"The Saint-Ancestor embodiment commanding the entire army of demonic beings outside the city has remained hidden throughout the campaign, never making an appearance. We are still not entirely clear about his exact level of spiritual cultivation. However, based on the intelligence we've gathered, even if he is exceptionally powerful, he can hardly surpass the embodiment that once pursued you. Both of these embodiments originate from the same Blood-Flame Saint-Ancestor's true form; although they may differ slightly in their cultivation abilities, they share certain fundamental connections in their cultivation lineages. Therefore, if you face either of them, Brother Han, you should find it somewhat easier than confronting other Saint-Ancestor embodiments." The silver-haired elder spoke seriously. "Ah, from the tone of Valley Brother's words, I gather he intends for me to be the opponent of this demonic Saint-Ancestor embodiment!" Han did not seem surprised, and spoke calmly. "Brother Han, your judgment is correct! In ordinary circumstances, I would never have asked you to undertake such a significant risk. I would certainly have devised a more secure strategy to eliminate this Saint-Ancestor embodiment. However, this time, the demonic army has come with overwhelming force—indeed, the number of demonic elders within the army Old Master and several other companions had carefully analyzed the situation, believing that even with the advantage of terrain, they could only manage a bare survival. As for this Saint Ancestral Form—somewhat stronger than a typical late-stage Consolidated Stage cultivator—if it personally intervened, there simply wasn’t much the city could do to withstand it. Once it used its divine powers to strike at the vulnerable points of the city’s defenses and allowed the demonic army to surge in behind, the entire Tianyuan City would surely be doomed. "That’s exactly what I’ve just said," the silver-haired elder replied without hesitation. "So, what was the original plan of the Council to deal with this Saint Ancestral Form? Don’t tell me you never prepared any specific strategy!" Han Li pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked. "What could we possibly do? Naturally, we’d rely on numbers and the power of our seals. The original plan was to, once the battle began, send them off to a pre-arranged large formation, where we would use the combined strength of the seals and a specially assigned group of personnel to encircle and contain them." We don't expect to be able to completely eliminate this Saint Ancestral Form with such a method, but simply holding it at bay for a while would be quite beneficial. However, although the approach appears simple at first glance, arranging it in practice proves extremely difficult, and the chances of success are not particularly high," Master Jin explained. "Ah, that makes sense. These Saint Ancestral Forms of the demonic clans are all seasoned and cunning—successfully luring them out one by one indeed proves to be no easy task,"韩立 seemed to recall something, nodded seriously. "Indeed, originally I and Master Jin had planned to have you take on the role of the one who lures them out. However, given your previous level of cultivation, the risks were considered too great, so we had not yet made the request. Now that Brother Han has advanced to the late Consolidation stage, such concerns are naturally alleviated. Brother Han need not engage in a direct confrontation with this Saint Ancestral Form. All that is required is to remain firmly engaged once the battle begins, ensuring it cannot focus on breaching the city's defensive seals. As for the demonic army and other esteemed demonic elders, our council will naturally take full responsibility for handling them. "This matter concerns the imminent battle against the demonic forces and the very survival of our city. I hope Brother Han will not hesitate to assist." The silver-haired elder spoke earnestly. "Brother Han, when I first pledged my support to your city during the demonic calamity, I committed myself to do my utmost in defending against the demons. I shall surely fulfill that promise. Moreover, merely holding the demons at bay—I believe I have sufficient confidence in that. As for this Blood-Flame Sage-Heir in person, I shall take charge of him." After a brief moment of thought, Brother Han smiled and agreed. "Thank you, Brother Han, for your great sense of duty! Should our city truly survive this crisis, we shall surely repay you most generously." The silver-haired elder beamed with delight. "It's nothing at all—Brother Han has only done what he can. This battle is pivotal to the future of the entire human race, and I shall give it my very best. Well, I've only just advanced to the next stage, and still need to further consolidate my realm. I shall therefore not linger any longer." Brother Han gave a calm smile and rose to bid farewell. The silver-haired elder and Jin Yue Zen Master were somewhat surprised, yet upon hearing Han Li's words, they could not linger any longer and promptly both expressed their heartfelt gratitude, personally escorting Han Li all the way to the outer gate of the hall before returning to their seats. "Guo brother, why didn't you invite Han Daojun to join our city earlier? That was indeed a perfect opportunity just now," Jin Yue Zen Master said, his smile fading slightly as he suddenly asked. "Master, do you think it would be beneficial? I had initially held out a bit of hope, but after seeing Han Daojun's advancement today, I am certain he will never agree to join any of the factions. In your opinion, how would Han Daojun stand among the late-stage cultivators of both clans?" The silver-haired elder narrowed his eyes for a moment before counter-questioning. "Hmm. I've met several of the other late-stage Conjunction-level cultivators from both clans. Yet none of them possess the same sense of incomparable mastery—such that even their cultivation levels remain indistinct to the observer." Adding that he had previously defeated several peers of the same stage during his mid-stage cultivation, and even fought against the avatar of the Magian Saint Patriarch, it could be reasonably concluded that Master Han is likely one of the top figures among us, aside from Master Mo and Master Ao. The Golden Yü Zen Master paused, thought deeply, before responding with a thoughtful tone. "That makes perfect sense. With Master Han's such formidable strength, how could he join any particular faction and remain under someone else's constraints? And with his current level of prowess, what could our Tianyuan City possibly offer to make him stay and remain content? If that's the case, then I naturally have no need to do anything that might displease Master Han." The silver-haired elder sighed, shaking his head with a gentle smile. "That's true. Yet, when we reflect upon Master Han's origins, we may find it hard to believe—how could a mere ordinary guard from this city over a thousand years ago achieve such remarkable accomplishments, and even surpass us in the path of the Great Way?" The Golden Yü Zen Master remained silent for a moment before slowly adding. "Hehe, perhaps that's what they say—life is full of surprises. Well, now isn't the time for us to sigh anymore. Let's get back to our earlier discussion. I still believe we should deploy those several precious artifacts on the city walls to counter the initial frenzied attacks of the lower-tier beasts..." The silver-haired elder quickly regained his composure, straightened his expression, and shifted the topic. "No way! Those artifacts are among our most crucial weapons—crafted through immense effort, even the combined strength of several of us. How can we use them against those beasts? If we reveal them now, their full impact will be lost in the later stages of the battle..." The golden-robed monk, upon hearing this, shook his head vigorously in opposition. "But the number of lower-tier beasts is simply too vast. What if we don't use them at all?" The two began to debate right there in the hall. Han Li was completely unaware of all this, and as soon as he stepped out of the hall, he immediately took off toward his quarters. As previously mentioned to Jin Yue and others, his later stage of cultivation still needed considerable time to truly stabilize—each additional day of practice before the great battle with the demonic forces would further solidify his spiritual power. After advancing to the late Consolidation stage, his Buddhist-Saint True Dharma Power had nearly reached its peak, and several grand techniques inscribed upon it were finally becoming accessible. However, if he wished to directly employ these techniques in combat, he would naturally need time to become familiar with them. Thus, after just a brief conversation with the silver-haired elder, he immediately set off back without any delay. Upon returning to his quarters, Han Li summoned the spirit of the artifact, Zi, and the Ice Phoenix, gave them a few instructions, and then returned to the inner chamber. Seated cross-legged on the mat at the center of the chamber, Han Li did not immediately enter meditation but instead quietly pondered for a long time. Then, with a single hand motion, two pale white jade plaques simultaneously appeared before him. These two objects were no larger than a thumb, yet their surfaces shone with a silvery luster, faintly inscribed with dense clusters of silver glyphs. They were precisely the two outer pages of the Golden Terrace Jade Scroll that Han Li had obtained in his early years. One page detailed the crafting methods of several intricate talismans, while the other bore the mysterious technique of the Hundred Meridians' Treasure-Forging Method, which was conspicuously absent from its records. Although the first page of the jade scroll was partially damaged, Han Li, through extensive study and some references drawn from other sources, had already successfully crafted most of the talismans recorded there. Only one talisman—named the "Heaven's Spear Talisman"—remained uncrafted. This talisman was the final one described in the scroll and the only offensive one, said to possess nearly unimaginable power. Unfortunately, compared to the others, its comprehension and mastery proved significantly more challenging. Without Han Li's later fortunate opportunities and his extensive exchanges with master talismanists from various ethnic groups, successfully crafting this talisman would have been nearly impossible. However, the method for crafting this seal had been mastered by Han Li years ago, yet he had found it unfortunate that not only were certain materials difficult to obtain, but the caster also required an extraordinary level of spiritual power. At the time, despite having the qualifications of a mid-stage Consolidation stage cultivator, Han Li's spiritual energy simply wasn't sufficient to support the creation of the "Heavenly Spear Seal." This had left him deeply frustrated for a long time. Upon reflection, however, this situation made perfect sense—the seal's described power was undoubtedly exceptional even in the True Immortal Realm, far beyond the ordinary offerings. Thus, it was only natural that cultivators from the lower realms would find it extremely challenging. Fortunately, Han Li had entrusted the matter of gathering materials to his disciples, who, through the use of substantial amounts of spiritual stones, managed to collect all the necessary components over the course of several centuries. Now, having advanced to the late Consolidation stage, Han Li's spiritual energy is ample enough to support the crafting of the "Heavenly Spear Seal," and thus he intends to create it during his current period of seclusion. As for the "Hundred Meridians Refining the Treasures" recorded on the other jade plaque—surely a profound cultivation technique of the immortal realm, capable of refining the body as if it were a treasure—this secret method demanded an exceptionally high standard of bodily condition. When Han Li first acquired it, he could only manage to practice it勉强, employing clever workarounds to integrate treasures such as the Yuanmagnetic Peak and various parts of his body, thereby temporarily enhancing his powers. However, these workarounds were never the true path. Now, at Han Li's current level of cultivation, the modest boosts he once gained from relying on such treasures no longer mattered. Instead, he now intended to truly revive and deeply practice the Hundred Meridians Refining the Treasures. With his body now so robust, there would be no obstacles whatsoever in mastering this technique.