Chapter 2192: The Task

Afterwards, Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao and Mo Jianli began discussing the specific details for the upcoming war against the Demon Race. They occasionally sought Han Li's opinions, treating him with complete familiarity.

Han Li naturally understood that, when it came to strategic matters concerning a multi-racial war, he could not compare to these two Grand Ascension stage cultivators who had lived for countless millennia. Thus, he did not proactively interject, only offering his well-considered thoughts when directly asked.

Crab Daoist and Silvermoon were also present in the hall. However, one remained expressionless and utterly uninterested, while the other was calm and silent. As for Zhu Guo'er, she stood obediently to the side, hands clasped, knowing she was not qualified to interject in such discussions.

And so, time gradually passed.

Han Li stayed in Mo Jianli's cave abode for half a day. After all matters had finally been discussed, Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao stood up, bid farewell, and departed first with Silvermoon.

Mo Jianli then chatted with Han Li alone for a while longer before sending a message outside, summoning a middle-aged cultivator who appeared to be a disciple, and instructing him to arrange a temporary residence for Han Li.

The middle-aged man complied with utmost respect, arranging a pavilion for Han Li on a giant tree branch, only about a dozen li from Mo Jianli's cave abode. Although the spiritual energy density here could not compare to Mo Jianli's cave abode, it was much stronger than other areas in Mianhua City, which pleased Han Li considerably. Without any fuss, he settled in immediately with Crab Daoist and Zhu Guo'er.

Over the next half month, Han Li did not leave the secret chamber of the pavilion. Instead, he focused on cultivating the divine sense secret art he had obtained from Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao, hoping to master it soon, as it would be truly beneficial for Silvermoon.

Zhu Guo'er, on the other hand, visiting a Spirit Realm city for the first time, could not suppress her curiosity. She went out daily, wandering around the various levels of Mianhua City. By some unknown means, the little girl managed to persuade Crab Daoist to accompany her, astonishingly, leaving early and returning late each day. This naturally eliminated Han Li's original intention to stop her.

However, through Zhu Guo'er's daily reports, Han Li clearly sensed that the various allied armies stationed in Mianhua City were stirring, as if a storm was brewing. It seemed the high-level figures of the various races leading the allied forces had finally reached a consensus to truly engage the Demon Race in a major battle and resolve their current predicament. He, too, naturally, could no longer remain so idle.

A few days later, just as he had expected, Mo Jianli suddenly arrived at his pavilion. Upon detecting the Human Race Grand Ascension cultivator's arrival with his divine sense, Han Li immediately went out to greet him respectfully. He led Mo Jianli into the ground floor hall. After exchanging a few polite words and taking their seats, Han Li quietly waited for Mo Jianli to state his purpose.

After Mo Jianli sat down and pondered for a moment, he spoke candidly: "The various strategies for this war against the Demon Race have finally been formulated. Among the allied forces, my cultivation, along with Brother Ao's and Sang Hai of the Yaksha Race, is the highest. Therefore, no matter how many Holy Ancestors the Demon Race currently has, they will naturally be contained by us three old fellows. As for the Wood Race, due to their previous crushing defeat, there aren't many Wood Race cultivators left at the Combination Stage. Thus, the execution of various strategies will still depend on the high-level cultivators from our allied races. Fellow Daoist Han, with your cultivation, you will naturally have to shoulder a significant responsibility."

Han Li replied with a smile, "Since this battle is equally important to our Human Race, as a member of the clan, I naturally ought to contribute. Please feel free to give any instructions, Senior; I will certainly do my utmost."

"Indeed, with your cultivation, which is second only to us three old fellows, taking on a critical role is unavoidable," Mo Jianli said, his eyes flickering as he added, "But before that, I'd like to ask, has Fellow Daoist Crab's strength fully recovered?"

Han Li, naturally understanding the meaning behind the question, replied without hesitation, "This might disappoint Senior! Brother Crab's last expenditure was too great. He won't be able to recover his original strength without at least half a year."

"That's truly a pity," Mo Jianli said with some regret. "If Fellow Daoist Crab could recover completely, our chances of victory in this battle would increase by at least another ten percent."

Han Li replied with a light cough, "If Brother Crab were to act with full power, his might would indeed be no less than that of an ordinary Grand Ascension cultivator. However, getting him to act is not an easy matter. If I didn't have some personal resources, I probably couldn't even afford to have him act a few times."

"I've heard a little about Fellow Daoist Crab's 'rules'," Mo Jianli said dismissively. "But no matter the cost, bringing him from the Demon Realm to the Spirit Realm was absolutely worthwhile. After all, even without Fellow Daoist Crab taking action, the reputation of a Grand Ascension stage pseudo-immortal puppet is enough to deter many lesser villains."

Han Li could only reply with a wry smile, "I hope so."

Mo Jianli's expression became solemn as he said in a consulting tone, "Since Fellow Daoist Crab has not yet recovered his peak strength, we naturally cannot deploy you to the front lines. How about this: the 'Wood Realm Thirty-Six Heavenly Annihilation Formation' deployed by the Wood Race has three main formation eyes. These are fundamental to maintaining the formation's operation, and if even one is breached, the entire formation's power will be greatly diminished. If all three are lost, the entire Wood Realm Annihilation Formation will completely collapse, making them critical defense points for the allied forces. However, these three formation eyes are all heavily protected by the formation's restrictions, making them relatively safe in a certain sense. Therefore, Brother Ao and I discussed it beforehand, and we plan to entrust one of them to your charge. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Han?"

"No problem!" Han Li agreed without hesitation after a brief moment of thought. "If I am responsible for guarding the formation eye, I guarantee nothing will go wrong."

Mo Jianli, however, shook his head and earnestly instructed him, "While the loss or retention of a formation eye will indeed affect the final outcome of this war, your own safety, Fellow Daoist Han, is even more crucial to our Human Race. If an irresistibly powerful enemy truly appears during the defense, you should prioritize your own safety and retreat first. Otherwise, if something happens to you, even if we win this battle, it would still be a net loss for our Human Race."

Han Li was startled at first but immediately replied solemnly, "Thank you for your concern, Senior; I know what to do."

"Good," Mo Jianli said, first nodding and then suddenly smiling. "In short, your task in this war is first to ensure your own safety, and then to do your best to defend the formation eye. With Fellow Daoist Han and Brother Crab working together, I believe there will be no problems unless a Demon Race Holy Ancestor appears in person. I heard Brother Ao Xiao say that the two of you once jointly confronted the demoness Yuancha and did not fall into a disadvantageous position."

Han Li was naturally extremely humble. "Grand Ancestor Ao Xiao's words are somewhat exaggerated. Back then, Brother Crab and I were merely struggling to protect ourselves. In the end, it was Senior Ao Xiao's power that made Yuancha retreat."

Mo Jianli suddenly changed his tone and said, "Regardless, this shows that after you and Fellow Daoist Crab join forces, you can almost look down upon all existences below the Grand Ascension stage. However, for this defense of the formation eye, besides you, the Wood Race and the Yaksha Race will each send a Combination Stage cultivator. After all, although Brother Ao Xiao and I feel that you and Fellow Daoist Crab are more than sufficient, these two races are not as clear about your divine abilities and are still somewhat uneasy."

Han Li narrowed his eyes, asking back without surprise, "High-level cultivators from the Yaksha Race and Wood Race? That's quite normal! However, if the three of us are present simultaneously, who will take the lead?"

"Heh heh, for us cultivators, naturally, whoever has the greater divine abilities will have their words carry weight," Mo Jianli said meaningfully. "Although I don't know who the Wood Race and Yaksha Race will send, it's highly unlikely they will surpass you in strength. However, that high-level Wood Race cultivator will definitely be quite familiar with the Wood Realm Annihilation Formation. If any issues concerning the formation's restrictions arise, it would be wise to consult them."

Han Li's expression subtly shifted as he asked, letting out a light breath, "I understand, Senior. But when should I begin?"

Mo Jianli said slowly, "With the Wood Race's thirty-six reserve holy trees, the entire Annihilation Formation will be much simpler to deploy, but it will still take some time. The main thing is to lure the entire Demon Race army into this formation. Therefore, I and others will depart with the main army first, using every possible method to lure the Demon Race army out. As for Fellow Daoist Han, you will depart with the second wave of formation-deploying teams and eventually set up the Wood Realm Great Formation at the predetermined location. Once the great formation takes shape, you will immediately lead your people to the formation eye and begin defending it."

After some thought, Han Li naturally nodded in agreement, having no further objections.

As soon as Mo Jianli finished assigning Han Li's task, he did not linger long at Han Li's residence. He soon rose, bid farewell, and departed. Han Li naturally escorted him to the door. Standing at the doorway, watching Mo Jianli's receding figure, he dropped his smile and fell into contemplation.

Half a month later, Mianhua City suddenly erupted with various energy fluctuations. Roaring sounds shook the heavens, and dazzling streaks of light shot up from every level of the city. Amidst the shimmering light, battle chariots and giant vessels ascended from the city one after another. Standing densely on these enormous flying magic tools were guards from various races, including not only the Human, Monster, and Wood Races, but also the Yaksha Race, Spirit Race, and several others. Although their battle armor varied by race, all these guards stood ramrod straight on the surface of their respective artifacts, naturally exuding waves of astonishing murderous aura.

Rumbling sounds continuously echoed through Mianhua City as battle chariots and giant vessels ascended endlessly from the city. Soon, they filled most of the sky, a vast, dark expanse numbering in the tens of thousands.

At this moment, the rumbling in Mianhua City suddenly paused. The entire city then shook a few times, and subsequently, over a hundred gigantic structures, resembling islands, slowly emerged from various parts of Mianhua City. Their diverse forms made for a dazzling sight.