Sprinkle Salt on the Wound, Then Add Some Cumin and Chili and Roast It over a Fire
As the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion's flying boat rushed towards the Extreme Arms Holy Land.
Another direction from the Extreme Arms Holy Land.
A flying boat sped across the sky, leaving a faint trail; its speed was extremely fast.
Suddenly, the airship paused and came to a temporary stop.
At the bow of the flying boat, someone looked around, took out a map, and then urged the flying boat to sail away into the distance.
The Extreme Arms Holy Land.
Inside the council chamber.
Holy Lord Duan Yi looked at the Elder Fang present, his expression quite solemn.
"I'm sure you're all already aware of what happened in the Western Region Buddhist Order."
Upon hearing this, all the elders present nodded slightly.
At the same time, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became somewhat oppressive.
"The Western Region Buddhist Order, that old Buddha's strength was not weak, but I didn't expect that the entire Buddhist Order would be destroyed in such a short time. The strength of that barefoot old monk is probably far beyond that of an ordinary Saint King." An elder spoke up.
No sooner had the words been spoken than a voice said:
"The old abbot of the Buddhist Order must have some power, but he wasn't mentioned in the news. Perhaps he had already left when the barefoot monk went there; otherwise, the Buddhist Order wouldn't have acted this way."
Another elder shook his head repeatedly:
"Even if the Old Buddha didn't make a move, the Western Region Buddhist Order still had Saint Realm experts present. Yet, it's said that everything happened in less than half an hour. The difference in their abilities is self-evident."
Upon hearing this, many elders nodded in agreement.
Although they were in the Extreme Arms Holy Land and felt that the Extreme Arms Holy Land was stronger, it did not mean that they thought the Buddhist Order was weak.
Yet, with such strength, in such a short time, he suddenly became contemptuous.
It's like seeing a skyscraper rise ten thousand feet high, only to collapse and cover the ground in an instant.
At this moment, an elder spoke up:
"Too many changes have occurred in the Land of the Four Directions. The powerful woman from the Cloud Heaven Holy Land who uses extraordinary artifacts, the demon from the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty of the Southern Region has arrived, and now there is a shocking upheaval in the Buddhist Order sect of the Western Region..."
As he spoke, the elder looked towards the Eastern Region and said:
"At present, the Eastern Region seems to be a better place."
Many elders were about to nod in agreement with this view when they immediately heard another elder object:
"The Eastern Region? Have you forgotten that it all started in the Eastern Region? That earth-shattering commotion... Don't be fooled by the current calm in the Eastern Region; who knows what kind of waves will be stirred up later?"
Upon hearing this, many elders' gazes sharpened.
Some elders who had planned to stay in the Eastern Region immediately abandoned their plans.
The Eastern Region are not a good place either.
"Indeed, we need to be more careful now," an elder suggested.
"These powerful individuals are likely from the outside world. We don't yet know the specifics of the outside world, but judging from their current situation, they must be superior to those in our Land of the Four Directions. As a result, the strength advantage of our Extreme Arms Holy Land will continue to be affected."
"If some disciples of the Holy Land do not pay attention to their conduct and interpersonal relationships, and cause any unnecessary trouble, it could be very damaging to our Holy Land..."
Not knowing the strength of the external forces and the visitors is like feeling your way across a river; if you accidentally step into mud, you could easily capsize in a ditch.
Most of the elders present understood these points.
However, understanding the principles is one thing, experiencing them is another entirely.
This change in status and attitude is the greatest test.
At this moment, Duan Yi, who hadn't spoken for a while, coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Everyone, now there's some bad news."
If the current atmosphere is like a small knife stabbing into the heart, the pain is excruciating.
Duan Yi's response was not one of comfort, but rather...
Sprinkle a small handful of salt on top.
The elders' expressions immediately turned even worse.
Shouldn't we hear some good news to ease the situation?
Or is there no good news left?!
"This matter concerns Ancestor Jiang."
Duan Yi took a deep breath and sighed:
"Not long ago, Ancestor Jiang told me that although you appear young and not like an old man, it is actually a deliberate maintenance to deceive other forces and create a deterrent effect."
"In reality, our ancestor's lifespan is already nearing its end. He cannot withstand further turmoil and may pass away at any time, leaving only his corpse, unable to protect our sacred land."
Duan Yi shook his head slightly, and said with great sorrow:
"So..."
Upon hearing this, most of the elders present, with the exception of a few, felt a slight pang in their hearts.
This is hardly rubbing salt into a wound.
This is sprinkled with salt, cumin, and chili, then roasted over a fire!
Judging from Ancestor Jiang's youthful appearance, one might have thought he could bless the sacred land for thousands of years, but it turns out it was all a lie?
With the current crisis, the Holy Land may face a painful period of change in its status. If the Ancestor were to suddenly pass away, wouldn't they be...
Despair crept into the hearts and even the faces of many elders.
"Alas, life and death are preordained. Even someone as powerful as our ancestor cannot borrow more lifespan from Heaven."
An elder sighed:
"Our ancestor's lifespan is nearing its end, so we can't be too overconfident in our daily lives. We still need to avoid confrontation in some matters, otherwise, if any conflict arises, I'm afraid..."
"Yes, the Holy Land does indeed need to adjust its external strategy. It's best to be cautious and avoid causing trouble. This is good for the Holy Land and will also prevent our ancestor from consuming too much of his lifespan."
"I never imagined the situation had deteriorated to this extent. It seems the peaceful days are numbered."
This time, the elders' attitudes changed significantly.
External threats are not scary; what's scary is when external threats bring about internal troubles.
The main pillar is about to collapse. How can the Holy Land possibly produce a second Saint King to address this crisis?
I can't get it out.
The older ones have no hope, and the hopeful ones haven't grown up yet.
"Oh, right."
An elder suddenly spoke up, addressing Duan Yi:
"My Lord, I've learned from some outsiders that there's a force outside that possesses unique methods and prefers to secretly plunder the assets of powerful groups. In our Land of the Four Directions, there aren't many well-known powerful groups, and our Holy Land is one of them. We can't afford to be careless about this!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the expressions on the faces of many people present changed immediately.
"Damn it, this old man has to empty his coffers! How can such a power still exist in the cultivation world?!"
"What kind of power is so fond of this kind of thing? If it were a fair win and they took it, that would be fine, but this sneaky way is really... Hmm, what methods did they use to do it? Have they found a way to learn from it? I think it would be pretty satisfying if they actually succeeded?"
"Hmm? Elder Zhou, this is saying that our Holy Land might become the victim, and you're actually interested in that? You wouldn't happen to be a traitor, would you?!"
"Go to hell, don't try to label me. Let's stick to the facts. If you could easily take someone else's assets, would you feel good about it? Would you be willing to do it?"
"I... I do..."
"..."
Just then, a sound came in, sounding somewhat hurried:
"Holy Lord, an unprecedented flying vessel is rapidly approaching our holy land!"