Within My Sect, All Realms Unite-Chapter 28: The News

Lin Xiaotian slowly opened his eyes, a faint crease appearing on his forehead. It had already been sixteen days since the disciples had departed from the pavilion, yet Han Leu had still not returned. The silence of the morning felt slightly heavier than usual.

He sat upright on the edge of his stone seat, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest as he thought. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I am certain he would not betray me," he murmured to himself.

Han Leu was not the type of person to break his word without reason. If he had not returned yet, then something must have delayed him.

A few possibilities flashed through Lin Xiaotian’s mind. The sudden appearance of the Dragon Soul and the mysterious Wrath earlier could have complicated matters.

Perhaps Han Leu had encountered trouble along the way or maybe something unexpected had occurred while he was carrying out his task.

Whatever the reason was, Lin Xiaotian could not keep postponing the tournament.

The sect had been preparing for it for days, and the disciples were already anticipating it with excitement and tension. Delaying it again would only dampen their morale.

With a quiet sigh, he stood up. At that moment, a powerful yet calm voice echoed directly inside the minds of every disciple within the sect.

"Everyone, be ready for the tournament. You will be summoned to the battle platform in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

The disciples across the sect immediately froze for a moment before excitement surged through them. Some hurriedly adjusted their robes, others began making their way toward the arena area, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiaotian’s figure disappeared from his residence in a flash in the next instant, he appeared above the massive battle arena.

He slowly descended onto the main platform and looked around. The arena was magnificent.

Nearly thirty battle platforms were spread across the vast open ground, each perfectly spaced apart. Every platform was covered with intricate formation patterns carved into the stone.

These formations served multiple purposes protecting the defeated disciple from serious injury, strengthening the durability of the platform itself, and ensuring the safety of the spectators watching the battles.

Even if a powerful strike missed its target, the formations would absorb and disperse the excess energy.

Lin Xiaotian nodded slightly as he observed the setup.

To the side of the arena stood a raised viewing platform. It had been constructed elegantly, with rows of seats meant for elders and honored guests. From there, one could overlook every arena clearly.

"It turned out quite well," he thought.

His gaze slowly swept across the entire structure as he examined the formations and their functions. The defensive arrays were stable, the spatial barriers were active, and the protective seals were functioning perfectly.

Time slowly passed and the incense stick placed at the center of the arena burned quietly, its thin trail of smoke rising into the air.

When the incense had burned halfway, the disciples had already begun gathering outside the arena gates.

When it burned to its end, Lin Xiaotian raised his hand slightly a ripple of spatial energy spread outward.

In the next moment, every disciple found themselves instantly transported into the arena.

Gasps of amazement spread among them. As the disciples appeared inside, their eyes widened as they looked around at the enormous battle grounds.

The stone platforms gleamed faintly under the sunlight, and the formation lines carved into them glowed softly with spiritual energy.

"This place... is incredible..." Many of them spoke in hushed voices, unable to hide their awe.

High above them, Lin Xiaotian quietly observed the crowd his gaze slowly moved across the disciples.

He examined their auras and to his slight surprise, most of them were calm.

They all knew the truth. Many of them had little to no chance of winning against the top disciples such as Yan Feng and the others. The difference in strength was simply too large.

Yet despite knowing that, none of them looked discouraged instead, a fierce determination burned in their eyes.

It was the kind of spirit that refused to yield even when facing impossible odds. Lin Xiaotian suddenly laughed softly. "That is the spirit of my sect."

Raising his hand, his voice rang clearly across the entire arena. "The tournament begins now."

With a flick of his sleeve, a large bronze pot appeared in front of the central platform. Inside the pot were dozens of small, numbered balls.

"The rules are simple," Lin Xiaotian continued. "Come one by one and draw your number."

"The numbers will determine your match." The disciples immediately lined up.

Some of them looked nervous as they stepped forward to draw their numbers, while others tried to appear calm despite the tension clearly visible in their expressions.

While the line slowly moved forward, Lin Xiaotian’s gaze shifted to the side.

There, he saw a rather unusual sight. Miao-Miao was standing beside Miao Tianhe, but instead of looking serious like the other disciples, she was standing lazily with a relaxed posture.

Her arms hung loosely at her sides and she was swaying slightly, almost like a lazy kitten.

Lin Xiaotian sighed internally Miao-Miao was already at the Foundation Establishment realm and arguably one of the strongest disciples present.

Yet when it came to fighting spirit, she had absolutely none. She seemed far more interested in relaxing than participating in a competition.

Lin Xiaotian walked toward them. When he stopped in front of them, Miao Tianhe immediately straightened and greeted respectfully.

But before he could speak, Lin Xiaotian looked at Miao-Miao and said calmly, "Miao-Miao, why don’t you watch the tournament with me?"

The moment she heard that, her eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she suddenly leaped forward and wrapped herself around Lin Xiaotian’s arm. "Master!"

Her voice sounded relieved. "I was just telling brother that I don’t want to fight," she complained while pouting. "But he kept saying it’s Master’s order!"

Her cheeks puffed up like an angry puffer fish.

Lin Xiaotian looked slightly helpless. "No need to fight then," he said lightly. "We can just draw blank balls every round."

Hearing that, Miao-Miao instantly brightened. Lin Xiaotian carried her lightly as he stepped onto the raised viewing platform.

However, just as he sat down, his expression suddenly changed. His spiritual sense had detected something.

Someone had just entered the sect’s outer formation.

Lin Xiaotian’s eyes narrowed slightly and without warning, he gently set Miao-Miao down and stood up.

"I will return shortly," he announced to the disciples. Before anyone could react, his figure vanished instantly.

Outside the sect’s main gate area, within the illusion formation, a group of people appeared confused and disoriented.

Han Leu stood at the center of the group, surrounded by dozens of slaves he had brought back.

The illusion formation was causing them to walk in circles without realizing it. Just as Han Leu was trying to understand the situation, space suddenly distorted.

Lin Xiaotian appeared in front of them. He immediately recognized Han Leu and with a simple wave of his hand, the illusion formation parted.

Then with another gesture, the slaves suddenly disappeared all of them were instantly teleported to the arena.

"They will be registered as the new menial disciples," Lin Xiaotian said calmly. "I will return shortly."

After sending them away, he turned his attention back to Han Leu. "What happened, Elder Han?" Lin Xiaotian asked. "Why are you late?"

Han Leu clasped his hands respectfully and bowed slightly. "Sect Master... I was investigating something."

Lin Xiaotian raised an eyebrow as Han Leu continued. "People have been vanishing from several nearby cities."

"Most of them are young talents... cultivators with promising potential."

Lin Xiaotian’s expression became serious as Han Leu’s voice grew heavier. "All the clues... every trail... somehow leads toward Maple Leaf City."

"But once it reaches the city... the trail disappears completely." he sighed "This situation has thrown the entire region into chaos."

He paused for a moment. "There are rumors everywhere now. Families are panicking. Many sects have started secretly investigating."

Han Leu lowered his voice slightly. "I have a suspicion and not due a personal matter."

Lin Xiaotian looked at him sharply. "The Yan Family," Han Leu said. "But... I have no concrete proof yet."

Silence filled the air Lin Xiaotian’s eyes slowly narrowed as he stared in the direction of Maple Leaf City.