The western peak of Baiqi Mountain boasts not only an ancient temple at its summit but also more than a dozen stone pavilions of varying sizes. Already, small groups of cultivators are gathered there, engaged in lengthy discussions. Of course, outside the pavilions and temple, a few cultivators are also moving about, somewhat sparsely. It appears that some have already arrived early, eager to participate in this gathering. After surveying the entire peak from above, Han Li circled once before settling down in a quiet, secluded corner of the mountain. Then, accompanied by Qu Hun, he casually strolled toward several nearby pavilions. With his powerful spiritual awareness, Han Li quickly grasped the conversations within the pavilions. Among them, a pavilion housing four cultivators engaged in animated discourse caught his attention. Upon listening closely, he realized they were discussing the conflict between the seven sects of Yue State and the Magian path—his spirit instantly stirred, and he promptly walked over. "This crushing defeat of the Magic Path has not only driven the six sects of Yueguo to flee their ancestral lands, but also means that our Yuanwu and Zijin kingdoms will face severe troubles in the future. Now it depends on whether the Magic Path will launch its next assault on Yuanwu first, or on Zijin." The middle-aged man with a pale face sighed. "Indeed, although the six sects suffered significant losses in the last great battle, nearly half of the practitioners from our two kingdoms who came to assist were lost as well. The Heavenly Star Sect and other immortal sects will surely be in a dire situation!" The younger man, in his twenties, added with a sense of satisfaction. Upon hearing this, two of the other elders remained composed, showing no reaction. However, the middle-aged man who had initially spoken could not help but chuckle bitterly, his mouth opening to say more. Yet at that very moment, a voice from beside them interrupted. "It seems that while the Heavenly Star Sect and other major sects are already in disarray, our independent practitioners and immortal families will face even more difficult times." The practitioners of the magical path adhere strictly to the principle of the strong devouring the weak. Had it not been for that, we would not have enjoyed such ease and comfort today. Han Li approached slowly, yet his words conveyed the subtle irony of the middle-aged man's smile. Upon hearing that there was someone present nearby, the four guests were first startled and immediately fell silent. However, when they realized that Han Li's cultivation level was not apparent, each of them grew slightly uneasy, rising to bow respectfully to him. The middle-aged man hurried to defend the young man, saying, "Esteemed elder, my young nephew merely made a casual remark—there was absolutely no disrespect intended toward any of the sects. Please do not take it amiss." To their surprise, they had now regarded Han Li as a senior cultivator from one of the great immortal sects of Yuanwu. The young man himself also grew increasingly tense. "Ah, no need to misunderstand, my esteemed friends," Han Li smiled gently, his tone warm and composed. "I myself am merely a wandering cultivator. I only added that comment casually a moment ago." Hearing what Han Li had just said, the others finally felt at ease. Though they didn't know whether Han Li's claims were true, the fact that he hadn't pressed them about their earlier awkward remarks was clear. Thus, amid their warm welcomes, Han Li took a seat at the stone table beneath the pavilion. Han Li spoke calmly. Upon hearing Han Li's words, the four exchanged a moment of quiet contemplation, then immediately turned their gaze toward the other, slender elderly man. "Regarding timely information, of course, it's Dong elder who stands out—after all, Dong family has numerous secular enterprises directly established in Yue State!" The elder with a red face chuckled lightly and said smoothly. The other two nodded in agreement as well, which caused Han Li to raise a slight expression of surprise. Seeing this, Dong elder felt a touch of embarrassment and had to concede, saying with a sigh, "Indeed, our Dong family's offspring in Yue State have recently brought back some updates about the latest developments in Yue. Originally, the family didn't wish to share these details externally. However, since all of you are close friends of mine, and this senior has also expressed interest, I'll share what I can. Just please don't disclose them too readily." Upon hearing Dong elder's words, the other three brightened and enthusiastically agreed. Han Li nodded slightly in response. Thus, the elder cleared his throat and spoke slowly: "Just a few days ago, we received news that the current Yue state is in great turmoil. Although the Magic Sect has defeated the coalition of the six sects, many of the retreating cultivators from those six sects have not left the country—they have instead taken advantage of the terrain to continuously launch attacks on the Magic Sect. It's reported that several cultivators at the Jiadian stage have not yet evacuated, which has left the Magic Sect quite preoccupied. After all, cultivators at the Jiadian stage are no easy opponents. Moreover, the six sects have established deep roots in Yue for many years, possessing substantial latent influence, making it somewhat challenging for the Magic Sect to fully integrate and take over the Yue cultivation world. " "Meanwhile, the seven sects that have held their key strongholds for years—aside from Yanyue Sect and Ju Jian Sect, which have not yet fallen to the Six Demon Sects—the other four have all been completely conquered. However, the spoils captured are reportedly scarce, with most of the rare treasures reportedly carried away by the disciples who evacuated with the Six Sects." "In my opinion, as long as the Demon Sects cannot stabilize the Yue State, they will not launch attacks against us or against Zijin. After all, no matter how many troops they have, if they manage to occupy two smaller states and one medium-sized one, they will surely be stretched thin. That’s why they are currently at a loss when dealing with the persistent disturbances from the Six Sects." The elder slowly spoke these words, adding his own insights. "Old Ding, how long do you think the Demon Sects can afford us as a breathing space? Can our various sects still withstand their attacks at this point?" asked the red-faced elder, interrupting. "It's hard to say." After all, the information I have is merely superficial. The true situation, I believe, is only fully known to the senior officials of each faction. The old man shook his head and glanced at Han Li subtly. Clearly, he still regarded Han Li as a cultivator from one of the domestic factions, and thus spoke with some reserve. Then, seemingly unwilling to delve further into matters related to this topic, the old man suddenly smiled and shared a surprising event that left Han Li astonished. "Due to the hurried nature of their evacuation, all six factions of Yue State have independently adopted the strategy of the gecko shedding its tail—retaining only the most promising and capable junior disciples, while leaving many others unaware and thus sacrificing them. Among these, the most severe measures were reportedly taken by the senior leadership of Huang Feng Valley. To ensure the safe departure of their most trusted and elite disciples, they even sacrificed two consecutive batches of junior disciples—effectively eliminating nearly all other cultivators outside the core evacuation group. Truly remarkable tactics!" Although the elder spoke casually, Han Li felt a sudden weight settle in his heart, his face slightly pale. Fortunately, no one else was fixated on him, so his unusual demeanor went unnoticed. "Master Ding, you mentioned that Huang Feng Valley has lost two batches of disciples—could you elaborate on that? I find it most interesting," Han Li managed to suppress his astonishment and asked calmly. "Heh, since you've asked, I'll be honest. The story goes that as soon as the higher-ups of Yue State received news of their setbacks, they immediately devised a clever ruse—the 'golden cicada shedding its shell.' They first sent a group of disciples to evacuate ahead of time, while secretly informing the evil sect's spies that these disciples were Huang Feng Valley's finest, and that they had also brought with them large quantities of spiritual stone materials and other valuables. This completely drew the evil sect's pursuing forces away. At the same time, he left behind another group of disciples who were unaware of the plan, enabling them to use the great array and the remaining magical practitioners to establish a renewed standoff. Only after these two groups of disciples had drawn the enemy's full attention did the senior leaders of Huang Feng Valley allow their most trusted and elite disciples to withdraw, carrying with them the accumulated resources of the valley over a thousand years.