Wisps of cloud swirled around the talismanic blade, causing a faint, ethereal luminescence to gather near it, intangible and shifting. Furthermore, the sheen along the cutting edge burned brighter than before.

Yet, Zong Shou’s brow remained tightly furrowed, betraying no hint of joy.

“It possesses the form, but not the spirit. Replicating the Jingyun Shenmie Sword Intent with soul power is, after all, not the true will of a martial cultivator—”

He murmured softly to himself, before wondering if he was demanding too much.

The shard of Jingyun Shenmie Sword Intent he had imprinted onto the willow-leaf talismanic blade was truly infinitesimal.

But for a warrior still rooted at the Body Wheel realm, this level of power was utterly insurmountable. Even a Earth Wheel expert who had reached the Innate stage would find it immensely difficult to resist.

If he were to fight that Lie Jian Wuwei again, just three months prior, this single strike would not have merely taken one of the man's eyes, but would have pierced straight through his skull, ending his life!

He took out the last willow-leaf talismanic blade and continued imprinting the sword intent. This time, the quantity was slightly reduced again. Yet, he only managed to hold the process for fifteen minutes before the entire flying blade disintegrated back into dust.

Zong Shou shook his head inwardly. That previous success must have been an anomaly. The copper alloy distribution and overall structure of that one willow-leaf blade were far more rational and resilient than the other four.

If even this faint thread of sword intent could not be sustained, then it was a matter of material quality.

However, these willow-leaf talismanic blades were the best talismans he could acquire on short notice.

For superior flying blades, he would need to commission them from major merchants who housed high-tier Spirit Forgers, like the Baobing Zhai, and such customizations would be costly. Alternatively, he could acquire better materials and forge them himself.

“Though the chance of success is lower, if a sword intent can be imprinted, the resulting power is still quite respectable. I can continue this pursuit later—”

Zong Shou pondered for a moment, then tucked the single successful talismanic blade into his sleeve. He then took out the remaining four identical willow-leaf flying blades, concealing them close to his body as well, leaving no discernible trace beneath his clothes.

He had no intention of continuing the experiments, not because he was unwilling, but because he was unable. Firstly, his current soul power was nearly exhausted. Secondly, only these five blades were capable of truly achieving that kind of resonant spiritual connection.

Just as Zong Shou was preparing to sink his consciousness back into the depths of his soul, ready to examine the twelve Heavenly Talisman Seeds beyond his soul’s sea—especially the character ‘Yun’—a query came from outside the carriage door: “Is Young Master available right now?”

Yin Yang?

Zong Shou’s mind stirred, grasping the likely reason immediately. He ceased his meditation and called out with a smile, “Uncle Yin, please come in!”

A tall figure stepped through the door; it was indeed Yin Yang. His expression was somewhat solemn. After glancing at Zong Shou, a subtle flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He then walked straight to the soft couch, sat down cross-legged, and ventured tentatively, “Could it be that the Heir Apparent has already cultivated the second meridian of Fetal Respiration?”

Zong Shou knew he couldn't keep it hidden any longer. He smiled and nodded, an implicit admission.

Once the second meridian of Fetal Respiration was mastered, a martial artist would emit a slight aura outside their body. Zong Shou had just opened these two meridians and was far from being able to fully contain them; a high-level martial artist could easily detect it.

Yin Yang’s eyes immediately lit up, then his expression turned grave. “The Heir Apparent’s talent is truly beyond the ordinary! I don’t know how you managed to cultivate the second Fetal Respiration meridian within three months, but I still have one word of caution for you: the foundation of a martial artist is paramount. You must never strive for success too hastily—”

Zong Shou gave a wry internal smile. How could he not know this truth? Yet, he also knew that Yin Yang was acting out of goodwill.

Fortunately, Yin Yang was not one to dither. After offering a few earnest words of advice, he returned to the main topic: “When the Lord left Qiantian Mountain, he only instructed me and Chuxue to retrieve the Heir Apparent from Linhai Academy and enroll him in the Lingyun Sect. He gave no further instructions. I imagine the Lord did not foresee yesterday’s events. But now that the Heir Apparent is unwilling to join the Lingyun Sect, the movements of the three of us must be planned in advance—”

Zong Shou nodded again, acknowledging the validity of the point. He had guessed that this was why Yin Yang sought him out.

Indeed, Yin Yang’s tone shifted. He pulled out a rough beast-skin map and began indicating points, a probing look surfacing on his face. “Leaving Yanxia Town, there are five paths out of the Sudian Mountain Range. One is the route we came, through Longze Plain, which leads back to Qiantian Mountain. Another path leads further east; after about a thousand one hundred li, it reaches the shore of the Eastern Sea of Clouds, where there is a place called Cloud Saint City. Though not a major port, one can find ships there to sail the ocean. Besides these, there are three smaller paths, but they are all infested with fierce beasts. Several Sixth-Tier Beast Kings dwell there, against whom even the Lingyun Sect is helpless. Our Cloud-Flipping Carriage truly cannot pass through them!”

Zong Shou smiled. Yin Yang had explained all this, but his underlying meaning boiled down to two options: flee the Eastern Lin Yun Continent immediately, or return to Qiantian Mountain to vie for the Demon King’s position—

He stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled slightly, tapping a point on the eastern side of the beast-skin map: “We will head to Cloud Saint City first!”

He recalled that a certain location was near this city. Though its time hadn't yet come this year, it was supposed to truly manifest after the first surge of spiritual energy tides. That year was also the earliest era in the Shenhuang game set ten thousand years later.

However, if his memory served him correctly, a certain rare celestial treasure grew near this spot. A few stalks should already be mature. It wasn't extraordinarily precious, but it was exactly what he needed recently.

And that other item, he should be able to retrieve it as well. This was the greatest source of his confidence in refusing the Lingyun Sect—

“But these few paths are all somewhat unsuitable! It would be best to cut straight through here—”

Yin Yang blinked in surprise as Zong Shou’s finger traced a thin line across the beast-skin, a path that cut straight and level towards the east of the Sudian Mountain Range.

“Young Master, that area is the Black Mud Swamp, which is also part of Longze Plain. Although there are no high-tier ferocious beasts, our Cloud-Flipping Carriage still cannot traverse it—”

This route would absolutely escape the notice of those three pursuers. However, the most notorious aspect of the Black Mud Swamp wasn't the savage beasts hidden within the mire, but the swarms of Swamp Wolves and the vast colonies of Corpse-Eating Ants—entities that were virtually invincible within the swamp. Even Fifth or Sixth-Tier demonic beasts often gave that area a wide berth.

“Therefore, our carriage needs some modification, or we should exchange it entirely. Our current speed is too slow!”

Reflecting on his current body’s physical constitution, without vehicular transport, he could barely take a few steps. Zong Shou mocked himself internally, then tapped another spot on the map. “Let’s go to Little Origin City first. I heard this place specializes in refined steel?”

Where Zong Shou’s finger landed was near Danling Mountain, less than three hundred li away. Both in the Shenhuang game and the records of ancient history, Little Origin City was renowned as the Eastern Mining Capital of the Eastern Lin Yun Continent. It was rich in iron ore and various associated metals, serving as a sanctuary for early-stage Spirit Forgers and Spirit Artifact Masters. Even if it hadn't reached the scale of later generations yet, it certainly wouldn't lack materials or Spirit Forgers at this time.

Yin Yang also showed a contemplative look. He carefully examined the Wind Wall Array engraved on the carriage walls before giving a wry smile. “Very well! We shall follow the Young Master’s decision. Coming out of Little Origin City allows us a direct path into the Black Mud Swamp. Knowingly engaging those people when our strength is insufficient is no different from courting death. Retreating temporarily to avoid their sharp edge is a sound strategy—”

Zong Shou’s eyebrow immediately shot up; he knew Yin Yang had misunderstood his intent. His current rush to Cloud Saint City was not to flee the Eastern Lin Yun Continent.

PS: Continuing with three chapters today, asking for recommendation votes and bookmarks. The ranking on the New Book List is precarious, and the votes from Sanjiang haven't come in yet—please help everyone!