For Song Qiuyue, even the near extermination of the Xuanqing Palace disciples inside the secret realm wasn't as painful as losing the wager.
Those were the most precious treasures she had gathered in all her years of cultivation!
And now, she had to hand them all over!
It was like being thrown back to the very beginning overnight…
Yet she wasn't the only one in grief.
Jia Wenchang and Qingfeng were no better off—in fact, they were even more devastated than her.
Their regret was so deep it felt like their intestines were turning green.
They should have just obediently watched Song Qiuyue gamble with Yan Qingxuan.
Why did they have to get greedy?
Why stick their noses in?
Now look—no benefits gained, and they'd dragged themselves into the pit as well.
Wang Jianqiang, however, knew nothing of their wager.
His gaze swept over Song Qiuyue, Jia Wenchang, and Qingfeng.
Seeing all three of them with faces as though their mothers had just died, he was utterly bewildered.
That Song Qiuyue and Jia Wenchang looked grim was understandable—after all, they'd lost so many disciples. Even if it was an act, it had to look convincing.
But Wan Jian Sect hadn't lost much. Why was Qingfeng sulking too?
Could it be because Liu Qing'er and the others had left the secret realm early, missing the final opportunity to seize wealth?
That didn't make sense.
If Liu Qing'er's group hadn't left, Zhengyang Sect and Xuanqing Palace would've been on guard.
There was no way the fight could have escalated that far.
Qingfeng couldn't possibly be that clueless.
Wang Jianqiang shook his head and landed beside Yan Qingxuan. Carefully, he transmitted his voice:"Elder, what's going on?"
Hearing this, Yan Qingxuan did something rare—she smiled."A good thing."
"A good thing?"
Wang Jianqiang was stunned.
"You'll see in a moment. For now, take out all the spoils from the secret realm."
"Huh? Hand them over? Wasn't it agreed we only need to give thirty percent to the sect?" Wang Jianqiang tightened his grip on the bundle on his back.
Yan Qingxuan rolled her eyes at him."Just take them out. I'll return them to you later—what's yours won't be short by a single coin."
"With so many people watching, do you think I'd dare pocket your things?"
"You might not care about shame, but I still do."
Relieved, Wang Jianqiang set down his pack at her feet."Here, it's all here."
He untied the bundle.
Dozens upon dozens of storage pouches scattered across the ground.
The onlookers stared, throats bobbing as they swallowed.
Each pouch represented the entire fortune of an elite outer disciple.
More importantly, they contained spoils from the secret realm itself—that was the true prize.
One or two might not seem like much.
But combined, their value was enough to make even an average Core Formation cultivator take notice.
After Wang Jianqiang revealed the pouches, Yan Qingxuan didn't collect them immediately. Instead, she gestured toward them and asked Song Qiuyue, Jia Wenchang, and Qingfeng:"Shall I empty these pouches to compare with what you've wagered?"
The three of them turned livid.
"No need. It's just a technique. I, Qing, can afford the loss."
Face dark, Qingfeng tossed the jade slip containing the Sword Nurturing Art to Yan Qingxuan."Since the secret realm has already closed, I won't stay here any longer."
He glanced back at his disciples, then waved his hand.
A massive sword appeared in the air.
"We're leaving."
He was the first to leap onto the giant sword.
Liu Qing'er cast a curious glance at Wang Jianqiang before following him up.
In short order, all the disciples of Wan Jian Sect had boarded the sword.
"Farewell."
Qingfeng gave a final look downward, then flew off into the distance on the giant blade.
Yan Qingxuan retracted her gaze, sweeping it over Song Qiuyue and Jia Wenchang with cool indifference."And you two?"
Jia Wenchang's face was black. Without a word, he tossed her a jade slip.
His mood was at rock bottom.
The annihilation of Zhengyang Sect's disciples was enough to make him miserable, and he had hoped to win a treasure to console himself.
But now? No treasure, and instead he'd lost his sect's secret Explosive Strength Technique.
It felt like a raging fire was trapped in his chest, ready to erupt at any moment.
Having handed over the jade slip, he wasted no more time and flew away from Luoxue Mountain.
After his departure, Song Qiuyue reluctantly took out a miniature palace carved from purple jade along with three jade slips.
She hesitated for a long time before finally tossing them to Yan Qingxuan.
Yan Qingxuan examined them briefly, then looked at Song Qiuyue."Purple Heaven Jade Palace, Dragon Roar Ancient Bell schematics, an ancient pill formula, and the Soul-Forging Art. At least you've kept your word."
With a wave of her hand, she stored the palace and the five jade slips away.
Song Qiuyue snorted coldly, glaring daggers at Wang Jianqiang.
If not for that old man, how could she have lost to that wretched Yan Qingxuan?
"Let's go."
Moments later, she tore her gaze away and took to the skies on her sword.
Lin Xian'er and Ye Qingxue followed close behind.
With the three of them gone, only the Hehuan Sect remained atop Luoxue Mountain.
Yan Qingxuan looked at the pouches on the ground and waved her hand, collecting a portion of them.
Then a half-smiling voice echoed in Wang Jianqiang's mind:"I'll take thirty percent of this to hand over to the sect."
"As for the ones you hid away… they won't be counted."
Wang Jianqiang's face stiffened, and he gave an awkward laugh.
He really had hidden some.
Before leaving the secret realm, he'd stashed the most valuable few pouches on his person instead of bringing them out.
Those pouches had belonged to people who had entered the medicine garden, and each contained rare herbs.
Just those few were worth nearly as much as the entire pile of a hundred others combined.
And if you added his own pouch, the value soared even higher.
Yan Qingxuan shot him a withering look, feeling speechless.
This old man had guts—daring to stash things away. Did he think the elder leading the team was just for show?
If she hadn't used her spiritual sense to cover for him the moment he left the secret realm,
the Cloud Sparrow would've discovered his hidden pouches instantly.
The sect's punishment would've crushed him.
She shook her head, then went on to collect the sect's share from the other disciples. Finally, she turned to Ye Lingyun, her face suddenly cold.
She extended a finger.
A scarlet rune condensed and shot out like a stream of light, piercing straight into Ye Lingyun's brow.
He felt an irresistible force crash into his body, overwhelming him like a mountain.
His spiritual power was instantly suppressed—he could no longer circulate it at all.
His face turned pale, dread welling in his heart.
Yan Qingxuan waved her hand.
Ye Lingyun's storage pouch was plucked away by invisible force and landed in her palm.
"Ye Lingyun, though my Hehuan Sect cannot be considered an upright orthodox sect, we are no demonic sect either.
"If you had fought alone against the blockade of the three sects from beginning to end, I would not have blamed you, nor would the sect.
"But you pretended to join hands with your fellow disciples, only to betray them at the critical moment, nearly getting them all killed. This act violated sect rules."
"From this moment, all spoils you gained within the secret realm are confiscated."
"When we return to the sect, I will hand you over to the Discipline Hall. They will pursue accountability to the very end."