455: Chapter 455

Xu Ruyu looked at him and smiled: "Elder Zhao, you are right. This Formation cannot trap you forever. However—" He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Before it disappears, it will be enough to burn you both to ashes."

Zhao Qian's face turned deathly pale in an instant. He knew that what Xu Ruyu said was true. The temperature of those flames was enough to melt steel; the power of those flames was enough to burn through their protective Qi. If this continued, he and Situ E would sooner or later be burned to ashes.

Situ E realized this as well. His expression grew even uglier, the anger and unwillingness in his eyes gradually replaced by fear. He did not want to die here. He was the Cult Leader of the Jile Sect, a Half-step Saint Realm titan of the Demonic Path. He still had a bright future; he did not want to die in this desolate wilderness, at the hands of a brat in the Qi Refinement Stage.

"Xu Ruyu," his voice was no longer so firm, carrying a hint of a tremor, "Let me out, and today's matter will be wiped clean. From now on, my Jile Sect will no longer trouble you or the Hehuan Sect."

Xu Ruyu looked at him, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes: "Wiped clean? Cult Leader Situ, do you think I would believe you?"

Situ E quickly said: "I swear, I, Situ E, swear to the heavens that as long as you let me out, my Jile Sect will never again be an enemy of the Hehuan Sect. If I break this oath, may the heavens destroy me!"

Xu Ruyu shook his head and smiled: "Cult Leader Situ, I do not believe your oath. I know exactly what kind of person you are. You swear today, but you will turn against me tomorrow. Rather than letting a tiger return to the mountain, it is better to—pull up the weeds and dig up the roots."

He pressed his hands down sharply, and the flames within the Formation flared up even more violently! Situ E and Zhao Qian both let out a miserable scream, their bodies struggling amidst the fire. Their protective Qi and Sword Qi barriers had been burned full of holes, no longer able to block the onslaught of the flames. The fire scorched their bodies, burning through their robes and searing their skin. The air was filled with a burnt stench—the smell of flesh being scorched.

"Xu Ruyu, you—!" Situ E roared, wanting to say something, but a tongue of flame had already reached his face, scorching half of it black. He screamed and rolled on the ground, clutching his face.

Zhao Qian was no better off. His right hand had been burned, and he could no longer hold his sword; it clattered to the ground with a clang. His left leg had also been struck by the flames, causing him to drop to one knee in pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat. The two struggled in the flames, looking utterly wretched. Where was there any trace of the demeanor of a Demonic Path titan or a Righteous Path Sword Cultivator?

Cang Songzi stood outside the Formation, watching everything, his face as gloomy as water. He had not expected Xu Ruyu to have such a trick up his sleeve. The power of that Formation far exceeded his imagination. Two Saint Realm-level powerhouses were actually trapped inside, unable to move.

Cang Bozi and Cang Yunzi's expressions were equally ugly. They subconsciously retreated a few steps, fearing the flames would reach them. Mo Feng was even more terrified, his face turning deathly pale, his legs turning to jelly, barely able to stand. He had not expected Xu Ruyu to have such a trump card. The terror of that Formation made him feel a chill deep in his bones. He recalled his mockery of Xu Ruyu just a moment ago, remembered the words he had spoken, and a wave of lingering fear surged in his heart—if Xu Ruyu had used this Formation against him, he would not even have had a chance to escape.

Xu Ruyu stood outside the Formation, the moonlight spilling onto him, making him look like a god of war. His hands remained in the gesture of casting the seal, his gaze as calm as water as he watched the struggling Situ E and Zhao Qian in the Formation, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. He had not exposed his Saint Realm Cultivation, had not used those Spiritual Artifacts, and had used only one Formation to trap two Saint Realm-level powerhouses inside. This was his trump card, this was his contingency plan.

From the moment he first used the Acetylene Great Array at the Hehuan Sect, he knew that Formations were one of his strongest weapons. And after completing those saint tablets and cracking those Forbidden Arrays at the Taihu Clan, his mastery of Formations had progressed by leaps and bounds; he was no longer that green kid who only knew how to set up the Acetylene Great Array.

"Cult Leader Situ, Elder Zhao," his voice was very calm, as calm as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself, "You have one last breath of time. After one breath, I will detonate the entire Formation. When that happens, there will not even be a scrap of you left."

Situ E and Zhao Qian's faces turned deathly pale in an instant. They knew Xu Ruyu was not joking. They had already experienced the power of this Formation. If Xu Ruyu truly detonated the entire Formation, they would definitely not survive.

"Xu Ruyu, you dare—" Situ E wanted to say something, but Xu Ruyu had already begun to count down. "Three." Fear filled Situ E's eyes, his lips trembling; he wanted to say something, but could not utter a single word. "Two." Zhao Qian's eyes were filled with unwillingness; he wanted to pick up the sword on the ground, but his right hand had been burned, and he simply could not grasp it. "One." Xu Ruyu's voice echoed in the night sky, like the pronouncement of the Grim Reaper. His hands slowly raised, preparing to detonate the entire Formation. Situ E closed his eyes, and Zhao Qian closed his eyes as well. They knew they were dead for sure. However, at this critical, hair-trigger moment— "Stop!" A voice came from the darkness.