237: Chapter 237 Holy crap, bro, you've become the sect leader?!

Zhao Yan was the second to react. He lunged toward the cave entrance, and without caring who was outside, he grabbed Xu Ruyu's arm, looking him up and down with a face full of disbelief and excitement. "Holy crap!

H-how did you get out? That crazy woman was willing to let you go?

Wait, that's not right... This is Soul-Falling Cliff. How did you get in? And how could you open the Restriction?"

His questions came like rapid-fire, but his grip on Xu Ruyu's arm was extremely tight, revealing the agitation in his heart.

Ning Caihe also struggled to stand up by leaning against the stone wall. A trace of relieved comfort appeared on his ashen face. He nodded slightly toward Xu Ruyu; though he didn't speak, his eyes said everything.

As for Leng Ningshuang, the moment she saw Xu Ruyu appear safe and sound, those eyes of hers—usually like frozen pools—seemed to have a massive boulder thrown into them, stirring up violent ripples!

Worry, surprise, confusion, relief... all sorts of complex emotions intertwined, causing a rare fluctuation to appear on her icy face.

She slowly stood up. Despite her physical weakness, she still tried her best to straighten her back. Her gaze was locked firmly on Xu Ruyu, and her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to ask something, but in the end, it only turned into a very soft, almost inaudible sigh and a question asked with a trembling voice: "Are you... alright?"

"I'm fine. I've made you all worry, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters... and I've caused you to suffer as well."

Looking at the haggard appearance of the four, Xu Ruyu felt even more guilty.

He knew that these few had only met with this disaster because they were associated with him or had spoken up for him.

"Don't talk about being a burden!" Zhao Yan slapped Xu Ruyu's shoulder hard (even though he was weak himself). He grinned, but it pulled on his wounds, making him grimace in pain. "It's that Xiao Nianyin who's unreasonable! It's enough that you're okay!

Anyway, what exactly is going on? How did you..."

His questions were shared by the other three.

How did Xu Ruyu escape danger? How could he come to this heavily guarded Soul-Falling Cliff and even open the Restriction?

Just then, the light behind Xu Ruyu was blocked by a slender figure.

Lady Qingli walked in gracefully. Although her attire today was relatively solemn, her peerless elegance and charming temperament were still hard to conceal.

Her gaze swept over the four people inside the cave, lingering for a moment on Leng Ningshuang's face. An inscrutable light flashed in her eyes before she laughed delicately:

"You little friends have suffered~ But it's alright now. Your Junior Brother Xu... oh no, he should be called Sect Leader Xu now, has come personally to fetch you. There will be compensation in the future."

"Sect... Sect Master?!"

Zhao Yan's eyes instantly bulged wider than copper bells, and his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg. He even forgot to let go of Xu Ruyu's arm. "Brother Xu? Sect Master? What Sect Master? Sect Master of which sect?"

Qingyan also covered her small mouth, her apricot eyes filled with bewilderment and shock.

Ning Caihe's hand on the stone wall tightened, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Leng Ningshuang's icy eyes suddenly constricted as she stared fixedly at Xu Ruyu, as if she were seeing him for the first time.

Xu Ruyu glanced somewhat helplessly at the "talkative" Lady Qingli, but since things had come to this, there was no need to hide it.

He gently pulled his hand from Zhao Yan's grip, nodded, and confirmed in a calm tone: "Sister Qingli is right.

I am now the new Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect."

"Hehuan Sect... new Sect Master..." Zhao Yan murmured, as if processing this earth-shattering news. Then, he suddenly let out a weird cry, "Holy crap! Brother! You've become the Sect Master?!

The Sect Master of the Hehuan Sect?! What about that crazy woman Xiao Nianyin? She was willing to give up the position to you?

Wait... it's only been a few days. What on earth happened?!"

His questions came one after another, full of disbelief.

This was no wonder. A few days ago, Xu Ruyu was just a "Designated Personal Disciple" who could be purged by the Sect Master at any time. A few days later, he had become the Sect Master? This was simply more bizarre than a storybook tale!

Qingyan's mouth hung slightly open as she looked from Xu Ruyu to Lady Qingli, her mind a complete blank. Ning Caihe also had his brows furrowed; clearly, the amount of information was too much to grasp at once.

Leng Ningshuang's reaction was the most direct. Her gaze was as sharp as a sword as she pierced Xu Ruyu with it: "What happened? Where is Xiao Nianyin? Did you... use some extraordinary means?"

There was a trace of imperceptible tension and worry in her tone, as if she feared Xu Ruyu had strayed onto some deviant path.

Just as Xu Ruyu was about to explain, another figure walked silently into the cave.

When they saw the person's face and attire clearly, Zhao Yan, Qingyan, and Ning Caihe—who were still in shock and ecstasy—as well as the questioning Leng Ningshuang, all became like statues, instantly petrified!

Icy blue long hair, an exquisite yet pale face, and those Sect Master robes that were hard to hide the nobility of even if they were damaged...

Xiao Nianyin!

The cold, heartless, high-and-mighty former Sect Master Xiao Nianyin, who had thrown them into this Soul-Falling Cliff!

Why was she here? And... what was with the aura on her body? Why couldn't they sense even a hint of Spiritual Energy fluctuation? She was like a Mortal?

Also, why was she keeping her head down, silently following behind Xu Ruyu and Lady Qingli like a... follower? A shadow?

What made the four feel even more absurd and unbelievable was Xiao Nianyin's current posture.

She no longer had that icy majesty of looking down on all living beings, nor did she have the violent ferocity of her great rage. There was only a deathly calm, and even... a trace of indescribable humility?

She didn't even spare them a glance, merely keeping her eyes lowered as she stood in the shadows just inside the cave entrance, as if she didn't exist.

This extremely eerie scene was even more shocking and... terrifying to them than Xu Ruyu claiming to be the Sect Master!

"She... she..."

Zhao Yan pointed at Xiao Nianyin, his fingers trembling, unable to speak properly.

The courage he had earlier to call her a "crazy woman" instinctively turned into palpitations when truly facing this woman who had long held such deep authority, even if her current state was bizarre.