The once-every-five-years "Heavenly Pride Rankings" competition concluded, leaving nearly two thousand disciples from dozens of Innate Sects across the True Martial Realm departing in disappointment without securing a spot to enter the "Lotus Pool Secret Realm."
Meanwhile, the martial artists who ranked within the top one hundred on the "Heavenly Pride Rankings," along with their sect elders, stayed in the valley to conserve their energy, waiting for the "Lotus Pool Secret Realm" to open early the next morning.
Additionally, a handful of martial artists who failed to secure entry to the "Lotus Pool Secret Realm" refused to leave in resignation.
They lingered along the perimeter of the "Lotus Pool Secret Realm," shrouded by a mysterious barrier that spanned hundreds of miles, hoping to find a flaw in the barrier and gain entrance.
