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"Ugh!"

Abbot Xuan Si was stunned.

The seventeen monks setting up the formation with him were also stunned.

The other elders and disciples had faces full of bewilderment...

A breeze blew by, the faint coolness awakening Abbot Xuan Si, "What's going on? Why did they leave? They shouldn't have. The situation was in their favor, wasn't it? Could it be... is there some sort of conspiracy?" Abbot Xuan Si racked his brains but couldn't fathom any conspiracy the opponents might have.

"I feel..." a monk said hesitantly, "it's like they were frightened by something, and then they fled in a panic."

"Frightened?" Abbot Xuan Si frowned, "By what? Who could scare them?"

A group of monks huddled together, thinking hard and deep in meditation, but still couldn't come up with a reason.

"There must be a problem here!" a long-eyebrowed monk stated assertively.

"Nonsense! Everyone knows there's a problem! The key is what the problem is?" a pale-faced monk snorted.

"I can't figure it out, I just can't." a middle-aged monk shook his head slightly, "I can't figure it out."

"If you can't figure it out, then stop thinking about it." Abbot Xuan Si waved his hand, "The enemy has only retreated temporarily, they will definitely come back. We must not let our guard down..."

"Abbot, don't hesitate any longer, hurry up and request the presence of the Senior Elders. Only they can deal with that witch."

"Yes, Abbot, go request the Senior Elders."

"I believe once the Senior Elders are informed of this matter, they definitely won't be angry."

"I don't want to disturb the Senior Elders, the key issue is... the witch is too powerful, we can only hope to suppress her by requesting the presence of several Senior Elders."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"Abbot, I know this is difficult for you, and we don't want to pressure you, but..."

Everyone was chattering non-stop.

Abbot Xuan Si's expression grew darker and darker, and his eyes flickered with sharp rays; those familiar with Abbot Xuan Si knew he was angry, and very much so, "I'll say it one last time, the Senior Elders are in the midst of a critical closed-door cultivation, disturbing them rashly will cause them varying degrees of injury, and they might even be at direct risk of losing their lives. The Senior Elders are the pillars and Sea-Calming Divine Needle of the Myriad Buddhas Sect! As long as they are here, the Myriad Buddhas Sect won't face much danger. If anything happens to them, the Myriad Buddhas Sect... won't be far from destruction."

"Abbot, aren't you exaggerating a bit..."

"Not one bit! Let me tell you the truth, there are many hidden forces in this world. Among them, some have been eyeing the Myriad Buddhas Sect like tigers watching their prey. It's only because the Senior Elders are deterring them that they haven't made rash moves. If the Senior Elders are gone, they will undoubtedly become restless and come looking for trouble with the Myriad Buddhas Sect, and then our sect will be in danger."

"There's such a matter?"

"The world is vast, so vast it's beyond our imagination! The Myriad Buddhas Sect has survived for hundreds of thousands of years, so why can't other sects? As an Abbot, I know more secrets, what I can tell you, I will, and what I can't, don't ask too much about. Sometimes, knowing too much is not a good thing, it's best to live in blissful ignorance. If I had a choice," Abbot Xuan Si added, "I would rather be a common disciple than the Abbot. As an Abbot, I have to shoulder many responsibilities. It's really exhausting."

If you regret it, step down now. I am willing to be the Abbot!

This was the collective inner voice of the many elders and disciples, of course, they only dared to think it silently, never to say it out loud.

"Everyone, disperse now, rest well, maintain the best mental state, I estimate that it won't be long before that demoness returns, and then we cannot avoid another fierce fight." Dropping that sentence, Abbot Xuan Si turned and left.

As Abbot Xuan Si walked away, he sighed quietly to himself… Why is it that when others become the abbot, everything goes smoothly, but when it's my turn, I'm so unlucky?

Buddha, what did I do wrong to displease you? If that's really the case, please send down your decree, so I can correct it?

...

Nominally, Abbot Xuan Si was the most powerful person in the Myriad Buddhas Sect, but in reality… the true power lay in the hands of seven reclusive senior elders living in the back mountain.

These seven senior elders were all remarkable figures, with profound cultivation, formidable strength, and they had lived for an exceptionally long time. They had each served as abbot and contributed to the development of the Myriad Buddhas Sect. After stepping down, they were honored with the title of senior elder and usually lived in seclusion in the back mountain. They would only show themselves in life-or-death situations for the sect.

A century ago, all seven senior elders underwent closed-door cultivation to meditate on the mysteries of Ascension to the Immortal Realm.

Before their retreat, they thoroughly instructed Abbot Xuan Si that unless absolutely necessary, he must not disturb them! Those in closed-door cultivation fear disturbance the most, as it could lead to injury, or in severe cases, death.

Abbot Xuan Si took the senior elders' instructions to heart and shouldered all difficulties by himself, never disturbing the seven senior elders no matter the circumstances.

He was well aware that for the Myriad Buddhas Sect to continue to thrive, it relied on the support of the seven senior elders. If anything were to happen to them, the sect would face an irreversible catastrophe.

...

The Myriad Buddhas Sect had an attic, at the entrance of which hung a plaque inscribed with the words "Buddhist Law is Boundless."

This attic was Abbot Xuan Si's residence.

After closing the door, Abbot Xuan Si sat in a chair, frowning deeply as he thought to himself.

"That demoness clearly has the cultivation level of Tribulation Crossing Period Great Perfection, the same as mine, so why is there such a huge gap in strength between us? Even with seventeen disciples and I joining forces, we couldn't defeat her… This is just ridiculous, isn't it?"

"The demoness claimed she's lived for hundreds of thousands of years? Could it be true?"

"If it is true, then it means… the demoness is a Great Cultivator from Ancient Times. As far as I know, the cultivation methods of Ancient Times are quite different from now. Cultivators back then focused on fundamental practices, solidifying their foundation before advancing. They were steady and unhurried. Once they grew in strength, they became very powerful. Moreover, cultivators of Ancient Times favored Body Refinement, toughening their bodies to be stronger than treasures. To put it plainly, they practiced both internal and external cultivation... Current cultivators are more impetuous, focusing on the ascension of their Cultivation Level, neglecting to build their foundation. At first, there might not seem to be a difference, but as time goes by, the discrepancy becomes apparent…"

"If she really is an Ancient Great Cultivator, it's only natural that I'm no match for her."

"The merit of Ancient Great Cultivators is high indeed."

"But still… can someone really live for hundreds of thousands of years? How could that be possible?"

At that moment, Abbot Xuan Si remembered something Duanmu Hong, the demoness, had said, "Just because you can't live for hundreds of thousands of years, do you presume others can't either? That's utterly foolish!"

"How, exactly, is it done? How can one live for hundreds of thousands of years?"

"If only I could live for that long, how wonderful would that be?"

"Hmm, if I get the chance to capture the demoness alive, I'll find a way to pry her mouth open and extract the secrets of living for hundreds of thousands of years!"