Zong Shou rubbed his forehead in astonishment, letting out a sigh. The power of that Half-Step Sway was truly formidable. Just one bowl of wine had rendered him unconscious for three whole days and nights.

"Then what about my so-called elder brother? Where is he now?"

"Lord Lei Dong is still at Falling Cloud Falls. The day the Young Master passed out drunk, he instructed us to set off the very next day for Cloud Saint City."

Chu Xue shook her head, clearly benefiting from something Lei Dong had offered, as her tone showed immense reverence for him. She then proceeded to explain on Lei Dong's behalf: "Lord Lei Dong said that concealing the matter of the Half-Step Sway wasn't intentional; rather, that wine is quite beneficial for the Young Master, and he must drink a full bowl. Furthermore, he has other urgent matters recently and cannot travel with us. However, he will handle those petty nuisances for us. It just so happens that the City Lord of Cloud Saint City is an acquaintance of his. The Young Master will certainly be safe there. He also mentioned that you brothers can reunite properly another time; there's no need to rush this—"

"Beneficial?"

Zong Shou raised an eyebrow, stretched his limbs, and performed an internal inspection of his body, immediately freezing. The marrow in his bones felt like a warm furnace, having eliminated the last trace of frigid energy—his Marrow Refining was clearly complete. Moreover, his overall physique had improved considerably, especially his bones, which felt significantly tougher.

He clenched his fist suddenly and could clearly feel that his strength had increased by a full thirty percent compared to before he passed out!

The conflict between his dual parallel meridians also seemed to have been substantially reconciled.

With just a moment's thought, he realized that the bowl of Half-Step Sway was far more than mere wine; it was a superior elixir that improved his constitution and aided his cultivation.

Wine this close to celestial brewing, where every drop was worth a hundred gold pieces—a single bowl had negated the effort of dozens of days of hard training.

A flicker of gratitude crossed his eyes, yet Zong Shou let out a cold snort: "So, he got me drunk, and I, Zong Shou, am supposed to be grateful to him and owe him a favor?"

"Lord Lei Dong did say that the Young Master would say just that."

Chu Xue chuckled, her eyes bright. "He also said the Young Master is the most kindred spirit he has met over the years. It’s strange; Lord Lei Dong only knew the Young Master for a day, exchanged only a few words, yet he seems to understand the Young Master's temperament so well. But the Young Master is truly amazing! Uncle Yin says Lord Lei Dong is already a peak Celestial Rank, one of the most supreme figures in our Cloud Realm, having once shaken the Central Cloud Continent. For the Young Master to be able to become sworn brothers with him is unbelievable. With this Lord protecting him, no one in Dry Heaven Mountain can touch a hair on the Young Master's head—"

Zong Shou's brow furrowed slightly. Being sheltered under someone else's wing was hardly a joyous prospect.

Chu Xue, who had been speaking, suddenly sounded dejected: "It was all Xue'er's fault for being too talkative that day. If the Young Master hadn't been capable, it might have been a disaster."

Hearing this, Zong Shou let out a wry chuckle, brought his five fingers together to form a blade shape, and lightly tapped her forehead as a gentle reprimand.

"It's good that you know. Just be more careful next time. The powerhouses in the Cloud Realm are truly too numerous; a single careless word might invite disaster."

While admonishing her, Zong Shou's mind drifted slightly, pondering matters. Since they had set off three days ago, they must be only half a day's journey from Cloud Saint City now.

That meant he was practically on the doorstep of that place.

Still by Falling Cloud Falls, Lei Dong sat silently by the riverbank.

In the distant Mirror Lake Mountain, a massive fissure had appeared. The sword mark he had slashed across the great river nearby had already been filled by the flowing water. Yet the scenery remained beautiful, possessing a slight, broken elegance.

Lei Dong, however, was not looking at the mountain scenery or the water; his gaze was fixed upon a large stone. Apart from the blade mark he had carved, there was also the scar left by Zong Shou's sword.

He found the former utterly offensive, a painful sight. All his attention was focused on the latter, that indistinct sword mark.

"Damn it! There truly is such a genius in this world. He is clearly only at the Martial Master realm, only grasping the Sword Rhyme tier. But why do I feel that my younger brother's martial path is even more unfathomable than mine? This inherent sword intent truly mirrors my Mountain and Water Blade Intent in essence!"

With a sigh, Lei Dong casually waved his hand, and a streak of blade gang appeared in his grasp. It was tinted cyan and purple, a fierce intent surging through it.

"Three days of contemplation, and the might of my Blade Intent has actually increased by a full tenth. If people knew that I, Lei Dong, drew inspiration from the sword path of a thirteen-year-old Martial Master, wouldn't they laugh themselves to death!"

He pursed his lips self-deprecatingly, yet there was no annoyance on his face—instead, he was overjoyed.

"Ruo Tao, oh Ruo Tao! In three years, I, Lei Dong, will show you something!"

Just then, a dozen robust servants in black attire approached, carrying a long, rod-shaped object nearly ten zhang long. The object was draped in a massive piece of red cloth, concealing its shape.

A black-clothed elder swept forward first, bowing respectfully: "My Lord, the item you requested has been retrieved."

Lei Dong's eyes brightened. He swept his large sleeve, and the red cloth instantly flew off, revealing the object within.

It was a colossal blade body, fifteen zhang long, hollowed out in the middle, and immensely heavy. Lei Dong reached out with one hand, and it floated up, spiraling toward him, fitting perfectly over the ten-zhang giant blade already there.

Then, with a crisp 'kacha' sound, the pre-arranged mechanism locked securely. The blade instantly extended to fifteen zhang, radiating overwhelming dominance. Its Blade Intent spiritual energy, however, remained undiminished.

Lei Dong casually swung it; it felt as light as picking up an embroidery needle, moving with incredible ease.

"Not bad, not bad! Though it's still a bit light, it will suffice for a while longer. However, the next layer of sheath should be forged as soon as possible."

A look of satisfaction spread across his face as Lei Dong lowered the blade in his hand. He noticed the black-clothed man hesitated before bowing again: "My Lord, we heard that three days ago you entered sworn brotherhood with the Crown Prince of Dry Heaven Mountain. Is this move perhaps too much? I heard that Zong Shou is already near death and is essentially a cripple unable to cultivate. For the Master, a Celestial Rank powerhouse, to interfere in the affairs of the East Lin Cloud Continent is, after all, somewhat inappropriate—"

"A cripple? With the capabilities he displayed, how could he be a cripple?"

Lei Dong let out a cold sneer. "Even if he were a cripple, so what? I, Lei Dong, have decided he is my brother. Since you are back, you can head to Cloud Saint City and help me watch over him. My younger brother has several Innate realm experts secretly protecting him—likely Zong Wei Ran's doing. But I doubt those people can guard him for too long."

The black-clothed elder fell silent, gave a wry smile, and did not press further, changing the subject. "Let's set aside the matter of the sworn brotherhood for now. Recently, My Lord has been too generous. One carriage for one second-tier beast crystal. Even if you advance further to become a Martial Venerable, you cannot afford such consumption. Those small fry don't warrant such treatment."

"You mean subjugating them with force?"

Lei Dong gave a mocking laugh. "My father once said something correctly: Why use brute force when money will suffice? External possessions can neither be brought in nor taken out upon death. Why fuss over them so much? Though I, Lei Dong, act purely on my own conviction, I still prefer to have people genuinely convinced. While I don't fear them, why needlessly create enmity?"

The black-clothed elder was speechless again, thinking to himself that even if he wanted to win people over with money, there was no need to settle the ten thousand silver taels represented by one carriage. Then, he saw Lei Dong smiling benignly toward the nearby stone again.

"Besides, this time, we haven't just broken even; we've profited—a massive profit!"