Chapter 348: Linghu Patriarch

Volume Three

A Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume Three

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Han Li and the old man walked out of the house together. Xiao Cui'er, who was guarding the courtyard gate, looked at the old man in a panic when she heard the booming sound of a giant bell. The old man frowned upon seeing this, walked a few steps over, and whispered something. Only then did the girl's expression return to normal.

Then, the old man called out to Han Li, and the two flew off on their spirit tools, heading straight for the Great Discussion Hall. Along the way, Han Li saw many cultivators flying in the same direction, but most of them were Qi Condensation stage disciples. This showed that the valley's strength was severely lacking. He mused that if the Demonic Dao truly attacked, even with the sect's protective array assisting in defense, they wouldn't last long.

With grim expressions, the two traveled in silence, arriving at the colossal stone hall shortly. By then, thousands of cultivators had gathered outside the hall, but they were all stopped by the guards at the entrance. Only cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage were permitted to enter for discussions. Han Li and the old man, being of sufficient standing, silently walked inside amidst the complex gazes of others.

As soon as he entered the main hall of the discussion chamber, Han Li was taken aback! There was no chaotic scene like ants on a hot pan, as he had imagined. Instead, nearly a hundred cultivators present were completely silent, all respectfully staring at the person in the main seat. This person was, of course, not the nominal sect master of Huangfeng Valley, Zhong Lingdao, as Sect Master Zhong himself stood dutifully to the side. Seated in the primary position was an old man in brocade robes, with white hair and beard. The old man's face was sallow, and his small eyes were dim and lifeless. He was truly exceptionally ugly. Yet, for some unknown reason, as soon as Han Li saw this person, his heart sank, and his hands and feet trembled uncontrollably. "What's going on?" Han Li wondered in astonishment.

When the old man saw Han Li and the old man enter, he merely glanced at them indifferently. But that single glance sent a chill through Han Li, making him extremely uncomfortable, as if all his hidden secrets had been seen through. His face instantly changed drastically. "Oh! Your Nascent Soul cultivation is good. Have you cultivated some spirit-refining technique?" the old man asked faintly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes after observing Han Li.

Upon hearing this, Han Li was filled with both shock and fear. What was even more incredible was that he couldn't sense any spiritual energy from the old man. This indicated a vast disparity in their cultivation levels, which would lead to such a situation. However, even cultivators at the Core Formation stage, like Li Huayuan, had never given him this feeling. Could this person be... After a moment of thought, Han Li's heart was filled with terror. Any trace of anger he might have felt vanished instantly, replaced by extreme deference as he quickly replied: "Reporting to Senior, this junior has indeed cultivated a technique related to the Nascent Soul. Senior truly has keen insight!" Han Li subtly flattered the old man.

The old man in brocade robes listened to Han Li's words, smiled faintly, and then gently waved his hand. Han Li and the old man immediately, and wisely, moved to stand among the crowd.

After waiting for about the time it takes to eat a meal, over a dozen more Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived one after another. It was then that Zhong Lingdao respectfully addressed the old man: "Ancestor, all available Foundation Establishment cultivators in the valley have arrived. As for Uncle-Master Huang, he is currently on Heavenly Stone Peak and likely won't be able to return for some time." The old man in brocade robes frowned slightly upon hearing this, then immediately, with his expression unchanged, commanded: "If he hasn't come, so be it. Saving people is like fighting a fire; there's no need to wait for him. Let's begin." "Yes, as the Ancestor says!" Zhong Lingdao dutifully echoed. The old man in brocade robes chuckled, but said nothing further.

"Fellow disciples, allow me to introduce you. This is Ancestor Linghu, whose name you have long heard. Our ancestor reached the Nascent Soul stage three hundred years ago and is our sect's only Grand Elder. Now, our sect faces an unprecedented crisis of annihilation. Ancestor will now arrange all matters." After saying a few perfunctory words, Zhong Lingdao consciously retreated to the side. Although most of those present had already guessed the identity of the old man in brocade robes, they stirred slightly upon hearing these words, all casting strange looks at Ancestor Linghu! This was the only Nascent Soul stage cultivator in Huangfeng Valley for nearly a thousand years. It was said he was nearly eight hundred years old, truly the ageless elder of Huangfeng Valley!

Ancestor Linghu saw the chaotic situation below and lightly coughed. The hall immediately fell silent; who would dare to disrespect this ancestor? "Since you have heard the Dragon-Alarming Bell, I won't waste any more words. The Seven Sects Alliance has already suffered a crushing defeat on the front lines. Our cultivators have sustained heavy casualties, and although they have barely managed to establish themselves on the second defensive line... defeat is inevitable."

As soon as the old man uttered these words, the expressions of many cultivators in the hall drastically changed. Han Li and the old man exchanged complex glances, remaining silently dismayed. "Ancestor, how is this possible? Isn't the day of our decisive battle with the Demonic Dao still over a month away?" a middle-aged cultivator couldn't help but step forward and ask. "It is precisely because those on the front lines thought like you that they were ambushed and utterly defeated by the Demonic Dao!" The old man in brocade robes' face darkened as he reprimanded him impolitely. This made the middle-aged man's face turn crimson. After bowing, he hastily retreated. Seeing the middle-aged cultivator's fate, no one else dared to be so tactless. Thus, despite their numerous doubts, they quietly listened to what Ancestor Linghu had to say next.

"Actually, the failure of this battle cannot be entirely blamed on the carelessness of those in charge, or their failure to guard against deception. Rather, there was a traitor among our Seven Sects. The people of Spirit Beast Mountain secretly opened the outer grand array while their own sect was on guard, letting the Demonic Dao cultivators in. This is why we suffered such a devastating defeat." The old man spoke, a hint of anger showing on his face. Upon hearing the old man in brocade robes' words, the many cultivators suddenly realized the truth and immediately began cursing the cultivators of Spirit Beast Mountain. The scene once again became somewhat chaotic.

"Enough. What's the use of saying all this now? The enemy's skills are superior; we can only concede defeat. The most important thing now is to prevent our sect from being annihilated. You must understand, the remaining cultivators on the front lines can at most buy us two or three days. We must evacuate Yue Country as soon as possible," Ancestor Linghu said with unusual calmness.

"Evacuate Yue Country?"

As soon as this sentence was uttered, the entire hall fell silent. No one spoke; everyone seemed to be stunned! For these cultivators, who were born and raised in Yue Country, leaving it was incredibly difficult to accept. For a moment, no one spoke up to agree with the old man's words. "What? Reluctant?" the old man said calmly, showing no panic, as if he had long anticipated this situation. "Ancestor, is it truly impossible for you and other Nascent Soul seniors to repel the Demonic Dao even if you were to act?" Finally, a young man of about thirty asked hesitantly.

"Of course, we old fellows, if we joined forces, could easily wipe out these Demonic Dao cultivators confronting you," the old man said without hesitation. "Then, Ancestor, why..." "But don't forget, since the Six Demonic Sects possess such great renown, how could they have few Nascent Soul cultivators? A few of us have already clashed with their old fellows numerous times. As a result, we were at a disadvantage. Therefore, they forced us to swear a poisonous oath, that like them, we would not personally intervene in this great war. This battle is restricted to the level of Core Formation cultivators." Ancestor Linghu sighed lightly, revealing a secret that greatly surprised everyone. Only then did Han Li below finally understand why no Nascent Soul-stage cultivators had appeared in the great battle.

"If we don't move, then when Huangfeng Valley is completely surrounded and caught in one fell swoop, I will not intervene to save you, due to my oath. Therefore, my decision is final: the entire sect must leave Yue Country. And it's not just us in Yue Country; the other five sects will also advance and retreat with us. This way, in an unfamiliar place, we can rise again. When our strength grows, we can simply take Yue Country back." Ancestor Linghu said with a cold smile. Evidently, withdrawing from Yue Country was not something he found unacceptable. Seeing the ancestor speak so resolutely, others, even if they had different ideas, dared not voice them and could only obey the old man's instructions.

"Other matters are easy to handle, but there is one dangerous task that still needs to be done," Ancestor Linghu suddenly said, causing everyone to pause and exchange glances. "Those I point out, follow me to the back hall. The rest of you stay here and listen to Sect Master Zhong's arrangements for the evacuation!" After speaking, the old man rose from his seat and walked expressionlessly towards the crowd below, leaving everyone even more bewildered. "You, and you..." The old man was quite direct, pointing out more than half of those present, and Han Li and the old man were among them. After selecting the individuals, the ancestor simply walked off towards the back hall. Han Li and the others felt a sense of unease. After a moment of hesitation, they dutifully followed.