A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Chapter 824: Winds of Change in the Dadangar Subcontinent P4

Dahlia wore flowing white robes decorated with icy blue patterns, her graceful figure walking steadily towards her designated seat.

The elders immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Sect Master."

Dahlia nodded lightly before taking her seat at the highest position in the hall.

Lira quietly stood beside her.

Dahlia first looked toward the empty seat that once belonged to Grand Elder Huron.

Her expression softened slightly.

"Huron served the sect faithfully for many years," she said calmly. "His death is a loss to Eastern Limiya Gate."

The hall turned quiet. Many elders lowered their heads.

Even those who disliked Huron’s harsh personality could not deny his contributions to the sect. Dahlia then looked toward Maera.

For the first time since entering the hall, a faint trace of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.

"Congratulations once again on becoming a Core Formation Lord, Lord Maera. I am looking forward to your Dao Name ceremony."

Maera immediately stood up and bowed deeply.

"This disciple thanks Sect Master for her support."

Dahlia nodded.

"You are not my disciple anymore. In fact, you are not even the grand elder of the sect. You are promoted to the position of the Supreme Elder, which is a position above all the others and just below me. You earned this yourself."

The formal matters of the sect were discussed afterward.

Resource distributions. Disciplinary matters. Outer sect recruitment. Trade agreements with nearby smaller sects and other organizations.

Everything proceeded normally for a while. But eventually, Dahlia’s expression slowly turned serious.

The atmosphere inside the hall changed immediately. Even the elders straightened their backs unconsciously.

Dahlia looked toward Lira.

"Alright. Now to get to the most important part of this meeting. Lira, go ahead and report what you found through your intelligence network."

Lira stepped forward calmly.

"The Kaan Kingdom’s Third Prince, Arven Kaan, has died under mysterious circumstances."

The hall exploded into noise instantly.

"What?"

"Prince Arven died?"

"How is that possible?"

The elders looked shocked.

Prince Arven was not a weak cultivator. Even though he was not part of the sect directly, everyone knew he maintained close ties with Eastern Limiya Gate.

The Kaan Kingdom was practically the sect’s backyard territory. The royal family respected the sect’s authority.

Prince Arven himself often acted as an intermediary between the kingdom and the sect. How could someone like him suddenly die inside his own kingdom?

Lira allowed the murmurs to continue briefly before speaking again.

"After receiving the news, Sect Master and I also found the matter suspicious. Thus, I personally traveled to the Kaan capital city to investigate on behalf of the sect."

The elders listened carefully.

"However," Lira continued calmly, "the royal family denied me entry into the destroyed area."

That statement immediately made many elders frown.

Denied entry?

To Eastern Limiya Gate?

Inside the Kaan Kingdom?

The implications behind that alone were unsettling.

"Still," Lira continued, "even though I could not directly inspect the destroyed region, I managed to confirm one thing."

She paused slightly.

"The deaths were caused by a 4th Order formation."

Absolute silence prevailed in the surroundings for a short time. Several elders immediately stood up in shock.

"A 4th Order formation?"

"How could the royals possess such a thing?"

"Our sect itself doesn’t even possess one!"

Low whispers spread throughout the hall. Some elders immediately suspected outside interference.

"Could another one of the Big Five Sects be supporting them secretly?"

"This... this must be some kind trick. How could those bastards have a 4th Order formation? No... perhaps one of the Three Major Demonic Sects?"

The discussions became louder. Lira then looked toward Dahlia. After receiving a small nod, she continued speaking.

"There is another matter."

Her expression turned colder.

"Some of you might not know for sure but must have suspected this. During Sect Master’s return journey from the Holy Land Torel exploration, she suffered an assassination attempt. The assassin was prepared to kill a Lord and had been equipped with various treasures."

The hall froze again.

Many elders stared toward Dahlia in disbelief.

Lira continued calmly.

"The assassin nearly succeeded. If not for Sect Master’s trump cards, she might not have survived."

The elders looked horrified.

Only now did they understand why Dahlia had looked slightly pale recently.

"She was injured during the fight," Lira added. "It was only recently that she fully recovered."

Dahlia remained silent throughout the explanation. Her cold eyes quietly observed the elders.

Lira continued.

"The good news— the assassin was captured alive."

Some elders immediately looked hopeful.

"Then did he reveal anything?"

Lira shook her head.

"He was heavily brainwashed. He knew nothing except his mission."

Disappointment spread across the hall.

"But," Lira added calmly, "further investigation revealed that he had links to the Kaan Kingdom’s royals."

The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.

"That’s impossible..."

"Why would the royals target our Sect Master?"

"What are they trying to do?"

Questions filled the hall one after another.

Finally, Dahlia spoke herself. Her voice was calm but extremely cold.

"Not only me, the Lords of other sects also suffered similar incidents. All those incidents are linked. There seems to be a strong hidden faction that is on the rise."

The elders widened their eyes.

Dahlia slowly leaned back in her seat.

"I believe this power stands behind the royal families of multiple kingdoms. Or perhaps... the royals themselves are part of this hidden faction. The recent destruction caused by the 4th Order formation only confirmed something I already suspected."

Her gaze became distant.

"The royals are not as secular as we believed. They have been gathering strength secretly for many years."

The elders exchanged uneasy looks.

Dahlia continued.

"They are targeting the Lords of both righteous and demonic factions alike."

One elder could not help asking nervously.

"But... why?"

Dahlia’s eyes turned colder.

"Because they want to erase the current hierarchy of the Dadangar Subcontinent."

The hall fell silent again.

"They want to destroy the sect system entirely. They want to unify the subcontinent under the royal authority."

Even breathing became difficult for some elders after hearing those words.

If this was true—

Then the entire balance of the subcontinent was about to collapse.

The righteous sects. The demonic sects. The five kingdoms and Dadangar Seas.

Everything would be dragged into war. Dahlia slowly looked across the hall.

"Troubling times are coming."

Her voice remained calm.

"But make no mistake."

"This storm will not spare anyone."

Many elders lowered their heads silently.

Fear.

Confusion.

Unease.

All kinds of emotions spread through the hall.

Then Dahlia revealed another shocking piece of news.

"These chaotic times demand desperate measures. We cannot face the coming storms on our own. Thus, I have decided to form an alliance with the Western Limiya Gate."

The elders became stunned. Some even forgot their manners and stared openly at her.

The Eastern and Western Limiya Gates had been rivals for generations. Their Sect Lords especially disliked each other greatly.

Yet now—

Dahlia had chosen to cooperate with Rose Redjade herself. That alone showed how serious the situation truly was.

Dahlia’s expression remained cold.

"I know what all of you are thinking. Believe me when I say that this decision is not easy for me either. But the enemy hiding in the shadows is too dangerous."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"What if there is a Nascent Soul powerhouse within the royal faction who operated that formation? Who can oppose them?

Even if the Eastern Limiya Gate now has two Lords, it is impossible for us to oppose such might alone."

Her cold gaze swept across the hall.

"Prepare yourselves. Huge changes are coming in the near future."

"For now, survival matters more than pride."