"Our Four Secret Clans of Penglai came from the Upper Realm, so naturally, we possess many of its secret arts. While awaiting our return to our ancestral roots, we also have hope of resurrection. Thus, throughout the millennia since our descent, we have preserved the remnant souls or remains of successive generations of ancestors through secret arts. Their number runs into the hundreds of thousands. This is one of the main reasons the Penglai Commerce Association is willing to submit to Great Huan. Please judge this wisely, Your Majesty!"
"Ah?!"
Everyone present was stunned!
"No!"
Qi Ji, Zhi Ji, Xiao He, and another one or two people shouted almost in unison.
Xiao Ying's expression also darkened instantly, his thick brows drawing into a deep frown.
The cultivation realms of the Four Secret Clans' ancestors were difficult to determine, but they should at least have been Loose Immortals. Otherwise, they probably would not have qualified for preservation through secret arts. Hundreds of thousands of Loose Immortals-not only the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty, but even the whole of China's Divine Land might not have that many. During the Battle of Jianye, Xiao Ying had summoned numerous elite Otherworlders and added some Innate Realm experts, yet had only barely scraped together a hundred thousand!
More importantly, the Penglai Commerce Association's loyalties remained unclear, and it had only just submitted. If so many experts suddenly appeared, the ruler would become weak while his subjects became strong. For any power, that was an extremely dangerous situation.
As his thoughts raced, Xiao Ying did not refuse outright. Instead, he looked at Dongfang Fu and Princess Yunmiao and asked calmly:
"Do you understand the Great Resurrection Spell?"
Princess Yunmiao smiled in silence without answering, seemingly leaving everything for the Penglai Commerce Association to handle itself, as though