540: Chapter 540 The first thing Xu Ruyu wanted to do was to set up an array.

Xu Ruyu walked through the mountain gate, crossed the dilapidated plaza, and arrived before the main hall of the Hehuan Sect.

The door of the main hall was half-ajar; the paint on it had mostly peeled off, revealing the greyish-white wood beneath.

The three characters for "Hehuan Hall" were still on the lintel, but their edges were blurred, with tiny cracks between the strokes like a dried-up riverbed.

Xu Ruyu reached out and pushed the door open; the interior was pitch black, and the smell of mildew and dust rushed to meet him.

He stood at the doorway, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before stepping inside.

The hall was empty; the original tables, chairs, screens, and incense burners were all gone, leaving only a bare main platform.

The surface of the platform was covered in dust, with several nicks and scratches along the edges.

The murals on the walls had also been scratched, leaving only faint, lingering lines visible.

Xu Ruyu walked to the front of the main platform and turned to face the crowd filing in.

Over three hundred Disciples of the Hehuan Sect entered the main hall one after another and stood in place.

They were still covered in the dust of their journey, their robes torn and stained, their faces mostly pale, yet there was a light in their eyes.

That light was not excitement, nor was it agitation; it was something that had settled after enduring hardships. It was hard to say what it was, but it was there.

The Grand Elder stood in the front row, with Hua Xunhuan to his left and Granny Liu to his right.

Leng Ningshuang, Zhao Yan, Ning Caihe, and Qingyan stood on the other side; their positions were further forward than before.

The others lined up in order, no one speaking, only the faint sound of clothing rustling and the occasional cough.

The Grand Elder spoke first.

His voice was hoarse, carrying the deep tone peculiar to an old man: "Sect Master, what shall we do next? The Righteous Path has established the Demon Slaying Alliance. Although the Tianshu Sword Sect and the Tianyan Sect have been destroyed, there are still other Sects."

"The Tianxuan Sect, Tianji Sect, Tianquan Sect, North Pole Ice Soul Palace, and those smaller Sects—they will not let this rest."

"Once word gets out, it won't be many days before they surround us."

Zhao Yan clenched his fists, his knuckles making a cracking sound.

He grunted in a muffled voice: "At worst, we'll fight them to the death. What kind of great storms hasn't our Hehuan Sect seen?"

"From being driven out of the Taihu Clan, to being hunted by the Tianshu Sword Sect, and then surrounded at the Tianyan Sect—when haven't we escaped death by the skin of our teeth?"

"Haven't we survived it all? This time, I, Zhao Yan, will absolutely not leave."

"Whoever wants to leave can leave, but I won't."

Hua Xunhuan also nodded.

She usually loved to laugh and cover her mouth with a round fan, but at this moment, her fan was lost somewhere, and she was gripping her short sword tightly.

"That's right, we won't leave. The Hehuan Sect is our home; we aren't going anywhere."

"They surrounded us once at the Tianyan Sect; can they really surround us here a second time? Even if they do, we aren't afraid."

Qingyan stood in the crowd, her small face deathly pale, lips pursed, and chin slightly raised.

She didn't speak, but her eyes told everyone that she would not retreat.

The crowd began to murmur, their voices gradually growing louder.

Some said to fight, some said death was the worst that could happen, and some said even if they died, they would take a few down with them.

Others spoke of the past, of the days being bullied by the Taihu Clan at Tianyin Mountain, and of the humiliation of being surrounded at the Tianyan Sect.

The voices grew higher, emotions became more agitated; some clenched their fists, some gritted their teeth, and some had reddened eyes.

Xu Ruyu didn't speak. He leaned against the edge of the main platform, arms crossed, his gaze shifting from one person's face to another. He was listening, but he didn't interrupt.

Xiao Nianyin stood beside him, also silent.

There was no expression on her face, her eyes looking straight ahead as if watching the people in the hall, or perhaps looking past them to somewhere else.

The Grand Elder looked at her several times, but seeing she had no intention of speaking, he shifted his gaze back to Xu Ruyu.

When the murmurs gradually died down, Xu Ruyu straightened up and raised his hand to wave it.

"Everyone, there is no need to be so pessimistic." His voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard in the spacious hall. "Our Hehuan Sect now possesses the top-tier combat power."

"With Xiao Nianyin here, even if the various Righteous Path Sects really surround us, they wouldn't dare to actually make a move."

"The pressure of the True Immortal Realm is not something they can withstand."

"If they are willing to come, let them come. The more people who come, the more shocking the scene they will see."

"They dare not gamble, because losing the gamble means the annihilation of their Sect."

He paused, then continued: "Besides, we haven't reached the end of our rope yet."

"The Tianshu Sword Sect has fallen, the Tianyan Sect has fallen, and the Sect Head of the Ice Spirit Palace is dead."

"Those Righteous Path Sects are now a scattered mess, with no one willing to submit to another."

"They shout about slaying demons, but they know exactly what kind of schemes they are plotting in their hearts."

"In the short term, they cannot organize an effective attack."

The Grand Elder stepped forward and cupped his hands: "Then, Sect Master, what do you suggest we do for the time being?"

Xu Ruyu glanced at him, then swept his gaze across everyone in the hall.

"My idea is to immediately set up a Forbidden Array sufficient for self-defense."

"As you all know, I have some research into the Dao of Formations."

"I think if I can perform a Fusion of the protective Forbidden Array I learned from the Taihu Clan with our Hehuan Sect's Illusory Moon Well illusion array, and create a new Formation that combines the advantages of both, it should be able to handle the current crisis."

He paused, his voice deepening: "We are not afraid to fight."

"We have all died a few times already; what else is there to fear? But at this moment, we need to preserve our strength even more."

"The Hehuan Sect only has these three hundred-plus Disciples left; we cannot afford any more casualties."

"Therefore, setting up a Forbidden Array for defense, advancing by retreating, is our best option."

The Grand Elder nodded, stroking his beard, and mused: "The Sect Master's idea is sound."

"But will there be enough time to set up this great Formation? We don't know when the Righteous Path will arrive."

"Once the news spreads from the Tianshu Sword Sect, in five or six days at most, the vanguard of the Demon Slaying Alliance will be able to find their way here."

Xu Ruyu thought for a moment and held up three fingers: "Three days."

"Give me three days, and I will lay the Formation foundation."

"The remaining details can be slowly perfected after the Formation is operational."