"Elder Shan, aren't we going to reveal ourselves?" Wang Kun asked Elder Shan as Li Xuan was held in Yue Fuyuan's arms.
"You few, stay here. The foundations of my Sheng Yuan Peak must not be seen through by them," Elder Shan replied after a moment's thought.
With a movement, he instantly appeared on the Moon Spirit Plaza.
"Little girl, if you keep holding him like this, he might truly be beyond saving," Elder Shan said with a slight smile, looking at Yue Fuyuan.
"Senior, please save him!" Yue Fuyuan looked up. Upon seeing Elder Shan, she immediately pleaded.
As soon as Yue Fuyuan had landed, she had checked Li Xuan's body. Given the extent of his injuries, his survival was already a miracle.
"Don't worry, this boy is, after all, an outer disciple of mine," Elder Shan nodded slightly. With a wave of his large hand, he drew Li Xuan from Yue Fuyuan's embrace towards himself.
Then, Elder Shan performed over a dozen hand seals, which entered Li Xuan's body. As these seals merged into Li Xuan, his previously frail aura gradually began to climb.
"Little girl, I'll entrust this disciple of mine to you for now," Elder Shan said, looking at Li Xuan, then shifting his gaze to Yue Fuyuan.
"Yes, Senior," Yue Fuyuan, having witnessed Elder Shan's immense power once more, replied with respect and gratitude.
After all, Yue Fuyuan herself had been helpless to treat Li Xuan's injuries, while Elder Shan had only used a dozen hand seals to stabilize them.
"Clan Leader Yue, do you have any dissatisfaction with this outcome?" Elder Shan asked, his gaze shifting directly to Yue Zhengqi after handing Li Xuan over to Yue Fuyuan.
"Elder Shan, may I ask if Li Xuan has received your inheritance?" Yue Zhengqi asked after a moment of silence, bowing to Elder Shan.
"It seems you are still somewhat unconvinced. This child has not received any of my inheritance. All I have done is provide him with a place for his trials," Elder Shan replied calmly.
"It was I who judged a gentleman with a villain's heart. I am completely convinced by this battle. If Senior wishes to take our Saintess away, I will not stop you," Yue Zhengqi said, bowing again.
He appeared to be letting go quite readily.
"This girl… forget it, I will let this girl stay with your Yue clan for now. Although I do not think highly of your Yue clan's inheritance, you still possess some foundation on the Eternal Continent. If I were to take away the future of your Yue clan, it would not align with my ways of doing things."
"However, if Li Xuan comes to claim her in the future, do you know what to do?" Elder Shan mused for a moment.
"This junior understands," Yue Zhengqi replied with a slight sigh of relief.
This outcome was acceptable to Yue Zhengqi.
"Little girl, you possess the Moon Spirit Sacred Body. Within the Yue clan is where your potential can be maximized. Furthermore, although I have suppressed Li Xuan's injuries, he will still require a considerable amount of time to recover."
"Even I cannot determine how long this will take, so I can only let you temporarily remain within the Yue clan. What happens in the future, after Li Xuan has recovered, will depend on his decision," Elder Shan said, nodding slightly as he looked at Yue Fuyuan.
"Senior, will Li Xuan be able to recover completely?" Yue Fuyuan, unconcerned about her own whereabouts, asked Elder Shan with worry about Li Xuan's condition.
As for the Moon Spirit Sacred Body, it was merely a designation on the Eternal Continent. Li Xuan had told Yue Fuyuan about her Nine Yin Cold Body when he had first left.
"These injuries are minor and can be healed. However, the burning of two hundred years of lifespan, the depletion of spiritual energy within his body, and nearly half of his soul damaged… these three issues are each extremely thorny."
"But this lad's will is quite strong, managing to hold on until now is already impressive. The creation of heaven and earth is itself about surviving amidst adversity. What his future holds, I cannot promise you at this moment. However, one thing I can guarantee is that he will not die."
Elder Shan said with a slightly troubled smile.
"Fuyuan thanks Senior on behalf of Li Xuan," Yue Fuyuan nodded and thanked Elder Shan.
"You are quite a remarkable young lady. It seems this lad is worth it for you."
Elder Shan smiled slightly and, with a wave of his hand, sent a beam of spiritual light towards Yue Fuyuan. "Consider this a meeting gift from me to my future disciple's wife. Little girl, remember to change how you address me next time we meet."
"Fuyuan thanks Senior," Yue Fuyuan bowed and thanked Elder Shan, sensing the sudden presence of something within her mind.
As Yue Fuyuan stood up, the figures of Elder Shan and Li Xuan had already vanished.
…
Sheng Yuan Sect, Sheng Yuan Peak.
"Elder Shan, junior brother…"
As Wang Kun began to speak, Elder Shan waved his hand to stop him. "His consciousness is scattered, and his soul is weak due to the soul burning. The backlash is naturally extremely fierce."
"Elder Shan, will junior brother be able to wake up?" He Xiuzhu asked Elder Shan after a moment of contemplation.
"I do not know if he will wake up. It all depends on him," Elder Shan replied, shaking his head.
"Elder Shan, this is why you didn't bring junior brother's girlfriend back, isn't it?" Song Qianyu said with a complex expression, looking at Li Xuan floating in mid-air.
"Elder Shan, is there no way to help junior brother?" Wang Kun asked anxiously.
"There is a way, but it is extremely perilous. Whether your junior brother can withstand it in his current condition, I cannot guarantee," Elder Shan said after a moment of thought, his eyes then firming. "Never mind, it all depends on his own fortune."
As Elder Shan finished speaking, Li Xuan's body, which had been floating in the main hall, vanished along with Elder Shan.
In a courtyard behind Sheng Yuan Peak, Elder Shan and Li Xuan slowly reappeared.
Elder Shan glanced at Li Xuan, then took a deep breath and raised his left hand, pressing it against Li Xuan's forehead.
"Enter dream."