"If we cannot accomplish this...
none of us will be among those pardoned by the Cultivator Association.
Once the Association finds us, there will be only one road ahead—death!"
The moment those words were spoken, the grand hall instantly fell into dead silence, and all the cultivators were dumbstruck!
The smiles on their faces froze at once, replaced by shock and disbelief.
"The sect's reserves are all controlled by the elders. If the elders refuse to contribute them, then we... then don't we still have no hope of survival?"
A Foundation Establishment cultivator said, his face pale and his voice trembling.
"Exactly!
Elder Wu, is there no other way?
The sect's reserves are the foundation of our sect. If we hand over all of them, then even if we receive a pardon, we will never be able to rebuild the sect in the future!"
Another Golden Core deacon frowned tightly, his tone carrying urgency and unwillingness.
For a time, the grand hall buzzed with discussion.
Every cultivator wore an anxious expression, their voices brimming with worry and reluctance.
The atmosphere, which had only just eased, became oppressive once more.
Seeing this, Elder Wu let out a soft sigh. His tone softened somewhat as he slowly said, "This is the true purpose behind gathering you all here.
Now!
We have only one path left—to jointly submit a petition
and ask the elders deep within the sect to offer up all of the sect's reserves, giving us low-ranking cultivators another chance to continue upon the Immortal Path."
He paused, then continued, "Otherwise, we will have no way to show ourselves openly in the Cultivation World.
We will be unable to seek opportunities for breakthroughs, and can only keep hiding like this, forever stagnating at our current realms.
Even if we use the