The Fifth Elder had only told him the main points. He guessed that even the Fourth Elder probably only knew this much.
They had originally planned to find an opportunity today to discuss it in detail, but unexpectedly, the Great Elder had suddenly returned and immediately summoned everyone.
The Fifth Elder and the Second Elder exchanged a few hasty glances and voice transmissions in the hall. Seeing that the Great Elder was about to decide on the outcome of the sealing, the Fifth Elder immediately stepped forward to announce the results of his investigation.
The Fifth Elder then waved his hand, and another area of a different color appeared on the map in the air.
Seeing the new yellow area, almost everyone here understood Gong Shanhe's meaning, but Gong Shanhe continued.
"Now, mark the area where the Sea-Breaking Beast clan is located."
By now, the others had basically guessed what was going on.
The Fifth Elder glanced at the Second Elder. The Second Elder's face was devoid of joy or sorrow; he just stared quietly at the huge map in the air. The Fifth Elder could only wave his hand again, and another red area appeared on the map.
'As expected!'
This thought surfaced in everyone's mind at the same time.
On the huge map, the three-colored areas formed concentric rings, divided into inner, middle, and outer layers.
The innermost was the yellow area, the location of the Qionglin Sect. Unevenly distributed around its periphery were seven flashing blue lights, and beyond the blue lights was a large expanse of red.
The situation was self-evident. The Qionglin Sect was ceding its seven outermost islands. Once the Tianli Clan moved in, they would form a defensive line.
They would be positioned between the Qionglin Sect and the Sea-Breaking Beasts. This was equivalent to taking the brunt of the Wind Beasts' most direct, frontal attacks for them.
As the Fifth Elder drew the red area, he began to speak again.
"Great Elder, Clan Head, I actually discussed this issue with the Qionglin Sect from the very beginning."
"First, these islands are protected by their defensive grand formation. Since ancient times, they have never been lost and have always been firmly in the hands of the Qionglin Sect. This alone is enough to show that the defense here is not a problem."
"Besides, our clan is currently in a standoff with three clans of Wind Beasts. Our front line is also being constantly compressed, and we have to send people to face them every day. How is that different from facing the Sea-Breaking Beasts?"
"And we would only have to face one type of Wind Beast, not be surrounded on three sides!"
"In addition, the seven islands they offered are only the result of my preliminary negotiations. They also agreed that some of the islands can be adjusted inward."
"The main reason for this is my lack of strength, which was insufficient to display the power of our clan. Therefore, in the next step, if the Great Elder leads people to negotiate with them, all of this will be resolved…"
Before he could finish, the Third Elder let out a sneer.
"Fifth Brother, you've really been fighting Wind Beasts in the clan for too long. You only know the law of the jungle, yet you still cling to unrealistic fantasies. Their intentions are obviously malicious; they want to use us as a shield…"
The cultivation aptitude of elders like the Fifth and Sixth was naturally beyond question, or else they wouldn't have been able to advance to the Nascent Soul Realm .
But they had both fought their way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood against the Wind Beasts. Wind Beasts rarely used much strategy when dealing with other beings; their battles were mostly direct and overwhelming assaults.
Even when they did use tactics, the two could rely on their combat experience to react and adapt on the battlefield, where life and death hung in the balance. Thus, these two were more suited for survival on the battlefield.
However, after the Great Sacrificial Priest went missing, the clan was severely short-handed.
The two who advanced later did not have much time to gain experience outside. If they encountered danger, they could rely on their beast-like perception of danger to make accurate judgments and counterattacks.
But when it came to subtleties and grand strategies, they were somewhat lacking.
"Of course I know their intentions are malicious, but everything was originally meant to be negotiated further. At the very least, the cultivation resources on these seven islands are abundant; I have confirmed this carefully."
"What does that show? It shows that the Sea-Breaking Beasts have never occupied that place since ancient times, which is why the cultivation resources have been preserved. With our clan's experience in dealing with Wind Beasts, can we not even defend this bit of territory?"
The Fifth Elder's face flushed red. He immediately interrupted the Third Elder and began to argue his point.
As he spoke, he looked around at the crowd and saw that apart from the Second Elder, whose eyes were still flickering as if he were deep in thought, even the Fourth Elder looked at him with a hint of helplessness.
Even the Sixth Elder just stared at the map, offering no reply to his words.
"Your meaning is that the Qionglin Sect is skilled in formations, and their defensive formations are strong, so we are no match for them?"
"Thinking about it from the opposite perspective, what about us? Connecting these seven islands into such a sturdy grand formation is not something that can be accomplished in a short time. Do you not know what problems this represents?"
"Relying on the defensive formation left behind by the Qionglin Sect, to put it bluntly, they already have one more late-stage Great Cultivator. Once we are within their grand formation, if they have any ill intentions, what will be the consequences? Surely you can't still be unable to figure that out, can you? Hmph!"
The Third Elder sneered.
The ring-like distribution on the map was already very problematic. The Qionglin Sect showed no sincerity at all; on the contrary, they seemed to intend to take all the resources of the Tianli Clan.
"Fifth Brother, this method is not feasible. However, the Great Elder can indeed go and have a talk. But in my opinion, apart from these seven islands, they will not agree to give us any other place!"
As Gong Shanhe spoke, he also looked at the Great Elder, who nodded.
"After we've confirmed there are no problems with the seal in the near future, I will make a trip to the Qionglin Sect. We'll see what their attitude is then!"
"As for other matters, Fellow Daoist Li has contributed greatly to this affair. How about this: the sixth layer of the cultivation method will be given to Fellow Daoist Li today."
"If there are no problems with the sealing formation after five years, the seventh layer of the cultivation method will also be given to Fellow Daoist Li."
"After all, just a five-year truce with the Wind Beasts, saving countless clansmen, and no longer needing the clan to purchase large quantities of raw materials for refining poison pills and liquids is enough to earn this layer of the cultivation method."
"As long as the seal shows no signs of disturbance for twenty years, the subsequent cultivation methods can be fully passed on to Fellow Daoist Li. Can it be that in twenty years, our Tianli Clan can't even tell if there's a problem or not?"
"Besides, with Yan San's innate sensitivity to other Wind Beasts, would he be as easily deceived as we are?" the Great Elder said finally.
His meaning was simple: use a period of time to prove the seal is effective, and at the same time, explore other options. This was also a viable approach that could be tried.
Li Yan's heart stirred upon hearing this. He had proposed to receive the cultivation method in stages over fifty years. This timeframe was acceptable to him; fifty years was not a long time for a cultivator.
But in the end, the Great Elder had rejected his proposal and decided to judge the result of the seal based roughly on the time Hong Yin had estimated. This was enough to show that the Great Elder was very confident in the outcome of this sealing.
"Great Elder…"
The Fifth Elder still wanted to say something, but in the next moment, he was cut off by the Great Elder's stern voice.
"This matter is not up for further discussion. I will bear full responsibility for any problems!"
As he spoke these words, an invisible pressure enveloped the entire hall, forcing the words the Fifth Elder was about to say back down his throat.
Even the Fourth and Sixth Elders found it difficult to breathe, and the faces of the Second Elder and the other mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators changed drastically. This was merely the aura the Great Elder was revealing.
Only then did they realize with a start that they had begun to neglect this Great Elder over the years. He usually had a kind and amiable appearance, and it seemed only when facing Yan San that people remembered his role.
Sometimes, even when the Second Elder proposed to decide a matter by vote, the Great Elder would basically acquiesce and not voice any opposition, causing people to gradually forget what kind of person it took to be called "Great Elder."
And today, as they began a new round of targeting, they suddenly realized that the Fifth Elder's words had enraged a late-stage Great Cultivator.
It was only because the Great Sacrificial Priest had once treated the other clan lineages well that the Great Elder had been so tolerant, trying his best to maintain a balance and not resorting to forceful suppression.
The Fifth Elder's repeated attitude regarding the sealing was undoubtedly a questioning of the Great Elder's judgment, a constant denial of the abilities of a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.
He was saying that he couldn't recognize the body of a fifth-rank "Wind Beast," and that he couldn't distinguish whether it was Li Yan's seal or if he and Yan San had both fallen into an illusion formation set up by Li Yan.
The Great Elder had remained silent all this time. In these years, he had even endured not being able to go out and search for Gong Shanhe and the Sixth Elder.
But now, many things had been resolved, at least on the surface. Everything was starting to move in a better direction, and he finally no longer needed to be so cautious, as if treading on thin ice.
"Great Elder, I feel that negotiating with the Qionglin Sect is also a matter of great urgency. Although the seal should be fine, that side can also be considered a retreat for us in case of an emergency. I wonder when the Great Elder will go?"
The Second Elder suddenly spoke up, but he no longer mentioned Li Yan obtaining the subsequent cultivation method. Instead, he asked this question.
"In three months, I will go with the Fifth Elder. This will be enough to show our clan's sincerity!" the Great Elder said.
As for the other party having two late-stage Great Cultivators, he wasn't worried. He would never enter the Qionglin Sect's main grounds. As long as he was outside, even in a one-on-two fight, he was not the least bit afraid.
Moreover, he would choose a location close to the Sea-Breaking Beasts. As long as the Qionglin Sect did not want to be annihilated, they would certainly not engage in a major battle with two other Nascent Soul cultivators and allow the Sea-Breaking Beasts to take advantage of the situation from the shadows.
For an old fox like him, it only took an instant to come up with a targeted strategy.
"But… once you leave, what if Yan San attacks with all his might? For Wind Beasts, an Inner Demon oath might not be reliable. Of course, I'm just speaking of a potential problem." the Second Elder said with a frown.
"He won't. The fact that Yan San could gather three clans of Wind Beasts, sign a contract with us, and personally participate in sealing that fifth-rank Wind Beast is enough to prove our speculation is correct."
"He wants to step onto the Way of Eternal Life . He will absolutely not touch something like an Inner Demon."
"And if a worst-case scenario does occur, even if I am away, with Shanhe and Fellow Daoist Li joining forces, they should be able to hold him off. The rest of you can still suppress the other fourth-rank Wind Beasts!"
This time, the Great Elder gave his answer even more quickly.
Through this trip into the swamp with Li Yan, he had already seen that Li Yan was hiding a very deep cultivation base. Coupled with the many mysterious magical treasures on him, even a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator might not be able to guarantee a win against Li Yan.
"Hehehe… he and the Clan Head joining forces to deal with Yan San? Great Elder, are you joking?"
Before anyone else could speak, the Fifth Elder already had a look of disbelief on his face.
He had just returned from outside. Although he roughly knew what had happened in the clan, he had only learned from the Fourth Elder that Li Yan had once fought with Yan San.
Moreover, the Fourth Elder himself had a subjective assumption about that battle, combined with Li Yan's deadly habit of concealing his various methods.
This led them to believe that the reason Li Yan seemed so strong yet was unwilling to reveal his true methods everywhere was that he had obtained a supreme treasure from the Malevolent Spirit Sect .
Two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were indeed powerful, but what good was mere numbers? Now that Li Yan's magical treasures had been used for the seal, how much combat power could he still have?
Li Yan wasn't the biological son of a Spirit Transformation cultivator from the Malevolent Spirit Sect. Could he possibly have any more heaven-defying magical treasures?
In the Fifth Elder's view, Li Yan had gone to extreme lengths to obtain the Qiongqi Purgatory Art. After all, magical treasures were external objects, and at most, they could reach the power of the Spirit Transformation level.
But the Qiongqi Purgatory Art was a cultivation method that could be cultivated to the Body Integration Realm . Although there were no records in the lower realm of whether the ascended ancestors had actually reached this realm, the description of the last three layers of the cultivation method said so.
As for the Fifth Elder's sneer, neither the Second Elder nor the Fourth Elder spoke up. They had indeed seen Li Yan face off against Yan San back then. In just a few breaths, Li Yan had indeed trapped him with a magical treasure.
And this time, entering the eye of the wind, from start to finish, Li Yan had still relied on the power of his magical treasures.
To unleash such a powerful magical treasure, one either had to use their own blood as a sacrifice to drive it, or, if used without self-harm, the power within the treasure would diminish with each use.
The Second Elder had his own plans for raising this issue that everyone had already guessed.
Li Yan was only willing to give the sealing manual to the Great Elder and Gong Shanhe; he would get nothing. But for the Tianli Clan, all of this was perfectly reasonable, and he had no grounds to challenge it.
Whether it was out of caution against Yan San or due to the critical importance of the seal, the sealing manual could only be in the Great Elder's hands.
And Gong Shanhe was the head of the clan, also entitled to it. He had absolute reason not to reveal the incantation to others. The Second Elder, however, was not eligible and could not obtain that authority.