"Even so, in order to protect the Spirit Beast Sect, setting aside all the other cultivators who were sacrificed, there were actually two Core Formation cultivators who died in that very ambush they orchestrated. No matter how you look at it, that's impossible to justify!" Han Li furrowed his brows slightly, speaking slowly, clearly unwilling to accept this at face value.
"Without the deaths of Core Formation cultivators, how would the other six sects have believed it so easily? Besides, did you really think the ones who 'died' were Core Formation cultivators?" Qu Hun said with a cold laugh.
"What you're saying is..." Han Li looked at Qu Hun with some surprise.
"As far as I know, among the six great Devil Dao sects, there are still two or three secret techniques capable of forcibly elevating a Foundation Establishment cultivator to a level comparable to Core Formation. Of course, each of these methods comes with enormous drawbacks — practically any cultivator who uses one is destined to have every meridian in their body shattered, and the duration of the boosted cultivation is pitifully short. But that brief window should be more than enough to deceive the rest of you six sects. After all, for an ambush, you don't need to put on the act for very long."
Hearing this, Han Li fell silent. He was now thirty percent convinced.
He could easily imagine the scene: when the seven sects and the allied forces of the other two kingdoms had deployed their great formation for a final confrontation with the six Devil Dao sects, the Devil Dao — who had long since learned every detail of the alliance's plans — would, with the Spirit Beast Sect's betrayal, easily tear through the seven sects' formation. And without the protection of that great formation, the allied army of the seven sects would be no match for the six Devil Dao sects at all.
"Even if what you're saying is true, the time for the final battle hasn't arrived yet. If I go and deliver the warning, we should be able to turn the tide. Why would I need to flee?" Han Li mused for a moment, then asked somewhat unwillingly.
"Did you really think our Devil Dao would wait until the agreed-upon time to launch the final battle? You should know that according to the original plan, this kind of deception — striking at the enemy when they least expected it — was always part of the strategy. I don't know the exact timing, but I estimate that within a few days, the Devil Dao will suddenly attack your main camp. At this point, you're in the most lax stage before the great battle, and your forces are far from fully assembled. Does my fellow Daoist believe there's enough time to send the message to the front lines and convince those above to believe what you have to say?" The corner of his mouth curled, clearly carrying a tone of schadenfreude.
Hearing this, Han Li's expression finally shifted, and a trace of worry crept into his heart.
If the seven sects truly suffered a crushing defeat, his days would be far from pleasant. He would either be trapped in the Yue Kingdom being hunted by the Devil Dao, or forced to flee to another country and wander as a refugee — unless he repaired the teleportation array and started a new cultivation journey in some unfamiliar place.
"You seem to know the Devil Dao's plans inside and out. It seems your identity really isn't low. Don't worry — I have no interest in asking about your specific identity. I just want to ask one more thing: you've said all this, but do you have any proof? Surely you don't think I would believe everything you say on the basis of your mouth alone?" Han Li thought for a moment and asked solemnly.
Hearing Han Li's question, the cultivator from the Myriad Beast Institute was taken aback, then smiled bitterly.
"I lost my original body at the time of the crisis. What does my fellow Daoist think I could have possibly kept as proof? Actually, if you had a bit of patience and just waited a few more days, you would likely hear some rumors of the great battle." He said this with an air of conviction.
But at these words, Han Li let out a cold laugh.
"If you lost your body, how did your Primordial Spirit escape? Since you weren't killed on the spot back then, I refuse to believe you didn't stash your magic treasures and other important items somewhere safe." Han Li's tone was icy, but his words struck the mark, freezing the bitter smile on Qu Hun's face.
"Heh heh! It seems I really can't hide anything from you. Fine — I do have a jade slip containing correspondence between my sect and the Spirit Beast Sect. Actually, I came to the Yue Kingdom several years ago specifically to deliver this intelligence, but I didn't expect..." Caught out by Han Li, he revealed a hint of embarrassment.
Hearing the other party finally admit it, Han Li sighed inwardly. He had no idea how old this person really was, but the man was extraordinarily cunning — he needed to be even more cautious.
"Where is it?"
Han Li asked bluntly, his gaze beginning to sweep over the other's body.
"The storage bag containing the jade slip isn't on my person. I left it in a nearby cave. Shall I take you there to retrieve it?" Now Qu Hun was being remarkably cooperative.
"Not on your person?" Han Li's eyes flickered, showing clear disbelief.
"As you know, my current body is essentially that of a zombie. While it's far sturdier than a normal person's, it's also lost most of its sensation. I'm genuinely afraid that if I carry a storage bag on me, I might lose it without even realizing it. So under normal circumstances, I always leave my storage bag where I'm staying." He managed to produce a somewhat strained excuse.
But Han Li said nothing. Instead, he carefully searched the other's body from head to toe. Only after finding absolutely nothing did he ask again in a frigid tone: "Where's the cave? I'll go retrieve it myself."
Seeing how cautious and thorough Han Li was, Qu Hun could only tell him the location with a look of frustration.
Han Li nodded, seemingly preparing to leave. But then he suddenly remembered something and turned back with one more question.
"How did you enter this body? Although it originally had no soul or Primordial Spirit — saving you the trouble of a Body Seizing — it still isn't the body of a cultivator."
Han Li was genuinely curious.