"Elder Shan, do you mean this Sacred Hall can help us improve our strength?" Song Qianyu asked, as if she had suddenly understood something after Shan Wushuang finished speaking.
Shan Wushuang smiled and nodded. "If not for this, it would truly be difficult for me to ask you to break through to the Immortal Realm within ten years. Very well, follow me."
As soon as Shan Wushuang finished speaking, he stood up and walked towards the back of the main hall. He Xiuzhu and Li Xuan, along with the other seven, immediately followed suit.
On the peak of the back mountain of Shengyuan Peak, Shan Wushuang moved his hand seals, and six Sacred Seals, similar to the Mountain Water Seals Li Xuan had seen, floated in mid-air.
Seven Sacred Seals floated before Shan Wushuang. Then, with the change of Shan Wushuang's hand seals, they all began to shimmer.
Seven different colored lights flickered, and then, under the gaze of Li Xuan and the others, they rapidly merged and intertwined.
*Hum.*
A series of humming sounds arose, causing the surrounding space to begin to crack under the terrifying aura emanating from the seven lights.
Seeing this, He Xiuzhu waved his large hand, and a spiritual light shot towards the cracking space, instantly stabilizing it.
Shan Wushuang's hand seals changed rapidly, and a terrifying spiritual power was injected into the ball of light.
"Condense!"
With Shan Wushuang's low roar, the seven lights and the ball of light instantly condensed into one. Then, a Sacred Seal with seven-colored light slowly appeared before He Xiuzhu and the other seven.
"Elder Shan, this is the true Sacred Seal, isn't it?" Looking at the Sacred Seal before them, even the steady He Xiuzhu couldn't help but get a little excited. The aura alone was so powerful; the Sacred Seal's power must be even more terrifying.
Shan Wushuang smiled and nodded, seemingly also a little excited. He then said, "Our Shengyuan Sect's Sacred Seal has been lost for thousands of years. To be able to find it again today is a great relief for this old man."
"Alright, time is short. You all go in and cultivate. I have only one requirement: you must cultivate to the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, you will not be able to leave the Sacred Seal Illusion."
"There's a restriction? Elder Shan, did something happen?" Hearing Shan Wushuang's words, He Xiuzhu and the other seven frowned.
Shan Wushuang's actions clearly indicated that he knew something. It was this matter that was the main reason why Shan Wushuang wanted them to cultivate.
Shan Wushuang sighed and smiled wryly, shaking his head. "You guys really can't keep anything from me. Fine, if you have such worries, you won't be able to cultivate with peace of mind. What I am about to say next, once you hear it, keep it to yourselves."
"The Eternal Continent will inevitably be in turmoil, and given the previous situation, it will happen sooner or later. Rather than letting it be uncontrollable, it's better to go with the flow. And without the strength of the Immortal Realm, you won't be able to play any significant role in the upcoming turmoil."
"This is why I want you to break through within ten years."
"Elder Shan, is the Zhenyun National Cauldron the catalyst for the turmoil?" He Xiuzhu immediately asked.
Shan Wushuang nodded. "Originally, I was hoping someone would suppress the Sacred Clan and bid for the Zhenyun National Cauldron. But in the end, it was still obtained by the Sacred Clan. Since that is the case, everything is destined."
"Even if I were to intervene, it would only cause greater changes. For certain reasons, I cannot act freely during the upcoming turmoil. Unless it concerns the survival of the Eternal Continent, you will have to bear the burden."
"At least on the surface, the seven of you are not true disciples of my Shengyuan Sect. This way, it will be more justifiable."
"Elder Shan, what you are saying implies you have reached an agreement with someone? Is there an existence more powerful than you, Elder Shan?" Wen Boya asked after pondering for a moment.
"Heh heh, don't worry about this. Alright, time is pressing, and I have said all I need to. If you want to minimize the casualties in this turmoil, you will have to cultivate with even greater effort."
Shan Wushuang smiled, then moved the Sacred Seal in his hand, and a spatial array gate appeared before Li Xuan and the others.
"Go. In ten years, if you can cultivate to the Immortal Realm, you will be able to come out without any restrictions. If you fail to do so, you can only continue to stay inside. This is all I can do."
Shan Wushuang looked at Li Xuan, He Xiuzhu, and the other seven, his expression tinged with a hint of loneliness.
"Elder Shan, I will definitely urge everyone to cultivate well." He Xiuzhu could also see that Shan Wushuang had something on his mind, but since Shan Wushuang was unwilling to reveal more, He Xiuzhu didn't force the issue. He Xiuzhu had always kept Shan Wushuang's instructions in mind.
"Enter," Shan Wushuang nodded slightly and waved his hand.
*Hum.*
With a humming sound, after Li Xuan and the others entered the spatial array gate, their surroundings returned to normal.
Shan Wushuang looked into the distance and then murmured with a complex expression, "The game in the Cloud World has finally spread here. Master, Master, your disciple has at least preserved the lineage of Shengyuan Sect. I hope you, old master, will not blame your disciple."
"What's going on here?" As a spiritual light flickered and disappeared, Li Xuan, He Xiuzhu, and the other seven all appeared in a space.
And when the seven of them saw the scene around them, they were all shocked.
The scene in this space was exactly the same as the one outside. The cultivation peaks where Li Xuan and the others lived were identical, with no difference in their positions. The only thing missing was Shengyuan Peak.
"I assume this Sacred Seal Illusion simulates our respective cultivation places as the scene, or perhaps this is Elder Shan's arrangement. Has anyone noticed that the spiritual energy within seems to be several times richer than in our cultivation grounds?"
As the senior disciple, He Xiuzhu was the first to regain his composure and said to the others.
Wen Boya closed his eyes and sensed for a moment before nodding. "The spiritual energy here is indeed extremely abundant. No wonder Elder Shan said it could allow us to cultivate to the Immortal Realm in ten years. However, since it is an illusion, I doubt it is that simple."
"Furthermore, merely cultivating in seclusion, no matter how rich the spiritual energy, cannot directly lead to the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, Immortal Realm experts would truly be everywhere on the Eternal Continent."
"In my opinion, there are likely hidden things within our respective residences on the peaks. These seven mountains that have appeared out of nowhere cannot simply be simulations," Song Qianyu said thoughtfully.
"In that case, everyone should first go to their respective mountain peaks and begin cultivating. If you encounter any unexpected situations, remember to alert us immediately."
"However, since this is a trial illusion prepared by Elder Shan for us, there shouldn't be too much danger. Everyone must focus on cultivating and not let Elder Shan's painstaking efforts go to waste."
He Xiuzhu nodded and then said to everyone with a serious expression.
"Yes, Senior Disciple Brother!" The crowd responded in unison. Then, their figures moved, and they quickly swept towards their respective mountain peaks.
'Fuyao Peak,' As Li Xuan landed on the summit, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
In this illusionary space, even the courtyard he had built was completely simulated.
Seeing this, Li Xuan was not overly worried. Just as Senior Disciple Brother He Xiuzhu had said, since Elder Shan Wushuang intended to help Li Xuan and the other seven break through to the Immortal Realm quickly, he likely would not have set up too much danger for them.
In the courtyard, Li Xuan sat down and pondered all the events that had happened. After a moment of thought, his eyes suddenly brightened as if he had realized something.
"Not good! Elder Shan not only wants us to cultivate to the Immortal Realm but also to protect our safety. In that case, Elder Shan likely knows what is about to happen. And based on the current situation, Elder Shan probably cannot resist it alone!"
*Bang!*
Thinking of Elder Shan Wushuang's predicament, Li Xuan hurried towards the door, only to be sent flying back by a sudden burst of power. An invisible barrier had quietly appeared after Li Xuan entered the courtyard.
"I didn't expect you to be the first to react, little fellow."
Just as Li Xuan stood up and prepared to forcefully break through the barrier, Shan Wushuang's voice slowly echoed from inside the room. Li Xuan stopped and quickly scanned his surroundings but found nothing.
"No need to look for me, Li Xuan. Your ability to react first means you have passed my test. As the Sect Master of Shengyuan Sect, I naturally need to shoulder the responsibility of the sect. The survival of the Eternal Continent is my bottom line."
"I will pass this Sacred Seal to you. When you break through to the Immortal Realm, you can refine it into one with yourself. Although the heritage of my Shengyuan Sect is one person and one sect, it must not be broken. With this, my wish is fulfilled."
"Elder Shan!" After Shan Wushuang's voice gradually faded, Li Xuan shouted loudly. However, his voice disappeared like a stone sinking into the ocean, with no response.
At the same time, the seven-colored Sacred Seal appeared out of thin air before Li Xuan. Looking at the dazzling Sacred Seal, Li Xuan felt a pang of bitterness.
"Elder Shan, rest assured, I will definitely continue the heritage of Shengyuan Sect!"
*Hum.*
As soon as Li Xuan finished speaking, the Sacred Seal before him hummed and shot into Li Xuan's forehead, disappearing.
Feeling that the Sacred Seal in his mind was not yet under his control, Li Xuan retracted his thoughts and sat down again.
Since Shan Wushuang said that he needed to break through to the Immortal Realm to refine the Sacred Seal, there was no other way. And if he wanted to leave this Sacred Seal Illusion as soon as possible, he could only cultivate to the Immortal Realm as Elder Shan Wushuang had said.
Li Xuan had only recently entered the Profound Comprehension Realm, and reaching the Immortal Realm involved six major stages. For Li Xuan, this was undoubtedly immense pressure.
"I hope Elder Shan is alright," Li Xuan sighed. Although he hadn't had much interaction with Elder Shan Wushuang, ever since he came to the Eternal Continent, Elder Shan Wushuang had provided him with shelter.
The grace he received from Shan Wushuang was no less than that from his master, whom he had never met. In a sense, Shan Wushuang was already Li Xuan's master. And now, Shan Wushuang's final entrustment was undoubtedly a form of trust.
Li Xuan retracted his thoughts, adjusted his state, and immediately began to cultivate.
Moon Spirit Mountain, Moon Clan.
"Brother Moon, three years have passed now. The Sacred Clan's influence has already extended into our four clan territories. If we do not act to curb it, the consequences will be dire," said a middle-aged man sitting at the head of the right side of the hall, looking at Yue Zhengqi.
This person was the patriarch of the Xuan Clan, Xuan Canglin.
"Indeed. In the past three years, after obtaining the Zhenyun National Cauldron, the Sacred Clan has abandoned its previous restraint and become aggressive. I fear that Sheng Lingxiao has already refined the Zhenyun National Cauldron, otherwise, the Sacred Clan's actions would not be so arrogant." Yuan Chuge nodded in agreement.
Li Shu pondered for a moment and then said to Yue Zhengqi, "Brother Moon, you have summoned the three of us here, so you must have some plans, right?"
"Half a month ago, a city in my Moon Clan's territory was completely wiped out. Even the clansmen stationed there disappeared without a trace, not even sending back any information. It was only a few days ago that I sensed that the fortune of my Moon Clan was unstable."
"After investigation, we discovered that the spiritual脉 beneath the destroyed city was completely ruined, and its fortune seemed to have been stripped away alive. I suspect it was the work of the Sacred Clan," Yue Zhengqi said with a solemn expression.
"An entire city annihilated?! This must be the work of the Sacred Clan; who else would dare to do such a thing! Fortune stripped away, could it be the Zhenyun National Cauldron?" Li Shu's expression suddenly changed, and he quickly looked at Yue Zhengqi.
Yue Zhengqi nodded slightly and said gravely, "I am also concerned that the Sacred Clan is after the Zhenyun National Cauldron, and at the same time, I worry that the Sacred Clan has not acted only this once."
"This concerns the fortune of our several clans, which is why I invited the three of you here to discuss. I hope that after you return, you will thoroughly investigate. Besides, we cannot simply stand by and do nothing. Since the Sacred Clan has acted, I suggest that our four clans join forces to suppress them."
"This matter requires long-term planning. A hasty war will inevitably cause considerable turmoil. Moreover, since the Sacred Clan dares to act like this, they must have some reliance. Furthermore, the Sacred Clan must already know that our four clans will join forces, so they will surely have countermeasures," Xuan Canglin said.
Yue Zhengqi nodded. "That is why I invited the three of you to discuss. We must suppress the Sacred Clan's intentions!"
"This matter requires long-term planning."