The expressions of those seated in the hall hardened, as if they had been struck by an unexpected revelation.

Hong Dae-Kwang, noticing their reactions, felt a twinge of confusion before coming to a realization that left him slack-jawed in disbelief.

Normally, even when a sect declared its seclusion, it would still keep an ear open to the outside world. To be more precise, it had to. After all, no matter how tightly the doors were shut, they would eventually need to reopen. How could they afford to ignore the world entirely? Most sects would subtly gather external information while focusing on their training.

Yet the disciples of Mount Hua were all reacting as though they were hearing this news for the very first time.

"These people really don’t have any backup plan, do they?"

It was as if they had truly buried themselves in the mountains, indifferent to whether the outside world flourished or fell to ruin, pouring every ounce of their energy into relentless training.

Thinking this, Hong Dae-Kwang couldn’t help but feel anew just how significant that "weasel" had been. Without him, even if Xi’an had been reduced to rubble, these people would’ve been swinging their swords without a care in the world.