Han Li glanced at the conscription order in his hand, signed by the leaders of various sects, authorizing the conscription of disciples on their journeys. He felt extremely frustrated!
The order was undoubtedly genuine—the spiritual emblems representing each sect leader couldn’t possibly be forged. Yet, he really didn’t want to comply just like that.
From the other party, Han Li had already learned about the invasion by the six demonic sects and knew that an inevitable catastrophe was about to befall the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom.
Whether the seven sects of Yue Kingdom could survive this crisis was uncertain, but the number of fallen cultivators would undoubtedly reach tens of thousands. Even Core Formation cultivators would likely suffer heavy casualties, with many perishing and their golden cores shattered.
Upon hearing this shocking news, Han Li’s immediate desire was to return to his cave abode and go into seclusion for decades before reemerging.
However, he knew this was nothing but a pipe dream. As a disciple of one of the seven sects, it wouldn’t be so easy to extricate himself from this large-scale conflict.
While Han Li was lost in thought, the male cultivator from the Masked Moon Sect who had just announced his conscription smiled warmly and said, “Junior Brother, have you confirmed the order? Could you now state your name and cultivation level? We’ll likely be working together quite a bit!”
Han Li collected himself, studying the man before him and then glancing at the thirty or so cultivators behind him. Only three had reached Foundation Establishment, while the rest were Qi Condensation disciples. This put Han Li slightly at ease—at the very least, it didn’t seem like they were being assigned some highly dangerous mission.
With this in mind, Han Li clasped his hands and said, “Han Li of the Yellow Maple Valley, early Foundation Establishment stage.”
Although cultivators at the same stage could generally gauge each other’s cultivation level, Han Li still politely stated his own out of courtesy. After all, the other party was at the late Foundation Establishment stage, far surpassing him in cultivation. He had no intention of offending him lightly.
But then, Han Li asked with some confusion, “How can you be so sure of my identity, Brother? You intercepted me directly and presented the conscription order. Surely it wasn’t just because of this Yellow Maple Valley robe?”
Originally, upon encountering this mixed group of cultivators from the Incense Smelting Sect and the Masked Moon Sect, Han Li had intended to avoid them and make a swift escape. Unexpectedly, this sharp-eyed individual had darted over and intercepted him in a flash, announcing his conscription.
“Heh! I caught a glimpse of you during the last Bloody Trial, Junior Brother! I never expected that in just a few years, you’d successfully reach Foundation Establishment. That’s truly commendable!” The Masked Moon Sect man, who appeared to be in his thirties, smiled faintly and said something that took Han Li completely by surprise.
“You are…?” Han Li studied the man more carefully and indeed found him somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him during the Bloody Trial.
“I am Xuan Le, one of the Masked Moon Sect’s external affairs managers. Back then, I accompanied Aunt Ni Shang to lead the team and witnessed Junior Brother Han’s astonishing display firsthand!” The man chuckled meaningfully.
It was only then that Han Li suddenly remembered—this man had been one of the four Foundation Establishment leaders from the Masked Moon Sect at the time. He hadn’t paid much attention to him then, so his memory was a bit hazy. But upon further reflection, Han Li felt a chill. They had only met briefly all those years ago. How could this man recognize him from such a distance? It was almost unbelievable.
“I understand that Junior Brother Han must be in a hurry due to other urgent matters, but the task I’ve been assigned is severely short-handed. I must ask for your assistance,” Xuan Le said politely.
Hearing this, Han Li’s lips twitched, and he couldn’t help but think bitterly, “You’re a late Foundation Establishment cultivator who’s already presented the conscription order. Even if I wanted to refuse, could I? If I tried, I’d probably be accused of defying orders!”
With this in mind, Han Li glanced at the three other Foundation Establishment cultivators standing behind Xuan Le. Steeling himself, he replied, “Since Senior Brother Xuan has put it that way, I naturally comply! However, I have an urgent matter to report to my sect leader. I hope Senior Brother Xuan can send someone to deliver the message!”
Han Li then recounted everything that had happened at Yanling Castle in detail, though he was deliberately vague about how he had managed to escape.
Even so, Xuan Le and the others were greatly alarmed. They immediately dispatched two Qi Condensation disciples to deliver messages to their respective sects. Then, with grim expressions, they continued on their way with Han Li.
Given their strength, even if they knew the Yan Family had colluded with the demonic path, they dared not confront them or attempt a rescue. They could only pass this hot potato to others dispatched by the seven sects. Of course, the authenticity of Han Li’s report would need to be verified by those who followed.
During the journey, Han Li finally learned from the other cultivators the purpose of their mission: to reinforce the security of a relatively large spirit stone mine. The original guards were insufficient to defend against sneak attacks by squads of demonic path cultivators.
Relieved that their task wasn’t to serve as cannon fodder in direct confrontations with the six demonic sects, Han Li felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
In truth, even if he had returned to Yellow Maple Valley, he would likely have been dispatched immediately, and the assignment he received might not have been any better than this one.
Although this mission still held some danger, as long as they remained cautious, the chances of returning unscathed were quite high. After all, their spirit stone mine was only one of the larger dozen or so. If the enemy intended to sabotage the seven sects’ mines, they would probably target the largest ones first.
With these thoughts, Han Li’s resistance faded. Over the next few days, he grew quite familiar with Xuan Le and the other cultivators.
Several days later, their group finally arrived at a vast wasteland within Yue Kingdom. The spirit stone mine was located in a great canyon within the wasteland, over a hundred zhang deep.
Under Xuan Le’s leadership, the group flew directly into the canyon, which was concealed by a formation. Several cultivators from the seven sects emerged to welcome them.
The original guard captain of the spirit mine was an elderly man in the early Foundation Establishment stage, belonging to the Heavenly Fortress Sect. The other five or six were only at the Qi Condensation level.
With such meager defenses, it was no wonder the upper echelons of the seven sects had urgently dispatched reinforcements.
The old man, who introduced himself as Yu Xing, led them into a large cave dwelling within the canyon. There, Han Li and the others listened to his detailed explanation of the spirit stone mine’s situation. Then, Xuan Le swiftly took charge of arranging the defenses.
He produced over a dozen formation flags and plates, instructing the cultivators to set up an offensive and defensive Four Fiends Formation beneath the illusion formation. He divided Han Li and the others into several teams to take turns patrolling and guarding the vicinity of the spirit mine to prevent enemy sneak attacks. Those not on duty could meditate and recover their spiritual energy.
Han Li was quite satisfied with Xuan Le’s arrangements.
This way, he would have time to address the gaps in his strength!
After his battle with the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect, Han Li keenly felt that his previous reliance on agility and strategy to overcome opponents was insufficient against vast disparities in power. When facing a formidable foe like the young master, everything he had once prided himself on seemed feeble. Even his treasured talisman, which he had placed high hopes on, had nearly been captured by the opponent in one move, failing to deliver its usual decisive blow.
If not for the unexpected effectiveness of the “Green Flame Miasma’s” poisonous cloud, he might have long been buried under the yellow earth, his soul possibly captured and subjected to endless torment. The mere thought of such a fate worse than death sent chills down his spine.
Han Li had developed a deep fear of top-tier demonic path secret techniques like the Blood Spirit Art.
He knew all too well that if he were to encounter the young master of the Ghost Spirit Sect again, he would likely be helpless against the opponent’s secret techniques. Unless he reached the Core Formation stage in the Green Origin Sword Art, its abilities would be no match for the young master.
With the six demonic sects invading Yue Kingdom and the seven major sects rising to counter them, this period of chaos would likely make conflicts and battles among cultivators commonplace. In such times, the pursuit of immortality seemed to take a back seat, while rapidly increasing one’s strength to ensure survival became the primary goal.
Thus, the cultivation plan he had originally devised needed adjustments.
The Green Origin Sword Art would have to be set aside for now. Instead, he intended to focus on cultivating the “Great Development Art,” which could significantly enhance his combat power.
Having witnessed the overwhelming power of mechanical puppets, Han Li believed that even mastering just the first layer of the Great Development Art would grant him a considerable measure of self-preservation. After all, he already had several dozen pre-made puppets on hand.
Naturally, he would also need to study the Puppet True Scripture, hoping to quickly produce some simple mechanical puppets. This way, the “Great Development Art” could become a sustained source of combat strength during his Foundation Establishment stage.
After careful consideration, Han Li felt his decision was sound. During his off-duty hours, he began cultivating the “Great Development Art.” At the same time, using some simple materials he had on hand, he started attempting to create basic mechanical beasts—puppets that could only lunge and bite, much like dolls.
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