Chapter 282: Stationed for Three Years
"Thank you all for coming all this way to our Holy Puppet Sect. Please take a rest and enjoy some spirit tea. I am the deputy sect master of the Holy Puppet Sect, and I will be overseeing proceedings in this defensive battle. I hope that all of you can assist me in the upcoming battle, and all of you will be rewarded if we can ward off the enemy," the woman in the palace dress said.
"We came here to carry out our mission, so don't hesitate to call on us. What my fellow daoists from the Transient Guild and I are most worried about is the current situation of the Holy Puppet Sect, as well as who our enemies are going to be, when they'll be coming, and how many of them we'll have to face," Qilin 3 said in a direct and straightforward manner.
All of the Transient Guild members, including Han Li, turned to the woman in the palace dress upon hearing this.
"To tell you all the truth, I don't have answers to any of those questions," the woman in the palace dress replied with a wry smile after a brief hesitation.
"What?"
"You don't even know who your enemies are? Is this a joke?"
"We have no intention of fighting a battle that we'll know nothing about!"
"If no one comes to attack the sect, does that mean we'll just have to stay here indefinitely?"
Many of the Transient Guild members immediately began to voice their protests upon hearing this, clearly not satisfied with the answer being provided.
Their mission was to protect the Holy Puppet Sect, and the identity of the enemy wasn't explicitly stated, so they were taking a risk by accepting this mission. Of course, they were lured in by the substantial reward being promised, and they were also quite confident in their own powers, but they still had to know who their enemies were so they could weigh up the risks and rewards to devise the best possible strategy.
If the mission were too difficult or dangerous to complete, then they would rather abandon the mission at the cost of having to pay the penalty rather than risk their own lives. Of course, that was only the worst case scenario.
Qilin 3 had disclosed some details of the mission to everyone on the way to the Holy Puppet Sect, but she had left out many key pieces of information, and everyone had thought that all of their questions would be answered upon arriving at the Holy Puppet Sect. However, the deputy sect master appeared to have been completely in the dark as well, and that was naturally not a very encouraging sign.
Qilin 9 and the others weren't saying anything, but all of them were looking expectantly at Qilin 3, waiting for her to speak up.
As for Han Li, his expression remained unchanged, but he was also feeling rather speechless.
However, prior to setting off, he had evaluated the power of the Holy Puppet Sect, and his conclusion was that even if there were Golden Immortal Stage beings among the enemy invaders, given his current power and abilities, he would've still been able to ensure self-preservation, so he was one of the few Transient Guild members present who remained calm and collected.
"Please remain calm, everyone. All of us have already accepted this mission, so our priority should be to consider how to complete it as best as possible. Of course, if you want to withdraw now, you can do so, but according to the guild's rules, you'll have to pay a penalty of three times the Immortal Origin Stone reward being offered," Qilin 3 said in an unhurried manner.
Her voice wasn't very loud, but it carried an innate sense of authority, and all of the Transient Guild members who were raising complaints exchanged a few glances upon hearing this before falling silent.
"Deputy Sect Master, while it's true that we accepted this mission for the reward on offer, so we're bound by duty to complete it, but there's only so much that we can do. If you do not know who your enemy is, then I presume your sect must've made ample preparations, right?" Qilin 3 asked as she turned to the woman in the palace dress.
"Please bear with me, I'm not intentionally trying to withhold any information. Instead, I truly don't have the answers to your questions. Our sect only learned through some reliable avenues not long ago that some forces were being assembled to target our Holy Puppet Sect. Our sect master is currently on another continent and unable to get back in time, and that's why I've turned to recruiting external allies.
“I've already stated in the mission that all you need to do is help our sect weather this storm, and the mission duration is three years. During this time, all of you are free to cultivate in our sect as you please, and even if no enemy invasion occurs during those three years, you'll still receive your rewards in full," the woman in the palace dress explained.
The expression of all of the Transient Guild members eased slightly upon hearing this.
"Additionally, our sect may be small, but it's been standing for many years, and it certainly won't be brought down easily. Even though we do not know who our enemies are going to be, if they dare to invade, then we'll be sure to give them a good taste of our sects countless restrictions, and arrays, and puppets.
“Having said that, excessive confidence is never a good thing, so as a safety precaution, some of our sect's core disciples have already been evacuated, and all of the 3,000 or so sect members who remain on the island are ones who have vowed to defend our sect with their lives," the woman in the palace dress continued.
Han Li nodded in response with a contemplative look on his face upon hearing this. It was no wonder that he hadn't seen many cultivators on such a large island.
"How many of those 3,000 sect members are True Immortal cultivators?" Qilin 9 asked.
Everyone else immediately turned to the deputy sect master as well, and it was clear that they were also very interested to hear the answer to this question.
This was a very understandable reaction. In battles of this level, Golden Immortal cultivators were going to be the most powerful beings on the battlefield, but they were often subjected to many restraints, so more often than not, the number of True Immortal cultivators that each side possessed was the main factor that decided the outcomes of the battles.
"At the moment, we have over 30 True Immortal cultivators. Aside from these elders with us right now, there are also some other elders who are stationed at key points on the islands, and I'm sure you'll be meeting all of them in due time," the woman in the palace dress explained.
The Holy Puppet Sect wasn't a first-rate sect, and it naturally couldn't compare with the Blaze Dragon Dao, so it was already quite remarkable that it had a Golden Immortal Stage sect master and over 30 True Immortal Stage elders. Among sects of the same caliber, it had to have already been considered to be quite the powerhouse.
"In that case, in addition to all of our Transient Guild members, there are at least 50 True Immortal cultivators on the island. With such a formidable lineup and the whole host of restrictions and defensive measures set up on the island, we should be well-equipped to deal with most enemy invasions," Qilin 3 remarked.
Her words instantly instilled a sense of reassurance into the hearts of most of the Transient Guild members present. After all, she was the leader of this mission, and her crimson mask reflected both her power and her status in the Transient Guild. Many of the Transient Guild members present had worked with crimson-masked members in the past, so they were aware of just how formidable and experienced those higher-ranking members were.
Hence, her judgment was one that everyone was willing to support.
Han Li didn't share the same sentiment. Instead of trusting in the judgment of others, he was placing his trust in his own power.
"Alright, so the mission objective is clear: all we have to do is protect the sect for three years. If you wish to withdraw from the mission, this is your final chance to do so," Qilin 3 declared.
At this point, the commotion had already died down. Most of the Transient Guild members had already committed themselves to seeing the mission through for the sake of the reward, and the hesitant minority ultimately also decided not to withdraw.
"Very Good," Qilin 3 remarked with a slight nod, then turned to the woman in the palace dress again as she asked, "Is there anything in particular that we need to do?"
"All of our sect's elders are stationed on this island, so we're stretched a little thin when it comes to defense of the other eight islands. At the moment, there's only a single True Immortal cultivator or some Grand Ascension cultivators stationed on each of those islands. Hence, we'll be requiring your services in assisting with defending those islands," the woman in the palace dress replied.
All of the Transient Guild members' expressions changed once again upon hearing this.
"If we don't have enough numbers, then why don't we focus all of our forces on defending this island and simply abandon the other islands, then reclaim them once the crisis is over?" Qilin 9 asked, raising a question that was shared by everyone.
The main island was clearly the likeliest focal point of the enemy attack, so everyone couldn't help but feel a little suspicious about this arrangement.
However, Han Li didn't feel this to be strange in the slightest. Essentially, they were like mercenaries to the Holy Puppet Sect, so they were naturally going to be stationed on the front lines. There was no way that they could just expect to nestle down in cozy bunkers on the main island and earn such a massive reward.
Of course, the deputy sect master definitely had other reasons for making this arrangement as well.
"To tell you all the truth, the eight array islands form the most formidable defensive line of our sect, and if we can keep them defended, then we'll be able to maintain an upper hand over the enemy to a certain extent. Hence, those islands require extra protection. Besides, even if I were to assign all of you with the task of controlling all of the arrays and restrictions on the main island, you may not necessarily be up to the task," the woman in the palace dress explained.
Everyone was enlightened upon hearing this.
"There are 16 of us in total, how do you plan to distribute us?" Qilin 3 asked.
The woman in the palace dress seemed to have already anticipated this question, and she replied, "Out of the eight array islands, only one is being defended by two True Immortal Stage elders, while the other seven islands will all require extra reinforcement. As for how everyone is to be distributed, I'll leave that up to you, Fellow Daoist Qilin 3."
After some contemplation, Qilin 3 said, "In that case, all of you can form groups of two and pick an island to defend, while Qilin 11 will remain on the main island with me."
Everyone immediately accepted this arrangement with no objections, including Han Li, but his heart stirred slightly upon hearing this.
It seemed that Qilin 3 was going out of her way to look out for Bai Suyuan, so could it be that she was aware of Bai Suyuan's true cultivation base? Alternatively, could it be that the two of them knew each other outside of the Transient Guild?
With that in mind, a bold theory about Qilin 3's identity began to take shape in his mind.
Right at this moment, a familiar voice rang out in Han Li's mind. As it turned out, Xiong Shan had reached out to him through voice transmission.
"How about you and I form a team to defend one of the islands, Fellow Daoist Wyrm 15?"
"I was just about to propose the same thing."
Having previously worked with Qilin 9, Han Li was naturally aware of his power, and he was more than happy to accept this arrangement.
……
A few minutes later, everyone emerged from the hall in teams of two before being led toward the surrounding islands by the elders of the Holy Puppet Sect.
"Let's go, Fellow Daoist Wyrm 15," Qilin 9 said as he approached Han Li, to which Han Li nodded in response without saying anything.
With that, the two of them were led toward the southwest by an elderly man with a white beard.
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