A Mortal's Journey to Immortality: Wang Yu Transmigrates into a Book, the Dao Ancestor of Rein

Chapter 99: Storming the Palace, Capturing the Emperor, Splitting into Multiple Forms, and Heading to the Front Lines

In response to Wu Jiu's "Leaf Snake" finger strike was Luo Yan's rapid slashes aided by her Wind-Riding Steps and Cloud-Stepping Boots.

If we can't strike at the heart of the enemy, then we should cut off their wings and defeat them one by one as much as possible.

His movements were as swift as the wind, as fast as a ghost.

The sword is drawn from its sheath, its movement astonishing.

"what?!"

So fast!

Among the four Blood Servants, Leaf Snake, known for its speed and reflexes, suffered a great loss the moment it lost the initiative.

An arm fell off on the spot.

"How is that possible? My arm has been forged through countless trials, and even without the demonic transformation, it's not much worse than a regular top-tier magic weapon! What kind of magic weapon could sever my arm?"

However, what Han Li was holding was not a magic weapon at all, but... the Green Radiance Sword!

It is the Green Radiance Sword, which has not yet been enhanced with the power of Core Formation, but only with the power of late Foundation Establishment.

It is a genuine magic weapon for Core Formation cultivators.

"You couldn't just cut it in half? Your reaction was indeed quick."

Han Li, who had raised the Azure Origin Sword Shield and fully extended his divine sense, squinted and said.

It's important to understand that he's now a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator with far more acute senses, and he's mastered the flight technique corresponding to a high-level flight talisman, integrating it into his Luo Yan Wind-Riding Steps, making him much faster than his original self at the same stage. In other words, he's much faster than Wu Jiuzhi in front of him. Yet, even so, the opponent still managed to dodge the fatal strike thanks to his exceptionally sharp reflexes.

"Foundation Building...late stage?"

"Tick-tock, tick-tock..."

Blood was dripping from the wound on Wu Jiu's severed arm.

Blood was also dripping from the Green Radiance Sword in Han Li's hand.

Their eyes met, and the former jumped back quickly, disappearing in the blink of an eye, too fast for the naked eye to catch.

Moreover, this speed was still before the demonic transformation was complete.

What's even more interesting is that after Wu Jiu sent out a transmission talisman, he began to circle around the palace garden.

Han Li raised an eyebrow upon seeing this:
"They're not running away?"

Instead of showcasing speed and agility here?
Is the intention to keep him here so that the Black Fiend Cult members can launch a coordinated attack later?

"How dare you try your best to master a small skill?"

Han Li's lips curled up slightly.

He flicked the blood off the sword and disappeared from the spot, leaving only the screeching sound of air friction around him.

Both men demonstrated their speed and agility in the small palace gardens, traveling at speeds exceeding two hundred feet per second.

While this doesn't compare to the ultimate speed of flying with a magical artifact, it's still incredibly fast, considering it involves maneuvering within a small space. A moment's carelessness could mean certain death.

The two chased and fled, but gradually, Wu Jiuzhi was horrified to discover that even with his full speed, he was still being crushed by the person in front of him.

"impossible!"

He has never lost in terms of speed.

Just like how Tello never lost in terms of strength.

Han Li, who had disappeared, stopped and revealed himself.

Blood stained the blade of the Green Radiance Sword in his right hand once again.

Opposite them, a figure with three deep, bone-revealing wounds appeared out of thin air, staggering and falling to the ground, unable to get up for a long time. That area was now covered in drops of blood, and countless crimson footprints.

Wu Jiuzhi tried to stand up by supporting his body with one arm, but when he looked up, he met Han Li's indifferent gaze once again.

"Who are you? Why do you know me?"

The boy, now a young man, asked in a hoarse voice.

He used to be just a minor, independent cultivator. After joining the Black Fiend Sect, he only scratched the surface of things, never getting to know any other Foundation Establishment cultivators outside the sect. How did this person know him? And why did he act like they were so familiar?

Upon hearing this, Han Li did not reply, but instead made a teasing remark:
"Stop pretending. You're not that fragile. Show us your trump card, or we might not be able to hold out until Qingwen and the others arrive."

As he spoke, he strode forward, each step landing on Wu Jiuzhi's rapidly beating heart.

The young man stopped pretending and nimbly flipped himself up, his body radiating a bright red light.

This is the beginning of the demonic transformation.

During the demonic transformation, the blood cocoon provides extremely strong defense. Once the transformation ends, his speed and agility will increase significantly, and his hands will be harder than ordinary top-tier magic weapons, making him even stronger.

"So it really has transformed into a demonic entity?"

Han Li smiled.

He flashed forward, his sword flashing, the seemingly thick, blood-red light cluster not much thicker than paper.

With a few swift strokes of the sword, the head and limbs were severed one after another.

Wu Jiuzhi could only die with his eyes wide open in stunned terror and remorse, unable to rest in peace.

"Do not…"

Unfortunately, the sword light was too fast, his pleas for mercy came too late, and the reinforcements arrived even later.

Han Li, being a truly honest person, finally answered the other party's initial question at this point:

"More than ten years ago, at the Tainan Small Gathering, I saw you and Qingwen and the others from afar. So, I know you and remember your face."

Upon hearing this explanation, Wu Jiuzhi's primordial spirit completely dissipated.

I guess I can finally rest in peace...

Of the four Blood Servants, another one has fallen.

in this way.

The headquarters of the Black Fiend Sect only had Emperor Yue, his late-stage Foundation Establishment clone, Qingwen and Bingyao, four Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and a hundred or so Qi Refining stage elites of the Black Fiend Sect.

"The balance of power should have tilted a little more in my favor."

Han Li looked at the sky outside the courtyard, his lips moved slightly, and he murmured something.

...

"Whoosh whoosh..."

A series of whooshing sounds came from the air.

Dozens of figures flying on swords appeared in mid-air in the small courtyard next to the emperor's bedroom.

Those were dozens of elite members of the Black Fiend Cult.

The lowest level of cultivation is the twelfth level of Qi Refining.

The two with the highest cultivation levels are Qingwen and Bingyao, both at the Foundation Establishment stage.

It is said that in addition to the four Blood Servants, there are five other Foundation Establishment cultivators who serve as altar masters of the Black Fiend Sect. However, these five are not in Yuejing, but are secretly active in the five major cities outside Yuejing, capturing rogue cultivators and cultivators from small families in Yue Kingdom to provide nourishment for the sect leader to cultivate demonic arts.

"The Leaf Serpent has been defeated?"

"Nine Fingers...is dead?"

The Ice Demon and the Azure Pattern Demon reacted completely differently.

A look of surprise and astonishment.

The other is anger and sadness.

"Kill this man, trap him, and the leader will arrive immediately."

Qingwen said with resentment.

After a few dozen breaths, Han Li left behind the two dead dogs, took out three beads of different colors from the Ice Demon, Wu Jiuzhi, and Qingwen, and then strode towards the emperor's bedroom.

There were also some elite members of the Black Fiend Cult there.

However, they were all no match for his crescent-shaped twin blades.

"Who's outside? Are you the seven immortal masters who have come to save me? I've been waiting for you."

Excitement rang out from inside the Yue Emperor's palace.

At the same time, not far away, a figure in a blood-red robe flew in with overwhelming momentum. His robes fluttered in the wind, demonstrating incredible speed. His cultivation had already reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and he was not far from the peak of the late stage Foundation Establishment, the Pseudo-Core Realm.

"It's the cult leader..."

"The cult leader has arrived."

"We don't need to be afraid of this person anymore."

The remaining Black Fiend Cult members guarding outside the emperor's bedroom exclaimed with delight.

Before the figure in the blood-red robe arrived, his voice preceded him, a sharp, cold tone issuing the order:

"Quickly capture Emperor Yue. If this person is a cultivator from one of the Seven Sects, then if Emperor Yue dies here, he will be held responsible."

Inside the palace, the middle-aged Yue Emperor panicked upon hearing this: "Seven sects' immortal masters, quick, save me immediately..."

His voice was anxious and trembling.

Han Li secretly curled his lip.

"The acting was really convincing."

The purpose of such a tactic is self-evident.

They wanted to trick him into rescuing the Yue Emperor.

Then, due to carelessness, they were ambushed by the Yue Emperor, who had concealed his cultivation level.

Unfortunately, he didn't move an inch.

"Huh? What's going on? Why is this Foundation Establishment cultivator unmoved? Could he not be from one of the Seven Great Sects?"

Inside the palace, the Yue emperor, who was already prepared and ready to launch an attack at any moment, was greatly puzzled.

His body possessed extremely powerful magical energy, which he held back, waiting for the moment to be unleashed.

It turns out that the true leader of this so-called Black Fiend Sect was not the late Foundation Establishment stage eunuch in blood robes who had arrived. Rather, it was the seemingly ordinary Emperor Yue.

On the surface, the Emperor of Yue was just an ordinary mortal.

The Yue Kingdom's royal family, comprised of mere mortals like ants, were able to rule the mortal realm of Yue, a territory spanning ten thousand miles, entirely thanks to the support of the seven major sects. The price they had to pay was that the royal family was forbidden from cultivating immortality.

Even royal relatives with exceptional spiritual roots cannot cultivate immortality.

So, how could the Emperor Yue, who possessed spiritual roots and even dual spiritual root aptitude, be content with his birth?
Not to mention the miraculous storage bag passed down from his ancestors.

This made him even more unwilling to accept it.

Thus, the Black Fiend Cult was created.

He concealed his cultivation level by using the strange secret technique recorded in the mysterious cultivation method inside the storage bag.

His background was completely undetectable to cultivators below the Core Formation stage.

This also concealed the fact that the Foundation Establishment cultivator teams from the seven major sects would come to investigate every ten years.

In this way, they gained a lot of time to develop secretly.

After all, those Core Formation stage experts from the seven major sects wouldn't wander into the imperial city for no reason. As long as they stay in seclusion and hide in the palace, the probability of him being exposed is not high.

But why are the Foundation Establishment cultivators outside unmoved?
Did they discover something wrong with him?
It shouldn't be.

Han Li, on the other hand, also couldn't discern the true strength of the Yue Emperor.

The unique hidden methods contained in the incomplete Xuan Yin Jing are quite peculiar.

However, this did not prevent him from knowing some of the details about the Yue Emperor.

"It's time to finish."

His right hand, which was tucked inside his sleeve, moved slightly.

The invisible needle-shaped talisman, concealed by the fragments of the silk handkerchief magic treasure, quietly disappeared.

This peculiar talisman, so transparent it was invisible to the naked eye and difficult to detect with divine sense, had been brewing within him for a long time; he had simply been holding back its power. His purpose was to await the arrival of this eunuch avatar of the Yue Emperor—the publicly acknowledged leader of the Black Fiend Cult.

The eunuch clone of the Yue emperor was no ordinary person either.

Both are dual-spiritual-root aptitude.

The key is that he only needs to kill the Yue Emperor to perfectly inherit this clone.

"You know what? If you play dumb for too long, you'll actually become a pig."

Han Li murmured softly: "The most peculiar thing about the Invisible Needle Talisman Treasure is that it is extremely difficult to detect, leaving no trace when it is used. The only point at which it is most easily detected is when it is activated by infusing mana."

However, if this is combined with the concealment of the silk handkerchief magic artifact fragment, it will truly be silent and leave no trace. It won't be much worse than Old Monster Qiong activating it himself.

"Om..."

Inside the palace, Emperor Yue suddenly felt a chill all over his body for some unknown reason.

Before he could think any further, a chill ran down his spine.

Looking down, he saw a bloody hole in his heart, in his chest. Then, a cunning destructive force spread throughout his body, tearing his soul apart.

"I was attacked? What attacked me?"

He couldn't figure it out.

In his final moments, he peeked through the crack in the door and saw the Foundation Establishment stage figure outside happily putting away his cult leader clone.

This made him... his eyes widen in fury.

Birth.

This guy must have done something behind his back.

His ambition, everything about him…

"No…!"

...

Having obtained the storage bag belonging to the Yue Emperor, he focused his attention on examining it.

"The Black Blood Blade, fragments of a magical artifact; a remnant of the Profound Yin Scripture; a fragment of the Void Heaven Map; a special magical artifact, the Soul Gathering Bowl; and over two thousand spirit stones..."

You can't say this guy is poor.

They were very poor.

In fact, the Yue emperor was very wealthy at first, and what he inherited was an extremely luxurious storage bag.

As for Ji Xuan, he is, after all, a direct disciple of the Xuan Gu Old Demon.

Inside the dazzling storage bag were numerous demon cores from the Chaotic Star Sea, various elixirs and spiritual herbs, tens of thousands of spirit stones, and a considerable amount of other cultivation supplies.

This is precisely why, after Emperor Yue ascended the throne in his early twenties, he spent the next twenty years cultivating the incomplete Xuan Yin Scripture to the late Foundation Establishment stage, and was very close to the Pseudo-Core stage.

More than twenty years ago, he entered the path of immortality; more than twenty years later, he has reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment. This speed of progress is something that even Heavenly Spiritual Root cannot match.

With such incredible speed, one's Blood Refining Divine Light was forced to grow too quickly, and the other indeed possessed excellent spiritual root talent; the dual spiritual roots brought considerable advantages. But the most crucial factor was still Ji Xuan's storage bag.

In other words, if Han had arrived a few years earlier, the benefits inside this storage bag might have been even greater.

Of course, even if he were given the chance to do it all over again, he certainly wouldn't take that risk.

That's fine now.

"The Black Blood Blade is most effective when used in conjunction with the Blood Refining Divine Light and the Blood Spirit Drill..." His cunning was deadly. Even the original owner of this body, who had cultivated the Great Evolution Technique, almost didn't react in time and suffered a terrible misfortune.

"The incomplete Xuan Yin Scripture contains three major techniques: Blood Refining Divine Light, Demonic Fiend Technique, and Black Fiend Asura Technique. It also contains mysterious and secret arts such as Blood Spirit Drill, Blood Condensation Five Elements Pill Condensation Method, Marrow Cultivation Pill, and Blood Sacrifice." It can be described as a great encyclopedia of the demonic path.

Keep in mind that this is only an incomplete copy.

"The Fragment of the Void Heaven Map..." is the entry ticket to the Void Heaven Palace instance, a key.

"Soul Gathering Bowl..." A rare magical artifact used by demonic cultivators to contain the soul and primordial spirit of a cultivator, specifically for them to refine and control their inner primordial spirit. It is also an excellent material for crafting second- or third-level puppets.

It is unknown how many rogue cultivators Emperor Yue slaughtered. Even he, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, was forced to shiver by the chilling aura within the Soul Gathering Bowl.

"This guy, under the guise of not wanting to be a slave to the rulers of the Seven Sects, secretly rebels against the Seven Sects. But what about secretly killing so many rogue cultivators and cultivators from small families to support his own cultivation? Damn, he's so hypocritical."

Among those who cultivate immortality in the southern cultivation world, there are probably very few whose hearts are not black.

Including Han Li.

Instead of burning the eunuch's clone, he kept it for his own future use.

This is much faster and more efficient than cultivating a clone of the Demon Core from scratch.

After carefully storing the Yue Emperor and the eunuch's clones using a sealing talisman, he made a special trip to the training room where the eunuch's clones were located to examine the corpses. These were all unfortunate rogue cultivators that the Black Fiend Sect had slaughtered in recent years. From the training room, he also found several thousand spirit stones and some valuable supplies.

In this way, the four blood servants, plus the eunuch clone's storage bag, had a total wealth of nearly 20,000.

After leaving the capital of Yue, he went straight to the battlefield of Jingu Plain.

He told Master Hongfu the whole story.

They then removed the body of the Yue emperor.

With both dead witnesses and physical evidence at hand, and with a formidable enemy of the demonic path at hand, Master Hongfu and the seven sects' Core Formation stage experts not only did not criticize Han Li's reckless behavior, but instead praised it highly.

The fact that this matter wasn't exposed is a merit in itself.

Otherwise, if the seven major sects were to become a den of iniquity right under their noses, it would be a laughing stock.

Now that the seven major sects have discovered this matter, they can restore order and justice to the cultivation world of Yue Kingdom.

From then on, independent cultivators and various cultivation families no longer needed to be cautious due to the hidden threat posed by the Black Fiend Sect.

Therefore, Han Li was not only without fault, but also meritorious.

And it was a great achievement.

"Since my disciple has made such a great contribution, how about awarding him 20,000 merit points?" Hong Fu suggested, looking at the leaders of various sects present and the other twenty or thirty Core Formation stage cultivators who were stationed there.

Upon hearing this, the Core Formation stage cultivators of Huadaowu were the first to object:
"That's not appropriate. Our battlefield merits are only determined by the number of cultivators from the six demonic sects we hunt down. Giving 20,000 merits directly is too much."

The Giant Sword Sect and the Spirit Beast Mountain also had Core Formation cultivators who exchanged glances and then joined in the opposition:

"That's definitely inappropriate. The battlefield here is the most important. Killing a minor elite at the twelfth or thirteenth level of Qi Refining on the battlefield only gives fifty merit points. Killing an early Foundation Establishment cultivator only gives five hundred merit points. Mid-Foundation Establishment, one thousand five hundred. Late Foundation Establishment, five thousand merit points. Fellow Daoist Hong Fu, your disciple has at most killed a late Foundation Establishment evil cultivator. Even considering the significance behind it, giving him more than double that, ten thousand merit points would be generous. How could it be twenty thousand?"

"Yes, what are the cultivators on the front lines supposed to think?"

Three people objected, and the other group of Core Formation cultivators immediately fell silent, mostly choosing to remain on the sidelines.

The seven factions have maintained a facade of harmony while harboring their own hidden agendas for quite some time now.

Moreover, merits are spiritual stones, which are benefits.

One merit point can be exchanged for one low-grade spirit stone, so 20,000 merit points is equivalent to 20,000 spirit stones. They went through countless hardships to kill a cultivator in the early stage of Core Formation, and they only earned 100,000 merit points. You, Hong Fu, are offering 20,000 merit points just for your disciple; this is a bit too much of a favor.

Seeing that his master was struggling to secure benefits for him, Han Li naturally wouldn't just stand by and watch:

"Master, I have some corpses of Black Fiend Cult members here..."

He smiled憨厚ly and took out a large-capacity storage bag.

When everyone saw the hundreds of Qi Refining stage corpses and four Foundation Establishment stage corpses poured out of the storage bag, they opened their mouths but remained silent for a long time. Looking at Han Li's simple, honest smiling face, their expressions became increasingly strange: How could this guy take out so many "spoils of war" with such a smile?

Among them, a beautiful figure from the Hidden Moon Sect had the strangest expression:
is it you?
No wonder I've been looking for you for so long but couldn't find you.

So you're not a disciple of Tianque Fortress, but from Huangfeng Valley!
"What do you mean, gentlemen?"

Master Hongfu, who had been somewhat embarrassed, gave a light snort.

He looked at the Core Formation stage cultivators from the three sects with a hint of mockery.

These hundreds of spoils of war, worth seven or eight thousand merit points, could double to fifteen or sixteen thousand merit points due to their special nature. Adding the ten thousand merit points represented by the Yue Emperor, the initial twenty thousand merit points were simply not enough.

"Ah this..."

It turns out that their backyards had become such a horrific mess without anyone knowing when.

And right under their noses.

The capital of Yue Kingdom, a forbidden zone off-limits to cultivators of the seven sects, has ironically become the lair of heretical cultivators. If word gets out, these high and mighty figures will become a laughingstock. Even their sect patriarchs will lose face.

"Ahem, 20,000 merit points is quite appropriate."

The Core Formation stage leader of Tianque Fortress spoke up.

The leaders of both the Hidden Moon Sect and the Pure Void Sect nodded in agreement.

But then, Master Hongfu objected.

"Forty thousand, twenty thousand is too little. Otherwise, I, Dong, would not mind making this known to the whole world. Anyway, it will not be my Huangfeng Valley that is embarrassed."

This is what it means to be fearless and have nothing to fear.

Who could blame her for having such a promising disciple?
The members of the six major sects: "..."

Looking at the person from the initial Blade-Transforming Dock, his expression was full of resentment:
Why did you provoke her? Now look what's happened, you have to come up with an extra 20,000 reserve spirit stones or corresponding supplies.

That's just asking for trouble.

"Okay, that's it."

A male cultivator in the late Core Formation stage from the Hidden Moon Sect made the final decision.

He was afraid that Han Li would bring out a few more corpses that could earn him extra points.

Han Li was indeed about to reach into his storage bag, making a gesture as if he was about to take something out.

"Alright, alright, forty thousand, forty thousand."

The leaders of the other factions blushed slightly and quickly moved on from the matter.

After the Core Formation stage elders from various sects left the camp in Huangfeng Valley, Master Hongfu curiously began to examine her disciple:
"You actually broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, and your foundation is solid. It doesn't seem like a forced advancement using demonic methods? Han Li, how did you do that?"

Han Li immediately bowed respectfully:
“Master, I have obtained a fortuitous opportunity, which has allowed me to make some progress. I have already asked someone to inform my senior sister about this opportunity. When she has time in the future, she is welcome to go and investigate.”

"When there are benefits, you always think of your good-for-nothing senior sister."

Master Hongfu smiled and shook her head, growing more and more fond of Han Li the more she looked at him.
"By the way, now that you've come to the front lines, why don't you stay here for a while? With your strength, you should be able to contribute significantly to the Foundation Establishment stage battlefield, helping us reduce losses and alleviate some pressure. Furthermore, our seven sects have very generous reward mechanisms to encourage our cultivators to fight actively; you can exchange your merits for cultivation pills and other supplies. Take a look at this..."

As Master Hongfu spoke, she tossed over a jade slip.

This jade slip records the value of the merits of different cultivators.

Qi Refining Stage: Fifty Merit Points.

Ordinary Foundation Building Stage: 500.

Early stage of Foundation Establishment under the Core Formation Sect: 1,000.

Mid-stage Foundation Establishment (ordinary): 1,500.

Mid-Foundation Establishment stage under the Core Formation sect: Three thousand.

Late stage of ordinary Foundation Establishment: 5,000.

Late Foundation Establishment stage under the Core Formation sect: 10,000.

Ordinary early stage of Core Formation: 100,000.

Early stage of Core Formation under the tutelage of the Nascent Soul Ancestor: 200,000.

Mid-stage Core Formation: 300,000.

Mid-stage Core Formation disciple of the Nascent Soul sect: 500,000.

Late-stage Core Formation: One million.

The young masters of each sect: Slay 100,000 and capture 1 million alive.

The items that can be exchanged for merit points include spiritual herbs, pills, talismans, magical artifacts, spiritual materials, cultivation techniques, spirit stones, and so on. Even a magical treasure that has not yet been refined and recognized by a master was prepared as a reward by the Grand Elder, the Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Hidden Moon Sect. It can be described as a grand gesture.

Required merit points: 1.2 million.

However, so far, neither side has lost many Core Formation cultivators, so no one has exchanged them.

No casualties have been reported in Huangfeng Valley.

One member each from the Huadaowu, Qingxumen, and Jujianmen sects has perished.

If we exclude the Li brothers, then six members of the demonic path have perished.

Two of them were killed by Master Hongfu when she suddenly entered the battlefield, disrupting the balance, and then using the magic weapon Qiankun Tower to kill them on the spot. The other was the work of Old Monster Qiong.

Faced with these two, there are only two or three late-stage Core Formation experts from the direct lineage of the Demonic Path. Who could possibly take them on one-on-one?
Previously, whenever Old Monster Qiong took to the field, at least three late-stage Core Formation cultivators from the demonic path would keep an eye on him—three against one, no doubt! And he was even dominating all three. Now, with the addition of Master Hong Fu, whose strength has skyrocketed, the Core Formation cultivator lineup of the demonic path's vanguard is naturally finding itself somewhat stretched thin.

Even if Master Hongfu is not treated as well as Old Monster Qiong, she still needs at least two late-stage Core Formation cultivators to restrain her, otherwise she will be overwhelmed by a single point.

This made things very difficult for the vanguard of the demonic path.

This is why the recent battles between Core Formation cultivators haven't been so intense, and instead, there's been time to visit him here.

This shows that the chain reaction caused by the Yan family incident has had a significant butterfly effect. The balance of power among Core Formation cultivators has actually shifted slightly?!
It should be noted that in the original trajectory, the six sects of the demonic path were well prepared and consistently suppressed the seven factions of the Yue Kingdom, never suffering a loss from beginning to end, even with this vanguard force.

Now, in the battle of the Core Formation stage, they are actually showing signs of suffering setbacks.

of course.

This advantage is only temporary.

Once the main force of the demonic path arrives, let alone adding another Master Hongfu, even adding ten or eight more would be pointless.

With most of the forces of the Zijin Kingdom, Yue Kingdom, and Yuanwu Kingdom combined, they could only rely on their formations to retreat and defend against the large army of the Six Demonic Sects. They had no confidence whatsoever to launch an offensive.

The current situation is much, much better.

With his mind focused on the jade slip, Han Li glanced at the exchange list and was immediately tempted.

Because this place even contains rare and precious pills, and quite a few at that. If he could use different types of pills to improve his cultivation, it would help him reduce his drug resistance. However, the required merit points are also high. A single rare pill suitable for the mid-to-late stages of Foundation Establishment costs three to four thousand spirit stones. That's comparable to the value of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Foundation Building Pills are also on the exchange list.

One meritorious service for four thousand years.

In addition, spoils captured from the battlefield can be exchanged for merit points, but the price is discounted by 10% because they need to be appraised.

In other words, one Foundation Establishment Pill can be exchanged for 3,600 merit points.

"Master, what is the current situation on the battlefield between the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining stages?"

Although Han Li considered himself quite capable, he dared not be careless in the slightest. He had to ask all the necessary questions to avoid being caught off guard and suffering a setback.

"It's getting worse and worse."

Hong Fu said seriously:
Do you know how many disciples my Yellow Maple Valley initially assigned?

"There are nearly three hundred people in the Foundation Establishment stage and nearly three thousand in the Qi Refining stage."

Han Lidao.

The remaining hundred or so Foundation Establishment stage cultivators and over a thousand Qi Refining level 12 or 13 elites were assigned to guard various mines and spirit herb gardens, which also significantly strengthened the patrol teams near the border.

"Of the original three hundred Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, only about two hundred remain. Of the original three thousand Qi Refining stage elites, less than fifteen hundred are left. You may think our forces haven't lost manpower and the battle line remains stable, but in reality, it's just that reinforcements are arriving intermittently to replenish our ranks, and we're essentially fighting a piecemeal battle."

For example, the cultivators who escaped from the destroyed mines and herb gardens would still be assigned to the front lines after returning to their sects.

Unless there is a relationship to temporarily avoid an early war of attrition.

For example, those who have no background, hold no special positions, and are not technically skilled will still have to come to the front lines as cannon fodder.

"The casualties are really that high?"

Han Li was shocked.

"In the year since the war began, our seven sects have lost a total of over eight hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators. More than ten thousand of our Qi Refining elites have perished."

Of course, some disciples also exchanged for Foundation Establishment Pills and became new Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

Furthermore, some Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged for precious pills, breaking through the bottlenecks that had bound them for many years.

Here, there is death, but also opportunity and fulfillment.

The passing of geniuses is regrettable, but the rise of new talents is exciting.

"Han Li, are you willing to go to the battlefield?"

Master Hongfu inquired in a kind voice, without forcing the issue.

Han Li did not hesitate at all:
"I am willing to follow my master into battle!"

"it is good."

Hong Fu nodded in satisfaction.

The more and more pleased there was in his eyes:

"Get ready. In three days, there will be a new round of small battles. These small battles will not involve Core Formation cultivators. You can go up and try it out to get used to it. In ten days, there will be a major battle in which even Core Formation cultivators will participate. You must be very careful."

"The disciple understands."

Han Li nodded, then took out another jade slip:

"Master, I also have information about the five major strongholds of the Black Fiend Sect. Should we send people to wipe them out?"

"Of course, this matter will be left to your two senior sisters to lead the team. They came to the front line three months ago and have been training for three months. They can go down and rest for a while."

Han Li nodded, having no objection.

...

Why did you come to the front lines?
We could have delayed it longer.

It's very simple; he has to persuade Master Hongfu to leave this dangerous place.

The seven factions can hold out for at most another year and a half before they run out of their reserves and have to ask the Yuanwu Kingdom in the north and the Zijin Kingdom in the south for help.

That was also the time when the six sects of the demonic path, in coordination with the Spirit Beast Mountain, launched a sneak attack from within.

If they cannot retreat in time, their army will collapse like a house of cards, and even those in the late Core Formation stage will face the danger of death and the dissipation of their cultivation. Once they are entangled by high-level demonic cultivators and surrounded by a large army, they can wear down even the few so-called experts.

He didn't want his master, Hong Fu, to be in danger.

However, it would be unrealistic to ask Master Hongfu to withdraw from the battlefield and return to the sect now. Even using the opportunity of the Spirit Eye Spring as an excuse might not work. This is because Master Hongfu is the strongest Core Formation cultivator in Huangfeng Valley. As long as the Nascent Soul stage cultivators do not participate, such a powerful expert must be stationed at the front line.

and so.

he came.

By personally getting involved, he guided the connection between the two events, ultimately achieving his goal of persuading Master Hongfu and even Huangfeng Valley.

"Master, there's not much I can do for the Red Tassel Mountain lineage before I leave."

As Han Li left the main camp in Huangfeng Valley, he looked back one more time.

...

After that, he was assigned to a Foundation Establishment stage tent.

He was just about to close the curtain and activate the isolation array to seal off the area when a gaze fell upon him from a distance. The mid-to-high-level sensing talisman pressed against his chest immediately heated up.

Their eyes met, and he instinctively looked away.

The veiled figure not far away didn't pay much attention to this place either, only glancing at it briefly before turning and leaving.

Watching her departing figure, Han Li took a deep breath:

"You were recognized?"

Right.

The other party is a Core Formation stage cultivator. No matter how well he disguises himself here, as long as they meet again and his cultivation level does not exceed that of the other party, the other party should theoretically be able to recognize him based on his magical power aura.

"So what if I get recognized? What are you going to do about it?"

After pursing her lips, she pulled down the curtain at the door.

...

three days later.

Han Li appeared in one of the dozens of small battlefields formed by the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining stages.

He joined the war.

After glancing at the battle situation, he summoned eight level-two puppets.

As the saying goes, "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down," and he didn't want to be targeted right from the start.

Slowly bleed the demonic path dry, gradually accumulate merits, and quietly amass wealth – this is the safest and most efficient approach.

The original owner of this body had quietly killed over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators and numerous Qi Refining cultivators within a year. His reputation didn't rise in the early stages, but rather later. He had to learn from this successful example.

Eight level-two puppets provide support, the Azure Dragon Chain, a top-tier rare magic artifact, leads the charge, and the fine steel bracelet, also a rare artifact, launches surprise attacks as needed.

This is the equipment and strength he displayed right from the start.

A rare top-tier magic weapon activated by mana in the late Foundation Establishment stage is not much less powerful than a top-grade magic weapon activated in the mid Foundation Establishment stage.

He, who was highly anticipated, concealed his true abilities in his first battle, only managing to kill seventeen or eighteen Qi Refining stage cultivators from the demonic path.

This did not displease Master Hongfu; on the contrary, it garnered even more praise.

Those who understand will naturally understand the reasons behind it.

"This kid is really steady."

On the other side of the Hidden Moon Sect, a disheveled old man squinted with interest:
"Moreover, her cultivation speed is far too fast. Just how many resources did Hong Fu invest in nurturing her?"

"Isn't that kid supposed to be amazing? How come he only has this much strength? No, he's just hiding his true abilities."

"Hmph, what a cunning brat..."

The people watching Han Li's Core Formation stage had different expressions.

On the tenth day after arriving at the front line, the battle between Core Formation stage cultivators began.

An interesting scene then unfolded.

The battlefield for Core Formation cultivators is thousands of feet in the air and far from human habitation.

The battlefield for Foundation Establishment cultivators is located several hundred feet in the air.

The battlefield, densely packed like a swarm of locusts, for cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, was on the ground.

Normally, the Core Formation stage cultivators on the Core Formation battlefield are mutually restraining each other and cannot interfere with the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stage battlefields. However, there are always aftershocks from the collision of magical treasures or spells falling diagonally downwards.

Then, the Foundation Establishment cultivators from various sects who had performed well a few days earlier were more or less affected by the aftershocks of the Core Formation stage battle.

Some of the unfortunate ones were seriously injured, while others died on the spot, and even their own Core Formation experts couldn't save them in time.

"The battlefield situation is indeed complex; we must not rashly step forward."

Han Li was relieved to see this.

Fortunately, he didn't stand out too much and thus attract the attention of the Core Formation stage cultivators of the demonic path.

He knew very well that although he was valued by Master Hongfu and had her covert protection, and his master would definitely provide him with as much protection as possible, Master Hongfu couldn't devote all her attention to him. In addition, there were his two senior sisters, Xiuting and Xiulan, who also needed his care. Moreover, the great battle between cultivators of the same level was keeping him occupied, so how could he easily be distracted? Even if he had the spare strength, he might not be able to come to his rescue in time.

Therefore, he'd better keep a low profile.

You only have one life. It's better to be safe than sorry. Staying alive is the most important thing.

No matter how outstanding a Foundation Establishment cultivator is, once they die, no one will care about them anymore.

The battlefield situation is unpredictable. The Core Formation experts of the Six Demonic Sects are always secretly targeting the outstanding Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Seven Sects of Yue Kingdom.

Similarly, the seven factions also used the same tactics against each other, specifically targeting the more outstanding Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from the demonic path.

It is difficult to determine life or death between the Core Formation stage and the Golden Core stage.

It's not like harvesting the Foundation Establishment and even Qi Refining stages below is just a minor aftereffect.

At this moment, the term "cannon fodder" took on a concrete form.

(End of this chapter)