144 Accept My Challenge

Twin Stars fell back, sheathing itself, the crimson light fading from the blades. I stared at it in disbelief. Did I see it right? The swords had just moved on their own … to save me?

"Are you alright?" Xie Lun asked and helped me get back to my feet. When I nodded somewhat confusedly, he darted a complicated look towards my swords. "It seems like this tournament round will be cut short for us," he sighed.

"Cut short?" I was still too dumbfounded to fully process what was going on. Xie Lun gestured outside the door, and my eyes followed where he was pointing. The seal in the sky was open again, and a few figures were descending through the clouds. Bai Ye and Teng Yuan landed in front of us first—somewhat expectedly, I suppose, after their disciples made such a chaotic scene—but who came next made me freeze in place. It was the Gatekeeper, along with the Keeper of Jade Temple.