223: Chapter 223 Xu Ruyu's Decision: Withdraw from Ancestral Land, Resume Battle on Another Day

Xu Ruyu took a deep breath and spoke slowly, voicing his bold decision:

"If... we can't hold it, then we won't."

"What?"

Xu Ruyu's answer caught Madam Qingli slightly off guard.

Even Xiao Nianyin, who had been silent all along, slightly raised her eyebrows, seemingly surprised by Xu Ruyu's answer.

Facing Madam Qingli's puzzled gaze, Xu Ruyu raised his voice and continued:

"I mean, if we are certain that with the Hehuan Sect's current state, we absolutely cannot hold the mountain gate in the upcoming head-on confrontation, then we shouldn't stubbornly defend this place, waiting for others to catch us like turtles in a jar and wipe us out."

"My plan is, after purging the ill-intentioned individuals within our ranks, we should immediately begin preparations to evacuate."

"Take all the Disciples and Elders who are truly willing to follow me and remain loyal to the Hehuan Sect's orthodoxy, along with all the Cultivation Technique manuals, Spirit Stone resources, Medicinal Pills, Magic Treasures, and core legacies that we can carry... and temporarily abandon this mountain gate and ancestral land for a full-scale retreat!"

"Find a secret location that no one would suspect to hide temporarily and avoid the enemy's brunt."

"In the words of my hometown, this is called—'low-key growth'."

"Low-key... growth?"

Madam Qingli blinked her beautiful eyes, finding the strange term novel, but after considering Xu Ruyu's previous words, she roughly understood its meaning.

"Exactly!"

Xu Ruyu nodded and continued, "In my view, nothing is more precious than 'living forces'!"

If the mountain gate is gone, we can take it back later!

If our territory is lost, we can fight back once we have enough strength!

As long as the people remain and the Legacy survives, hope remains!"

"Rather than being trapped in this ancestral land that is about to become a target for all and will likely be breached, making pointless sacrifices and burying the Hehuan Sect's last elites and hopes here, it's better to cut our losses, abandon this temporary reputation and Foundation, and preserve our core strength and sparks of hope!"

The more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and his tone grew more relaxed, even carrying a hint of confidence. "What do our enemies want? The destruction of the Hehuan Sect, the plundering of resources, and perhaps Xiao Nianyin's life..."

At this point, he glanced at Xiao Nianyin before turning back to Madam Qingli. "If we proactively abandon the mountain gate and evacuate with our core strength and resources, leaving only an empty shell for those who want to kick the Hehuan Sect while it's down, how much actual benefit will they get even if they occupy this place? Instead, they'll likely fall into conflict over dividing the so-called 'fruits of victory'."

"Meanwhile, we can gain precious time to breathe and develop!"

In a safe and secret place, we can reintegrate our forces, Cultivate, improve, and build up our strength.

Using the resources we bring and... my unique 'knowledge', we can let the Hehuan Sect grow rapidly in a brand new way!"

Hearing this, Madam Qingli's eyes held more than just admiration; they now contained a hint of shock.

Abandoning the ancestral land? This was almost unthinkable in the Cultivation World!

The ancestral land is the Foundation of a Sect, the seat of its Luck, and a symbol of its glory. Unless pushed to the brink of extermination, one would never speak of giving it up lightly.

Xu Ruyu's decision was nothing short of heterodox and extremely bold!

But on second thought, it was indeed the most suitable path for the Hehuan Sect right now.

In the Face of an absolute gap in strength, stubbornly defending the ancestral land served no real purpose other than flaunting some meaningless integrity and increasing pointless casualties.

Choosing to temporarily retreat and preserve the sparks of the Legacy to make a comeback another day was the more rational choice.

However, this rationality and decisiveness required overcoming massive resistance from traditional thinking and persuading the conservatives, instilling strong confidence in the future for everyone.

While Madam Qingli was deep in thought, Xiao Nianyin, who had been like a shadow by her side, finally couldn't help herself.

A cold laugh filled with thick irony and disdain escaped her throat.

Though the sound was faint, it was exceptionally clear in the quiet bamboo courtyard.

"Heh... Coward."

She didn't even look up, merely muttering those two words in a voice so low it was barely audible.

In her view, Xu Ruyu's theory of "running if you can't win" and "abandoning the ancestral land" was simply a display of zero responsibility!

It was a decision a qualified Sect Master would never make!

This further confirmed her previous view—Xu Ruyu was simply not cut out to be a Sect Master!

He lacked the determination to rather be a shattered piece of jade than a whole tile, and the courage and sense of responsibility to protect the Sect's Foundation!

Madam Qingli immediately shot her a sharp glare, clearly displeased that Xiao Nianyin was still speaking so rudely at a time like this.

But she also wanted to hear how Xu Ruyu would respond.

Hearing the word "coward," Xu Ruyu's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't even glance at Xiao Nianyin. He merely curled his lips slightly, revealing a faint, mocking smile.

A coward? Perhaps.

But only by staying alive can one deal damage.

What do dead heroes leave behind besides a tragic story that might not even be remembered?

Xu Ruyu came from an era that valued practical benefits and survival wisdom; he believed in the principle: "Keep the people and lose the land, and both may be saved; keep the land and lose the people, and both are lost."

Face, empty reputation, and momentary impulse can all be temporarily set aside in the Face of survival and development.

Ignoring Xiao Nianyin's mockery, he continued to look at Madam Qingli, answering her second question from before:

"Sister Qingli, you asked me how I can guarantee that I'll lead everyone to make a comeback and how I can guarantee that we will definitely take back the ancestral land in the future?"