This isn’t real!
How could the result be like this?
The heads of the two great families refused to accept this outcome.
After all, the ones they sent in were the young geniuses of their families.
And they weren’t just ordinary geniuses.
Many of them had been forcibly elevated to the peak of tier-silver level using resources.
Now, they had perished in the secret realm, which meant that the younger generation of the two families would face a gap.
For the next ten or even twenty years, they would lose the ability to compete with Crossbridge Academy.
Crossbridge Academy could admit new students, but they couldn’t add more family members every year, could they?
The loss of these young elites in the secret realm was a devastating blow to both families!
This result was simply unacceptable to them.
Especially for House Windwhisper.
To ensure they achieved their expected goals, they even sent a hidden talent into the secret realm.
The aim was to eliminate the students of Crossbridge Academy and secure the top spot in the secret realm.
But now, this result was like losing both the bride and the troops.
Not only did the Crossbridge Academy students come out unscathed, but their own family members had perished in the secret realm.
How could anyone accept such a result?
How could they possibly accept it?
In an instant, the head of House Windwhisper seemed to age ten years.
His body even began to sway unsteadily.
It looked like he might collapse at any moment. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
However, a servant beside him quickly supported him.
“Good…”
The head of House Windwhisper managed to utter a trembling word after a long while:
“It’s really… very good!”
Then, with a look of utter hatred, he glared at the area where Crossbridge Academy was located.
At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to tear apart the members of Crossbridge Academy with his teeth.
The head of House Lunastone shared his sentiment.
Crossbridge Academy’s side was celebrating joyfully, in high spirits.
But over on their side, it was cold and desolate.
Everyone’s face was as icy as frost.
At this moment, the heads of the two families shared the same thought.
They both walked from their respective sides toward the area where Crossbridge Academy was located.
Following them were the mages from their families.
At some point, nearly all the mages from both families, except for a few left at home, had gathered outside the secret realm.
The procession looked formidable, and their expressions were as cold as ice.
Just one look was enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.
This group of people approached Crossbridge Academy’s area with a menacing aura.
Their expressions alone were enough to make others back away.
The crowd that had gathered to watch fell silent upon seeing these people, fearing they might provoke the mages.
The area grew quiet.
This unusual scene caught the attention of everyone nearby, who noticed the group of mages from House Windwhisper and House Lunastone.
The air felt heavy with killing intent.
Daniel’s gaze was drawn to the group as well.
“Headmaster, these people… they’re up to no good!”
Rowan, standing behind Daniel, whispered.
He had always suspected that the two families would take action against Crossbridge Academy.
Before the secret realm had ended, he had been on edge, worried that the students inside would be ambushed and suffer heavy losses.
These students were the foundation of Crossbridge Academy!
They were children who had grown up with Crossbridge Academy.
It wasn’t until all of the students safely emerged from the secret realm, and not a single person from the two families appeared, that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Now, seeing the two families approach with hostility, Rowan knew a confrontation was likely.
So, he whispered a warning to Daniel.
These families weren’t here for a friendly discussion about Riverside City’s future development.
Clearly… they were here to cause trouble!
After hearing Rowan, Daniel nodded but said nothing.
Instead, he looked at the heads of the two families and said:
“Are the two of you here to discuss the distribution of interests in Riverside City? That’s perfect; I was just thinking of discussing this with you.”
Daniel spoke as if he hadn’t noticed the cold expressions on their faces, as if he truly intended to talk about Riverside City’s future.
“Daniel! Stop pretending! Where are the young members of House Lunastone? What happened to them in the secret realm?”
The head of House Lunastone shouted.
Hearing his voice, those in the crowd began murmuring.
Isn’t it House Lunastone’s own issue that none of their people came out of the secret realm?
Why are they questioning Crossbridge Academy?
Could it be that Crossbridge Academy hid the members of House Lunastone inside the secret realm?
That’s just unreasonable!
In the secret realm, life and death are matters of fate.
If the young members of their family died in the secret realm, how could they blame others?
Many people in the crowd started whispering.
Deaths in the secret realm were not uncommon.
Why?
Because in the past, Crossbridge Academy often suffered the most casualties.
Their overall strength was the weakest among the three major factions.
So, injuries or deaths in the unknown secret realm were understandable.
Some people had noticed the changes in Crossbridge Academy this year.
Although it was strange that none of Crossbridge Academy’s students were harmed while the two families suffered complete losses,
It didn’t justify confronting the headmaster for answers!
“I don’t understand your meaning, Head of House Lunastone. In the secret realm, everyone relies on their own skills. If your family members didn’t learn their magic properly and died inside, how do you have the nerve to question me now?”
Daniel responded coldly, looking at the head of House Lunastone.
“Daniel! Don’t think I don’t know! It must have been your Crossbridge Academy people who killed our family members! Not just that, even House Windwhisper fell victim to you!”
At this point, the head of House Lunastone didn’t care anymore and threw the accusation at Crossbridge Academy.
A classic case of the guilty party blaming the innocent first.
The head of House Windwhisper quickly added:
“Exactly! Remember when our three factions—House Windwhisper, House Lunastone, and Crossbridge Academy—established the rules for exploring the secret realm? This time, it’s clear that someone broke those rules and attacked our families!”
The head of House Windwhisper’s words were practically a declaration.
With none of their people surviving and Crossbridge Academy’s students all coming out alive, who else could be responsible but them?
His statement also influenced public opinion to some extent.
Some people even started wondering if Crossbridge Academy really had broken the rules and attacked the other families first.
As this suspicion began to take hold, the head of House Windwhisper spoke again:
“Now, it’s time for House Windwhisper and House Lunastone to demand justice from Crossbridge Academy. All unrelated parties, leave immediately!”
With this command, the head of House Windwhisper set the tone.
The reason they had brought their mages with such hostility was to accuse Crossbridge Academy of killing their family members.
Now, they were here to seek justice for their dead.
After his words, the mages began to spread out, using group dispersal magic to drive away those who weren’t part of the three major factions.
The magic wasn’t harmful; it was just meant to clear the area.
The students who hadn’t yet returned to Crossbridge Academy glared at the mages from House Windwhisper and House Lunastone.
“You liars! You were the ones who attacked us first, and now you’re falsely accusing us? Shameless!”
Rose shouted in anger.
