“The true reason behind the demon clan’s invasion this time seems to be known only by their Sacred Ancestors. The ordinary Demon Venerables are merely following orders. Otherwise, when we captured and soul-searched a Demon Venerable earlier, we wouldn’t have failed to obtain any relevant information,” the old woman in the white fur robe said slowly, sounding deeply frustrated.
“Hmph, regardless of the demons’ ambitions, our clans must not let them succeed. The contingency plans we prepared are now all in motion. Two of them are already mostly complete and should be enough to deal a heavy blow to the demon army that has already arrived. Even if some Sacred Ancestors descend into the Spirit Realm in their true forms, it won’t change anything. The only trouble is, according to our intelligence, the three Demon Primogenitors might descend together this time. If that happens, even if all our Mahayana cultivators join forces, we’d likely still be outmatched. I’ve heard that each of the three Demon Primogenitors is an ancient monster who has lived for hundreds of thousands of years, just one step away from ascending to become True Demons,” the feathered man said with a furrowed brow, his words sending a chill through the others.
“The three Demon Primogenitors are all ancient demons at the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Forget our clans—there are probably few in the entire Spirit Realm who dare claim they can defeat them. If anyone can, it would only be the True Spirits worshipped by the major clans. Our clans are relatively weak in the Spirit Realm—where would we even find a True Spirit to help us? Without a way to counter the three Primogenitors, even if we repel the demon army with our earlier measures, our defeat is inevitable,” the old woman murmured.
The others exchanged glances, their expressions darkening.
“Don’t despair yet. When Lord Mo Jianli left Sacred Island, he mentioned seeking help from the Mahayana cultivators of other clans to address this issue. Given how much time has passed, he may have already found a solution,” a pale-skinned man who had remained silent until now spoke up calmly.
“Brother Xun, why haven’t we heard of this before?” the feathered man asked in surprise.
The others also looked both shocked and hopeful.
“Only Brother Luo and I knew about it. Lord Mo specifically instructed us not to spread the news, so we never mentioned it to anyone else. But now, it seems we can’t keep it hidden any longer,” the pale-skinned man explained with a sigh.
“Brother Luo, is this true?” Before the feathered man could press further, the old woman turned urgently to the white-haired elder.
“Haha, Brother Xun speaks the truth. Lord Mo did indeed entrust this matter to the two of us before he left,” the white-haired elder confirmed with a nod and a smile.
“Wonderful! If Lord Mo said so, he must have already devised a plan.”
“It seems there’s still great hope for us to overcome this demon calamity.”
…
For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall lightened as murmurs of relief spread.
“Alright, before we discuss further arrangements, there’s one more thing I must announce. Fellow Daoist Heiyu, who left Sacred Island earlier to capture the Dreamstone Spirit, has fallen. According to Tianchan from Sacred Emperor City, who assisted him, they had already obtained the Dreamstone Spirit before parting ways. But shortly after Heiyu left, his life token was destroyed,” the feathered man said gravely, shifting the topic.
The others’ expressions darkened once more.
“Fellow Daoist Heiyu was at the mid-Body Integration stage, with formidable abilities. How could he have perished without a trace? Could there be more to this?” the pale-skinned man asked skeptically.
“Unlikely. The Dreamstone Spirit is rare, but it’s of little use to most people. Tianchan also mentioned a witness—another mid-Body Integration cultivator who happened to assist them in capturing the spirit. Without this person’s help, they might not have succeeded so easily,” the feathered man replied, shaking his head.
“A witness? Who was it? Not someone from Sacred Emperor City, I hope?” the old woman asked slowly, frowning.
“No. In fact, most of you may have heard of him. It’s Fellow Daoist Han Li, who advanced to Body Integration just a few centuries ago,” the feathered man answered seriously.
“Han Li! I’ve heard that name. They say he’s a once-in-a-hundred-millennium genius of your human race, advancing from Deity Transformation to early-Body Integration in just a few hundred years,” the old woman said, surprised.
“Haha, your information is outdated. Fellow Daoist Han is now at the mid-Body Integration stage,” the white-haired elder interjected with a chuckle.
“What? Mid-Body Integration already? That’s absurdly fast. The ‘once-in-a-hundred-millennium’ label might even be an understatement,” the old woman exclaimed, stunned.
Not just her—several other Body Integration elders who hadn’t known this were equally shocked.
“Perhaps. If not for the demon calamity, Fellow Daoist Han might have already joined Sacred Island. But let’s discuss him another time. Brother Ying, have you verified this matter with Han Li?” the white-haired elder asked, turning to the feathered man.
“I intended to, but when I finally contacted Sky Abyss City, I learned that Fellow Daoist Han has gone missing. His disappearance coincides with the day Heiyu and Tianchan carried out their mission,” the feathered man said with a bitter smile.
“Missing? How could this happen?” The white-haired elder’s expression darkened.
“According to Sky Abyss City, Fellow Daoist Han encountered an avatar of a Demon Sacred Ancestor while aiding Yitian City and vanished afterward. But after cross-checking Tianchan’s account and Sky Abyss City’s reports, it seems Han Li escaped the demons and later met Heiyu and Tianchan. After the three captured the Dreamstone Spirit and parted ways, only Tianchan returned safely. The other two met with misfortune,” the feathered man explained.
“With Fellow Daoist Han’s talent, he might have had a chance to reach Mahayana. If he’s truly fallen, it’s a great loss. But our path defies the heavens—early deaths are hardly surprising, especially during a demon calamity,” the old woman sighed, genuinely regretful.
“If Fellow Daoist Han met his end, it’s simply fate. Unlike Heiyu, Han Li left no life token in Sky Abyss City, so we can’t confirm his status. But regardless of how Heiyu died, the bigger issue is that the Dreamstone Spirit we secured is now lost. Without it, a crucial part of our plan cannot proceed. This concerns the survival of our two races—we must find a solution immediately,” the feathered man said, his eyes flashing.
“This truly cannot be delayed!”
“Is there any chance of finding another Dreamstone Spirit elsewhere?”
“Can we substitute it with something else? Surely there’s a backup plan?”
…
The hall erupted with urgent questions.
“Dreamstone Spirits are rare treasures of heaven and earth—not so easily found. The one we lost was located only after extensive intelligence gathering, which is why Heiyu was sent to retrieve it. As for substitutes, we did prepare a few alternatives. But using them would weaken the plan’s effectiveness by at least thirty percent. Whether it would still achieve our goals is uncertain,” the feathered man said, shaking his head before nodding reluctantly.
Hearing this, the others fell silent, their expressions grim.
The hall became deathly quiet.
“The Dreamstone Spirit is a trivial matter. Leave it to me. I have more pressing tasks that require your assistance.”
A calm male voice suddenly echoed through the hall, its authority instantly commanding everyone’s attention.
“Senior Ao Xiao! You’ve arrived!” The feathered man, previously composed, leapt to his feet in ecstatic surprise.
At the same moment, the hall’s tightly shut doors swung open, and two figures entered.
The first was a silver-robed man with waist-length black hair, his face youthful and serene, wearing a faint smile.
Behind him was a stunningly beautiful woman with a graceful figure, skin like jade, and long, straight silver hair that shimmered like pure metal.
“Greetings, Senior Ao Xiao! We welcome your presence on Sacred Island!”
The white-haired elder and the others, who had been seated, sprang up in shock and reverence, bowing deeply to the silver-robed man.
The remaining Body Integration elders, initially uncertain, now rushed forward to pay their respects, overjoyed.
This man was none other than the Ao Xiao Ancestor—the sole Mahayana existence of the demon race, a legend revered for millennia.
“Rise. Some of you have met me before; others haven’t. No need for formalities,” the long-haired man said with a faint smile, waving a hand.
“Senior, please take the seat of honor,” the white-haired elder said hastily, stepping aside.
“Very well, I won’t stand on ceremony.” Ao Xiao Ancestor nodded and took a step.
In a blur, he appeared seated at the center of the hall, composed and regal.
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