Soon, a figure emerged within the starry sky.
It was an old man dressed in plain cloth robes.
"Elder Ruyi?"
Upon seeing this old man, an enormous look of surprise welled up in Sacred Light Whitebrow's bright eyes.
Elder Ruyi was a somewhat renowned figure in the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River, an existence on par with Daoist Niantian.
Sacred Light Whitebrow had met Elder Ruyi before, but in his eyes, Elder Ruyi was not his equal.
Yet at this moment, the aura radiating from Elder Ruyi was incomparably powerful.
It was none other than Elder Ruyi who had obliterated the peak Divine Robe cultivator who had just taken control of him.
It was also Elder Ruyi who had set up this sealing grand array, trapping every member of the Ancient Family within.
"Lord Whitebrow."
Upon seeing Sacred Light Whitebrow, Elder Ruyi politely offered a courteous bow.
Seeing that despite possessing such formidable strength, Elder Ruyi's attitude toward him remained unchanged— Sacred Light Whitebrow came to a realization: "Elder Ruyi, I never expected your cultivation to be so formidable. You've hidden it well."
He also understood that Elder Ruyi must have always been strong—he had simply hidden it too well.
If he hadn't been strong before and only became strong later, he likely wouldn't have maintained such consistent courtesy toward him.
At Sacred Light Whitebrow's words, Elder Ruyi simply offered a faint smile.
He seemed unwilling to explain much.
"Elder Ruyi, didn't you leave the Sacred Light Heavenly River to roam the outer realms?" Sacred Light Whitebrow asked again.
"Lord Whitebrow, I am after all a person of the Sacred Light Heavenly River. Upon hearing that someone was attacking the Sacred Light Heavenly River, it was only natural for me to return and lend my strength."
"I absolutely cannot allow outsiders to run rampant in our Sacred Light Heavenly River," Elder Ruyi declared.
"How rare—someone of your cultivation who still possesses such awareness." Sacred Light Whitebrow was deeply moved.
After all, when Elder Ruyi had still been in the Sacred Light Heavenly River, he had been famously indifferent to others' affairs.
Who would have thought that for something so perilous, he would actually return.
Buzz— At that very moment, upon every member of the Ancient Family below the Half God realm, the power of the formation manifested.
Seeing this, Elder Ruyi hurriedly activated the formation to suppress it.
At the same time, he looked toward Sacred Light Whitebrow: "Lord Whitebrow, please go back and rest. Leave this place to me."
"Very well, then I won't get in your way."
"But Elder Ruyi, do be careful."
Sacred Light Whitebrow understood what Elder Ruyi meant—his presence here was no longer of any help.
So he passed directly through the barrier gate that the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect Master had opened.
He returned to where the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect Master, the Sacred Valley Holy Master, and the others were.
"Why did you come back?"
"Are the invaders all dead?"
The Holy Master didn't know the specific situation outside—it was the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect Master who had said someone broke in and had sent Sacred Light Whitebrow to intercept.
Before Sacred Light Whitebrow could even speak, the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect Master said, "Help has arrived. It's Elder Ruyi."
At her current realm, she couldn't see that far away, but she did command the defensive grand array after all.
So she knew what had just transpired between Elder Ruyi and Sacred Light Whitebrow.
"Elder Ruyi?"
"How could you entrust such a critical task to Elder Ruyi?"
The others, ignorant of the truth, all cast reproachful glances at Sacred Light Whitebrow.
Although Elder Ruyi had some tricks up his sleeve, in their impression, he was no match for Sacred Light Whitebrow.
"My lord, you don't understand. Elder Ruyi has hidden himself very deeply. He's likely an existence at the True God Realm now."
Then, Sacred Light Whitebrow recounted the events.
Upon learning the truth, everyone's expressions were a mix of shock and delight.
They never expected that Elder Ruyi was the one who had hidden himself deepest in the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River.
A warrior's cultivation at the True God Realm.
His barrier techniques had also surpassed the Divine Robe level, stepping into the ranks of a True Dragon Spirit World Master.
Such strength made him without question the strongest in the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River.
Under normal circumstances, learning of Elder Ruyi's true power might have caused some unease for the Sacred Valley.
But at this critical juncture, they were instead grateful that the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River still harbored such an existence.
"Our Sacred Light Heavenly River truly hides dragons and crouching tigers." As the Sacred Valley Holy Master sighed in admiration, a complicated emotion flickered across his face.
He had always believed that he himself was the strongest person in the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River.
But after learning of the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect Master's strength, he was no longer certain of that.
And upon learning of Elder Ruyi, he was now fully certain that Elder Ruyi was the true strongest of the Ancestral Martial Heavenly River.
After all, his own cultivation was only approaching Half God peak.
Elder Ruyi, on the other hand, was already at the True God Realm.
"The barrier gate they opened is still continuing to change. If this goes on, the restrictions will keep loosening, and True God Realm powerhouses will be able to enter."
"I'm afraid even Elder Ruyi won't be able to hold out for long."
Unlike the others, the Sleeping Dragon Martial Sect Master had no mood to marvel at Elder Ruyi's strength or weakness.
She knew that their situation remained extremely perilous.
"This power?"
Yet soon, her anxious heart was shaken.
She could sense a tremendous power surging forth from the array eye, following the defensive grand array, and beginning to furiously assault that barrier gate.
That special barrier gate was subjected to unprecedented restraint. If this continued, it would likely be completely sealed off.
The Ancient Family would then be unable to allow True God Realm powerhouses to step through.
Unaware of the full truth, she began redirecting the defensive grand array's attention toward the array eye world that the juniors were activating.