Han Li and the little old man walked out of the room together. Xiao Cuier, who had been standing guard at the courtyard gate, had also heard the succession of enormous bell tolls and couldn't help but glance at the little old man in alarm.
The little old man frowned at this and walked over in a few strides, whispering something to her. The young girl's expression gradually returned to normal.
Then the little old man gestured to Han Li, and the two of them mounted their flying tools and soared into the sky, heading straight for the Assembly Hall.
Along the way, Han Li saw numerous cultivators flying in the same direction, but most were only at the Qi Condensation stage. It was clear that the valley's strength had run dangerously low.
Presumably, when the Demonic faction truly launched their assault, even with the sect's grand protective formation bolstering their defense, they wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
The two flew in grim silence, and before long they arrived before the enormous stone hall.
A thousand or so cultivators had gathered in front of the hall, but the guards at the entrance held them all back — only Foundation Establishment stage cultivators and above were permitted to enter for the deliberations.
Han Li and the little old man naturally had sufficient standing, so amid the complicated stares of the others, they quietly walked inside.
The moment Han Li stepped into the main hall of the Assembly Hall, he froze.
Instead of the frantic chaos he had imagined — like ants scrambling on a hot pan — nearly a hundred cultivators present sat in perfect silence, every one of them staring with reverent expressions at the person seated in the place of honor.
That person was obviously not the nominal Sect Master of Yellow Maple Valley, Zhong Lingdao — the Sect Master himself was standing meekly to one side. Seated in the main position was an old man in brocade robes, his hair and beard completely white.
The old man's complexion was sallow, his small eyes dull and lifeless — he was extraordinarily ugly.
Yet for some reason, the moment Han Li laid eyes on this person, his heart lurched and his limbs began trembling uncontrollably.
"What's going on?" Han Li thought in alarm.
The old man simply cast a casual glance at Han Li and the little old man as they entered.
But that single glance made Han Li's entire body go cold, his heart twisting with an unbearable sensation, as though every hidden secret of his had been laid bare. His expression changed dramatically.
"Hm! Your Primordial Spirit has been trained quite well — you must have cultivated some method for tempering it." After looking Han Li over, the old man's eyes flickered with a trace of surprise, and he spoke in a casual tone.
Hearing these words, Han Li was seized by a mixture of fear and dread.
But what struck him as even more incredible was that he could sense no spiritual power emanating from the old man whatsoever. This meant the gap between their cultivation levels was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth — only such a chasm could produce this effect. Yet even Li Huayuan and the other Core Formation cultivators had never given him this feeling. Could this person possibly be...
After a moment's thought, Han Li's heart filled with horror. The small flicker of anger he'd harbored was long since swept away, and he hastily replied with the utmost respect: "I humbly report to the senior — I have indeed cultivated a method related to the Primordial Spirit. The senior's insight is truly keen!" Han Li couldn't help but flatter the old man.
The brocade-robed old man gave a faint smile at Han Li's words, then waved his hand lightly.
Han Li and the little old man immediately and wisely moved to stand among the crowd.
After waiting for roughly the time it would take to eat a meal, another dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived one after another.
At this point, Zhong Lingdao respectfully addressed the old man: "Patriarch, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators currently in the valley have assembled. However, Martial Uncle Huang is currently at Heavenly Stone Peak, and I'm afraid he won't be able to return for some time."
The brocade-robed old man frowned slightly upon hearing this, then immediately restored his usual expression and ordered: "If he hasn't come, then so be it. Saving lives is as urgent as fighting a fire — there's no need to wait for him. Let's begin."
"Yes, the Patriarch speaks truly!" Zhong Lingdao echoed obediently.
The brocade-robed old man chuckled at this but said nothing more.
"Fellow brothers and sisters, allow me to make an introduction. This is Patriarch Linghu, whose name you have all long heard. Three hundred years ago, the Patriarch reached the Nascent Soul stage and is our sect's only Supreme Elder. Now that our sect faces an unprecedented existential crisis, the Patriarch will be taking charge of all arrangements from this point forward."