The atmosphere was tense, taut as a bowstring and ready to snap at the slightest provocation, when a series of thunderous cracks suddenly erupted from the horizon. The sound rolled closer like a muffled gale, each strike hammering against the chests of those gathered. Instinctively, everyone looked up to see three figures streaking across the sky like meteors, closing the distance at a breathtaking speed that brought them before the crowd in the blink of an eye.
"Elder Huang, Elder Ye, Elder Wu are here! We're saved!" The despair that had filled the eyes of the young disciples outside the gate was instantly ignited by hope—a spark dancing wildly in the depths of their gazes. Like a flicker of dawn appearing in a dark abyss, this hope served as a lifeline in their life-or-death crisis, rekindling their will to survive.
Elder Huang, the leader, landed with lightning speed. His robes whipped in the wind with a sound like snapping banners, exuding an aura of awe-inspiring majesty. His gaze was piercing, seemingly capable of seeing through all illusions. When he looked at Du Bufan, a flicker of complex, inscrutable emotion crossed his eyes. *This young man seems so callow,* he mused, *yet he has managed to break our Zaohua Sect's famed Seven Stars Sword Array. Such strength cannot be underestimated. He must have extraordinary origins. I must not offend him lightly; it is best to pacify him first, then seek a better strategy after due deliberation.*
Chapter 44