"Even so, considering the protection of Lingshou Mountain, it's hard to believe that not only did other cultivators fall, but two Dan-stage cultivators also died in the very attack that I orchestrated—how can that be justified?" Han Li said slowly, his brow furrowed. "Without any Dan-stage cultivators perishing, how could the other six sects easily believe it? Moreover, did you really think that the ones who died were exclusively Dan-stage cultivators?" Qu Hun laughed coldly. "From the way you're speaking, I'm quite surprised," Han Li remarked, gazing at Qu Hun. "As far as I know, our magical sects still possess two or three secret methods capable of forcibly elevating Jian-Stage cultivators to nearly Dan-stage proficiency. Of course, each method has significant drawbacks—typically, once employed, the cultivator inevitably suffers a rupture of their meridians and dies, and their achieved level remains fleeting. Yet, even with that brief period of time, it should have been sufficient to conceal this from the other six sects, especially since a battle scenario doesn't require a long performance." "He remained silent, now believing with three parts of conviction. It was easy to imagine that, as the seven sects and the allied forces from the other two nations were laying out their grand array against the magical sects, the latter—already fully aware of the allies' every move—would swiftly exploit the defection of the spiritual beasts' mountain to tear through the seven sects' formation. Once that happened, the seven sects' forces, no longer shielded by the array, would be no match for the six magical sects. 'Even if what you've just said is true, the decisive battle hasn't happened yet. If I go to deliver the message, I should be able to turn the tide and secure victory. So why should I be fleeing?' After pondering for a while, he asked with a touch of reluctance. 'Do you really think our magical sects will launch the final battle only at the agreed-upon time? Remember, originally, we had a plan to deceive our opponents and strike at a strategic moment—creating a time gap. Although we don't yet know the exact timing, I believe within a few days, our forces will suddenly launch an assault on your main camp.'" After all, this is precisely the period when the forces are at their most relaxed, and the personnel are still far from fully assembled. Do you think that within the remaining time, the news can reach the battlefield and convince the higher-ups to believe your words?" The man gave a slight smirk, clearly expressing a sense of pity and satisfaction. Hearing this, Han Li's expression changed, and a hint of concern stirred within him. Should the seven sects indeed suffer a major defeat, his situation would truly become dire—he would either have to stay in Yue State under relentless pursuit by the demonic forces, or flee to other lands, constantly on the move, or else repair the teleportation array and begin a fresh journey of cultivation in a completely unfamiliar place. "You seem to have a thorough understanding of the demonic forces' plans; clearly, your status is quite high. I have no interest in asking for your specific identity. All I wish to know is this: you've mentioned so much—do you have any concrete evidence? Do you really believe that merely through your words, I will fully accept what you've said?" Han Li pondered carefully, then asked seriously. Upon hearing Han Li's question, the cultivator from Yuling Sect was momentarily stunned, then broke into a wry smile. "When I was in peril, I even lost my original body. How could I possibly preserve any evidence? If you were patient enough, simply wait a few more days, and you'd surely hear tales of the great battles unfolding." He spoke with the air of someone genuinely convinced. Hearing this, Han Li, however, coldly chuckled. "Without a body, how could the spirit escape? You survived unharmed back then—I don't believe you didn't also secure your important items, such as your artifacts, elsewhere." Han Li's words were calm yet piercing, and they froze the wry smile on Qu Hu's face. "Ah, well—seems it truly can't be hidden from you after all. Indeed, I have preserved a set of jade scrolls and correspondence between our sect and the Spirit Beast Mountain. In fact, several years ago, I was specifically dispatched to carry this very message back to the southern realm. But I never expected…" With a touch of embarrassment, the one now exposed admitted. Upon hearing that the other finally admitted it, Han Li sighed inwardly. How old this person truly was remained a mystery, but he was absolutely shrewd—clearly, he would need to remain even more cautious. "Where is the storage bag containing the scrolls?" Han Li asked directly, his eyes scanning over the other's body. "The storage bag holding the scrolls—I didn't bring it with me. I left it in a nearby cave. Would you like me to guide you there to retrieve it?" Now, "Qu Hun" was proving remarkably cooperative. "Left at home?" Han Li's eyes flashed with doubt. "As you know, my current body is that of a zombie. Though strong and sturdy, it has lost most of my senses. I'm afraid that if I carry the storage bag on my person, I might accidentally lose it without even realizing it. Therefore, I usually leave the storage bag at my residence." This explanation, though somewhat awkward, was finally offered. But Han Li said nothing, instead carefully searching him from head to toe. Only after finding nothing at all did he coldly ask again, "Where is the cave? I'll go fetch the things there!" Seeing Han Li's such careful and cautious demeanor, Qu Hun could only look deeply troubled and finally relay the location. Han Li nodded, as if he intended to leave. Yet suddenly remembering something, he turned and asked once more, "How did you enter this body? Though this second body originally had no spirit or immortal essence, thus avoiding the trouble of spirit transplantation, it still isn't a typical cultivator's frame, is it?" Han Li was genuinely curious now. "I don't know!" The response made Han Li's face sink. But before he could say anything else, the other hurried to explain, "I truly have no idea what happened. When I arrived in Jiayuan City, still dragging a severely injured body, I simply collapsed and had to hastily extricate my spirit and begin searching for a suitable cultivator to inhabit." Yet, after searching every corner nearby, he found not a single cultivator. Just as he was about to give up, he discovered this zombie body without a spirit. I had no choice but to take this body as a last resort, merely trying it out. To my surprise, however, everything has gone smoothly—this is truly astonishing! At this point, the cultivator from the Yuling Sect looked equally amazed. Han Li remained silent, glanced at him, then suddenly returned to his side, placing two additional "Stabilizing Spirit Seals" on the "Qu Hu" before vanishing into the darkness. The "Qu Hu," standing still in place, wore a look of deep concern on his face. But not long after Han Li had left, a strange expression appeared in his eyes. Then, he glanced at the dark opening, paused to think, and cast out his white phosphorus shield and turtle-shell artifact in front of him before carefully stepping into the cave. The cave indeed turned out as Han Li had expected—not very wide. After walking about seven or eight zhang, a mountain wall gradually came into view ahead, indicating they had reached the bottom. Han Li's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, detecting no anomalies. He then bent down and examined the ground closely. As the other had mentioned, the storage bag should have been pressed beneath a large piece of dark green stone and thus easily identifiable. Indeed, at a distance of two zhang on one side, there stood a solid, several feet high object, dark and stone-like in appearance. Han Li didn't hesitate, took a few steps forward, and, under the gentle white light of the moonstone, focused his attention to study it carefully. "Ah!" Han Li drew in a deep breath. What kind of stone is this? It's clearly a pile of white bones stacked high upon one another, with some faint traces of flesh still clinging to them, emitting a subtle, lingering scent of blood. Shocked, Han Li focused his attention and soon realized the bones belonged to fierce beasts—tigers and leopards—bearing clear marks of teeth from bites, as though chewed upon by something. As he observed this, a sudden thought struck him; he muttered to himself, "This isn't good," and immediately tried to retreat. But it was too late. A dark figure flashed into view, springing from somewhere unseen, and crashed directly into Han Li's white phosphorus shield. A tremendous force surged forth, hurling Han Li—shield and all—backward, where he crashed hard against the rear wall, nearly fainting on the spot. "What monster is this?" Han Li thought, astonished and furious, amid the sharp pain. Yet before he had even regained his footing on the wall, the dark figure leapt again, charging straight toward him. Han Li was startled and immediately raised both defensive artifacts in front of him without hesitation. A clear, crisp sound rang out, surprising him. This time, there was no tremendous force, yet the white phosphorus shield at the forefront emitted a solid clatter, cleanly splitting in two along its center and falling to the ground. Witnessing this, Han Li nearly bit through his tongue with shock. This was utterly incredible! The white phosphorus shield had been cleaved in half by the monster!