554: Chapter 554 Gathering Together, Entrusting Their Backs to Their Own People

Inside the Hehuan Sect, everyone could see that crack.

It was in the southwest corner, like a torn wound. Light leaked from within—no longer silvery-white, but a dull gray, like a hearth fire about to go out.

The Grand Elder's hands were trembling.

He knew that when that light screen first lit up, he had thought it could last for a long time.

He thought the array Xu Ruyu had set up could at least hold off the Righteous Path Alliance for a month, but he hadn't expected it wouldn't even last a day.

It wasn't that Xu Ruyu's array was bad; it was that they were too poor. Without Spirit Stones, any array was useless.

Hua Xunhuan's short sword was already unsheathed.

She looked at the dense crowd of figures outside the mountain gate and silently counted them in her heart—one Saint Realm Peak, two Saint Realm Late Stage, five Mid-Stage Saint Realm, over a dozen Early Stage Saint Realm, and countless Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators.

She didn't know how many she could kill, but killing one would be enough to break even, and killing two would be a profit.

Granny Liu leaned on her cane and walked to Hua Xunhuan's side.

She didn't speak, just stood there, shoulder to shoulder with Hua Xunhuan.

Zhao Yan was at the very front of the crowd, his fists clenched until they cracked.

Flames had already ignited on his body, a sign that his Cultivation Technique was running at its peak.

He was shirtless, and the flames leaped across his skin like red snakes.

Ning Caihe's sword was fully unsheathed.

He held the sword horizontally in front of him, cold killing intent flowing across the blade.

His eyes were fixed on the mountain gate, unblinking, like a hawk staring at its prey.

Qingyan stood beside Ning Caihe, holding her pair of Butterfly Short Blades.

A faint blue light emanated from her short blades, a color that only appeared after she infused them with spiritual power.

She rarely fought, but today, she knew she had to.

The Grand Elder sighed and turned to face the young Disciples.

His gaze swept across their faces without lingering, as if he were making a final farewell.

Seeing him like this, Hua Xunhuan suddenly smiled.

"Grand Elder, why are you sighing?" she said. "It's not like we haven't died before. We've died several times, and didn't we always survive?"

The Grand Elder was stunned for a moment, then he also smiled.

It was a bitter smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"The Fifth Elder is right," he said. "We've died several times; one more won't make a difference."

The crack in the southwest corner grew larger and larger.

The silvery-white light screen could no longer hold there, like a piece of cloth that had been pulled for too long and was about to tear in two.

The Spirit Stones in the nodes vibrated violently, letting out a piercing screech that sounded like a baby's cry or the sound of metal tearing.

Xu Ruyu stood on the high platform, looking at the crack with a calm expression.

No one knew what he was thinking at this moment. He was just watching, watching his array being torn apart bit by bit.

Xuan Mingzi's voice drifted in from outside the mountain gate again: "Xu Ruyu, your array is about to collapse."

"Surrender now, and I can give you a swift end."

Xu Ruyu did not answer.

Xuan Mingzi's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of a smile: "Not surrendering? Fine. I'll just wait you out."

"Let's see if your array can hold out longer, or if my people can wait longer."

After saying that, he waved his hand.

The Fourth Squad charged.

The Array Pattern in the southwest corner finally gave way.

The last few Low-Grade Spirit Stones shattered simultaneously with a dull thud, as if something had exploded underground.

The Array Pattern began to break apart over a large area from that point, the opening extending to both sides like a torn wound.

Silvery-white light surged frantically from the crack, shooting upwards and illuminating half the sky.

Then, the light dimmed.

Without the support of spiritual power, those lights flowed away like water, dissipating into the air.

The entire grand array shook violently, every node trembling and every array pattern wailing.

The energy of the High-Grade Spirit Stones was being consumed rapidly, like a candle burning down to its last bit; the Mid-Grade Spirit Stones shattered one after another, and with each one that broke, a section of Array Pattern went dark.

Looking down from above, the Hehuan Sect's Mountain Protection Array looked like a dying serpent of light, dimming section by section, losing its life bit by bit.

The Righteous Path Alliance Cultivators outside the mountain gate erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Broken! It's broken!"

"Their array is about to break!"

"Give it another push! Charge in! Leave no one alive!"

Their voices were like the howling of hungry wolves, filled with madness.

Inside the Hehuan Sect, everyone knew that the grand array wouldn't last for more than half an incense stick's time.

Xu Ruyu stepped down from the high platform and walked to the center of the square.

At some point, a long sword had appeared in his hand. It was very ordinary, with no runes or glow on the blade—just a piece of iron.

He stood before everyone for a long time.

"When the grand array breaks," he finally spoke, "I will be the first to charge out. You follow behind me."

No one spoke. Everyone was looking at him.

"We must not scatter; stay together."

"When we are together, we have no exposed backs. Without exposed backs, we don't need to worry about anyone behind us."

The Grand Elder nodded.

Hua Xunhuan nodded.

Granny Liu nodded.

Everyone nodded.

"Good," Xu Ruyu said.

He turned around, facing the light screen that was about to break in two outside the mountain gate, and took a deep breath.

The grand array was about to break.