Water Lingbo simply ignored them, lightning flickering wildly in her eyes—it was nothing more than bursts of thunder, not requiring soul power or spiritual energy, simply erupting everywhere.

Zhao Yanran smiled softly, expertly maneuvering the flat boat beneath her feet, turning it slightly. She tilted her head and said, "I don't really care, but that junior brother might get snatched away. We’ve delayed him a whole half-month; who knows what opportunities he might miss, perhaps being favored by those reclusive sects. Cloud Saint City is not far from the Lingyun Sect, but I heard there is still a Martial Venerable residing there—"

Water Lingbo’s expression shifted, her gaze uncertain and fluctuating. She wanted to give up, yet she felt a pang of unwillingness.

Moments later, with a final snort, her figure flashed, arriving instantly on the flat boat where Zhao Yanran stood. The next instant, her gaze was captured by a stone situated behind the boat.

“...Isn't this the Saber Intent of that rat Lei Dong’s landscape style? Truly an eyesore. Hmm? And this stroke of the sword beside it, whose is it? Dozens of cuts carved into the stone, yet it forms a single sword image. Deconstructing one kind of sword intent into dozens of fragments, yet losing none of its intrinsic rhythm. Tsk, both are martial insights derived from the essence of mountains and water, but this one is far superior to Lei Dong’s! Anyone with decent comprehension can glean something from this—”

“...Who else could it be? Naturally, it’s my junior brother who hasn’t even formally started his path yet. I hear he carved this with his sword specifically to give Lei Dong a bit of guidance.”

Hearing the latter part, she noticed Water Lingbo’s eyes were already shining brightly.

Zhao Yanran, however, was slightly startled. Maintaining her composure, she said, "Martial Aunt, surely you won't try to take this from your junior niece? Instead of taking my stone, wouldn't it be better to capture the person himself—"

The glow in Water Lingbo’s eyes intensified with fervor. She couldn't look away from the sword markings for even a moment.

The more she looked, the more she couldn't resist reaching out to touch it.

Seeing this, Zhao Yanran immediately reacted as if her most precious treasure was threatened, her face turning pale. Her figure flashed, blocking the stone: "Martial Aunt, this is mine. You are not allowed to touch it!"

Water Lingbo gave a slight smile, her eyes darting. "Yanran, you and I are fellow disciples, essentially family. Why be so strict? Just give it to me? I’ll trade you a Dragon Yuan Sword for this stone. Doesn't your junior sister covet that sword?"

Zhao Yanran hesitated, calculating for a long time, a look of difficulty returning to her face: "How about three years from now? Junior brother needs it to contemplate sword intent. But besides that Dragon Yuan Sword, I’ll also need ten Purple Spirit Pills..."

Water Lingbo snorted, "Deal," and made no further attempt to bargain. She walked to the bow of the boat, her spirits soaring. Indeed, capturing that person quickly was the most profitable and proper course.

Once he joined the Taiyuan Sect, how many such stones would she not be able to acquire?

Shortly after Water Lingbo and Zhao Yanran departed, another flat boat sailed into the vicinity of this sea of clouds, emerging from the mist.

However, it dared not approach the area saturated with lightning; it stopped ten miles away.

In a short while, a figure shot out from the dense mass of lightning snakes, landing on the boat.

His appearance was wretched; every strand of his hair was scorched black, and his body was clad only in ragged strips of cloth, barely concealing his lower parts while exposing a body of hard, powerful muscle.

"That was close, I was nearly squeezed dry by that old demoness! Just provoking her a little and she chased me for fifteen days straight. Heh! She truly lives up to her reputation as the unprovokable old hag. She only released her seal to the Martial Venerable level, and she’s already this terrifying—"

Shaking his head, Lei Dong swung the fifteen-zhang giant saber, occasionally slashing himself with it, causing deep gashes. Sometimes a burst of lightning would emerge, sometimes a ray of blazing energy, yet Lei Dong paid it no mind. He immediately turned to the black-clad figure, asking, "Right! Old Black, where is my stone?"

The elderly black-clad man smiled helplessly, bowing deeply, "Please forgive me, Master. The stone has already been taken by Miss Zhao Yanran of the Seven Spirits Sect!"

"How could that be?"

Lei Dong's brows twitched, his gaze sharp: "Old Black, you are a Martial Ancestor of the Earth Vein Five Peaks. Even if that Zhao Yanran is the Fourth Generation Chief of the Seven Spirits Sect, you shouldn't have lost to her!"

"That lady said if I refused to hand it over, she would rather destroy it!"

Lei Dong understood immediately. The old man, though ashamed, still said, "This old servant was confident I could defeat her, but I couldn't protect the Sword Intent Stone. Miss Yanran then said if I lent her the stone for three carts’ worth of time, she might find a way to lure out the Taiyuan Immortal Hand. It is this old servant's incompetence—"

"Three years? I’m afraid it’s a loan with no return! Never mind, I owe her a favor this time."

Lei Dong grunted, forcibly suppressing the urge to stomp his foot in frustration. He opened another gash on his thigh, then suddenly leaped up and soared toward the west.

Just as the old man in black was feeling puzzled, Lei Dong’s voice drifted from afar.

"I'm going to see my uncle. I sent a communication talisman earlier; he should be arriving soon. This time, I'm truly prepared to clash with that woman. A talent like my junior brother cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Though I may not be able to deal with her, there are always those in this world who can counter her!"

The black-clad old man froze, realizing this affair was not yet over.

Shaking his head, the elder continued to pilot the flat boat forward. Yet, his mind was full of questions. The Azure Life Realm is not truly a Demonic Gate, and even his old master somewhat appreciated its ideals. Why is the young master so anxious? Is it because he begrudges the loss of the Sword Intent Stone? Or was he truly thrashed badly by that Taiyuan Fairy this time?

Back on the Cloud-Flipping Boat, Zong Shou’s right palm held a mass of true energy swirling within it.

Half was water-blue, resembling mist or perhaps tiny ice particles; the other half was a deep crimson, faintly revealing light.

These two masses of energy, whose natures were entirely different, were now spiraling together—repelling and attracting one another.

However, whether it was the Fire-attribute true energy or the Mist Transformation true energy, each contained traces of violet lightning flashing within.

Although fire and lightning are compatible, the lightning of heaven and earth mostly originates from the clouds.

This was Zong Shou’s self-created technique, forged by merging the Undying Spirit Emperor Art, the Nine Annihilation Heavenly Thunder Method, and the Heaven Swallowing Primordial Transformation Great Law—he named it the World-Shaking Spirit Art.

The name had nothing to do with the technique itself; Zong Shou simply sought something grand and imposing. Once he uttered the words "World-Shaking," others would immediately understand that this qi refining technique was profoundly powerful.

The Mist Transformation true energy naturally originated from the Celestial Fox’s Illusion, combined with the intent of the Eighteen Astonishing Cloud Divine Annihilation Swords.

It could manifest endlessly and also condense energy to injure others. With the violet lightning interwoven, its might was immense.

The other half, the Fire-attribute true energy, stemmed from his physical characteristics.

—Just two days prior, Zong Shou had finally identified the attribute of his human bloodline: it was "Fire"—an Overwhelming Fire!

It had not yet awakened, but whenever he concentrated his spiritual sense these past two days, he felt as if an inexhaustible flame was fiercely burning within his Sea of Consciousness.

Also fused into the World-Shaking Spirit Art was a refining technique previously unknown to the world—the "Profound Extreme Boundless Fire."

Currently, only the cultivation method for the Six Meridians of the Body Wheel was complete, still leaving many flaws. But the characteristics already revealed were spectacular!

Zong Shou himself appeared to be in deep thought, seemingly observing the changes in the true energy in his palm. In reality, however, his mind was occupied with matters concerning Xuanyuan Yiren, sorting through those chaotic thoughts.

He wanted to break off the engagement, but given that girl’s temperament, she would certainly not agree.

The only way was to make her give up on her own. But like before, achieving this seemed virtually impossible.

Regardless of whether he possessed the strength to protect himself or not, the outcome would likely be the same.

If she knew his soul power had already reached the Out-of-Body Realm, that girl would probably be even less likely to easily abandon the marriage.

If he forced the annulment, the consequences were truly unpredictable. The girl would most likely forcefully refuse, though there was a small possibility she might agree, or perhaps view it as an ultimate humiliation and seek vengeance against him.

Should he truly force her to remain faithful her whole life without marrying another?

He himself felt like a heartless villain, and an unwelcome feeling arose at the thought of this girl leaving him, even more so at the thought of treating her like a stranger.

This was inexplicably complicated; at this moment, his only hope rested with Xuanyuan Yiren and her father. Perhaps they could persuade Xuanyuan Yiren to change her mind.

However, what if he shed the reputation of being a good-for-nothing, and his future father-in-law, whom he hadn't even met since childhood, changed his intentions?

This City Lord of Xuanshan, Xuanyuan Tong, was said to have been sworn brothers with his father, bound by unparalleled righteousness. Even though Zong Weiran was now missing, some connection remained between them. The reputation of breaking the engagement was ultimately a sour one. The final result was truly impossible to predict.

Then again, was he feeling too complacent right now? Should he hide this strength or not?

This journey would inevitably involve killing and conflict; how could it remain hidden?

A sharp burning pain suddenly spread across his palm. Zong Shou’s concentration snapped back sharply.

“It’s ridiculous. I, Sword Emperor Tan Qiu, should also be plagued by this—pondering endlessly. Forget it! Leave it to fate. The bridge will be crossed when we come to it. Whatever happens, if breaking the engagement proves impossible, then I will marry this girl. It’s not a loss, nor do I detest the idea. After all, on this journey, I am bound to act without restraint and kill without mercy; she will eventually find out—”

With his mind cleared, Zong Shou carefully examined the true energy in his palm. The spiral was becoming unstable, continually stinging his palm. Even the qi flow within his body was faintly aching.

“There really are flaws! A moment’s carelessness and it spirals out of control; there is much room for improvement. But it’s barely sufficient for cultivation; I can make adjustments later. Other errors will only become clear after actual practice. I heard that ten thousand and nine thousand years ago, the Cloud Realm was a barren land for martial arts. It wasn’t until the Ancient Desolation Era that many powerful experts rose, gradually perfecting the primitive martial arts and deriving numerous world-shattering cultivation techniques, giving rise to the martial world of the Cloud Barrens. I have the benefit of referencing numerous later martial arts classics; I shouldn't possibly lose to those before me!”

Zong Shou clenched his hand, dissipating the mass of true energy.

This World-Shaking Spirit Art similarly possessed powerful burst potential but weak endurance. This mass of true energy only sustained itself for about an hour before the qi flow within his body showed signs of depletion.

However, this perfectly aligned with the initial purpose of developing this technique.