The three of them slowly walked to the center of the hall. The dark-robed man standing at the center, with a somewhat fierce appearance, spoke coldly: "Who we are, I'm sure doesn't need further introduction. Even if someone hasn't recognized us before, they should now. This gathering is being hosted by us three—does anyone have any objections?" His voice was unusually cold, and as soon as he spoke, a powerful aura surged from his body, immediately filling the entire hall with an immense spiritual pressure. The seated cultivators sensed the profound and unyielding fluctuations of qi, and their faces instantly grew pale. Yet while struck by the strength of this man's cultivation, Han Li felt a sense of surprise. The man radiated a deep, cold magical aura—clearly the renowned Huahuan Elder of the Magian Sect. Yet his appearance was entirely different from what he had imagined. Described as the Huahuan Sect's Grand Elder, his cultivation style bore more resemblance to the magical techniques of the Gui Ling Sect! Han Li was unaware that the Grand Elders of the Huahuan Sect had traditionally been known as the "Huahuan Old Magician" throughout the generations. Although the cultivation technique practiced by the black-robed gentleman was actually a magic method with only a distant connection to the Huhuan Sect, he still had to uphold the title of the Elder Magician of Huhuan. Once others sensed his formidable presence, though they felt somewhat uneasy, none were foolish enough to challenge the authority of the three senior cultivators. For a moment, the entire hall fell silent—thus implicitly accepting the Elder Magician's earlier remarks. Though the great war had come earlier than we anticipated, could any of you, with your extraordinary abilities, truly fear the Muran people?" The Taoist who carried his sword smiled lightly and spoke calmly. Though his voice was soft, it entered the ears of the gathered guests like a gentle breeze, instantly soothing their inner anxieties and bringing a sense of calm. The other cultivators were startled, and the initial commotion settled quickly—yet one or two murmured softly. "The Jingxin Technique of the Taishen Sect truly has its merits." Hearing this expression of slight reservation, the middle-aged Taoist seemed entirely unaware, and instead reached into his robe, pulled out a jade scroll glistening with fresh, vibrant redness, tossed it casually to an elder in gray robes across the table, and smiled. "This is the Muran people's formal challenge. Please take a look, friend." The elder was momentarily stunned, then silently held the scroll, scanned its contents with his spiritual awareness, and his expression suddenly darkened. With a cold demeanor, he then directly threw the scroll to the person beside him. The person took the jade scroll and, with curiosity, carefully glanced at it with his spirit, his face likewise growing grave. While the other cultivators one by one read through the challenge, Han Li separately studied the Daoist and the elderly man in the green robe. The Daoist was about forty, with a translucent, pale complexion and refined, upright features, immediately evoking a sense of goodwill. He was likely the Zhiyang Master of the Tai-Zhen Sect of the Celestial Alliance. As for the elderly man in the green robe, his appearance was extremely ordinary—neither in attire nor in bearing did he stand out in any way. The only detail that caught Han Li's attention was that the elderly man had long fingernails on all ten fingers. These nails were sharp and gleamed with a faint light, uniformly dark purple, and stood out remarkably. This man was none other than Wei Wuyacha, the Grand Elder of the Nine-Nation Alliance. Seeming to sense Han Li's gaze, Wei Wuyacha slightly inclined his head and looked at Han Li. Upon making eye contact, a look of mild surprise appeared on his face, and he smiled warmly at Han Li. Han Li smiled somewhat awkwardly in return, though his mind quietly pondered—should this person know of his connection with Nan Gong Wan, would he still be able to smile at him? As Han Li was thinking, Long Han had already finished reading the jade scroll in his hands and, with a displeased expression, tossed it back to Han Li. Noticing that several others before him shared similar expressions, Han Li grew curious. He remained composed, immersing his awareness into the scroll and began reading. After a while, Han Li drew his awareness back with furrowed brows, silently passing the scroll to another cultivator. Soon, the entire scroll had been circulated among all of them, and each person’s expression grew increasingly unimpressed—some even could not help but emit a cold huff upon finishing. "Having reviewed the battle manifesto," the Zhiyang Senior, from the Tai Zhen Sect, asked with a half-smile, "what thoughts do the esteemed friends have?" "What a bold demand! To hand over half of the southern lands to them. Do they truly believe they will emerge victorious?" "A man in a rich crimson robe, with a stern countenance, spoke coldly. 'Indeed. What do they mean by simply yielding a bit of land and thus turning swords into plowshares? They believe we don't know that the Mulan people are now nothing but stragglers, barely holding on. Perhaps we needn't even engage them in full-scale battle—merely dragging out the conflict a little longer will gradually wear them down until they collapse.' A stout, well-built elder, with a sly expression, added. 'Lu, what do you mean by that? Does it mean that your QianHuan Sect, located deep in the southern reaches, has abandoned us entirely? Of course, you can afford a prolonged campaign—your Sect's endurance is no issue. But what about our own foundations and roots?' A dark-complexioned man seated beside the stout elder spoke with growing displeasure. 'I'm doing this precisely for the good of all,' replied the stout elder, not at all intimidated by the dark man, as he glanced at him with a slight sideways glance. 'Our Sect can be rebuilt if it falls—but once people die, they cannot be brought back.' 'Hmph!' the dark man scoffed, clearly "If our nations are abandoned, why should we, as monastic cultivators, be tasked with holding off the celestial army of your magical sects? Why not simply relocate our entire sect to your Tian Luo Kingdom and ensure no one dies at all?" another spoke coldly. "You...?" "Enough! The question of whether to engage in a prolonged campaign has already been settled. There's no need for further debate. What we must now focus on is how to counter the celestial army of the Mulan people—not your internal disagreements." The cloaked man, upon hearing this, grew stern and suddenly snapped, delivering a sharp reprimand. Upon seeing that it was the elder magician of Héhuān who had spoken, though they were not entirely satisfied, the three quietly fell silent. After all, in the cultivation world, strength speaks. "In truth, the disputes among you three are entirely unnecessary. We have already calculated this thoroughly. Given the overwhelming momentum of the celestial army's full-branch mobilization, a prolonged campaign is simply impossible. Without concentrating the majority of our power from the southern lands, we would be unable to withstand even a fraction of their offensive." By itself, the strength of a single realm or nation would likely crumble the moment it came into contact. At that point, the very forces consumed would be ours—ten out of ten. Therefore, this great war must be fought, and we must utterly weaken the Muran people. There can be no room for luck or hesitation. Master Zhiyang's expression grew serious. Upon hearing this, the other cultivators exchanged quiet murmurs, then fell silent again. "Still, what exactly is Muran doing? Why fight at all, if they're already engaged? Why undertake such a bold wager? With so many precious materials—materials no single great sect or large lineage could possibly muster on its own. Didn't they say the Muran Grasslands were inherently poor in cultivation resources?" Master Dongmen Tu from Yuling Sect suddenly asked, his eyes brightening. "I do know this. While the Muran Grasslands are indeed resource-poor, this is only relatively so. Compared to the number of large-scale mineral deposits and common raw material sources, the quantity of such sites is indeed limited." Yet the rare materials from the Mulan Grasslands are quite abundant, with several types even more plentiful than those from our Tiannan region. It's no surprise at all that so many materials can be offered. "Another person, seemingly well-informed about the Mulan people, explained with some detail. "Ah, I see. Yet they are so confident that they believe they will surely triumph in this wager battle? Besides Yuan-Ying late-stage cultivators, all others are eligible to participate. The contest will consist of ten rounds—each a life-or-death match. Do they really think our cultivators are merely clay figures?" Dong Men Tu said slowly, his expression one of thoughtful contemplation. Among the assembled guests, each a seasoned strategist, it was clear that the Mulan people's proposal must carry some hidden purpose or subtle strategy. All of them now began to ponder its potential shortcomings. Han Li shared a similar sense of bewilderment. The challenge document he had just reviewed was clear and explicit: the battle would take place right in front of both parties' arrays, making any covert maneuvers impossible. Moreover, the combatants arrived directly with the precious materials they had wagered, bringing them onto the battlefield for the trials. The victor could then immediately take possession of the opponent's storage satchel. The only oddity was that the challenge document clearly stated that these ten matches must take place simultaneously, and that once a cultivator lost, they could not retreat—they were required to fight until they fell and died on the spot. To this end, the combat was held within a sealed spatial barrier, established by representatives from both sides, who also remained present throughout the matches to monitor the operation of the magical array and ensure no hidden maneuvers were undertaken by the opposing party. Seven days hence, we shall still proceed according to our own plans—no need at all to accept any wager battle. In that case, no matter what tricks the other side may devise, they will be rendered ineffective," said the elder named Kuang, of Ni Hangzhai, with a condescending tone. "Alas, although Master Kuang's reasoning is sound, this time we must participate in the wager battle—and furthermore, we must win it," sighed Zhiyang Master, with a touch of resignation. "What? Master Zhiyang means this? We cannot allow ourselves to be led around by the Mulan people!" Kuang elder frowned, expressing his displeasure. Several of the other elders nodded in agreement.