"Tch."
Su Xiaobai clicked his tongue, irritation hidden just beneath the surface.
The others still hadn't said a word.
They just kept staring at him—like they were holding something back. Something they desperately wanted to say but didn't dare voice aloud.
Like he was a walking question mark.
Or worse… a new sect leader.
He glared back, chewing slower out of spite.
But then—his expression shifted.
His spiritual sea trembled.
A new presence was approaching.
Slowly.
Powerfully.
Su Xiaobai's eyes narrowed.
"Another Earth Dragon?" he muttered.
But no—this one felt different. Stronger. Smoother. Smarter. Its cultivation pulsed at the peak of Spirit Severing Realm, an oppressive pressure rippling through the swamp.
And then—
Chime.
A faint, bell-like sound echoed through the air, crisp and melodic.
Everyone looked up.
