"Brothers and sisters, make your move!"
As Li Xuan's voice fell, the six prepared individuals, He Xiuzhu and the others, instantly moved their bodies and hands, channeling spiritual energy into Li Xuan's body.
Under the full effort of the six, Li Xuan's aura surged once more. Reaching the peak of the Immortal Realm, Li Xuan moved his hands, and four luminous purple orbs slowly rose from above the heads of Yue Zhengqi and the other three.
Concurrently, veins bulged and sweat streamed down the faces of Yue Zhengqi and the three.
Extracting the restrictions from their divine souls was akin to flaying flesh from bone, the immense pain distorting their features.
However, just as Yue Zhengqi and the three had stated earlier, despite the agony, they did not utter a sound. Li Xuan, on the other hand, was also severely depleted. His face was as pale as paper, his lips turning a dark purple.
*Buzz!*
With a humming sound, the four purple lights were enveloped by a spiritual glow and shot into the bodies of four wild boars. The previously dazed wild boars instantly turned red-eyed and became frenzied.
Seeing this, Wen Boya and the others immediately took action.
Spiritual energy solidified into runes, descending and enveloping the four wild boars, which gradually calmed down.
*Huff.*
As Yue Zhengqi and the three slowly opened their eyes, Li Xuan let out a gentle breath. Beads of sweat dotted his face, clearly indicating a significant expenditure. He then sat cross-legged on the spot, beginning to recuperate.
"Thank you!" Yue Zhengqi and the three, now somewhat depleted, leaned their bodies forward. After opening their eyes and sensing their conditions, they excitedly bowed to Li Xuan and said.
Upon seeing Li Xuan's state, Yue Zhengqi and the three said no more, also sitting down to circulate their spiritual energy and recover. Half an hour passed, and the auras of Li Xuan and Yue Zhengqi and the four others gradually stabilized. Their complexions also began to regain color.
"Little junior brother, are you alright?" As Li Xuan opened his eyes, He Xiuzhu asked. Beside him, Yue Fuyuan also looked at Li Xuan with concern.
Li Xuan smiled and shook his head, then said, "It's nothing, just overexertion. Fortunately, we finally succeeded in resolving the restrictions within their bodies."
"Li Xuan, thank you." As Li Xuan finished speaking, Yue Zhengqi and the three also opened their eyes. They bowed to Li Xuan again, their expressions exceptionally serious.
During the previous removal process, although they had endured immense pain, they also knew how much mental effort Li Xuan, as the spellcaster, had to expend.
Most importantly, their internal restrictions and life-bound contracts had now been transferred to the four wild boars. In essence, Li Xuan had given them a second life.
At their level of cultivation, freedom was undoubtedly the most precious thing.
"It's all for the future of the Eternal Continent. Let's not stand on ceremony. Now that we've regained our freedom, it's time we discussed how to deal with Sheng Lingxiao and the Sheng Clan." Li Xuan waved his hand with a smile upon hearing this.
"The Sheng Clan is not to be feared, but Sheng Lingxiao, with the National Cauldron of Fortune Suppression, is quite troublesome. If Sheng Lingxiao can be killed, the Sheng Clan will collapse on its own. However, our combined strength is likely no match for Sheng Lingxiao," Yue Zhengqi said with a slight frown.
"Indeed. We of the four great clans can suppress the strong members of the Sheng Clan. But Sheng Lingxiao alone, even with our clan's most treasured artifacts, we could not contend with him."
"Moreover, in the past decade, our four clans' fortune has been further stripped away by Sheng Lingxiao. His strength now is likely even greater than before. Even if he hasn't reached that final step, he must be infinitely close. If Sheng Lingxiao is not eliminated, we cannot proceed."
Li Shu echoed this sentiment.
Recalling the events of the past, Li Shu couldn't help but shiver. The power displayed at that level made it impossible to harbor any thought of resistance.
"Patriarch Yue, if I remember correctly, your four clans all have living ancestors. Their strength should not be lower than yours, right? When you were suppressed by Sheng Lingxiao, were they unable to act?"
Li Xuan asked Yue Zhengqi and the three, a hint of confusion in his voice.
He Xiuzhu and the others also turned their gazes to Yue Zhengqi and the three, as they were all at the advanced Immortal Realm.
Even with ancestors present, their strength would likely only be greater.
It should not have been too difficult for the four clans to deal with Sheng Lingxiao. But the outcome was this, leaving He Xiuzhu and the others puzzled.
As powerful as Old Man Dan Wushuang was, he could perceive everything at will. Even if the ancestors of the four clans were not as strong as Old Man Dan Wushuang, they should not be too weak.
"This... alas. To be frank, my clan's ancestor is indeed alive and has touched the threshold of that realm. However, we spirit masters are ultimately battling against fate. The end of our lifespan is near, and no one can stop it."
"Our ancestor, though still alive, can only survive within the clan through formations. If he were to leave Moon Spirit Mountain, Sheng Lingxiao wouldn't need to act; our ancestor would perish immediately. This is not just the case for my clan, but for all four of our clans."
Yue Zhengqi sighed with a bitter smile.
"If it weren't for our ancestor guarding the clan, our four clans would likely not have survived until now. The reason Sheng Lingxiao placed restrictions on us four and signed life-bound contracts was, first, to control our four clans, and second, to prevent our ancestors from taking any action."
"In the past decade, Sheng Lingxiao has never personally visited any of our four clan territories. It's likely because he fears our ancestors would be his opponents," Li Shu added, nodding in agreement.
"So that's how it is. No wonder Sheng Lingxiao kept the four of you alive; it's for this reason," Li Xuan said, suddenly enlightened.
Controlling the patriarchs of the four clans was akin to holding the vital points of those clans. It was like striking a snake at its seven inches; the four clans were rendered incapable of resistance.
And Sheng Lingxiao was likely well aware that the ancestors of the four clans could not leave. It was even possible that Sheng Lingxiao also had living ancestors within the Sheng Clan's Sacred Mountain, and they could sense each other.
"Li Xuan, everyone, Sheng Lingxiao's actions in the past six months seem somewhat different from before. And what he's requiring our four clans to do seems related to the Cloud Spirit Continent," Yuan Chuge said after some thought.
Li Xuan was instantly shaken. Having been on the Eternal Continent for so long, Li Xuan naturally knew that the Cloud Spirit Continent was the birthplace of Yun Qi. Furthermore, Li Xuan had inquired and learned that the supreme ruler who was contemporary with Yun Qi seemed to have ascended from the Eternal Continent ten thousand years ago.
With this thought, Li Xuan hurried to look at Yuan Chuge and said, "Patriarch Yuan, please elaborate."
Yuan Chuge nodded and said, "In the past six months, Sheng Lingxiao has required our four clans to jointly construct a large teleportation array. According to the array's design, its destination is the Cloud Spirit Continent. It is likely that Sheng Lingxiao's next plan is to invade the Cloud Spirit Continent."
"How much longer until the teleportation array is completed?" Li Xuan asked.
Yuan Chuge and Yue Zhengqi exchanged glances before replying, "The teleportation array is nearing its completion. It will be fully constructed within a month."
Li Xuan fell silent for a moment, then looked up at He Xiuzhu and said, "Senior martial brother, I'm afraid I'll have to make a trip to the Cloud Spirit Continent first."