No matter what, one or two of them had to remain. At the very least, they had to retain control over the Buddhist Sect and the Dao Sect.
However, if all five of them lost their positions as leaders of the Buddhist Sect and the Dao Sect, and lost control over those two sects, their fortunes would be greatly diminished. From that moment on, they might no longer be able to contend with Xuanzang's side.
They truly had not anticipated this turn of events. It was a fatal blow to them. If they did not handle it properly, they might never recover. Their old and new fortunes might have already come to an end from this moment onward.
Thinking of this made everyone even more anxious. They all wanted to find a way to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, but no one had any ideas.
"I think we should ask Patriarch Hongjun to intervene," Maitreya Buddha said after a pause.
Everyone was slightly stunned when they heard Maitreya Buddha's words. That was indeed an option.
"Please wait here, everyone. We will go to the back mountain and contact Patriarch Hongjun."
The Three Pure Ones left Jade Purity Hall and went to the back mountain to contact Patriarch Hongjun.
But after trying for quite a while, they received no response whatsoever.
"Could it be that Master is unwilling to help us this time as well?" Yuanshi Tianzun asked.
"Why would Master refuse to help us? The reason he has not acted yet is likely because he has encountered some obstruction or is unable to act conveniently," Taishang Laojun said.
Patriarch Hongjun was their master, after all. Moreover, they were representing Patriarch Hongjun in the struggle within the Three Realms. Their success or failure represented Patriarch Hongjun's success or failure.