"That is where you are mistaken!" Yan Fan shook his head. "This child, knowing those slaves were certainly doomed, still acted without hesitation. That reveals the nature of his character. How could a child like that possibly be suited for your Jiesheng Path? As for that set of sword techniques—"

When speaking of the sword techniques, a flicker of genuine alarm appeared in Yan Fan's eyes. How could such an insidious style of swordsmanship exist within the Cloud Realm? Where exactly had Zong Shou learned it?

When that white figure danced with the sword, it was as if the God of Death himself had descended; with every stroke, it was the moment of another's fatal flight.

If one were to speak of the Dao of the Sword, naturally Zong Shou’s previous strike, one that seemed to fly in from beyond the heavens, was the most soul-stirring.

But if the discussion turned to slaughter, to life-and-death combat, then this sword art, named the Stygian River Death-Telling Sword, was the supreme choice!

Abruptly closing his eyes, Yan Fan’s tone returned to its level calm. "To manipulate the Nether Force and death energy in the cosmos to wound the enemy, though slightly sinister, subtly accords with the Heavenly Dao and does not fall into the demonic current. As long as it is not used frequently, this matter is inconsequential!"

Seeing Shui Lingbo’s lips twitch into a sneer of disdain, Yan Fan couldn't help but smile. He knew that further debate would yield no conclusion. Shaking his head, he sighed, "I grow fonder of this child the more I see him! I cannot bear to let him go. But this stalemate between us is no solution either—"

Shui Lingbo still scoffed coldly, "What more do you want? Over these twenty days, we have gambled ten rounds. Three were sword duels, two were talisman crafting, and four were chess matches. The results were all draws! What do you want to wager this time? If you bring up calligraphy or painting, I, Shui Lingbo, am not so foolish. If I were to demand an all-out battle fought without restraint, I doubt you would agree!"

Yan Fan was momentarily speechless; the matter was indeed difficult. It wasn't that he couldn't win, but rather that the chess match required conceding three characters, and the sword duels and talisman crafting had many constraints. Meanwhile, Lei Dong, standing nearby, listened with tears threatening to burst forth. He had been trapped by this very issue for over thirty days, with no end in sight.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Lei Dong gave a low hum. "Sirs, perhaps it isn't entirely inflexible. How about both Sects share one Master?"

Before the words even left his mouth, Yan Fan and Shui Lingbo turned their cold, murderous gazes upon him. Yan Fan let out a heavy snort, "Nonsense! If both Sects share him, who leads and who follows? If he absorbs those heretical notions of the Cangsheng Path, how am I to face the founding Patriarchs of the Five Absolutes Manor? If this child falls to the deviant path, I would rather take his life myself."

Shui Lingbo also let out a faint, derisive laugh. "I am more worried that Zong Shou's mind will be ruined by your pedantic notions. If he intends to join the Five Absolutes Manor, Shui Lingbo must first eliminate this future great foe for my Cangsheng Path!"

Lei Dong couldn't help but roll his eyes, staring blankly at the sky. He was utterly hopeless regarding these two.

He glanced to the side and saw Zhao Yanran, completely at ease, holding a saber and a sword, manipulating them with intense fascination and evident pleasure.

If one looked closely, the trajectories traced by the blade and sword mirrored the offense and defense of Zong Shou’s Tiger Thousand Autumns, missing only a subtle trace of intent. Clearly, this madwoman had benefited considerably from the battle just fought.

He felt a surge of resentment; this woman was quite adept at amusing herself. Pity his Miss Zhen Ru, who must be unbearably lonely after not seeing him for so many days—

Again, and again, and again, atop the carriage roof, Zong Shou gazed fixedly at Xuanyuan Yiren’s Cloud-Turning Chariot as it also departed into the distance, letting out a soft sigh.

He felt an inexplicable emptiness, as if something was slipping away from his side. It was somewhat understandable.

In this coming and going, only four people remained by his side. Then, Zong Shou’s expression turned gloomy again. The looks cast upon him by the three Xianshan City Innate Martial Masters were truly unsettling.

He didn't care about the contempt or scorn, but their expressions clearly conveyed hatred and disgust.

Chu Xue watched with reluctance, her eyes slightly red. "What a shame! Why did Miss Yiren’s mother suddenly fall ill? Does that mean we won't see her again for another few months? May Heaven bless her and keep her well!"

Zong Shou rolled his eyes. Could this girl truly be so naive as to believe the mistress of Xianshan City was genuinely gravely ill?

However, he chose not to comment on the matter. There was no need to assume the worst or judge a gentleman by a villain’s measure; perhaps she really was sick.

As he shook his head, the next instant he heard Chu Xue turn back, speaking very seriously, "Young Master, Xue'er misses her quite a bit now. What should we do? Why don't we just go to Xianshan City now and marry Miss back home?"

Zong Shou was speechless, and abruptly tapped Chu Xue's forehead with two fingers. "I think you don't miss her, you just miss those sugar candies!"

Chu Xue started in surprise, momentarily flustered, her eyes darting around. "Young Master, then we don't need to return to Qiantian City. Didn't the Young Master mention the other day that we needed to rush back to inherit the Demon King—"

"Return for what? To be played with like a puppet?"

Zong Shou laughed coldly, his gaze flickering indeterminately. He failed to notice that his attention had been successfully diverted by Chu Xue.

With Tiger Thousand Autumn’s assistance, Zong Shou controlled sixty-five percent of Qiantian Mountain’s strength. But if he returned now, it would be fine if he was willing to be a mere figurehead. Once he revealed any desire to seize true authority, the reactions of Zong Shi, Zong Yang, and the others would be unpredictable.

With a great enemy outside, if someone were backstabbing him, the outcome would likely be dire.

However, it was precisely because Tiger Thousand Autumn's strength far exceeded his expectations that he changed his mind. With this stabilizing force, he could keep Qiantian Mountain in check. He might as well stay outside and return only after breaking through to the Innate Realm. Wouldn't that be more comfortable?

It was all due to his own insufficient strength. If he possessed Tiger Thousand Autumn’s realm, he could move invincible below the Heavenly Position. Or even like Hu Zhongyuan, who at least could fight against those from the Xuanwu Sect.

He then recalled the Eight-Tailed Celestial Fox Royal Clan, the Xue Clan, mentioned by Hu Zhongyuan, and the Lu Clan that dominated eight hundred worlds—a wave of headaches washed over him.

Indeed, finding a powerful backer was the proper course. Both the Sword Sect behind the Five Absolutes Manor and the Cangsheng Path of the Taiyuan Sect were forces capable of contending with those powers. It was just a pity—thinking of this, Zong Shou became extremely conflicted. A fierce resolution suddenly surged in him, and he abruptly turned around, disregarding everything, and shouted towards the sky, "Hey! I ask you two, is there a decision yet? If you can’t distinguish a winner, why don't you just let me go apprentice at the Tai Ling Sect?"

Hu Zhongyuan, ahead of them, was bewildered. No one was around, and he didn't know who Zong Shou was speaking to or what madness had seized him.

However, going to the Tai Ling Sect wasn't a bad idea. Others might not know, but he had heard rumors that it was the number one sacred ground in the Cloud Realm. With that sect as a rear guard, Qiantian Mountain could certainly rest easy, and all turmoil would resolve itself.

As he wondered, a sharp chizzling sound erupted nearby. In the vast blue sky, thunder rolled suddenly. A bolt of lightning, thick as a water bucket, narrowly scraped past Zong Shou's body before violently striking near the Cloud-Turning Chariot, instantly blasting a deep pit thirty zhang in circumference.

The ten Wind-Riding Colts immediately whinnied in unison, rearing up in alarm. Zong Yuan, acting as the charioteer, exerted his utmost strength just to calm them down.

Hu Zhongyuan also shivered violently. The lightning bolt had appeared without warning. If it had struck a person, even someone like him, who had cultivated to the fifth pulse of the Earth Wheel Martial Sovereign, he would have been reduced to a pile of charcoal. The one who could unleash such an attack was at least above the Sun Roamer level! Fortunately, the Cloud-Turning Chariot was suspended in the air, thus avoiding the electrical discharge.

Zong Shou sighed internally; he knew the outcome would be like this. With complete composure, he smoothed down the hair that had stood on end due to the lightning. Then, his thoughts shifting slightly, he continued looking up at the sky, speaking in a negotiating tone, "This won't work, and that won't work either! My bright future is being wasted by you two like this; you can’t possibly offer no compensation. Besides, before taking an apprenticeship, I should at least receive a token of greeting, right?"

The sky fell into immediate silence. After a long pause, a ball of radiance descended from the cloud treasure and landed steadily atop the carriage.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be exactly ten wine bottles, each the size of two fists. Though the corks were sealed, a rich, mellow fragrance wafted over, overwhelming the senses.

Zong Shou glanced at them, and his lips twitched uncontrollably. Wasn't this the ten bottles of Immortal Brew that Lei Dong had promised him? Those two above were truly stingy, refusing to give anything until the hawk was caught. Since they couldn't recruit him, they wouldn't offer a single benefit.

Rage flared in his heart, and he decided to resist to the death. Zong Shou snorted, pointing his finger to the sky: "My mind is made up. Whoever gives me a benefit first today, I, Zong Shou, will take them as my Master, and I swear I won't go back on my word!"

This time, before his voice had fully faded, two more balls of light descended from the clouds. The one to the left was a blue light, within which was clearly a Spirit Weapon, tumbling and spinning as it descended, striking heavily onto a rock beside the Cloud-Turning Chariot. Its hilt shook violently but did not break off.

The other was a small medicine vial that landed almost simultaneously before Zong Shou. The medicinal fragrance was captivating, nearly matching the richness of Lei Dong's ten bottles of Immortal Brew. Zong Shou felt a brief surge of joy and was about to press his advantage, planning to extort a little more, when the sky suddenly flashed with rampant lightning. Simultaneously, a vast sword qi, serpentine like a dragon, slithered and roamed overhead.

Both the lightning and the sword qi held palpable killing intent. Zong Shou’s breath caught, and he decided it was best to stop while he was ahead. Judging by the situation, any further words would likely result in the electric flash and sword qi striking him directly.

Muttering inwardly, Zong Shou was about to order Chu Xue to gather all the medicine vials and wine bottles.

But when he turned around, he was struck dumb with shock. Chu Xue was cradling an already unsealed bottle of wine, her cheeks flushed crimson, her gaze hazy and unfocused.

Zong Shou’s brow twitched instinctively, ready to deliver a heavy punch, when suddenly a burst of vital energy erupted from Chu Xue's body, and the surrounding spiritual energy began to undulate and vibrate ceaselessly. It surged rhythmically with her breathing.

Chu Xue also blinked her eyes hazily, then abruptly let out a loud hiccup.

"Huh? Young Master, Xue'er seems to have broken through to the Innate Realm!"