Chapter 1373: Flying Ascension Cultivators

After Zhao Wugui finished speaking, all the cultivators no longer had any objections.

Zhao Wugui and the cultivator surnamed Wen exchanged a glance, then immediately proceeded to the large stone table in the center. Several cultivators nearby promptly rose, respectfully clearing a few seats for the two Void Refinement cultivators. The two nodded and took their seats on two of the stone chairs.

With two Void Refinement cultivators personally overseeing the event, the exchange meeting proceeded remarkably smoothly. Han Li also exchanged a piece of ten-thousand-year Profound Jade for several rare talismans. His study of talismans was at a critical stage. While these talismans were not of the Silver Tadpole Script, they were quite unique, and he hoped that studying them carefully might offer some inspiration.

Once the exchanges were complete, each person, in turn, began to share their cultivation insights or unique understanding of certain secret techniques and cultivation methods. Naturally, most spoke simply or vaguely. Some provided extensive details but intentionally paused at crucial points. Those who were genuinely interested remained unhurried, knowing they could later send private messages to arrange one-on-one exchanges, offering treasures or sharing other cultivation insights. The two cultivators, including the one surnamed Wen, ignored this.

Han Li, who had been researching the Way of Talismans, also briefly shared some of his elementary insights. However, it was clear that few ascended cultivators in the hall were interested in the Way of Talismans, and thus, they paid little attention to Han Li's explanation. To their surprise, the cultivator surnamed Wen and Zhao Wugui noticed that everything Han Li spoke about was related to Silver Tadpole Spirit Talismans, and a flicker of astonishment crossed their faces. While many high-level cultivators understood the Silver Tadpole Script, without dedicated one-on-one instruction to unlock its true understanding, mastering the Way of Talismans was incredibly challenging.

After everyone had finished speaking, some eagerly approached Zhao Wugui and the cultivator surnamed Wen with questions about cultivation difficulties. The cultivator surnamed Wen directly answered some questions with just a few words. For others, he simply smiled without speaking, while Zhao Wugui would transmit a message and exchange a few words with the questioner. Regardless of whether the questioner nodded or shook their head, they would immediately sit back down, saying nothing further.

These recently ascended cultivators almost all faced some degree of difficulty in their cultivation. As a result, everyone except Han Li was unwilling to let go of this rare opportunity. Han Li, on the other hand, cultivated the Brahma Holy True Devil Arts, a dual cultivation method for both spirit and body. Although he also had unresolved cultivation issues, no one had ever cultivated this art before, so he saw no point in asking questions. He simply observed from the sidelines.

After a full hour, everyone had had a chance to ask their questions, and some even exchanged exclusive information with Zhao Wugui and the other cultivator for spirit pills and elixirs. With this, all the customary procedures for such gatherings were concluded.

At this point, the cultivator surnamed Wen lightly coughed, then slowly rose and announced, "Alright, now that the minor matters are concluded, we have some instructions from Elder Leiluo. Please listen carefully."

Upon hearing this, Han Li and the others felt a chill and their expressions instantly turned solemn. Sky Abyss City had five human elders, among whom were True Lord Leiluo and Zen Master Jinyue. These two incredibly powerful Body Integration cultivators were also ascended beings. However, Zen Master Jinyue completely disregarded external affairs, dedicating himself to prolonged, arduous cultivation in seclusion. True Lord Leiluo, therefore, naturally became the leader of all ascended cultivators in Sky Abyss City, his prestige among them unmatched.

However, Han Li had never encountered either of them since his arrival in Sky Abyss City. Though he had attended lectures at the Sky Vast Hall multiple times, he had only ever heard the teachings of the other three elders.

"Based on intelligence analysis from various sources, Elder Leiluo recently obtained definitive information. Within the next ten years, there is over a 60% probability that Sky Abyss City will be besieged by foreign races. Furthermore, there's more than a 20% chance it will face a combined army of three or more surrounding foreign races. While the possibility is extremely slim, we cannot completely rule out another war of the Hundred Races." Zhao Wugui's exceptionally cold voice echoed throughout the hall.

Although many in the hall had somewhat anticipated Zhao Wugui's words, their hearts still sank as he spoke. Upon hearing terms like "War of the Hundred Races," more than half of them even turned pale. Even though these individuals had only ascended to the Spirit Realm from the lower realms within the last century, they were certainly not unfamiliar with the legendary ancient conflict known as the War of the Hundred Races. This was a colossal racial conflict that nearly led to the extinction of both the Human and Demon races. It was said that this war alone had lasted ten thousand years from start to finish, and its brutality was unimaginable.

Han Li, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, rarely speaking, exhaled slowly, a wry smile on his face. It appeared the situation was far graver than he had initially estimated. He truly needed to devise a plan for self-preservation. Otherwise, if a war with foreign races truly erupted, not only would a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like himself be in danger, but even the Body Integration stage elders could very well perish.

"Seniors, informing us, cultivators of relatively lower cultivation, of such news must serve another purpose. Otherwise, such confidential information would not be easily disclosed," a barefoot man asked respectfully after rising and bowing.

"Fellow Daoists, you have all painstakingly cultivated from the spiritually sparse lower realms to your current heights, overcoming immense risks to ascend to the Spirit Realm. Your minds are clearly not ordinary. So, I will speak plainly! For years, all of us ascended cultivators, upon arriving in Sky Abyss City, have been assigned to the Azure Gloom Guards. While this may seem like a position of importance, in reality, whenever a dangerous task arises, the Elder Council's first consideration is to send us. Consequently, although a new ascended cultivator joins every few years, the majority of high-level cultivators who have perished in Sky Abyss City over the years have been ascended cultivators like us. In fact, our numbers among high-level cultivators don't even reach ten percent. Yet, most native Spirit Realm cultivators are assigned stable, less hazardous duties. I presume you all have experienced this deeply during your time in Sky Abyss City. Some of you have already been ordered to undertake multiple extremely risky missions. Perhaps you are unaware, but even this current treatment is the result of the strong unity among us ascended cultivators and Elder Leiluo's persistent efforts. It is said that before Zen Master Jinyue and Elder Leiluo joined the Elder Council, our plight as ascended cultivators was even more dire; often, a significant portion would perish during their rotations in Sky Abyss City," Zhao Wugui continued coldly.

The expressions of those in the hall grew somewhat uneasy. They had indeed, to varying degrees, felt the truth in what the cultivator surnamed Wen had said. In recent years, some had even personally witnessed other ascended cultivators perish while carrying out extremely dangerous missions. Otherwise, several more individuals would have been present at the gathering in the hall.

Han Li's face remained impassive. As soon as he became an Azure Gloom Guard, he was immediately dispatched to a hazardous location like the Fulai Marsh. Of the leaders of the three other teams that consistently rotated duties in the Fulai Marsh alongside his own, only one was a native Spirit Realm cultivator; the other two were also ascended cultivators. Given this, he had naturally harbored suspicions for a long time. That was why, when Zhao Wugui later approached him unprompted and invited him to this so-called gathering, he readily accepted.

From his interactions with others, he had naturally discerned a hint of apprehension other cultivators held towards ascended cultivators. Otherwise, individuals like Old Monster Ming, who had failed to retrieve treasures from his spiritual land that day, would not have been so easy to appease. With such a powerful backing actively seeking him out, he naturally saw no reason to refuse. Indeed, after joining this gathering, no other troublesome matters arose, nor were any additional tasks forcibly assigned to his team. This was partly because patrolling the Fulai Marsh was, in itself, an inherently perilous duty.

"Informing you of this news in advance is actually Elder Leiluo's way of offering an opportunity to preserve the vitality of us ascended cultivators before the potential great tribulation," the cultivator surnamed Wen calmly stated.

"Senior, do you mean Elder Leiluo has a way for us to leave Sky Abyss City and avoid this war?" a woman dressed in a green palace gown with a veiled face asked with a flicker of hope.

"Hmph, a foreign race siege concerns the life and death of our human race. Even if we have disagreements with other cultivators, we cannot shirk our responsibility in collectively resisting foreign invaders. Anyone who dares to abandon Sky Abyss City without authorization or evade their duty to resist the enemy for no reason will not need the enforcement team to track them down. We will personally intervene and strike you down," Zhao Wugui stated grimly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Upon hearing these words, the expressions of those in the hall shifted dramatically, becoming a mix of shock and uncertainty.

"Then what exactly is your intention, seniors?" the woman in the palace gown, displaying considerable courage, hesitated for a moment before pressing for an answer.

"Haha, fellow Daoists, do not misunderstand. Elder Leiluo means that the responsibility of resisting the enemy absolutely cannot be shirked. However, he also does not wish for all of us ascended cultivators to be completely wiped out in this tribulation. Therefore, after consulting with us, he devised a method to preserve some of our vitality. Yet, this method remains extremely dangerous, which is why we were sent to inform you. This way, you can freely choose whether to participate in this plan," the cultivator surnamed Wen said with a faint smile.

The crowd naturally stirred with a slight commotion once more, and most couldn't help but exchange glances. Han Li first frowned, then his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What exactly is it that we need to choose, seniors? Please state it directly," someone asked slowly.

"It's quite simple. Soon, Elder Leiluo's council will issue several long-term, highly meritorious tasks. These missions are exceptionally perilous, and most native cultivators will likely decline them. However, if you, fellow Daoists, accept and successfully complete these tasks, you will have made a great contribution, earning you the right to honorably withdraw. If the great war does not erupt, you can still return to Sky Abyss City. If the war truly breaks out and your cultivation is insufficient, you can then retreat and distance yourselves from the conflict, thereby preserving some of our ascended cultivators' vitality. Heh heh, let me be frank! Based on our estimations, those who undertake these tasks face nearly a fifty percent chance of perishing. The decision to accept is entirely yours. After all, whether the foreign races will truly lay siege to the city is still uncertain, but undertaking this task carries a very high probability of immediate death. To expect to leave Sky Abyss City without taking any risks is nothing but a pipe dream," Zhao Wugui said with a cold chuckle.