430: Chapter 430 You're certainly good at inspiring people, but how do you plan to break this deadlock today?

Fifth Elder Hua Xunhuan put away all her playfulness, the half-broken fan handle in her hand creaking under her grip.

She looked at those terrified Disciples, her heart aching like it was being twisted by a knife.

Granny Liu's hand, leaning on her cane, trembled slightly, a hint of sorrow flashing in her cloudy, old eyes.

She had lived for most of her life; what storms had she not seen?

But today, she truly saw no hope at all.

Was the Hehuan Sect really going to perish here? Were these hundreds of sparks of hope all destined to be extinguished today?

Qingyan stood in the crowd, her small face pale, biting her lip until it bled.

She wasn't afraid of death, but she was afraid of something happening to Xu Ruyu.

She looked at Xu Ruyu's back and prayed silently in her heart.

She remembered how kind Xu Ruyu had been to her at the Hehuan Sect, his heroic figure crushing the four from Leng Ningshuang's group on Wangyue Peak, and his dominance when he blasted Mo Feng away with a single shot.

She didn't believe that such a man would die here.

A powerful chill emanated from Leng Ningshuang, a layer of thin ice already forming on the ground beneath her feet. The frost spread outward, freezing the surrounding vegetation into ice crystals.

Her gaze swept back and forth between Situ E and Zhao Qianyi, her mind quickly calculating the possibility of a breakout.

But the more she calculated, the more her heart sank.

The opponents had two Saint Realms, one Half-step Saint Realm, over a dozen Nascent Souls, and dozens of Golden Cores.

On their side, besides Xu Ruyu, the strongest were her, Zhao Yan, and Ning Caihe, who were only at the Soul Transformation Stage.

How could this battle be fought?

Flames ignited on Zhao Yan's body, a sign of the Qi Induction and Micro-Movement Art being pushed to its limit. Flames emerged from the surface of his body, warping the surrounding air with heat.

There was no fear in his eyes, only resolution—at worst, he would give it his all.

If he could kill one, that was one; if he could kill two, he'd break even.

Ning Caihe's sword was already three inches out of its scabbard, cold Killing Intent flowing along the blade, emitting a low hum.

He was ready to strike at any moment.

He had practiced the sword for twenty years, all for this day.

Xiao Nianyin stood behind Xu Ruyu, her brows furrowed deeply.

Within her body, that sealed power was beginning to stir restlessly.

Although the Seal wasn't completely broken, after this period of recovery, she was already able to utilize a portion of her cultivation.

Though she was no match for Situ E and Zhao Qianyi, in a life-and-death struggle, she could at least stall one of them.

She instinctively squeezed forward a step.

Just then, a hand reached out from behind and firmly grasped her wrist.

Xiao Nianyin was startled and looked down—it was Xu Ruyu.

He didn't turn around; he just stood with his back to her, holding her wrist and giving it two gentle squeezes.

It was a signal: Don't move, don't expose yourself.

Xiao Nianyin bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately did not pull away.

She didn't know what Xu Ruyu's plan was, but she chose to trust him.

After spending time together, she knew that the man before her, whom she had once looked down upon, had never let anyone down.

At this moment, Situ E had already approached.

He stood arrogantly ten meters in front of Xu Ruyu, arms crossed, looking down at the young man.

The moonlight spilled over him, illuminating his handsome yet sinister face. A half-smile hung on his lips, and his eyes were filled with the playful light of a cat chasing a mouse.

The way he looked at Xu Ruyu was like looking at prey that had been backed into a corner with nowhere to run.

“Xu Ruyu, long time no see.”

His voice was lazy and frivolous, as if he weren't here to kill but to catch up. Every word was drawn out, carrying the pleasure of toying with prey.

“Last time, you played a fine game of ‘Shedding the Golden Cicada’s Shell’ with me, making me come up empty-handed and lose a lot of face.

I waited outside Tianyin Mountain for over half a month, exposed to the elements, eating and sleeping poorly, just waiting for you to come out.

Today—”

He deliberately dragged out his voice, his gaze sweeping over the terrified Hehuan Sect Disciples behind Xu Ruyu, the smile on his lips deepening: “Today, I want to see how you'll run.”

With a wave of his hand, the dozens of Jile Sect experts behind him fanned out, surrounding the Hehuan group.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, clearly premeditated.

Two Grand Elders of the Early Saint Realm sealed off all escape routes from the left and right. Their auras were like two great mountains, pressing down until people could hardly breathe.

The Golden Core and Nascent Soul Stage Disciples formed a second perimeter on the outside, holding Magical Artifacts and radiating Killing Intent. The light flowing on the artifacts was particularly piercing in the twilight.

Situ E took another step forward, looking down at Xu Ruyu with eyes full of mockery and cruelty.

He reached out, pointing at Xu Ruyu's nose, and said syllable by syllable:

“Xu Ruyu, I heard everything you just said at the mountain gate.

Something about ‘repaying tenfold,’ something about ‘repaying a hundredfold.’ Tsk tsk, it sounded so good; it almost made me want to applaud you.

You’re quite good at inspiring people, but in this death trap today, how do you, a mere Qi Refining Stage cultivator, plan to break it?”

His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a sense of toying with them like a cat with a mouse.

There was no anger or hatred in that voice, only a high-and-mighty contempt—in his eyes, Xu Ruyu and the Hehuan Sect were just playthings in his palm, to be crushed however he pleased.

Xu Ruyu didn't speak; he just watched him quietly, his gaze as calm as water.

There was no fear on his face, no anger, not even a ripple of emotion, as if the person standing before him wasn't a Demonic Path giant of the Half-step Saint Realm...