When Chu Feng and Long Zhuoyan returned to the Totem Heavenly River, Wang Qiang, Xiao Yu'er, Long Chengyu, and the others had already come back ahead of them through Long Zhuoyan's methods.
However, none of them had spoken a word about the Heavenly Court's aura.
As for what they had gone off to do, no one from the Totem Dragon Clan pressed them for details either.
The thing they cared about most was whether Long Zhuoyan — the Ancestral Dragon in their eyes — would truly let them off.
Only when Long Zhuoyan brought Chu Feng back did the Totem Dragon Clan finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Though Long Zhuoyan had consistently concealed her face and kept her distance when dealing with them, her attitude this time around was noticeably better.
After Long Zhuoyan stated that she wanted to retrieve several treasures from the Totem Dragon Clan's sacred grounds, the clan cooperated without hesitation. After all, they all knew those treasures were connected to the Ancestral Dragon herself — they had always belonged to Long Zhuoyan.
In truth, given Long Zhuoyan's status, if she had asked for anything at all, the Totem Dragon Clan would have handed it over without hesitation — even their own lives.
…
Right now, inside one of the Totem Dragon Clan's sacred sites, Chu Feng and the other young geniuses, as well as the clan's elders and higher-ups, had all gathered.
Jiè Shàn Xiān, Zhāixīng Dàozhǎng, and Jiè Tiānniàn lay on the ground nearby.
Not far away stood a massive formation that pierced from earth to sky — one that Long Zhuoyan had personally arranged.
Within the formation were three treasures, all cultivation-related artifacts. Passed down through the ages, the power remaining within them was scant.
But because they were all connected to the Ancestral Dragon, they had been preserved to this day — originally stored in separate sacred sites, each under the strictest guard.
In truth, Long Zhuoyan had instructed the Totem Dragon Clan to retrieve far more than just these three items. However, due to the passage of so much time, the rest had completely lost the power of the True Dragon.
The Totem Dragon Clan's patriarch, a number of the clan's elders, and the younger generation including Long Chengyu and Long Muxi were all gathered around the formation, working diligently.
But it was only these people.
He Xia Xingchen was also inside the Totem Dragon Clan's territory, but this matter involved Long Zhuoyan, and the clan had implemented their highest level of secrecy — not even He Xia Xingchen had been informed.
While everyone busied themselves, Long Zhuoyan sat in an imposing chair, dragging Chu Feng along to keep her company and chat.
"Sis, the True Dragon power that's left isn't much — will that be enough?" Chu Feng asked with some worry.
"As long as it can be extracted, it will be enough to heal them."
"But don't be fooled by how little there is — the difficulty of extraction is exactly the same."
Long Zhuoyan swept her gaze over the formation, saw that preparations were nearly complete, and rose to her feet. She looked toward the assembled members of the Totem Dragon Clan.
"Let me say a few things. Given my temperament, if it weren't for Chu Feng, your Totem Dragon Clan would no longer exist."
"These three people are of extreme importance to my little brother Chu Feng, and they must be saved. But I'll also make it clear — extracting the True Dragon power is no simple matter. You could even lose your lives in the process."
"So you all understand what must be done, yes?"
The moment Long Zhuoyan finished speaking, the response came from every member of the Totem Dragon Clan in a thunderous roar: "We understand!"
At the same time, the Totem Dragon Clan patriarch, Long Chengyu, Long Muxi, and the others stepped in unison into the formation's core and began channeling energy into it.
They already knew what was expected of them — to use the power of their bloodlines to drive the formation and extract what little True Dragon power remained within the three treasures.
However, this task was far from easy.
Before long, their brows were tightly furrowed. One by one, they began gritting their teeth and wincing, pain gradually creeping across their faces.
The first to show signs of struggle were the elders, and shortly after, the patriarch could no longer bear the strain either.
The ones who held out the longest were, surprisingly, Long Chengyu and Long Muxi — a testament to the fact that what was being tested here was bloodline, not cultivation.
Yet before too long, even their Complexions began to worsen.
As time ticked by, every single one of them was visibly weakening. It was no longer just a matter of pain — if they continued, they would genuinely lose their lives.
But not a single person within the formation's core chose to give up.
Because they all knew this was their chance to repay Chu Feng, and their chance to repay the Ancestral Dragon.
They had to give it everything they had — even if it cost them their lives.