After hearing Zhao Wugui's words, none of the cultivators had any further objections.
Zhao Wugui and the cultivator surnamed Wen exchanged a glance, then walked over to the massive stone table at the center.
Several cultivators nearby immediately stood up and respectfully vacated a few seats for the two Void Refining stage cultivators.
The two nodded and sat down casually in two of the stone chairs.
With two Void Refining stage cultivators personally presiding, the exchange that followed proceeded remarkably smoothly.
Han Li used a piece of ten-thousand-year Dark Jade to trade for several rare talismans. His study of talismanry was currently at a critical juncture. These talismans were not of the Silver Sialect variety, but they were fairly unique — if he studied them carefully, they might offer him some inspiration.
Once the trades were complete, each person took turns sharing insights from their cultivation, or unique understanding of certain secret techniques and cultivation methods.
Naturally, most people spoke vaguely or in deliberately vague terms. Others went into great detail but deliberately stopped short whenever they reached key points. Those who were genuinely interested would not press the matter, instead sending a voice transmission afterward to arrange a one-on-one exchange with the speaker, trading treasures or their own cultivation insights.
The cultivator surnamed Wen and the other Void Refining stage cultivator turned a blind eye to all of this.
Han Li had been studying talismanry recently, so he shared some of his own rudimentary insights on the subject.
However, it was clear that few of the ascended cultivators in the hall had much interest in talismanry, so naturally no one paid particular attention to what Han Li had said.
The cultivator surnamed Wen and Zhao Wugui, on the other hand, showed a flicker of surprise when they heard that Han Li's remarks were all related to Silver Sialect talismans.
Although many high-level cultivators knew the Silver Sialect, without someone providing one-on-one instruction to open the door to understanding, studying this branch of talismanry was extraordinarily difficult.
After everyone had finished sharing, some cultivators wasted no time in raising questions about cultivation difficulties with Zhao Wugui and the cultivator surnamed Wen.
For certain questions, the cultivator surnamed Wen answered with just a few brief words. For others that touched on sensitive topics, he simply smiled without speaking, while Zhao Wugui would send a voice transmission to the questioner with a few words.
Whether the questioner nodded or shook their head, they would immediately sit back down and say nothing more.
Nearly all of these newly ascended cultivators had more or less pressing problems in their cultivation. Aside from Han Li, no one was willing to let this rare opportunity slip by.
As for Han Li, he cultivated the Saintess True Demon Art, which integrated both body and magical power. While he too had areas of uncertainty in his cultivation, no one had ever cultivated this technique before, so he naturally saw no point in asking questions. He simply watched everything from the sidelines.
A full hour later, everyone had finished asking their questions. Some cultivators even traded exclusive intelligence and information with Zhao Wugui and his companion in exchange for spirit pills and medicines.
With that, all the procedures customary to their gatherings had been completed.
At this point, the cultivator surnamed Wen gave a light cough, slowly stood, and spoke:
"Good. Now that all the trivial matters have been handled, my companion and I have brought some instructions from Elder Lei Luo. Listen carefully."
At these words, Han Li and the others felt a jolt of solemnity, their expressions turning serious at once.
The human race in Tianyuan City had five elders, among whom True Monarch Lei Luo and Zen Master Jinyue were two. These two Body Integration stage cultivators possessed unfathomable powers, and both had ascended from the lower realm. However, Zen Master Jinyue concerned himself with nothing of the outside world, remaining in seclusion and bitter cultivation year-round. True Monarch Lei Luo had therefore become the leader of all the ascended cultivators in Tianyuan City, commanding a prestige among them that no one could match.
Yet ever since arriving at Tianyuan City, Han Li had never once laid eyes on either of them. On the occasions he attended lectures at Tianguang Hall, he had only ever seen the other three elders speak.
"Elder Lei Luo has recently analyzed intelligence gathered through various channels, and has finally arrived at definitive conclusions. Within the next ten years, there is a greater than sixty percent probability that Tianyuan City will face an attack by foreign races, and more than a twenty percent chance of facing a coalition of three or more neighboring alien races. Although extremely remote, the possibility of another Hundred Race Great War cannot be entirely ruled out." Zhao Wugui's icy voice echoed throughout the great hall.
Although the cultivators present had some inkling of what Zhao Wugui would say, their hearts still sank as his words rang out. When they heard the words "Hundred Race Great War," more than half of them turned pale.