Han Li and the old man walked out of the house together. Xiao Cui’er, who was guarding the courtyard gate, had also heard the series of loud bell chimes and couldn’t help but look at the old man in panic.
Seeing this, the old man frowned, walked over, and whispered a few words to her. Only then did the young girl’s expression return to normal.
The old man then motioned to Han Li, and the two of them soared into the sky on their magical tools, heading straight for the assembly hall.
Along the way, Han Li saw numerous cultivators flying in the same direction, but most were Qi Condensation disciples. It was clear that the valley’s strength had greatly diminished. If the Devil Dao were to attack, even with the protective formation aiding in defense, they wouldn’t last long.
The two of them flew in silence, their faces grim, and soon arrived before a massive stone hall.
At that moment, over a thousand cultivators had gathered in front of the hall but were blocked by guards at the entrance. Only Foundation Establishment cultivators and above were allowed inside for the meeting.
Naturally, Han Li and the old man were qualified. Under the complex gazes of others, they silently walked in.
As soon as Han Li entered the hall, he was taken aback! Instead of the chaotic scene he had imagined, nearly a hundred cultivators present were dead silent, all respectfully staring at the person in the main seat.
That person was certainly not the nominal leader of Yellow Maple Valley, Zhong Lingdao, because Zhong himself was standing obediently to the side. Seated in the main position was an old man with white hair and beard, dressed in brocade robes.
The old man had a sallow complexion, small, dull eyes, and was extremely ugly. Yet, for some reason, the moment Han Li saw him, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t control the trembling in his hands and feet.
“What’s going on?” Han Li wondered inwardly.
When the old man saw Han Li and the old man enter, he merely glanced at them indifferently. Yet that one glance sent a chill down Han Li’s spine, making him extremely uncomfortable, as if all his hidden secrets had been laid bare. He couldn’t help but change his expression.
“Oh? Your soul cultivation isn’t bad. You’ve practiced some soul-strengthening technique, haven’t you?” the old man asked lightly, a flicker of surprise in his eyes after looking at Han Li.
Hearing this, Han Li was both shocked and fearful.
But what astonished him even more was that he couldn’t sense any spiritual power from the old man. This indicated a vast difference in their cultivation levels. Even Core Formation cultivators like Li Huayuan had never given him such a feeling. Could this person be…?
After a moment’s thought, Han Li was horrified. His earlier trace of anger vanished without a trace, replaced by extreme respect. He hurriedly replied, “Reporting to Senior, I have indeed practiced a technique related to soul cultivation. Senior truly has keen insight!” Han Li subtly flattered the old man.
Hearing this, the brocade-robed old man smiled faintly and lightly waved his hand. Han Li and the old man promptly and tactfully joined the crowd.
After waiting for about the time it takes to eat a meal, more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived one after another.
Only then did Zhong Ling respectfully address the elder, “Ancestor, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators currently in the valley have arrived. Elder Huang is at Tian Shi Peak and I’m afraid he won’t be able to return for a while.”
Hearing this, the brocade-robed old man frowned slightly but quickly resumed his normal expression and instructed, “It’s fine if he doesn’t make it. Saving people is like putting out a fire—we can’t wait for him. Let’s begin.”
“Yes, the Ancestor is absolutely right!” Zhong Lingdao agreed extremely obediently.
The brocade-robed old man chuckled but said nothing more.
“Fellow brothers and sisters, let me introduce you. This is the long-renowned Ancestor Linghu. The Ancestor reached the Nascent Soul stage three hundred years ago and is our sect’s only Grand Elder. Now that our sect faces an unprecedented crisis of annihilation, the Ancestor will arrange everything from here on out.”
After saying these formal words, Zhong Lingdao consciously retreated to one side.
Although most of those present had guessed the brocade-robed old man’s identity, hearing it confirmed still caused a stir. They all looked at Ancestor Linghu with strange expressions!
This was Yellow Maple Valley’s only Nascent Soul stage cultivator in nearly a thousand years, rumored to be nearly eight hundred years old—truly the valley’s undying elder!
Seeing the commotion below, Ancestor Linghu lightly coughed. The hall immediately fell silent. Who would dare disrespect this Ancestor?
“Since you’ve heard the Alarm Dragon Bell, I’ll skip the pleasantries. The allied forces of the seven sects have suffered a major defeat on the front lines. Our casualties are heavy. Although we’ve barely managed to set up camp again at the second line of defense, defeat is inevitable.”
As these words left the old man’s mouth, the many cultivators in the hall turned pale. Han Li and the old man exchanged a complex glance, silently resigned.
“Ancestor, how is that possible? The day of our decisive battle with the Devil Dao hasn’t even arrived yet! There’s still over a month left!” a middle-aged cultivator couldn’t help but step forward and ask.
“It’s precisely because those at the front thought like you that they were ambushed and defeated by the Devil Dao!” the brocade-robed old man said sternly, reprimanding him without courtesy. The middle-aged man flushed red, bowed, and hurriedly retreated.
Seeing his fate, no one else was tactless enough to speak up. Though filled with doubts, they quietly waited to hear what Ancestor Linghu would say next.
“Actually, this defeat can’t be entirely blamed on the carelessness of those in charge at the front for not guarding against deception. The truth is, there was a traitor among the seven sects. The Spirit Beast Mountain sect, while on patrol duty, secretly opened the outer formation, letting the Devil Dao forces in. That’s what caused this great defeat.” As he spoke, the old man showed signs of anger.
Hearing this, the many cultivators finally understood. They immediately began cursing the Spirit Beast Mountain cultivators, and the scene became somewhat chaotic again.
“Enough, what’s the use of saying this now? The opponent was more skilled; we can only admit defeat. The most important thing now is to save our sect from annihilation. You must know, the remaining cultivators at the front can buy us at most two or three days. We must evacuate Yue Country as soon as possible,” Ancestor Linghu said with extreme calmness.
“Evacuate Yue Country?” As these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent. No one spoke; it seemed everyone was stunned!
For these cultivators, native to Yue Country, leaving was incredibly hard to accept. For a moment, no one voiced agreement.
“What? Can’t bear to leave?” the old man said indifferently, showing no panic, as if he had long anticipated this reaction.
“Ancestor, could it be that even you and the other Nascent Soul seniors cannot repel the Devil Dao?” Finally, a young man around thirty years old asked hesitantly.
“Of course we can. If us old fellows join forces, we can easily wipe out these Devil Dao cultivators you’re facing,” the old man said without hesitation.
“Then why doesn’t the Ancestor…”
“But don’t forget, since the Six Sects of the Devil Dao have such a great reputation, how could they lack Nascent Soul stage cultivators? We few have already fought several battles with their old monsters. The result is that we are at a disadvantage. Therefore, they forced us to take a vicious oath, same as them, not to personally intervene in this war. This war is limited to the Core Formation stage.” Ancestor Linghu sighed lightly, revealing an unexpectedly huge secret.
Han Li below finally understood why he had never seen Nascent Soul level cultivators appear in the great war.
“If we don’t move, when the entire Yellow Maple Valley is surrounded and wiped out, I will be bound by my oath and will not intervene to save you. Therefore, my decision is firm: the entire sect must leave Yue Country. And it’s not just us; the other five sects will advance and retreat with us. That way, in a new land, we can rise again. When our strength is great enough, we can take back Yue Country.” Ancestor Linghu said with a cold laugh. Clearly, withdrawing from Yue Country was not something unacceptable to him.
Seeing the Ancestor speak so resolutely, even those with different ideas didn’t dare voice them and could only obey his orders.
“Other matters are manageable, but there is one dangerous task that still requires someone to do it,” Ancestor Linghu suddenly said, startling everyone. They couldn’t help but look at each other.
“Those I point to below, follow me to the back hall. The rest stay here and listen to Sect Leader Zhong’s arrangements for the evacuation!” After saying this, the old man stood up from his seat and walked expressionlessly towards the crowd below, leaving everyone continued to be astonished.
“You, and you…” The old man was quite blunt, pointing his finger at more than half of the people present in quick succession. Han Li and the old man were among them. After selecting the people, the Ancestor turned and headed towards the back hall by himself.
Han Li and the others felt somewhat uneasy. After a moment’s hesitation, they obediently followed.
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