The silver-haired woman with a cold demeanor stepped into the hall and, ignoring the astonished glances of the others, slowly positioned herself behind Master Ao Xiao. "This esteemed guest is..." Master Ao Xiao's spiritual awareness swept over her, instantly recognizing her as a cultivator from the妖race, with achievements nearing the late stage of the Transcendent Realm. He expressed a moment of mild curiosity. "This is my granddaughter Linglong. Though you may not have met her personally, you likely have heard of her." Master Ao Xiao replied with ease. "Indeed, I didn't realize it was Lady Linglong—my apologies for the oversight." A brief surprise flickered on the white-haired elder's face, yet he remained exceptionally courteous. This woman was none other than Silver Moon, the one who had parted ways with Han Li a thousand years ago in the human realm. Of course, the Silver Moon of today was different from the one of old—now fully integrated with her split soul, possessing a complete and true spiritual essence. Upon learning of the silver-haired woman's identity, the other attendees in the hall also expressed surprise. As a sacred island holding a unique position among the human and spirit clans, the island has been closely monitoring all natural developments concerning the seven spirit kings who lead the spirit race. The Lady Linglong, the consort of the Tiankui Wolf King, who was once sealed on the human plane for many years and reportedly grew distant from the Tiankui Wolf King upon her return to the spiritual realm, is a figure known to many of the island's elders. Now, encountering her unexpectedly, several of them find themselves somewhat puzzled. Linglong pays no attention to these reactions, simply standing behind the old master Ao Xiao, her head slightly bowed, silent. "Master Ao, how did you suddenly arrive at the sacred island? I wonder if your vital energy, depleted during your celestial ordeal, has now fully recovered," asked the young man, bowing respectfully. "Though I did lose some vital energy during my annual trial, over the years of steady recuperation, I have fully recovered. Otherwise, I would not have come at all. As for why I have come here, it is naturally due to the kind invitation from Master Mo." Master Ao smiled gently. "You've already met Master Mo! That's wonderful. After Master Mo left the Sacred Island, his news had gone completely silent—just like yours. This has been a great source of concern for us." Upon hearing this, the young, clean-shaven man beamed with delight. "He's not yet as old as I am, so what could there be to worry about? Well, then, I won't linger on small talk any longer. This visit to the Sacred Island has been commissioned by Master Mo. First, to deliver a few messages on his behalf, and second, to remain here for some time." Old Ao Xiao chuckled and said. "We are ready to listen to your instructions, Masters. What would you like us to attend to?" The young man stiffened slightly, bowing respectfully. "Master Mo has recently learned that the Magi Clan now knows the Sacred Island's location. Though, with the current strength of the Magi Clan, they still haven't been able to conquer the Island, it's wise to remain vigilant just in case." Otherwise, given the prestige of the Sacred Island among the two clans, any actual incident would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to our morale." Elder Ao Xiao's delicate features grew serious. "The Sacred Island's location has been compromised. Impossible—just recently, the Island transmitted once, altering its hidden position. It couldn't have moved again so quickly." Many faces immediately turned pale, with several people gasping in surprise. "With me here, what need have you for fear? If the demonic clan has already discovered the Island's location so swiftly, it seems that spies from the demonic side must have infiltrated the Sacred Island. However, this should not be difficult to uncover—by focusing on those who have recently entered or exited the Island, we will surely identify the traitor." Elder Ao Xiao's expression darkened, and his demeanor grew more somber. "Yes, I will immediately dispatch personnel to investigate all messengers who have recently visited or departed the Sacred Island." The white-haired elder was startled and quickly bowed in response. The others, naturally, also felt a sudden sense of apprehension. "Master Magus, there's another matter I'd like to convey—some of the contingency plans originally prepared to counter the demonic forces need to be adjusted." Old Master Ao nodded, then, after a brief pause, uttered words that left everyone momentarily stunned. "Why is this so? These backup strategies were carefully devised over more than a hundred years by Master Mo, through countless nights of deep contemplation and deliberation, specifically to counter the invading army of the demonic forces. They should be flawless, surely." The elderly woman murmured, puzzled. "This change of mind likely came after Master Mo had had the opportunity to interact with the senior beings of the spiritual, luminous, and other allied clans. Through these exchanges, he probably identified shortcomings in the original plans. Rest assured, however, not all of them will need to be completely abandoned. Only a few—perhaps two or three—will require revision. I'll take the time to go over these details with you personally at a later meeting. By coincidence, one of these adjustments specifically eliminates the need for the Yellow Rice Stone Spirit." Do not think that your friend has already decided to replace this item with another celestial spiritual essence. Should that be the case, the prepared individual items will still be at least as effective as before. As for the substitute spiritual essence, I have personally brought it along." Ao Xiao raised one eyebrow, flipped his hand, and suddenly a jade box appeared in his grasp. With a swift motion, he strode toward the white-haired elder. "This...?" The white-haired elder opened the box, scanned its contents, and was struck with astonishment. "You need only know what you need to know—now, take good care of it. The fewer people who know about this, the better." Before the white-haired elder could utter another word, Ao Xiao casually waved his hand, silencing his further remarks. The other senior elders, though deeply puzzled, found themselves unable to ask any further questions. The white-haired elder nodded in agreement and carefully tucked the jade box into his sleeve. "By the way, Master, have you heard anything about the possibility of the three founding deities of the demonic race arriving in the spiritual realm?" After a moment's hesitation, the elderly woman couldn't help but ask. "I do know a bit about this matter, and in fact, it was Master Mo himself who came to me personally to share the news." Ao Xiao, the elder, replied calmly. Seeing that Master Ao remained so composed, the others in the hall exchanged glances, and a sense of relief settled in their hearts. The elderly woman brightened further and asked: "So, does that mean the two of you have already devised a strategy?" "Ha ha, even a regular demonic saint's physical form arriving in the spiritual realm requires considerable effort. As for the three founding deities of the demonic race, they certainly aren't making appearances casually. Right now, it's still too early to speak of any specific plans. We should first manage to handle the current demonic army before considering this matter further." Ao Xiao didn't immediately provide a detailed response, but instead waved his hand and spoke lightly and matter-of-factly. Hearing that the great cultivator of the yin clan had put it so, the present cultivators present could only stare at each other, wide-eyed. "You must have your own reasoning behind this," said the white-haired elder, clearing his throat and giving a subtle nod to the man with the feathered plume. "Indeed, it's still rather premature to discuss the matter of the three founding patriarchs. Allow me, then, to thoroughly explain to Elder Ao Xiao the specific preparations we have made on the Sacred Island. There are certain matters that may still require your personal decision and approval." Inspired by the elder's words, the man with the feathered plume seemed to suddenly recall something and promptly shifted the conversation. "Indeed, I appreciate your updating me on your progress," nodded Elder Ao Xiao, a gentle smile playing on his face. "First, to deal with the lower-tier wild beasts, our Sacred Island has specially cultivated a large army of spiritual beasts—these have now been largely completed." Some of the shorter-lived, one-time calamitous creatures are now beginning to be forcibly catalyzed. They will be just at the right stage to be of use when we face the magical races in a few more years... Additionally, to craft those several heavenly sacred artifacts, our human master artisans have all been summoned to the island. We expect to begin joint production of these treasures within six months. The only issue remains: several key materials have not yet arrived on the island. They must traverse through several regions controlled by the magical races before reaching their destination. Therefore, we must carefully decide who will be dispatched to escort them. My junior suggests... The man with the feathered plume appears to oversee all daily affairs of the sacred island, calmly and honestly presenting the various details step by step. Master Ao Xiao sits quietly in his chair, seemingly unmoved, yet his gaze occasionally flashes with subtle brilliance. After the elder had finished speaking, several others in the hall also stepped forward to report specific matters under their responsibility. It wasn't until well past an hour that everyone had shared their updates. "Good work," the elder remarked, without offering any further comments. "You all can manage these matters on your own—no need for me, this old man, to fuss and interfere. It's getting late now. I've been traveling for a long time and am a bit tired. I'll go rest for a while." Upon hearing this, the elder suddenly stood up and smiled lightly. The white-haired elders and others exchanged wide-eyed glances, surprised. "Since the elder is feeling tired, I'll personally arrange a room for you," the young man with the feathered sleeves said promptly, stepping forward with courtesy and taking the lead as he walked ahead. The elder nodded slightly and proceeded calmly. Yin Yue followed quietly behind. "Younger disciple, respectfully escorting the elder!" Only then did the others in the hall realize and promptly bow to see them off. "By the way, you two—come by my residence later. I still have a few matters to discuss with you." As Ao Xiao the Elder approached the hall door, he seemed to recall something suddenly, turned his head, pointed at two of the present guests with a gentle gesture, and said softly. The two he indicated were clearly an elderly man with white hair and a tall, slender man with a gloomy expression who rarely spoke to others. These two were naturally taken aback, yet quickly responded with due respect. After nodding in acknowledgment, Ao Xiao the Elder turned and stepped out of the hall. "Xu, have you known Master Ao Xiao before?" A middle-aged woman in her forties, standing beside the tall, slender man, asked him immediately after Ao Xiao the Elder had departed.