Upon entering the rear hall, seeing Han Li and the other数十 cultivators arrive, he remained composed and said: "I've just reviewed each of you. Either your innate potential is excellent or your cultivation techniques are unique. Therefore, you will be the vital seedlings for our sect's resurgence. Now, I grant you half a day to gather your belongings and prepare immediately—Yellow Junior will take you on the way right away." On hearing this, everyone was taken aback, with several expressing surprise and asking, "Master Elder, isn't it true that the magian forces won't breach our defenses for another two days? Why are we so hurried?" "Hmph! While it's true the front defenses will take another two days to breach, do you think they'll simply watch us as we attempt to withdraw? They've already dispatched reinforcements to bypass the defenses and launch long-range attacks on various sects. Their objective isn't necessarily to annihilate us—it's merely to prevent our orderly retreat. Therefore, we must abandon the outer forces and instead use them to secure time for your evacuation." "But should you, during the time of packing and preparing, dare to reveal this secret to outsiders and cause chaos during the retreat, I will personally deal with you and ensure that no one remains unscathed." The voice of the elegant robe elder was cold and resolute, sending a shiver of apprehension through the assembled cultivators. "Yes..." Naturally, Han Li and the others had no choice but to agree, bowing respectfully and then hurrying off to pack. On their way back, Han Li and the elderly man parted ways midway, both of them deeply thoughtful. Since Han Li's residence was quite distant, the Shenfeng Boat immediately accelerated its journey after their separation, aiming to reach it as early as possible. At that moment, Han Li's mind was filled with complex emotions. If they followed the elder Ling Fu's recommendation and withdrew to another nation, his life would be secure, and due to the shortage of personnel, he would undoubtedly gain greater recognition from above. Yet, equally, he would have to devote considerable time and energy to rebuilding Huangfeng Valley and establishing a foothold in the new nation—being one of the few remaining Juzhi-level cultivators, he would inevitably be burdened with numerous administrative and logistical tasks. There simply wouldn't be much time left for further cultivation! He'd surely have missed his chance to advance to the Jianding stage by the time everything settled down and the six sects firmly established themselves. That was precisely what Han Li absolutely did not want to see. Yet, if he fled now, he had no idea whether he was still under the old monster's consciousness surveillance. Even the slightest deviation in his actions might draw its attention. In that case, as a deserter, he would surely meet a grim end. Han Li's regret surged strongly. If only he had known things would turn out so dire, he would have taken off for another realm long ago—why had he returned at all? Faced with this predicament, Han Li returned to his cave dwelling. As soon as he entered, he first removed all the storage bags containing talismans from beneath his bedroom bed and carried them into his arms. Then he went to the storage room and collected the remaining rare herbs and medicinal materials. Finally, he proceeded to the inner chamber of the Lingyan Spring, completely destroyed the chamber and concealed the Lingyan Spring beneath the rubble. Since the spirit artifact could not be moved now, Han Li didn't want the Magi to discover that the Spirit Eye was being used. After completing all these tasks, Han Li went through the estate once more to ensure nothing had been overlooked, then summoned Qu Hu to join him inside the pavilion. He retrieved the first set of "Inverted Five Great Array" banners and panels from the entrance of the pavilion and carefully placed them into his storage satchel. Seeing the pavilion's entrance now revealed after the disappearance of the array, Han Li raised two streaks of black light, and in the course of one meal, completely shattered the small mountain peak, burying the pavilion beneath the fallen stones. Then he launched the Divine Wind Boat, taking Qu Hu with him as they circled in the sky before ascending into the heavens. When Han Li returned to the Hall of Council, most of the others had already arrived. He left Qu Hu outside the hall and entered himself. To Han Li's surprise, in addition to the dozens of Foundation Stage cultivators from his group, there were already hundreds of Qi Stage disciples present inside the hall. "Are these people all going to evacuate as well?" Han Li thought with a touch of curiosity. But then his eyes brightened as he noticed the old man and Xiao Cui'er standing together, speaking in low tones, both of them looking extremely serious. Seeing this, Han Li walked up to them without hesitation. "Master Han!" Xiao Cui'er greeted him respectfully as soon as he approached. Han Li nodded with a smile and then turned to the old man, saying, "What's going on? Are these cultivators at the Qi Stage going with us?" He kept his voice low to avoid drawing attention. "Yes! These students either have exceptional talent or hold special status—people we can't afford to lose. My own disciple is also among the exceptionally talented!" the old man replied calmly. Yet, when he mentioned Xiao Cui'er, a hint of pride surfaced, which made Han Li find it rather amusing. A little while later, Ling Fu, the Elder, and a sturdy middle-aged man finally appeared. "Just received word that traces of Magian cultivators have already appeared nearby. You all set out immediately and follow Yellow Junior's arrangements from now on. I'll have the remaining personnel in the valley draw the enemy away." Master Lingfu said, his face grave. Hearing this, Han Li and the others were stunned. How swiftly the Magians had arrived! Standing beside Master Lingfu, the middle-aged man spoke coldly: "Time is pressing—I'll keep it brief. With so many of us evacuating together, I have one condition: full obedience to my instructions. Anyone who fails to comply will be treated as a traitor and dealt with immediately. Now, let's move out right away!" Indeed, he was resolute and decisive. After only a few words, he bowed deeply to the elder beside him and stepped out of the hall first. The others paused briefly before following one after another. Thus, a large group of hundreds rose from the stone hall, ascended into the sky, and sped swiftly toward the northeast. … After half a day, the entire group had emerged from the Taiyue Mountain Range and then needed to press on with even greater speed. Han Li stepped onto the Shenfeng Boat, flying ahead of the group. The elderly man, seeing that the Shenfeng Boat could still carry passengers, generously pulled Xiao Cui'er up beside him and stood on the boat with her, leaving Han Li only able to smile awkwardly, unable to say anything. Xiao Cui'er was particularly interested in Qu Hun, standing behind Han Li, her large eyes constantly darting around him. However, the old man naturally sensed the elder's depth, so after asking a few questions, he stopped inquiring further. Just as the group took off from the Taiyue Mountain Range by over a hundred li, a brilliant streak of white light suddenly shot from behind, sweeping across the sky of numerous cultivators in a flash and landing precisely in the hands of Huang Shishu ahead of the group—a small, shimmering white sword, still with a jade scroll inserted into it. The middle-aged man frowned, then waved his hand, instantly halting the entire group. Then he removed the jade scroll and casually tossed the small sword into the air, where it instantly glowed white and returned along its original path. The yellow senior disciple extended his consciousness into the jade scroll to examine it carefully, but after a moment, he came out with a troubled expression and immediately lowered his head to ponder, clearly encountering something difficult. "All the foundation-stage cultivators, gather here—there's a change. I need to reassign the tasks," the middle-aged man said abruptly, turning around. This announcement startled Han Li and the others, yet after exchanging glances, they obediently summoned their vehicles and approached, while Xiao Cui gracefully stepped down from the Shenfeng Boat. "Senior, what's happened?" Seeing the middle-aged man receiving a message from the flying sword, they realized it wasn't just one or two people. "Old Master has sent word—right as we were leaving, the demonic sect arrived. It seems they were aware of our retreat plan. Now they've split their forces: one group has encircled Huang Feng Valley, while the other is advancing toward us." Therefore, to ensure the safety of the main group, I need one squad of you to accompany me and draw the enemy away. The ones I call out below will block the enemy's advance, while the rest will continue to fly out of Yueguo under the leadership of those I designate." The Huang Shishe spoke coldly. Upon hearing the middle-aged man's words, everyone felt a sudden chill. They weren't fools—they clearly understood that this defensive task was a near-certain death sentence! Despite the hesitant glances of most, the Huang Shishe pointed without hesitation, naming twenty-some foundation-stage cultivators in a single breath. Unfortunately, Han Li found himself among them, while the old man managed to escape. Though the named individuals turned pale, none voiced any objection. Thus, with a simple wave of his arm, the Huang Shishe sent the others on their way, leaving Han Li and the others behind, appearing isolated and alone. "Alright," he said, "now time is pressing! I know most of you aren't confident about this defensive mission! But I didn't ask you to engage the enemy head-on. All I asked was that you launch a surprise attack, draw their attention, and provide just enough cover for the frontline forces." The middle-aged man spoke more gently as he reached into his robes and pulled out twenty-some green jade scrolls. "Memorize the maps inside the scrolls, then destroy them. If you become separated later, simply reunite at the locations indicated on the maps." After saying this, the Yellow Senior Brother raised his hand, and twenty-some beams of green light shot out, hovering before each person. Upon hearing the Yellow Senior Brother's words, the others' expressions noticeably improved. With no need to face off directly against the magical cultivators, their chances of survival had greatly increased. Thus, everyone quickly grasped the scrolls and began diligently memorizing the maps within. Yet, although Han Li had secured a scroll, he only glanced through it briefly and did not take much time to internalize the details. Since he had been left behind to hold off the enemy this time, it was a rare opportunity for Han Li to escape. He absolutely didn't want to end up following Huang Fenggully all the way to the next stage of cultivation!