the Thunderbolt Sect began to laugh as well.

In stark contrast, the faces of everyone from the Qianjian Sect turned deathly pale...

Lu Chao spoke again from Lu He’s side. "The Qianjian Sect is now in fifth place. There’s no point in competing in the third round anymore."

His words left Lu He completely stunned; she wasn’t very good at math.

But Qian Ya was already trembling. She called out in Lord Xiao’s direction, "Lord Xiao, awarding points for these three from the Miracle of the Nether Spring is a given, but surely not this many? At this rate... there won’t even be a third round."

At Qian Ya’s words, Xiao Ru faltered slightly.

But Senior Brother Feng just chuckled. "If I remember correctly, the Qianjian Sect has 1,968 points. If the Thunderbolt Sect gets another 1,000, that puts them at 2,952 points, moving them directly into fourth place. Indeed, there’s no need for a third round."

The third round is only worth a total of six hundred points. Even if the Qianjian Sect took every single one, they would only reach 2,568 points. They wouldn’t be able to catch up to the Thunderbolt Sect.

As for the sects ranked even lower, catching up would be completely out of the question.

In other words, if Lord Xiao confirmed the thousand points for the Thunderbolt Sect, the Rising Moon City competition would effectively be over.

The Thunderbolt Sect would be promoted to the Four-Moon rank, and the Qianjian Sect would be demoted to Three-Moon.

Everyone did the math. They all slowly turned to look at Lord Xiao. Now, it all depended on whether she would give the Qianjian Sect a chance.