Eternal Continent, Sacred Mountain, Sacred Hall.
"Lord Saint, the teleportation formation is complete," the Grand Elder Shengtian said respectfully to Sheng Lingxiao.
"Gather the army, we depart tomorrow," Sheng Lingxiao nodded slightly, then added.
"Yes!" The Grand Elder Shengtian immediately bowed and turned to leave.
A night passed in a flash. As per Sheng Lingxiao's request, the Moon, Li, Xuan, and Yuan tribes each dispatched twenty experts at the Eternal Realm.
The leader of each tribe was an existence at the early stage of the Immortal Realm.
Such a lineup was truly terrifying.
As dawn broke, Sheng Lingxiao glanced at the Grand Elder Shengtian and the Second Elder Shengdi before waving his hand. A massive teleportation formation flashed into existence.
"Esteemed sirs, please," Sheng Lingxiao said calmly to the leading powerhouses of the four tribes. After a moment of silence, the leading powerhouses of the four tribes waved, signaling their respective Eternal Realm experts to step into the teleportation formation.
"Sons of the Sacred Clan, march forth with me!"
After the teams from the four tribes entered the teleportation formation, Sheng Lingxiao waved his hand. The fifty thousand strong Sacred Clan army, who had been waiting in full readiness, surged into the teleportation formation, their faces filled with fervor.
Buzz.
As Sheng Lingxiao stepped in, a buzzing sound rang out. A golden light flashed, and everyone within the teleportation formation instantly vanished.
Cloud Spirit Continent, Li Xuan floated in mid-air. As the scorching sun rose, Li Xuan's eyes slowly opened.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the sky above the Cloud Spirit Continent instantly tore open. As if cleaved by a giant axe, a massive rift appeared in the eyes of Li Xuan and the others. Figures rapidly emerged from within the rift.
"Engage the enemy!"
Li Xuan waved his hand. The forces of various factions, who had been prepared, moved instantly and flew into the sky.
Orbs of spiritual energy shot towards the massive rift, and the sounds of terrifying impacts and explosions were incessant.
After integrating the world heart, Li Xuan quickly gathered the leaders of the various factions on the Cloud Spirit Continent and explained the situation. Coupled with the appearance of the world heart and the manifestation of the world order, the various factions on the Cloud Spirit Continent treated Li Xuan as a savior.
They understood that if the Cloud Spirit Continent were invaded by the Sacred Clan, even if they escaped, they would be rootless wanderers in the future.
This battle was one where they could not retreat.
Buzz!
Amidst the rosy glow of the sky, a shockwave emanated from the rift. The attacks from the forces of the Cloud Spirit Continent were instantly nullified. A figure slowly appeared in the eyes of Li Xuan and the others. This person was Sheng Lingxiao.
"It's you! No wonder they were so well-prepared. So you arrived here in advance." Sheng Lingxiao glanced at the assembled forces of the Cloud Spirit Continent, his brow furrowed. It was clear that they already knew of their invasion.
Sensing this, Sheng Lingxiao's gaze immediately locked onto Li Xuan, who stood behind the assembled forces. Having met Li Xuan twice before, Sheng Lingxiao immediately recognized him.
"Patriarch Sheng has a good memory, remembering me." Seeing that he had been discovered, and with Li Xuan having no intention of hiding, he moved forward and appeared at the forefront of the assembled forces, looking at Sheng Lingxiao.
"Your aura… it's wrong. You're not suppressed by this world's order and rules?! And your strength has actually reached the advanced Immortal Realm!" Sheng Lingxiao said, his brow furrowed, his eyes widening in shock after a brief scan.
"Patriarch Sheng, you seem to be under considerable suppression."
Li Xuan naturally would not reveal that he had become the lord of the Cloud Spirit Continent. Furthermore, Li Xuan noticed that Sheng Lingxiao's aura fluctuated, being unstable at times. As the lord of the world, Li Xuan naturally understood that Sheng Lingxiao was in a struggle of suppression with the world order and rules of the Cloud Spirit Continent.
However, what shocked Li Xuan was that Sheng Lingxiao could still maintain his power at the peak of the Immortal Realm, likely relying on the Zhenyun National Cauldron.
"The order and rules of this world seem to have strengthened considerably. Li Xuan, this is probably all your doing." Sheng Lingxiao snorted, feeling a pang of unease.
He had initially thought that everything would go smoothly and conquering the Cloud Spirit Continent would be a piece of cake.
But he never expected someone like Li Xuan to appear. Sheng Lingxiao could sense Li Xuan's aura, and the fact that he, at the advanced Immortal Realm, was not suppressed was truly baffling to Sheng Lingxiao.
Even Sheng Lingxiao himself could barely maintain his state by relying on the Zhenyun National Cauldron.
"Patriarch Sheng, regardless of whether this is my doing or not, are you here as a guest?" Li Xuan replied evasively, then slowly spoke.
As Li Xuan's words fell, his gaze shifted to the eight Immortal Realm powerhouses behind Sheng Lingxiao. One each from the Moon, Li, Xuan, and Yuan tribes, and four from the Sacred Clan itself.
What surprised Li Xuan even more was that these eight individuals did not seem to be suppressed by the world's order and rules. With a slight shift of his gaze, Li Xuan noticed a ripple-like halo emanating from Sheng Lingxiao, resembling water ripples.
Beneath this ripple halo, spanning three zhang, the world's order and rules were directly repelled.
"Li Xuan, the first time I met you, you were merely a novice at the initial stage of the Life Body Realm. The second time I met you, under the guidance of Dan Wushuang, you were already at the Profound Vision Realm. Now, meeting you again, you are at the advanced Immortal Realm."
"To be honest, no one has ever given me such a profound shock. And you are the first. As long as you choose to follow me, I guarantee your future path will be even broader." Sheng Lingxiao said.
His words revealed an attempt to recruit Li Xuan.
Li Xuan smiled and replied, "Patriarch Sheng, don't forget that I am still Elder Dan's disciple. Do you, Patriarch Sheng, consider yourself stronger than Elder Dan?"
"Under the tide of the times, even if Dan Wushuang is strong, what does it matter? Moreover, it's uncertain if Dan Wushuang can protect himself now. Li Xuan, I'll give you one last chance. If you are willing to follow me, I will help you break through to the Immeasurable Realm!"
Sheng Lingxiao was silent for a moment, then tried to recruit Li Xuan again, saying, "I can help you reach the Immeasurable Realm!"
It was evident that Sheng Lingxiao placed great importance on Li Xuan.
Li Xuan's heart trembled. It seemed Sheng Lingxiao knew of Elder Dan Wushuang's situation. And judging by Sheng Lingxiao's words, Elder Dan Wushuang's current situation did not seem optimistic.
Recalling the words of his senior brother and Xiuzhu, that only by resisting the turmoil of the Sacred Clan could Elder Dan Wushuang's pressure be alleviated, Li Xuan took a deep breath and slowly said, "As long as your Sacred Clan is dealt with, Elder Dan will have his ways."
"A pity. If that's the case, then do not blame me!" Sheng Lingxiao shook his head regretfully. Then, with a wave of his hand, the fifty thousand strong Sacred Clan army rapidly advanced.
Although Sheng Lingxiao and the eight Immortal Realm powerhouses could maintain their strength, the fifty thousand strong Sacred Clan army was still suppressed by the world's order and rules.
Just as Li Xuan had predicted, everyone's strength was suppressed to the Life Knowledge Realm. Furthermore, with Li Xuan deliberately manipulating the power of the world's order, this suppression was even more terrifying.
Seeing this, the forces of the Cloud Spirit Continent immediately charged forward.
"Do I need to ask you to make a move?" The Immortal Realm powerhouses from the Moon, Li, Xuan, and Yuan tribes, along with their respective twenty Eternal Realm experts, stood behind Sheng Lingxiao. Sheng Lingxiao frowned and said coldly.
The Immortal Realm powerhouses from the four tribes showed a flicker of struggle before reluctantly waving their hands, and the Eternal Realm experts of the four tribes surged forth.
"Li Xuan, I will let you witness how they die before your eyes!"
Sheng Lingxiao paid no heed to the fact that the Eternal Realm experts from the four tribes were suppressed to the Sacred Heart Realm after leaving the ripple halo. Even at the Sacred Heart Realm, they were no match for the spiritual masters of the Cloud Spirit Continent.
Watching the forces of the Cloud Spirit Continent continuously collapse, Sheng Lingxiao said to Li Xuan with a sinister smile.
Li Xuan looked at Sheng Lingxiao calmly and then slowly asked, "Patriarch Sheng, do you truly believe you can resist the world order and rules of my Cloud Spirit Continent? Do you know what it means to be the Lord of a World?"
Before Sheng Lingxiao could react, Li Xuan willed it, and invisible waves of pressure suddenly appeared between heaven and earth.
Golden lines materialized and instantly enveloped the Sacred Clan army and the eighty Eternal Realm experts from the four tribes.
"Suppress them!"