565: Chapter 565 Your sect had better be willing to spend spirit stones, or you'll become nourishment for my grand formation.

Xu Ruyu's casual tone, as calm as an old lady in a market announcing vegetable prices, made Ancestor Xuan Yin and the others feel like commodities being haggled over.

This made everyone feel extremely uncomfortable.

But it was this flat voice that penetrated the light screen, clearly entering the ears of every Righteous Path Alliance Cultivator, stirring their nerves and stimulating their defenses.

Someone collapsed to the ground with a "thud," holding their head in their hands, shoulders twitching—it was unclear if they were crying or trembling.

Someone began to cry softly, the sound like the buzzing of a mosquito in summer, irritating to hear.

Someone clenched their fists, biting their lips until they bled, yet unable to utter a single word.

The new Sect Head of the Tianxuan Sect's lips trembled; he wanted to say something to bolster his courage, but his throat felt blocked, and no sound came out.

The gray-eyed elder to the east remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Xu Ruyu, aren't you afraid that the Sects behind us will come out in full force and flatten this broken mountain of yours?

Do you really think the Righteous Path Alliance only has this much to its name?"

Xu Ruyu looked at him and smiled.

The smile was faint but certain, as if he had long expected this question.

"Come out in full force? You four are already the most powerful old fossils of the Righteous Path Alliance.

With all of you locked in here by me, who else can come? Those juniors? Those Sect Heads? Sect Masters? Palace Masters? They can't even touch the light screen of this array.

Your Sects are probably in a complete mess right now.

With the Sect Heads gone, the Old Ancestors gone, and the elite Disciples gone, what will they use to flatten me? Their mouths?"

The gray-eyed elder fell silent.

Xu Ruyu turned his gaze to the old woman in the west, his tone still nonchalant: "The four of you have lived for nearly ten thousand years; do you still not understand? With the four of you locked here, the Righteous Path Alliance has lost its teeth.

Those who remain are nothing more than toothless tigers; no matter how fiercely they roar, they cannot bite.

And even if there are other old fossils behind you, so what? If you can't break this array, can they?

Hehe, stop daydreaming, alright? Since you thought of exterminating my Hehuan Sect, you must be prepared to be exterminated yourselves.

You are all veterans of the Jianghu; do I really need to repeat these truths?"

The old woman shut her mouth.

Inside the light screen, Ancestor Xuan Yin lowered his head, staring at the tops of his feet.

His white hair hung down, covering half his face, making his expression unreadable.

"Xu Ruyu, you will regret this. By pushing the Righteous Path Alliance to this point, you will not have a good end."

Xu Ruyu did not answer.

He turned around and walked toward the high slope.

After a few steps, he stopped.

"Whether I regret it or not is a matter for the future. But as for today, I, Xu Ruyu, have won.

As for tomorrow, we'll talk about it tomorrow.

You lot had better pray that the Sects behind you are willing to spend Spirit Stones to ransom you back. Otherwise, all of you can only become nutrients for this Grand Array."

Having said that, Xu Ruyu's figure disappeared onto the high slope.

Ancestor Xuan Yin still stood in place, his palm pressed against the light screen, not withdrawing it.

He could no longer feel the pain; his palm had long since been charred.

Those silver specks of light had already burrowed into his arm, traveling through his Meridians toward his Dantian, slowly and quietly.

He didn't know how much longer he could hold out, let alone how long it would take for the Sects behind him to gather enough Spirit Stones to ransom him.

His lips were moving, but no one could hear what he was saying.

Perhaps he said nothing at all, or perhaps he was just whispering his own name.

A cool breeze blew from the mountains, carrying the fragrance of plants and soil, along with the characteristic moisture of the night, blowing against the light screen and stirring up tiny specks of light.

Inside the light screen, over a thousand Righteous Path Alliance Cultivators were crowded onto the Martial Arts Arena; no one spoke, no one moved, only the occasional low sob and heavy breathing could be heard.

Their shadows were stretched very long by the moonlight, like a group of old objects forgotten in a corner.

On the high slope, Xu Ruyu walked back and stood beside Xiao Nianyin.

The moonlight spilled over him, plating his entire being in a faint silver-white.

He didn't look back at the light screen again; his gaze fell on the Disciples scattered across the high slope.

Over three hundred Disciples—some standing, some sitting, some leaning against trees, and some supporting each other.

They were covered in wounds, their robes were tattered, and their faces were covered in dust and bloodstains.

But their eyes were bright—not with excitement or agitation, but with something that had settled after enduring hardships; it was hard to say what it was, but it was there.

Xu Ruyu looked at them and remained silent for a moment.

Then he spoke: "Everyone, go back and rest. This is our own territory; it's not like we have nowhere to stay."

Someone was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

The laughter was light, but it seemed contagious as more and more people began to laugh.

It wasn't a loud laugh, but a relieved, tearful laugh of survivors.

Xu Ruyu continued, his voice carrying a rare trace of softness: "The places where you live are still there. Although those houses are a bit broken, they can still be lived in after a bit of tidying up."

"Go back and tidy up well—clean what needs cleaning, repair what needs repairing—and then get a good night's sleep.

During this period, everyone has been exhausted."

In the crowd, some nodded, some wiped away tears, and some took a deep breath, exhaling the turbid air as if to spit out all the grievances and fatigue of these past days.

"With the Grand Array here," Xu Ruyu's gaze passed over the crowd and fell on the slowly flowing light screen before returning, "everyone can sleep soundly tonight.

No one can get in, and no one can get out.

Those outside can't get in, and those inside can't get out."

Zhao Yan stood in the crowd, shirtless, his wounds already covered in black scabs that looked like centipedes crawling on him.

He grinned, his smile possessing an indescribable honesty: "Sect Master, then I'll be heading back.

My room has probably grown grass by now."

"If it's grown grass, then pull it out."

Xu Ruyu said.

Zhao Yan laughed heartily, the sound scattering in the mountain wind.

He turned around and limped toward the mountain gate.

After two steps, he stopped again and looked back to say: "Sect Master, I'll sleep soundly tonight. Many thanks."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

Hua Xunhuan stood beside the Grand Elder; her short sword was broken, and her left arm was wrapped in a cloth strip through which blood was seeping.

She looked at Xu Ruyu and smiled.

"Sect Master, then I'm going back too. These bones of mine are about to fall apart; I need to rest well.

It's a pity my Flower Slaves aren't here, otherwise—"

After saying that, she gave Xu Ruyu a meaningful look and then pulled the Grand Elder away.

The Grand Elder was pulled by her and almost fell; after stabilizing himself, he glanced back at Xu Ruyu.

He wanted to say something, his lips moving several times, but in the end, he said nothing, only nodding heavily before turning to follow Hua Xunhuan.

Leng Ningshuang stood in the crowd; her sword had long since become blunt, its edge full of notches, and the hilt was slippery, covered in dried blood.

She looked at Xu Ruyu without speaking or showing any expression.

She just stood there, the moonlight shining on her face, making her already cold countenance look even colder.

After a long while, she nodded slightly and turned to leave.

Her pace was steady; although she also had injuries, she walked more steadily than anyone.

Ning Caihe followed behind her, the two halves of his broken sword still in his hands, wrapped in cloth and tied together.

He didn't look at Xu Ruyu or anyone else, just kept his head down, walking step by step as if walking on a path of his own.