The western peak of White Pool Mountain was larger than Han Li had imagined. Not only was there an ancient temple built atop the peak, but also over a dozen stone pavilions of varying sizes. Cultivators were already gathered in small groups, engaged in lively discussions.
Of course, outside the pavilions and the temple, a scattering of cultivators could be seen strolling about. It seemed some attendees of the White Pool Mountain gathering had arrived early out of eagerness.
Han Li circled above the peak for a while before descending to a secluded corner. He then casually made his way toward several nearby stone pavilions with Qu Hun.
Thanks to Han Li’s formidable spiritual sense, he could clearly overhear the conversations of the cultivators inside the pavilions in no time.
One pavilion, where four cultivators were engaged in a spirited discussion, caught Han Li’s attention.
After listening briefly and realizing they were discussing the war between the Seven Sects of Yue Kingdom and the Devil Dao, Han Li perked up and walked over without hesitation.
“Our devastating defeat by the Devil Dao has not only forced the six sects of Yue Kingdom to flee their homeland but also spells imminent disaster for our Yuan Wu and Purple Gold nations. Now, it’s just a matter of whether the Devil Dao will strike Yuan Wu or Purple Gold first,” sighed a pale-faced middle-aged man among the four.
“Indeed. In the last great battle, not only did the six sects suffer heavy losses, but over half the cultivators from our two nations who went to assist also perished! The Starry Sky Sect and other immortal sects are surely in dire straits now!” a young man in his twenties chimed in with gleeful schadenfreude.
Hearing this, the two elderly men among the four remained expressionless, but the middle-aged man who had spoken first forced a bitter smile and opened his mouth to say more.
Just then, a voice interjected from the side.
“While the Starry Sky Sect and other major sects may be in disarray, I fear life will become even harder for us rogue cultivators and cultivation families. The Devil Dao adheres to the law of the jungle—once they take over, our current ease and freedom will be gone.” Han Li walked over slowly, articulating the very concern behind the middle-aged man’s bitter smile.
Startled by the presence of an outsider, the four immediately fell silent.
Upon sensing they couldn’t discern Han Li’s cultivation level, unease flickered across their faces, and they rose to bow respectfully. The middle-aged man hurriedly tried to cover for the young man, saying, “Senior, Young Master Yu’s words were merely idle chatter, with no disrespect intended toward any sect. We beg your forgiveness!”
They had mistaken Han Li for a high-ranking cultivator from one of Yuan Wu’s immortal sects.
The young man looked equally tense.
“Heh, fellow Daoists, don’t misunderstand. I am merely a rogue cultivator myself! I was just casually joining the conversation,” Han Li explained with a gentle smile.
Hearing this, the four relaxed slightly. Though unsure if Han Li was telling the truth about his status, it was clear he had no intention of pursuing their earlier careless remarks.
With respectful welcomes, Han Li took a seat at the stone table in the pavilion.
“For a senior like you to grace us with your presence is an honor. But with your cultivation level, why would you attend a gathering of this scale?” asked the red-faced elder, the most advanced in cultivation among the four, with some hesitation.
His surprise was understandable—local gatherings like White Pool Mountain rarely attracted Foundation Establishment cultivators. High-level cultivators typically had their own exclusive gatherings for exchanges.
“I’ve been cultivating in a remote mountain not far from here. Recently, hearing of our nation’s defeat in Yue Kingdom, I sensed major upheavals ahead and came out to gather information. Do any of you have the latest news on the Devil Dao and Yue Kingdom?” Han Li asked casually.
The four exchanged glances before three of them turned to a gaunt elder.
“Brother Ding is the best informed. After all, the Ding family has many mortal businesses directly operating in Yue Kingdom,” the red-faced elder said with a dry laugh.
The other two nodded in agreement, piquing Han Li’s interest.
Elder Ding looked slightly embarrassed but reluctantly said, “Our Ding family disciples in Yue Kingdom have indeed sent back some recent updates. The family initially intended to keep this information internal, but since you are all close friends of mine and this senior is also interested, I’ll share a bit. However, I must ask you not to spread it lightly.”
The other three perked up immediately, eagerly agreeing, while Han Li gave a slight nod.
Elder Ding cleared his throat and began slowly, “According to news from a few days ago, Yue Kingdom is in chaos. Although the Devil Dao crushed the allied forces of the six sects, many retreating cultivators remain in Yue Kingdom, using the terrain to launch continuous attacks on Devil Dao followers. Rumor has it a few Core Formation cultivators are among them, making things difficult for the Devil Dao. After all, Core Formation experts aren’t easy to deal with. Combined with the deep-rooted influence the six sects built over the years, the Devil Dao is finding it challenging to take control of Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world.”
“The cultivation families in Yue Kingdom are now divided into three factions: some, seeing the six sects defeated, have switched sides and pledged allegiance to the six Devil Dao sects; others, too closely tied to the six sects, fear Devil Dao retaliation and have evacuated like the sects; the remaining families are adopting a wait-and-see approach.”
“As for the sect strongholds held by the seven sects for years, aside from Moon Mask Sect and Giant Sword Gate, which haven’t fallen yet, the other four have been completely occupied. However, the spoils were reportedly meager—most treasures were taken by the evacuating disciples.”
“In my opinion, the Devil Dao won’t attack Yuan Wu or Purple Gold until they stabilize Yue Kingdom. Even with their numbers, managing two small nations and a medium-sized country at once is stretching them thin, which is why they’re struggling to handle the disruptive six sects’ cultivators.”
Elder Ding shared his insights calmly.
“Brother Ding, how long do you estimate the Devil Dao will give us to recover? Can our sects still withstand their attack?” the red-faced elder couldn’t help interjecting.
“Hard to say. What I know is only surface-level. The true situation is likely known only to the higher-ups of the major sects,” Elder Ding shook his head, sneaking a glance at Han Li.
Clearly, he still suspected Han Li was from a local sect and was being cautious with his words.
Then, as if wanting to change the subject, Elder Ding brought up something that startled Han Li.
“In their hasty retreat, the six sects of Yue Kingdom adopted a ‘lizard tail-cutting’ strategy, taking only their most talented elite disciples and sacrificing many others left in the dark. The most ruthless were reportedly the higher-ups of Yellow Maple Valley. To ensure their true core elites escaped safely, they sacrificed two batches of disciples—almost all their cultivators aside from the evacuating ones. Tsk tsk, quite the ruthless move!”
Though Elder Ding spoke casually, Han Li’s heart sank, and his expression shifted slightly. Fortunately, no one was scrutinizing him closely enough to notice.
“Fellow Daoist Ding, what exactly happened with Yellow Maple Valley sacrificing two batches of disciples? I’m quite interested,” Han Li asked, suppressing his shock with a calm demeanor.
“Heh, since you ask, Senior, I’ll tell you truthfully. Rumor has it that upon hearing of the frontlines’ collapse, Yellow Maple Valley’s higher-ups devised a cunning ‘cicada shedding its shell’ plan. They first had one batch of disciples evacuate ahead of time, deliberately leaking information to Devil Dao spies that these were their elites carrying large amounts of spirit stones and materials to attract pursuers. Meanwhile, they left another batch of clueless disciples behind to hold off remaining Devil Dao forces using the sect’s defensive formations. With both batches drawing enemy attention, the higher-ups and their true core elites escaped in the opposite direction with the sect’s millennia of accumulated treasures.”
“Though Yellow Maple Valley evacuated the fewest people, theirs was the smoothest retreat among the six sects. The other five sects, evacuating together, were repeatedly caught by pursuers, fought multiple battles, and lost many treasures to the Devil Dao. This incident spread widely in Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world, partly because the Devil Dao was outsmarted,” Elder Ding explained dutifully.
“I see. Those abandoned Yellow Maple Valley disciples were truly foolish,” Han Li remarked indifferently, his expression unchanging.
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