398: Chapter 398 The instant her cultivation was restored, Xiao Nianyin harbored murderous intent.

Xu Ruyu stood up, walked in front of Xiao Nianyin, and placed his hand on the top of her head.

A thick stream of spiritual energy surged from his palm, poured into her crown, and traveled along her Meridians throughout her entire body.

Xiao Nianyin only felt that the spiritual energy inside her body, which had been sealed for more than half a year, was like a sluice gate being opened, surging out violently!

Early Saint Realm!

That power that once belonged to her had returned!

The majestic spiritual energy galloped within her body, and her Meridians were filled with a long-lost sense of power.

Her aura grew from nothing to something, from weak to strong, climbing step by step—Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Undergoing Tribulation...

It climbed all the way to the Early Saint Realm before slowly coming to a halt.

Xiao Nianyin closed her eyes, feeling the power she had regained within her body, her whole body trembling slightly.

Power.

Her power.

It had returned.

At this moment, an impulse surged in her heart—

Kill him.

This thought flashed through her mind like lightning.

Kill him.

The person who summoned her from another world and caused her to lose everything.

The person who sealed her cultivation and used her as a Bed-warming maid for over half a year.

The person who made her kneel on the ground to wash his feet, forced her to serve tea and water, and humiliated her for a whole half a year.

Now, she was standing right in front of him.

Saint Realm against Qi Refinement Stage.

There were a hundred ways to make him die without a whole corpse in a single breath.

Her fingers moved slightly, and spiritual energy condensed in her palm.

Xu Ruyu was standing right in front of her, no more than three feet away.

At this distance, she only needed a single thought to make him vanish into thin air.

But he held the sensing mechanism for the soul fixing bead.

As long as she made a move, with a single thought from him, her soul would instantly shatter.

But—

The sensing of the soul fixing bead required time.

Even if it was only for an instant, as long as she struck fast enough, she could kill him before he could react...

Xiao Nianyin's breathing became rapid.

Her eyes flickered, and killing intent surged in the depths of her eyes.

The thought of killing him coiled around her heart like a poisonous snake, tightening with every moment.

Kill the man who humiliated you for half a year.

Kill the man who made you lose everything.

Kill him, and you will be free.

Kill him, and you can take back the Hehuan Sect.

Kill him, and you will never have to bow your head to anyone again!

Xiao Nianyin's fingers lifted slightly, and the spiritual energy condensed into a sharp blade at her fingertips.

Her heartbeat was like a beating drum.

Just one thought—

Just one—

"What are you hesitating for?"

Xu Ruyu's voice suddenly rang out, as calm as stagnant water.

Xiao Nianyin looked up abruptly, meeting his eyes.

Those eyes were as black as ink, as deep as an abyss, without any emotional fluctuations.

He looked at her just like that, watching her fingers, watching the spiritual energy blade condensing at her fingertips, with no expression on his face.

No fear, no tension, not even any defense.

It was as if he were watching a child holding a toy knife.

Xiao Nianyin's heart sank abruptly.

He saw it.

He knew she wanted to kill him.

But he was not afraid.

Why was he not afraid?

A piece of trash at the Qi Refinement Stage, facing the killing intent of a Saint Realm Expert, why was he not afraid?

Unless—

Unless he had nothing to fear.

Unless he didn't put her in his eyes at all.

Unless—he had absolute certainty that he could make her Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering before she made a move.

Or—

Unless he had enough strength to take this blow head-on.

But this thought only just surfaced before it was suppressed by Xiao Nianyin.

Impossible.

He was at the Qi Refinement Stage. She had personally sealed his cultivation and confirmed it countless times. It was impossible for him to have a Breakthrough to the Saint Realm in such a short time. Absolutely impossible.

Then why was he not afraid?

Xiao Nianyin stared fixedly at his eyes, wanting to find the answer within them.

But she found nothing.

Those eyes were as calm as a mirror, reflecting her own killing intent and hesitation.

She suddenly realized one thing—

She was hesitating.

She stood here, killing intent surging in her chest, her fingers already raised, the spiritual energy already condensed, yet she simply did not strike.

Why?

She asked herself.

Was it because of the soul fixing bead?

Not entirely.

If she truly made up her mind, with the speed of a Saint Realm Expert, it was not impossible to kill Xu Ruyu before he could react.

Yet she just didn't strike.

Because—

Because there was a voice in her heart saying—

He just saved you.

This voice was very soft, yet like a thin thread, it held her killing intent tightly.

When she was pressed to the ground by those people, her clothes torn, and she was so desperate she wanted to die, it was he who appeared at the cave entrance, it was he who killed those people, and it was he who draped his own outer garment over her.

When she curled up in his arms and cried, his chest was warm, his arms were strong, and his voice was calm—"Don't be afraid."

Just those two words.

Don't be afraid.

At her most desperate moment, these two words were like a beam of light shining into Hell.

Xiao Nianyin's fingers were trembling.

The spiritual energy blade flickered at her fingertips.

Killing intent and gratitude collided fiercely in her heart, neither able to suppress the other.

Just at this moment—

"Bang!"

The room door was pushed open by someone with such force that the door panel almost flew off the frame.

Taihao Clan strode in, and at a glance, she saw the scene in the room—

Xiao Nianyin stood in front of Xu Ruyu, fingers raised, a spiritual energy blade flickering at her fingertips, her killing intent not yet fully retracted.

Xu Ruyu stood opposite her, his expression calm, without any reaction.

Taihao Clan's gaze swept between the two, her eyebrows raised, and a playful arc curled at the corner of her mouth.

"Yo," she said lazily, "Did I come at a bad time?"

Xiao Nianyin withdrew her hand abruptly, and the spiritual energy blade instantly dissipated.

She took a step back, turned around, her chest heaving violently, not daring to look into Taihao Clan's eyes.

Xu Ruyu turned around, looked at Taihao Clan, and said in a flat tone: "Senior, can you please knock on the door?"

Taihao Clan rolled her eyes, strode in, sat down at the table, grabbed the teapot on the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and drank it in one gulp.

"Knock on what door? Where does this Taihao Clan need to knock on a door? Or are you two really doing something shameful?"

She slammed the teacup onto the table and looked at Xu Ruyu, her expression becoming serious.

"Xiao Yuer, something has happened outside."