NOVEL NEXT Chapter 434: At A Dangerous Impasse
The moment the Mist Eye Sect disciples appeared in the center of the looping maze chamber, silence fell like a blade.
Fatty Kui's face drained of all color as he stammered, "T-thirty? Why are there so many of them?"
The juniors tensed, the seniors' hands sliding toward their swords. Even Xuan Qing's face darkened, her qi already stirring faintly around her.
Han Yu stood silently at the back, his eyes narrowing as he swept his gaze over the enemy. 'So… it begins. Meng Jueyan wasn't lying. They really did come through the hidden corridor, and in numbers far beyond what we can handle in a direct fight.'
The air thickened with tension as the two groups faced each other, each aware that this meeting would not end peacefully.
Both sides froze, staring at each other with grim expressions.
The chamber was large enough to hold them all, yet the tension that filled it made the space feel suffocating. The faint flicker of qi from activated protective techniques shimmered faintly in the air, and the sound of shallow, measured breathing was the only thing breaking the stillness.
Han Yu's heart pounded in his chest.
He had expected to encounter the Mist Eye Sect at some point in the repository, but never like this. In his mind, he had envisioned clashing with them at a bottlenecked entrance or a narrow corridor, where numbers could be equalized and strategy could make up for sheer strength.
He had thought they would at least meet in a way where the Twin Leaf Peak Sect and their allies could hold one side, defend each other's backs, and fight cohesively as a unit. Though this time they had met no allies, so they were shorthanded.
Instead, fate had played a crueler hand.
They had been forced to split into different paths in order to trigger the shifting of the maze. Now, though reunited, the group had been scattered only moments ago, leaving their formation loose and disorganized. The Mist Eye Sect, on the other hand, stood tightly packed in ranks, their lines clean and their discipline obvious.
Han Yu's sharp eyes counted their numbers quickly, his stomach sinking lower with each observation.
Thirty in total. Twenty of them carried the steady pressure of Core Condensation cultivation, ranging across the early, middle, and late stages. And among them were three who radiated the oppressive force of peak Core Condensation realm experts.
Their presence made the air itself feel heavier, as though invisible chains pressed down on his shoulders.
The other ten disciples were at the peak of the Qi Refining realm. Ordinarily, Han Yu would consider them manageable. In fact, if isolated, he could handle several of them himself with the help of his soul techniques. But under the protection and coordination of twenty Core Condensation experts, they would not be so easily dispatched.
Han Yu's group had six Core Condensation realm seniors, led by Xuan Qing and Senior Brother Duan. All of them were strong, but not a single one of them had stepped into the peak stage. That difference loomed in his mind like a yawning gulf.
He clenched his fists, feeling the cool sweat gathering on his palms.
His mind raced furiously, trying to find some path out of this. Strategy after strategy flashed through his head and was discarded just as quickly. To fight head-on would mean certain death.
To retreat seemed impossible, for the looping maze had left them with no visible exits. They could not backtrack, and the shifting of the maze had not yet revealed a new path forward.
His eyes flicked toward the Mist Eye Sect disciples again. Their faces were grim but not rushed. They too understood the danger of this confrontation. Yet the confidence in their stance made it clear they felt victory was theirs to claim if battle broke out.
And then, among the crowd, Han Yu's gaze locked with a pair of familiar eyes.
Meng Jueyan.
She stood half-hidden behind two of her sect's disciples, her expression as taut as a drawn bowstring. For a brief instant, surprise flashed in her eyes when she saw him, the same shock he felt reflected in her own. Then, almost imperceptibly, her lips moved.
'Run.'
Han Yu's chest tightened. He understood her perfectly, and his heart sank further. If even Meng Jueyan, who had walked among these people and knew their strength more intimately than anyone, was signaling that they had no chance, then the situation was truly dire.
Yet where could they run?
His mind snapped back to the chamber, his sharp gaze darting across the stone walls, the faint cracks, and the paths they had taken before.
There was no open route, no hidden passage that Chitterfang had not already sniffed out. Every corridor they had tested had brought them back to this chamber, and the one that was supposed to reveal itself after their earlier maneuver had yet to appear.
The realization pressed on him with brutal clarity. There was no escape.
This was not going to be a battle of choice. It was going to be a fight to the death.
Han Yu forced his breathing to steady, lowering his gaze to hide the turmoil in his eyes. His hand brushed over his storage pouch, feeling the familiar weight of talismans and pills. His other hand rested lightly on his halberd's hilt, though he knew blade alone would not be enough against opponents of this caliber.
Around him, his companions had also realized the truth.
Fatty Kui had gone pale, his normally round cheeks tight with fear as he clenched his fists, his arms trembling. Wu Shuan's face was grim, his brows furrowed deeply as he shifted into a ready stance. She Ming, though wary, had her expression locked in determination, her gaze fixed on the enemy without wavering.
The seniors were calmer, though the lines on their faces betrayed their concern. Senior Brother Duan raised his sword slightly, his voice low but steady as he murmured to his allies, "Try to get close. Do not let them separate us. If battle begins, defend each other."