Heavy forces were arrayed above the desolate Bone City, where Jialouluo and the Elder Beast of the Fierce Beast Sect stood firmly upon the ramparts, having deliberately let the news spread while awaiting the return of Canaan’s army.

“I never imagined Canaan would expend so much effort only to see the desolate Bone City fall into your hands,” the Beast Elder, master of the Fierce Beast Sect, admitted, having pledged allegiance to Jialouluo solely due to the latter’s sheer martial might. “I never believed that you, Third Sect Master, possessed such formidable strength.”

Jialouluo, having secured the backing of everyone in the city, could only sigh with regret over the death of his elder brother, Jiaye. “The struggle for the position of Sect Master is an inevitable tale within the Imperial Clan. I simply hadn’t expected Canaan to plot for so long, going so far as to harm his own kin merely for the title of Sect Master.”

The Beast Elder nodded. His alliance with the Masked Man back then was merely to secure a greater foothold for the Fierce Beast Sect in the Boundless Realm. Now that he had found a much stronger patron, it was hardly a loss. “Movement and dust clouds are stirring on the horizon; I believe Canaan’s army has returned. Shall I have the Fierce Beasts set an ambush mid-route?”

“Insolence!” Jiu Liansheng, naturally Jialouluo’s most trusted confidant, glared at the Beast Elder. “The sole objective of this battle is to eliminate Canaan. Does my Bone Sect truly require the intervention of your Fierce Beast Sect to handle him?”

“Enough, there is no need for dispute.” Jialouluo slowly turned his gaze toward the Beast Elder and smiled. “I want you to expose Canaan’s treachery in front of everyone. Remember, my goal is not merely to see him dead.”

The scorching sun beat down upon the desolate Bone City, yet outside the gates, a different world unfolded—a world filled with the thunder of war drums and ceaseless slaughter. This was the killing ground between the two Imperial Clan brothers.

“Bold Jialouluo, how dare you seize my position as Sect Master through treachery!” Canaan dismounted and stood firm, pointing his longsword directly at Jialouluo. “Be sensible and open the gates immediately. I shall spare your life out of fraternal affection!”

Jialouluo looked down upon Canaan, his usually righteous and tyrannical second brother now appearing like a troubled child. “Second Brother, I truly never anticipated you would harbor murderous intent. Was killing Elder Brother your only option?”

Zuo Cheng Hou, who had sensed something amiss long ago, stepped forward. “Third Sect Master, do you possess any evidence for such claims?”

“Nonsense! Do you truly believe his words!” Canaan glared furiously at Zuo Cheng Hou. “You have seen how fiercely the Bone Sect warriors fight under my command. One day, we will conquer the entire Boundless Realm!”

Zuo Cheng Hou focused on the matter, not the man. “Third Sect Master, please provide a reasonable explanation.”

“An explanation?” Jialouluo sighed softly, commanding the gates to open. At that moment, a solitary old man appeared below. “Beast Elder of the Fierce Beast Sect, please explain everything to everyone here.”

“The Fierce Beast Sect…” Many within the Bone Sect had suffered greatly due to the Fierce Beast Sect’s machinations. Seeing the Beast Elder emerge alone, many soldiers grew restless, muttering amongst themselves and casting doubt on Canaan’s actions. “How could this be? Is the Fierce Beast Sect involved?”

Canaan saw the backbone of the Fierce Beast Sect collapse in an instant. He desperately wanted to draw his sword and kill the old man, but doing so would leave him with no explanation for his conduct. “Do you think finding an old enemy of the Bone Sect will solve everything? His words can be trusted?”

The Beast Elder had anticipated this move from Canaan. He walked steadily toward Canaan, holding aloft the Masked Man’s relic. “If I recall correctly, it was with this very mask that Second Sect Master Canaan met with me many years ago, was it not?”

“The mask…” Zuo Cheng Hou’s voice represented the sentiments of thousands of Bone Sect soldiers. He snatched it over. “You had better explain yourself clearly!”

The Beast Elder sneered at Canaan. “Second Sect Master and I conspired on this matter for many years. In secret, we nurtured the purple-haired youth Yan Shangcheng, who unexpectedly acquired the Chaotic Meridian Heavenly Pivot. Facts prove that he ultimately became the perfect weapon to grievously wound Jiaye and shatter the desolate Bone City.”

“So, this was all within your expectations!” Zuo Cheng Hou listened to the Beast Elder’s words with renewed confidence, failing to notice Canaan’s eyes turning crimson. “But how was the Great Sect Master murdered?”

The Beast Elder pointed at Canaan. “Yan Shangcheng completed his mission and wounded Jiaye severely. The reason the Second Sect Master delayed dispatching the Bone Sect armies was that he was trailing Jiaye the entire time. Finally, he seized the opportunity. That is why a single sword stroke was enough to kill Jiaye!”

“Hiss…” At these words, the entire army erupted in chaos. They raised their weapons, now harboring suspicion toward Canaan.

Canaan roared in fury and laughed wildly. “Audacious! How can you believe the words of an enemy based on a single statement? In my eyes, the Fierce Beast Sect is the true murderer of Elder Brother! Everyone, you must not let this old man leave!”

“Not only that, the Second Sect Master then coerced my Fierce Beast Sect army into attacking the Third Sect Master. If I hadn’t shown mercy that day, the Third Sect Master would likely have been harmed by Canaan today,” the Beast Elder, expecting Canaan’s denial, swore an oath to the heavens. “Thousands of my brethren in the Fierce Beast Sect can testify to this, and the Third Sect Master himself can also bear witness.”

“Scoundrel!” Canaan’s face turned crimson with rage. He unleashed his Earth Fiend technique and lunged directly at the Beast Elder, who swiftly moved aside, blocking the sword strike with his iron staff. “Lies! Kill him!”

“Wait!” At that moment, Zuo Cheng Hou waved his hand, halting the soldiers behind him. He looked pointedly at Canaan’s action. “Sect Master, is this an attempt to silence a witness?”

Canaan realized his reaction was overly rash, but at this critical juncture, he cared little for appearances. He brandished his longsword, preparing for his ultimate move. “Heavenly Bone Sword Art, die!”

“Heavenly Bone Sword Art!” From the city ramparts above, Jialouluo unleashed the technique with a power far exceeding Canaan’s, bombarding down. When the two swords met, blood immediately began to seep from Canaan’s arm.

“How is this possible! You!” Canaan clutched his wounded arm, shocked that his third brother, whom he had always looked down upon, possessed such formidable cultivation strength. “Hahahaha, I understand now. You were the one hiding the deepest.”

Jialouluo protected the Beast Elder, walking alone toward Canaan, his voice cold. “In truth, you and Elder Brother each had your strengths, but this desolate Bone City, this Boundless Realm, does not require governance styles such as yours. That is why we have reached this juncture.”

“Die!” Canaan furiously struck out again, thrusting toward Jialouluo’s chest. Unexpectedly, Jialouluo neither drew his sword nor evaded; he took the blow head-on. The Earth Fiend technique shattered completely upon contact with Jialouluo’s chest. “What? What have you obtained…”

Jialouluo brushed dust from his robes. “Don’t forget, among the entire Bone Sect, only I can master the Heavenly Bone Scriptures. How could you make such a monumental error? You overlooked the existence of the Heavenly Bone Scriptures.”

Seeing that Canaan’s cause was utterly lost, Zuo Cheng Hou immediately led his men to pledge allegiance to Jialouluo. “We acclaim Jialouluo as the Sect Master of the desolate Bone City! As for this patricidal villain, how shall we dispose of him!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” The Bone Sect members roared in unison, even those who still respected Canaan’s combat prowess.

Jialouluo was greatly satisfied with the soldiers’ reaction. He looked at the defeated figure of Canaan. “Second Brother, the outcome today is entirely of your own making. Failure to execute you would not quell the hatred of the clan members!”

“Ah ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha!” Canaan threw his head back and laughed wildly, tinged with regret. “I lost to you because I miscalculated one step. Where the fool Yan Shangcheng took the Chaotic Meridian Heavenly Pivot—if I possessed that power today, who would dare rebel against me?”

“It would be useless.” Jialouluo advanced relentlessly, grabbing Canaan by the collar. “No one in the entire Boundless Realm can harm me—not Jun Tianxia, not Jiaye, and certainly not you!”

“Hoo…” Canaan, completely unnerved by Jialouluo’s imposing aura, sank to his knees. He knew in his heart that he had lost to Jialouluo this time due to his own arrogance and underestimation. He had never conceived that the seemingly weak Third Sect Master would be the ultimate victor. “I understand.”

“End it yourself. The desolate Bone City cannot hold you!” Jialouluo turned his back. The gates of the desolate Bone City opened, and all the soldiers followed their new Sect Master back to the garrison. In their eyes, Jialouluo, both in cultivation and strategy, was a trustworthy leader.

A fierce wind whipped up the ground, spreading sand and dust. Canaan remained kneeling, staring blankly, his entire arm soaked with blood. He let out a long, desolate howl to the heavens—man proposes, but heaven disposes. When he had killed Jiaye to seize control of the Bone Sect, he never imagined a day like this.

“How much longer can this Boundless Realm endure, ha ha ha ha!” With a wild cry, Canaan activated all his meridians with his own cultivation. Instantly, a mist of blood scattered, and he vanished, becoming nothing more than a bloody smear in the air.

Zuo Cheng Hou spared Canaan’s end a cursory glance. The struggle within the Imperial Clan was even more ferocious than the external threat posed by Jun Tianxia.

“Jun Tianxia will break the ice seal within days. What are your thoughts, Zuo Cheng Hou?” Jialouluo was prepared, but he always wished to offer his subordinates opportunities to display their talents.

Upon hearing Jialouluo’s assessment of the Profound Barrier, Zuo Cheng Hou felt confident. “As the foremost sect in the Boundless Realm, the Bone Sect must participate fully. However, (Sect Master), you mentioned that the Sunblind Clan has already suffered heavy losses, and we hold deep enmity with those in the Corpse Demon Forest. Uniting against a common foe remains a question.”

“Therefore, I wish to convene an Oath Assembly in the name of the Bone Sect. You shall handle the arrangements for this, Cheng Hou.” Jialouluo’s planning was meticulous. “If we wish for the clans to unite, the Bone Sect must demonstrate sincerity. All participating clans must be treated with equal respect; even the Fierce Beasts and the Insect Demons must put aside past grievances. I want them to witness my magnanimity, Jialouluo’s spirit.”

“Yes!” Zuo Cheng Hou accepted the order, yet he couldn't help but sigh. “When the Great Sect Master was in charge, he was never willing to unify and equalize the major clans. This concept of equality proves far too difficult to achieve in the Boundless Realm.”

Jialouluo shook his head and smiled lightly. “Elder Brother was too arrogant, and Second Brother was excessively bloodthirsty. To fight a common enemy, we must first ease internal conflict. That is the superior strategy.”