Chapter 729: Court Discussion

When Old Ancestor Linghu saw Han Li, his expression remained unchanged, showing no hint of surprise. It was unclear whether he didn't recognize the once Foundation Establishment cultivator or if his composure was simply too profound, allowing him to completely mask his emotions.

Han Li's gaze shifted.

Besides these individuals, in the center of the main hall sat a purple-faced old man and a graceful, noble-looking woman in palace attire.

As Han Li's divine sense briefly swept over the two, his heart tightened.

Both were cultivators at the Mid Nascent Soul stage; they were likely the principal figures of the Alliance of Nine Nations.

As Han Li surveyed the cultivators in the hall, the other cultivators likewise scrutinized the young man who had just entered.

Most seemed slightly surprised by Han Li's youthful appearance. After all, techniques that allowed male cultivators to retain their youth were indeed quite rare.

"Junior Brother Han, you're finally here. Please, have a seat. We are currently discussing matters concerning the Mulan people with Sect Master Wu and others," the cultivator surnamed Lu greeted with a smile.

The Fire Dragon Child, standing nearby, also offered a slight smile and nodded kindly.

Han Li smiled calmly, gave a slight bow to the other cultivators in the hall, and then took a seat on the wooden chair next to the cultivator surnamed Lu.

"You must be Fellow Daoist Han of the Fallen Cloud Sect. I am Wu Peng of the Banyan Sect. We learned from Brother Lu that you managed to reach the Nascent Soul stage in just over two hundred years. You truly are a prodigy among cultivators of the Heavenly South! Perhaps the Grand Dao is truly within your grasp!" the purple-faced cultivator said with a smile after Han Li had settled down.

Although Han Li's current cultivation was still a level below his, he dared not underestimate his potential.

"Sect Master Wu, you are too kind. I only managed to enter the Nascent Soul stage by sheer luck; how dare I speak of reaching the Grand Dao?" The Banyan Sect was another major sect within the Alliance of Nine Nations, on par with the Spirit Transformation Gate. Han Li didn't dare to be arrogant and humbly replied.

As he spoke, Han Li's gaze briefly swept over the elegant middle-aged woman sitting beside the old man.

Since the purple-faced old man was the Sect Master of the Banyan Sect, the woman was most likely a cultivator from the Spirit Transformation Gate.

Just as Han Li's thoughts turned to this, Wu Peng cleared his throat and said:

"This is Madam Qi of the Spirit Transformation Gate. She and I are currently overseeing the affairs of the Alliance of Nine Nations. As for the other fellow daoists..."

The old man proceeded to introduce each of the other cultivators in the hall to Han Li. When he introduced Old Ancestor Linghu of the Yellow Maple Valley, the old ancestor responded expressionlessly, giving no special indication.

Han Li's heart stirred slightly, but he likewise maintained a normal expression and simply nodded.

After introducing everyone, Wu Peng's expression became serious.

"Fellow Daoist Han, you've arrived at a crucial moment. We were just discussing the growing power of the Mulan spellcasters. It far exceeds our initial estimations. We've heard that Elder Yu and his group suffered another major defeat at the front. Even the vital restrictive arrays in two key locations were forcibly broken by the spellcasters using gigantic beasts. We've suffered significant casualties among our cultivators. Even Fellow Daoist Huan of the Shadow Sect died in this battle. This marks the second Nascent Soul stage cultivator to fall since the war against the spellcasters began. It's clear the Mulan people are coming with immense force. Our Alliance urgently needs strong assistance from all fellow daoists."

Hearing the solemn words from the Banyan Sect leader, the smiles on the cultivators' faces vanished, and an immediate aura of solemnity permeated the hall.

"Sect Master Wu, we have also received some news regarding this matter. After all, our respective sects also have cultivators rotating on duty at the front, fighting against the spellcasters. However, we are not truly clear about the specific circumstances of Fellow Daoist Feng's demise. Brother Wu, could you elaborate on this? It seems quite unbelievable to lose Nascent Soul cultivators repeatedly in such a short period. Have their high-level spellcasters been dispatched in large numbers so early?" a green-robed, hawk-faced old man asked in a low, somewhat hoarse voice.

Hearing this, Han Li cast a few extra glances at the man. He recalled Wu Peng's introduction: this was an elder from the Spirit Controlling Sect, a demonic cultivation sect. He wondered what relationship he had with Liu Yu and Han Yunzhi.

"I haven't received any news about whether all their high-level spellcasters have been dispatched. However, both Fellow Daoist Feng and the previously fallen Fellow Daoist Xin died in one-on-one combat with the enemy, not from being ganged up on," Wu Peng said with a strange expression after hearing the green-robed elder's question.

"Impossible! Even if defeated by a Mid Nascent Soul spellcaster, escaping should still be possible. Could it be a Divine Master among the Mulan people who made the move?" The green-robed old man exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.

"No, they were just two Early Nascent Soul spellcasters. But these two, who acted one after another, are quite peculiar. Not only are their spiritual techniques incredibly powerful, far surpassing others of their rank, but they also use an extremely strange treasure. As soon as our two fellow daoists' Nascent Souls emerged after their defeat, they were trapped by this treasure. They couldn't even use spatial teleportation. That's how they fell," Wu Peng explained with a sigh, seemingly having anticipated this question.

"A treasure that prevents a Nascent Soul from teleporting? What kind of treasure is that? An ancient treasure or a magic treasure?" someone gasped, asking with a hint of disbelief.

Everyone else present, including Han Li, also had a change in expression upon hearing this.

It was well known that the reason Nascent Soul cultivators were so difficult to kill was that their Nascent Souls could use spatial teleportation to escape once they emerged from the body. Now, for a treasure capable of restraining this divine ability to appear, it was naturally shocking to all the cultivators.

"The Alliance observers at the front are not clear about the specific nature of the treasure. They only reported that when those two raised their hands, a black and red light would appear, moving without a trace and impossible to guard against. And..." Wu Peng hesitated, a look of indecision on his face.

"Sect Master Wu, at this point, what is there that cannot be said directly?" the green-robed elder said, his expression displeased.

"Brother Wu isn't unwilling to speak plainly; he just finds it a bit hard to believe, which is why he's hesitating. Let me explain this matter," Madam Qi of the Spirit Transformation Gate said with a smile, suddenly interjecting to help Wu Peng out.

As both belonged to sects within the Alliance of Nine Nations, it was natural for her to assist.

Hearing this, Han Li's curiosity was greatly piqued.

The other cultivators in the hall were much the same, all keenly focusing on what Madam Qi would say next.

"It's like this: Some observations from the front lines revealed that those two Nascent Soul spellcasters had very strange appearances and seemed to directly devour the living souls of those who died in battle, sparing neither spellcasters nor cultivators. Because of this, Sect Master Wu suspects that these two are not human, but rather some kind of transformed anomaly. However, there was no obvious demonic or ghostly aura emanating from them, making it impossible to make an accurate judgment. But speaking of it, the sudden appearance of several unusually powerful primeval giant beasts among the spellcasters this time should also be related to these unfamiliar spellcasters, right? Therefore, we suspect the Mulan people might have colluded with other forces, enabling them to launch such a massive invasion into our Heavenly South," Madam Qi explained with a light sigh.

"An anomaly! Madam, do you mean transformed demonic beasts?" Upon hearing Madam Qi's words, everyone in the hall was greatly startled. Amidst their shock, Old Ancestor Linghu asked in a deep voice.

"It should be. But even if they aren't demonic beasts, they are some kind of evil cultivators practicing demonic or ghostly arts. If that's the case, I'd rather face demonic beasts; otherwise, it would be even more troublesome," Wu Peng said with a grim expression.

"When did Sect Master Wu receive this information?" Han Li, who had been silent all this time, asked slowly, his expression shifting slightly.

"This information arrived with the last battle report. Fellow Daoist Han, what is the meaning behind your question?" Wu Peng paused, stroked his long beard, and looked a little surprised.

"Nothing much. I just think that regardless of whether those unfamiliar spellcasters are human or demonic, since they dared to act so brazenly and early without fear of us discovering their identities, it seems the Mulan people will not wage a prolonged war like before. Most likely, they will launch a swift, decisive strike, seeking out our main force of cultivators to determine the victor in one fell swoop. Has some major change occurred in the Mulan Grasslands?" Han Li said thoughtfully, resting his chin in his hand.

Hearing Han Li's analysis, Wu Peng and Madam Qi's expressions changed drastically, and they exchanged shocked glances.

The other cultivators also felt their hearts sink. As old monsters themselves, they naturally understood the implications of Han Li's words.

In previous Mulan invasions, they always waged prolonged wars. Each major conflict typically lasted for about a year at the shortest, or even extended for over a decade.

Both the Alliance of Nine Nations cultivators and the Mulan spellcasters meticulously avoided a decisive, all-out battle involving their main forces.

This was because such a confrontation would either result in one side being completely annihilated or both sides suffering heavy losses, with the latter being the more common outcome.

Neither the Heavenly South cultivators nor the Mulan spellcasters could afford such a severe depletion of their vital essence.

Moreover, the Mulan people were composed of numerous tribes, and the Heavenly South cultivators were an alliance of various large and small sects; neither side could truly act as one unified entity.

However, the current aggressive momentum of the Mulan people was indeed strikingly different from previous invasions.

Coupled with the appearance of the primeval giant beasts and the strange spellcasters, it certainly looked as though some significant change had occurred on the Mulan side.

"Brother Han's words are indeed reasonable. It seems something is truly amiss with the Mulan people. We cannot afford to be careless. All sects in the Heavenly South must be mobilized, and a second wave of reinforcements must be dispatched immediately. Otherwise, if the Mulan people manage to defeat us piecemeal, it would be disastrous. I hope that after returning, fellow daoists will explain this matter to your respective sects and emphasize the urgency of immediate action. Our Alliance alone cannot hold out for much longer," Wu Peng said with a bitter smile after a long moment, his voice heavy.