He wasn't making this up on the fly; Ning Zhuo had suggested he say it.
In Sun Lingtong's view, these words were dangerously provocative, almost as if they were meant to provoke the Nascent Soul Three Cultivators into taking action!
Lu Hong's expression darkened even further.
Sun Lingtong's words had hit exactly on the deepest worry in his heart.
If the Old Monster in Stone threatened to surrender, he could handle that easily. At least he would have the moral high ground to take action, backed by the indigenous people of the Thousand Peak Forest!
But preventing the Old Monster in Stone from leaving was not so easy.
Should he take action, such a move would appear too domineering and would likely incur the animosity and disdain of many forces and potentates.
The Old Monster in Stone was considered quite a unique existence among Nascent Soul Cultivators.
He only lorded over this one Heavenly Pillar Giant Tree, staying put at the bottom of his lair for years on end, rarely clashing with the surrounding forces.
For such a being, Lu Hong's attempt to eliminate him would seem unjust and would likely provoke fear and suspicion among the alliance of the Thousand Peak Forest's natives.
And this was something Lu Hong very much did not want to see.
Thus, Lu Hong gave a small smile and took out a patch of soil from his item pouch, displaying it for all to see.
This was a patch of white soil that was a radiant, pure white. It had no earthly odor but emitted a faint fragrance, like a refreshing breeze or the sandalwood scent from a temple.
This Earth Element Merit treasure was also one of the Buddhist Sect's treasures, the Western Pure Land!
There was a poem that said:
Luminous soil lights up the spirit,
Clearing myriad thoughts as the Buddha's way is born.
In the Western Paradise, the unblemished earth,
Sweeps away all worldly troubles, leading to the pure land.
Wherever this soil lay, it was a place transcendent of the mundane, capable of washing away impurities, purifying contamination, eliminating karmic obstacles, and preventing the corrosion of demonic Qi, turning everything it touched into purity and auspiciousness.
Furthermore, for a Cultivator, it purified the heart, dispelled worries and fixations, and led the Cultivator into the holy realm of the Western Pure Land.
As the soil appeared, strands of Buddhist aroma enveloped the space.
Demon Heart and Blood Shadow, the two Cave Masters, immediately stepped back, displaying looks of disgust and apprehension.
Sun Ning and his companion: ?!
They had not anticipated at all that Mo Yuan Cave Master was well-prepared, with coercion and bribery as his strategies. Constructing the Array in secret was his coercive measure, while bringing out the Western Pure Land was his inducement.
"Old Monster in Stone, haven't you always desired the Western Pure Land?" Lu Hong smiled, "Now, it is right before your eyes."
Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo urgently consulted with each other.
The "Old Monster in Stone" was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Keep the Pure Land. When the grand army arrives here in the future, I shall lend my hand."
Lu Hong laughed, "Such a treasure as the Western Pure Land, how could I let you have it so easily?"
"This place of yours is not some stronghold; the Kingdom's army may very well not even attack here."
"Stop trying to take advantage with such words, lest you are looked down upon by us."
Having said this, Lu Hong paused and then revealed a shocking plan: "The Liangzhu Country's Vanguard Army is already stationed at the base of the Thousand Peak Forest."
"The commander, Du Tiechuan, leads the Central Army, stationed at Mulu Town."
"Both locations are heavily guarded; we will not target them."
"Canglin Immortal City serves as the major rear for this conflict, continuously training and reorganizing new troops."
"Our scouts have discovered that one of the Forbidden Armies, the Golden Halberd Army, has already reached Canglin Immortal City. They will soon set out to Mulu Town to join the Central Army."
"Therefore, we have planned to assemble a great number of Nascent Soul and Golden Core Cultivators from Thousand Peak Forest and ambush them along their march route!"
"If you want the Western Pure Land, sign this contract, and then we'll take action together."
Sun Ning and his companion: ...
Lu Hong took out a Divine Decree, ostensibly reminding but actually exerting pressure: "I need to make it clear beforehand, Old Monster, this is a Divine Decree created personally by the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King. Once you sign, you must follow through, or else divine punishment is certain."
"The might of the Dragon King, we have both experienced it, haven't we?"
Sun Ning and his companion: ...
After Mo Yuan Cave Master finished speaking, he just stared at the Old Monster in Stone.
The atmosphere in the cave grew increasingly tense.
The faces of Demon Heart and Blood Shadow, the Cave Masters, became more dangerous, restless.
"Fine." Sun Ning and his companion, having no choice, could only agree.
What other option was there?
The situation was clear – if they did not agree, they would have to fight!
They would deal with other things after escaping this predicament.
Both could only reluctantly sign the contract.
Seeing the Old Monster in Stone's reaction, Mo Yuan Great Cave Master's demeanor softened: "On the day of action, we will meet at Huangmu Peak."
Sun Lingtong gave a cold snort and, using the Old Monster in Stone's tone, said, "No need, I will go ambush the Liangzhu Country's army myself."
Mo Yuan Cave Master nodded, left the Western Pure Land behind, took Demon Heart and Blood Shadow with him, and turned to leave.
As the Three Cultivators' silhouettes disappeared into the darkness of the cave, Mo Yuan Cave Master's final instructions echoed: "Old Monster in Stone, don't even think about shirking your duties or making a half-hearted effort, the binding of the Dragon King God's Divine Decree is far beyond what you or I can imagine!"