Volume 4: The Rise of the Dragon Chapter 419: The Witch’s Counterattack and the Crisis Behind It (Part 2)
Volume 4: The Rise of the Dragon Chapter 419: The Witch’s Counterattack and the Crisis Behind It (Part 2)
(For the solemn explanation, the fifth avatar that was missed before - the Holy Spirit Tree avatar Mu Linggong is now filled in: The Holy Spirit Tree avatar was formed by Yunlong refining the tree core left by the Holy Spirit Tree and placing his distraction on it. The Holy Spirit Tree is an acquired spiritual root that can suppress and control all the trees in the world, so it transformed into the image of an old man named "Mu Linggong". He is good at wood Taoist magic and recovery and healing magic. He once treated victims on Long Island, a wild continent. The cursed dragon and his great power in the battle with the magician. Although he does not have a very powerful attack ability, he is a master of support. When he does not transform and go out, he usually takes the form of a holy tree in "Dayana". Cultivation in "Xu Qing Jing Tian" plays a role in suppressing the center of the cave sky; or it can be taken into the purple mansion of the sea of consciousness of the deity to assist in cultivation.
I deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to everyone due to my negligence. I am really sorry. )
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Xiang Tiannan's sincere words made other people's doubtful looks much less tense and relaxed the tense atmosphere again; it also surprised Li Xuanji, who seemed calm but was actually carefully observing Xiang Tiannan's every move. .
You must know that the Shushan Sect is a top sect that has emerged in the past thousand years. It has climbed step by step from an ordinary sect to the glorious status of the top sect today. The hardships it has gone through cannot be described in simple words.
It is no exaggeration to say that it is the blood and bones of countless Shushan Sect disciples and their enemies over the past thousand years that have brought the Shushan Sect to its current status! In the process of the rise of the Shushan Sect, except for the role played by the so-called "Taiqing Lineage" orthodoxy and the "Innate One Qi Taiqing Divine Talisman" and the "Liangyi Dust Formation" given by Taozu, there are no other parts. It's not that Shushan's disciples fought one after another and paid the price of blood and fire. In addition to treasures and status, what they relied on was a spirit of indifference and determination!
The Shushan sect is originally a sword cultivating sect. Swords are sharp and killing things, and sword cultivators can only become stronger in battle. Without this sharpness, the strength of a sword cultivator will invisibly drop by three levels. This is also the reason why the Shushan Sect always gives outsiders the impression of being forceful, domineering, and preferring to bend rather than bend. Without this spirit, you will lose your enterprising spirit, courage and fighting spirit, and you will not be a qualified swordsman. This kind of vigor, or tough and inflexible spirit, has become the unique character of Shushan disciples and is deeply imprinted in the hearts of every Shushan disciple and reflected in their actions. Therefore, in many cases, Shushan disciples will not apologize directly even if they know that they have done something wrong. Instead, they will have a tough attitude and stubbornness, and at most they will just make up for it in a roundabout way afterwards.
As the leader of Shushan Sect, Xiang Tiannan is also known as the most outstanding leader of Shushan Sect in thousands of years. Every move he makes represents the image of Shushan Sect and naturally does not lack this tough character. Although in recent years, as the Shushan Sect has become increasingly powerful and has become one of the four top sects of the Righteous Way, the Shushan Sect began to compete in Kunlun with the intention of leading the world of cultivation. After that, the Shushan Sect also began to take into account the influence and gradually changed its style. It is no longer as tough and aggressive as before; after all, a leader Although he cannot be a weak person and must have strong strength and prestige, he must also be tolerant and broad-minded, otherwise he will not be able to convince the public.
It was precisely because of this that when You Longzi assisted the Song Dynasty to unify the world, Xiang Tiannan did not support the mortal regime of Shu to resist, but followed the general trend and submitted to the Song Dynasty without having a direct conflict with You Longzi. Of course, there are factors in this that the Zhengdao sect "acts in accordance with nature" and is wary of You Longzi's strength, but more importantly, it is to set an example for the world and the various sects in the world of cultivation to enhance the prestige and image of the Shushan sect.
However, it is said that the country is easy to change but the temperament is hard to change. The overbearing and tough character of the Shushan Sect has lasted for thousands of years. It is by no means something that can be changed overnight. Although the Shushan Sect now chooses to handle many major issues gently, in some uncritical and non-principled situations, it still They always maintain their tough style, which is as tough and domineering as their swordsmanship and cannot be refuted. But now Xiang Tiannan actually took the initiative to let go of his attitude under Li Xuanji's constant pressure and even admitted his mistake without hesitation. This was far beyond the expectations of others, and it also had a very good effect. At least after admitting their mistakes to Tiannan, several other leaders also expressed their understanding. The Shushan sect, which had been the target of public criticism because of Li Xuanji's words, suddenly reached an easing relationship with other sects again.
Although Li Xuanji was shocked and puzzled by Xiang Tiannan's change, at this point he could only watch his plan fail without any solution. After all, Shushan Sect is still the top sect and Xiang Tiannan has not done anything really wrong. Other sects will not foolishly offend the powerful force of Shushan Sect just because of a few words. When the provocation failed, he had no choice but to hold back the frustration in his heart and laughed twice and said in a nonchalant manner: "It's really impressive to know a fellow Taoist and correct his mistakes. It's so rare." Then he closed his mouth and just looked at it. His eyes flickered and he was thinking about something.
Xiang Tiannan naturally had his own considerations in doing so. To become the head of a top sect like Shushan Sect, one must not only have the strength to convince the public, but also have enough wisdom. How could Xiang Tiannan not see that in the situation just now, his momentary aphasia and Li Xuanji's instigation had vaguely aroused public anger. Although it has not been made explicit, it is also very dangerous. If he is not careful, Shushan Sect will be responsible. The big label of "selfishness and disregard of the overall situation". Once he really takes on this reputation, it will undoubtedly cause a huge blow to the image and prestige of the Shushan Sect, which will be greatly detrimental to the Shushan Sect's attempts to lead the cultivation world.
Li Xuanji's strategy is not very clever at all. He is to use what Xiang Tiannan just said by mistake to incite dissatisfaction among other sects against the Shushan Sect. With the Shushan Sect's always tough character, there is a high probability that the Shushan Sect will not admit their mistakes, so that he can To instigate and intensify the conflicts between various factions and the Shushan faction. Anyway, no matter how tyrannical the Shushan sect is, it is impossible for Shu to fall out on the spot at the risk of truly offending all sects. In this way, Tianshi Dao can take this opportunity to greatly damage the prestige of Shushan Sect and make this domineering neighbor suffer a heavy loss. As for the secret intrigues and scheming between the two factions in the future, aren't they going on in daily life?
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In that case, Xiang Tiannan had only two choices. One, pretending to be angered by Li Xuanji's provocation and walking away would naturally avoid the embarrassment in person. However, it will later cause other sects to become dissatisfied with the Shushan sect and intensify conflicts.
2. Lower your posture, admit your mistake, apologize to others, and restore your own image. The advantage of this is that it can thwart Li Xuanji's conspiracy and get rid of the label of "selfish and regardless of the overall situation" and win the understanding of all factions. But the disadvantage is that it will dampen the spirit of the Shushan Sect, which will make the Shushan Sect who "made mistakes" invisible in the subsequent conversation and lose some benefits. Moreover, being frustrated may have a certain impact on Xiang Tiannan's personal cultivation level.
When they have reached their level of cultivation, every word and action is secretly consistent with the inner Tao. If words and deeds are inconsistent and go against the original intention, it will lead to conflict between one's own "action" and "Tao". Occasionally once or twice, it is okay, but if the number is If it is too much, it will make the realm unstable and even evoke inner demons and become obsessed. It is not impossible.
In short, no matter which method Xiang Tiannan chooses, he will suffer losses. The only difference is the size of the loss and the party who bears it. Should you choose to maintain your own spirit and cultivation and let the entire sect bear this loss? Or should you sacrifice your own interests and bear this loss for the sect? These two choices are enough to put ordinary people under great pressure and are choices that test the Taoist heart.
As the initiator, Li Xuanji naturally hoped that Xiang Tiannan would be the first to choose to protect the interests of his sect at the expense of himself. Because this is in the best interest of Tianshi Dao. There are many experts in the Shushan sect. Even if Xiang Tiannan is missing, there will not be much loss. He is still one of the two leaders of the righteous path who is respected by all sects; but if the Shushan sect loses its prestige, it will shake the leader's status and momentum. The threat to Tianshi Dao will be greatly reduced.
Just one oversight will be caught, and you will be at a loss to advance or retreat, and you will have to suffer losses; this is how you can see the intrigues and conspiracies between the top leaders of the sect.
However, after all, Xiang Tiannan was no ordinary person, so he chose to admit his mistakes and apologize to everyone without much thought. Xiang Tiannan's wisdom and broad-mindedness are indeed extraordinary. Among the two options, he chose without hesitation to sacrifice himself to protect the sect, which is worthy of his status as the leader. Even Li Xuanji secretly admired such a decision while feeling regretful that the calculation was not fully successful.
Xiang Tiannan naturally had his own considerations in making such a decision. In addition to having a sense of responsibility as the leader to safeguard the interests of the sect and be responsible for his words and deeds, Xiang Tiannan also wanted to take this opportunity to hone his Taoist heart. After all, being extremely strong and easily broken is the long-term solution. If you are blindly tough and domineering, you will eventually encounter obstacles that will affect your practice. Having cultivated to this point, he has already understood the principle of transformation between hardness and softness.
Just knowing is one thing but how to do it is another. Sword cultivators are inherently domineering and would rather bend than bend. In battle, only the upright approach of facing difficulties and moving forward can bring out the greatest power of sword cultivators. These are troubled times, and force is the foundation of one's life. Naturally, it cannot be changed easily, otherwise one's life will be endangered. Besides, the Shushan sect’s cultivation techniques are the essence that have been summarized and tempered by countless predecessors. How can they be so easy to change? Therefore, unless there is a unique opportunity, the path of understanding the hard and soft way in terms of martial arts will not work.
But his cultivation has reached a critical point. If he can fully understand the transformation between hardness and softness, he will be able to further his Taoism and become a god.
Since the method cannot be changed, the only way to make a breakthrough is from the state of mind. Cultivation means cultivating the mind. The changes in the Taoist heart will also be obviously reflected in the external practice. If he can take the lead in making a breakthrough in the Taoist heart, he is very likely to achieve a breakthrough in understanding the way of hardness and softness.
Since he wants to make changes in his heart, he must start by changing his style and attitude. In the past, he was as hard as a sword and would rather break than bend. This time, he must change his style, become tactful, soft and learn to compromise! It’s better to choose the day than to hit it. Maybe this mistake was the opportunity that came from the sky for him to take the opportunity to start changing! This is what Xiang Tiannan thinks. Since the most important opportunity for a cultivator has been determined that this is his opportunity, he must seize it, so he took the opportunity to admit his mistake, which surprised everyone.
Sure enough, after speaking from the bottom of his heart, Xiang Tiannan felt that a force suddenly emerged from the depths of his Taoist heart. The nature of this force was as soft as water and as tough as silk. The Taoist heart was originally hard and sharp. After integrating this power, it actually gained a sense of flexibility; even the mighty and powerful sword cultivating power in the body also gained a bit of flexibility. Of course, since this strange power has just appeared, the amount is far from comparable to the swordsmanship he has practiced for hundreds of years, so the changes it brings are minimal. But this welcome change made him very happy.
Xiang Tiannan understands that this situation indicates that his idea is correct. The changes in the Taoist heart's hardness and softness can indeed have an effect on the body! The joy of this harvest even offset his depression caused by admitting his mistake, and even the smallness of his face became much more real.
Naturally, others didn't know that Xiang Tiannan's body and mind had undergone such great changes in such a short period of time. After seeing Xiang Tiannan's "sincere" smile, their dissatisfaction with the Shushan Sect disappeared and they also felt aroused. I sighed with emotion: The world has really changed. Even the hard-nosed Shushan sect has begun to learn to be so smooth. Look at that kind of smile that seems to come from the heart. It is more real than real gold. It is hypocritical. Hypocritical.
Now that the conflict between Li Xuanji and Xiang Tiannan has disappeared, the discussion will naturally continue. The leader of the Kunlun Sect, the handsome Mingyu Master, coughed lightly and said: "Now that the misunderstanding has been resolved, let's start discussing something. How to deal with the next changes. The Black Witch Cult has been overseas for thousands of years. No one knows how powerful the sect is. Why did they follow the devil's path as soon as they came back? The hidden secret is also very fascinating. And now I am on the right path. Various factions launched a large-scale attack and destroyed most of the demon lairs in China. Except for a very few, most of the demons have been decapitated. Demonic atmosphere is one of them. In the short term, it is no longer a concern. The next step is to support the recovery of mortals. Order and production are also a big project problem that is intricate and involves a lot of merit and requires everyone’s efforts.”
In fact, Mingyu Zhenren, who is actually being challenged by the Shushan Sect and represents the Kunlun Sect, really hopes that the Shushan Sect can cause public outrage and cause a big somersault, which will also be very beneficial to the Kunlun Sect. But helplessly, this guy Xiang Tiannan changed his gender today for some unknown reason and admitted his mistake so simply, which made him feel unbelievable. But the fact is right in front of you and you can’t help it if you don’t want to believe it. Kunlun, as the nominal leader of the cultivation world, Mingyu Zhenren, and the recommended moderator of the discussions of various factions, naturally had to be impartial, strict and fair, so he was inconvenient to suppress Shushan, so he could only raise a few important issues and get down to business first.
It is really puzzling why the Black Witch Cult returned to the mainland at this delicate moment and started a war with the devil. Because in the eyes of these decent sects, the Black Witch Cult, which is cruel, evil and barbaric, is equivalent to today's demons. It is undoubtedly a type of "evil heretics" and is a recognized evil force. Otherwise, it would not have been expelled by the various sects together. And today's demons are naturally attributed to evil forces. Logically speaking, the black witch sect and the demons, who are both "evil forces", should cooperate with each other and target the righteous sects if they are considered enemies. This is only reasonable.
But the fact is obviously not in line with common sense. The black witch sect and the devil who originally had a "common enemy" actually started fighting first. Although the various sects breathed a sigh of relief, they also had deep doubts. I believe that if they can't figure out what's going on, The reason is like placing a time bomb around you that you don't know the set time. I'm afraid no one will feel at ease.
As for the reconstruction of the human world, although it is trivial, as Master Mingyu said, this is an opportunity to gain great merit. No one can have too much merit, and it does take a lot of thought to figure out how to distribute it so that everyone is satisfied. The leaders had a heated debate on this issue without giving in to each other.
But no one realizes what kind of trouble the demonic force that they thought was going to be in the sunset and has no threat in the short term will become!
