Just then, the short, sturdy demonic cultivator at the side suddenly spoke up.
"Fellow Daoist Li, that's about enough. Besides, we don't even know what tomorrow's battle will be like. Isn't it fine as long as there are benefits for both sides? I think it's better to spend more time getting familiar with each other's combat methods."
The short, sturdy demonic cultivator had met Jiao Hua a few times before, so he decided to help him out.
Li Yan's hand, which was stroking his chin, paused. He then shot a sidelong glance at the short, sturdy demonic cultivator, his large, round eyes rolling a few times before he finally said, "Alright. But I'll make it clear to Fellow Daoist Jiao: if your men aren't as formidable as you claim tomorrow, we're splitting up on the spot. On the battlefield, it'll be every man for himself."
Jiao Hua nodded repeatedly. "No problem, Fellow Daoist Li, rest assured!"
In his heart, he was also a little uneasy about Li Yan's squad. If this Fellow Daoist Li's squad had lost so many people on a simple mission, the remaining ones might just be for show and not truly useful. When it came to a real fight, they might not be up to the task.
Jiao Hua knew that many cultivators on the Desolate Moon Continent single-mindedly pursued longevity. Their realms might be high, but their combat strength was often terrible.
Li Yan immediately turned back and said to Bai Rou and the other three, "Go and get familiar with them. At the very least, you need to know each other's specialties so you can be prepared."
The four of them respectfully bowed and replied, "Yes." They knew, of course, that this was their chance to make contact with the "inside agent." They certainly wouldn't reveal their own proficient cultivation methods.
As Bai Rou lowered her head to respond, she simultaneously sent a voice transmission to Li Yan. "What about the restriction token?" This was something the four of them urgently needed to know so they could make arrangements and better coordinate with Li Yan's plan.
Li Yan's voice sounded in Bai Rou's mind the next moment. "You make contact with the target first. The Luoshu Lake token is with me, but it's not convenient to take it out now. We'll confirm with him at the end.
"At the same time, find out the current location of the other target. But you heard what Jiao Hua said; the other demonic cultivator in this squad died in battle, so the other target might already be dead. Still, it's best to ask first.
"As for the restriction token, I only have a preliminary plan right now. I'll have to act according to the situation. When I need your cooperation, I will signal you."
Bai Rou replied with a voice transmission. When the four of them heard Jiao Hua talk about the previous battle, they had all exchanged glances, mostly certain that the other target was already dead. For a moment, they weren't sure if bringing back just one person would still count as completing the mission.
Hearing Li Yan's words, she understood that he didn't have a concrete plan either and could only take it one step at a time. They were all prepared for the possibility of having to fight at any moment, but that was a situation that none of them, including Li Yan, wanted to see. The only outcome would be total annihilation.
Immediately, Bai Rou and the other three walked toward the six enemy cultivators. Although the Clear Spirit Sect cultivators had no desire to reorganize their squad at this moment, in front of the demonic cultivators, they could only force themselves to put on a good face. They walked to a corner of the courtyard with Bai Rou's group and began to talk in low voices.
Only then did Li Yan turn his head back to look at Jiao Hua and the two demonic cultivators beside him. Although he was eager to get the restriction token from Jiao Hua, there was one more thing he needed to clarify first. Otherwise, his mind would not be at ease.
Li Yan rubbed his chin again. "Fellow Daoist Jiao, when I arrived here earlier, I saw you all discussing something important. I wonder if it's related to this gathering?
"Would it be convenient to reveal a little information, so that I can also be aware and make some preparations in advance?"
Li Yan's words were vague. After all, the information he had was based on analysis and speculation; he hadn't actually received any orders to report here.
Therefore, he couldn't say too much. Perhaps some information had already been revealed in their orders. If he appeared completely ignorant, it would immediately arouse their suspicion.
So, Li Yan expressed his meaning ambiguously, but fortunately, the intention was clear enough.
At this point, the short, sturdy demonic cultivator and his companion approached again. Jiao Hua chuckled.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you've guessed correctly. The order this time came suddenly and without any specific reason. It just told us to report here, register, and be counted.
"This order came so abruptly, I reckon it's not just us discussing it. Probably the leaders of every squad that has gathered in Zhouyang Town are discussing the reason.
"However, I believe Fellow Daoist Li should be able to see the outcome of this matter..."
As Jiao Hua spoke, he looked at Li Yan, a hint of excitement on his face. He didn't know that his words had already given Li Yan a great deal of information.
"To gather squads like this, there must be a major battle coming," Li Yan nodded, stating his own thoughts. He had at least confirmed that the orders didn't mention the reason for the gathering.
The short, sturdy demonic cultivator also said, "Of course. Otherwise, there would be no need to recall everyone on such a large scale. Moreover, to the north of here, the divine sense of a Demon Lord is sweeping back and forth to prevent any cultivators from the Desolate Moon Continent from approaching.
"The four of us were just discussing this. And on my way here, I met a friend whose squad was ordered to report to a different location. It seems a great battle is coming. Does Fellow Daoist Li have any other information?"
Li Yan was alarmed. "The demon clan army is gathering in different places? Are they planning to attack the defensive points from several directions?"
He knew that his side currently had three defensive points, but the demon clan's elite forces were not particularly numerous. Even with the addition of several hundred foreign cultivators and the remnants of the demon clan left behind on the Desolate Moon Continent, it wouldn't be enough to support a simultaneous attack on three defensive points.
"I didn't run into any familiar fellow daoists on my way here, so I don't know the situation elsewhere. I just received the order to report here," Li Yan said with misdirection, grafting one story onto another.
"The main thing we were discussing just now was, since the Demon Lord recalled us so urgently, when will the great battle be launched, and what will be our main direction of attack?" Jiao Hua continued. Speaking of the impending battle, he felt both excited and apprehensive. He was excited about getting more rare treasures from the storage pouches of those human cultivators that didn't exist in the Demon Realm.
On the other hand, he was apprehensive that with his level of cultivation, he would always be sent to the front lines, where life and death were decided in an instant.
"Oh, what are your thoughts, Fellow Daoists? I feel the attack should still be a few days away," Li Yan said deliberately, though he already had a bad feeling.
"Fellow Daoist Li, you are probably mistaken. That's quite different from our conclusion. We think the battle could be within one or two days, possibly even tomorrow morning.
"And from what I've heard, there are only a few Demon Lord adults here overseeing the gathering of cultivators, but at any time, a Demonic General might arrive with more Demon Lord commanders. At that point, the Demonic General will be the one commanding us in battle."
This time it was the short, sturdy demonic cultivator who spoke in a deep voice. To a powerful existence like Li Yan, who was equivalent to a human Pseudo-Core Realm cultivator, they all wanted to deliberately build a good relationship. On the battlefield, there might be a time when they needed to ask for a favor.
"Oh? Why are you so certain about the timing?" Li Yan frowned, looking at the short, sturdy demonic cultivator.
"It's simple. News of such a large-scale gathering can't be contained for long. In fact, it's impossible to completely block it. Therefore, the best time to attack is before the enemy is fully prepared.
"If the enemy's scouts are fast, they could get news of the anomaly here from ten thousand miles away in just a few hours."
Li Yan's heart tightened further. The other's analysis was not without reason. In that case, they had to speed up their mission even more.
"Then our attack from here should be directed at Windy Cool Mountain," Li Yan said with certainty.
"On this point, Fellow Daoist Li is probably correct..."
Next, Li Yan seemed to join their discussion, even offering some of his own views. Just like that, amidst Li Yan's anxiety and the somewhat excited expressions of the three demonic cultivators, about the time it takes for a cup of tea had passed.
Li Yan suddenly spoke up. "Fellow Daoists, your insights are profound. I have benefited greatly."
"Fellow Daoist Li is too modest. What you said about the Four Great Sects has also benefited us a lot," Jiao Hua laughed. Of course, Li Yan couldn't appear completely ignorant earlier, so he had picked some unimportant news and shared some superficial details.
Li Yan wasn't worried that they could figure out the deployment at Windy Cool Mountain from his few words. These three demonic cultivators were merely Demonic Soldiers; their words carried little weight and couldn't decide the army's direction.
"Oh, right. The battle could start at any moment. Fellow Daoist Jiao, I'd like to talk to you alone about how to utilize these few human cultivators to better maximize their effectiveness."
"Oh, that's something we do need to discuss. Fellow Daoist Li seems to have some understanding of human cultivators and should be able to squeeze the most use out of them." Jiao Hua was in the middle of an enthusiastic conversation when Li Yan interrupted him. Although he said this, he didn't think much of it.
He figured his six men would be at their limit after just one wave of attack, even if the enemy didn't manage to kill them. At that point, it would mainly depend on Li Yan's four subordinates. But since the other party had brought it up, he couldn't refuse.
The short, sturdy demonic cultivator didn't find anything wrong with this either. After all, when he got his hands on human cultivators, he also tried to find ways to make the most of them.
Thus, the four of them separated. Jiao Hua said to Li Yan, "Yes, let's go inside to talk." It was better to avoid the human cultivators in the courtyard for such matters.
Jiao Hua pointed with his hand and then started walking toward a room. Li Yan followed at a slow pace.
After entering the room, Jiao Hua pointed to an empty chair. "Come, Fellow Daoist Li, please sit!"
Li Yan didn't stand on ceremony and sat right down. "Fellow Daoist Jiao, do you know why my four subordinates, after our entire squad was heavily damaged and after a bitter battle, are still able to maintain their excellent condition?"
Jiao Hua, who was about to sit down, was stunned. He paused mid-air before finally sitting down. "Oh? What does Fellow Daoist Li mean by this? Could it be that you have some secret art?"
But a sharp glint appeared in his eyes. 'It seems this Li Yan has some secret. No wonder he wanted to talk to me alone. He's afraid Fellow Daoist Wen and the others might find out.' At this thought, Jiao Hua's interest immediately grew.
Li Yan first glanced at the door before saying in a low voice, "A few days ago, I obtained a secret art from a human cultivator. This art can be used to increase their essence blood regeneration ability by consuming their lifespan, allowing them to constantly maintain a vigorous state of essence blood.
"Actually, the four people you see today were originally very young. For example, that middle-aged woman was a young girl just a few days ago. But after a few days of fighting, I've used it twice, and some of their lifespan has been consumed.
"However, they were able to display at least twenty percent more strength than their own realm in battle, and they are still in excellent condition now, just a bit older in appearance..."
At this point, Li Yan stopped speaking and leaned back in his chair.