As he spoke, Zong Hao, in his peripheral vision, glanced askance at Hu Qianqiu and Qiu Wei seated in the upper left. He was not alone in this; indeed, everyone else in the hall did the same.

They all understood clearly that the succession of the Demon King would ultimately depend on these two.

One commanded the sixty thousand strong army of Qiantian Mountain, possessing numerous disciples and countless confidantes, his influence widespread and deeply rooted. The other was the Patriarch of the Iron Tiger Clan, whose power extended beyond the ten thousand elite of the Iron Tiger Tribe to include the various clans of the Tiger Division, all of whom looked to him as their leader. Furthermore, both were powers second only to Zong Weiran within Qiantian Mountain. Thus, their military commanders, East Lin's famous generals, had never known defeat in battle.

If these two remained silent, even if the Demon King were decided upon by the combined efforts of those present in the hall, the outcome could still be overturned.

The sounds of dispute within the hall continued unabated. Chai Yuan, somewhat impatient, frowned and said, "Hu Qianqiu, say something. You are clear on the Young Lord's situation. Even so, you insist on letting him ascend the throne?"

Hu Qianqiu let out a short, dry laugh, settling in comfortably. "So what if I do? This Qiantian Mountain belongs to the Sovereign. Now that the Sovereign has passed, it naturally falls to the Young Lord to inherit. As for Zong Shi and Zong Yang, what kind of trash crawled out from where, I don't know, daring to contest with the Young Lord? If not for these few being the Sovereign's kin, I would have already slapped them dead with one palm strike. Old Qiu, am I right in what I say?"

As these words left his mouth, the entire hall fell into a profound silence. Previously, everyone knew Hu Qianqiu would personally see to Zong Shoushen, suggesting he still supported the Young Lord.

However, this was the first time he had laid out his position so overtly.

Qiu Wei’s eyes also brightened slightly, a subtle smile gracing his lips. "Exactly! Perfectly said. This foundation of Qiantian Mountain, even if it must fall, should fall by the hands of the Young Lord. Anyone who is not the Sovereign's direct descendant should roll as far away as possible; what right do they have to succeed the Demon King?"

Ling Fakong frowned, feeling a splitting headache. The current situation was undoubtedly the worst possible scenario.

Glancing around the hall, he saw that although those present remained largely silent, more than half of them held faint smiles, evidently agreeing deeply with Qiu Wei's words. Ling Fakong was unsurprised, sighing softly, "Gentlemen, you are not helping the Young Lord; you are harming him. In this age of chaos, strength dictates respect. If the Young Lord cannot practice martial arts, how can he command obedience? Even if we support him with all our might, what are we to do if others plot against him?"

Hu Qianqiu snorted coldly. If strength dictates respect, then how many people in the future could possibly surpass the Young Lord?

The City Lord of Xuan Mountain who first spoke to the Young Lord about strength dictating respect was said to have suffered a miserable defeat afterward, nearly beaten to death by the Young Lord.

Ling Fakong then shook his head again. "Even setting that aside, the Young Lord might not even be able to inherit the Lordship of Qiantian. To speak words that strike at the heart: Lieyan Mountain City and Yunxia Mountain City have already begun erecting fortifications at the entrance to the Ruohai Mountain Range. Moreover, Yunhai is blockaded by a thousand ships from Xihai Taoyun City. I wonder if the Young Lord can even return to Qiantian Mountain. Brother Qianqiu, perhaps you don't yet know, but just a short while ago, I heard the Young Lord has already led the four thousand elite cavalry from Xuan Mountain City into the Ruohai Strait. Isn't this walking straight into a death trap? Even if, by some fluke, Xiong Kuifeng Yu did not kill him and let him go, a person like that has no qualification to inherit Qiantian Mountain. Who knows if the Young Lord has been turned into a puppet, or if he has struck some bargain with those two cities of Lieyan and Yunxia..."

Upon reaching this point, the individuals seated below, whether Zong Shi, Zong Yang, or Zong Ming and Zong Hao, all showed slight smiles.

A portion of the others also exhibited expressions of deep thought.

Hu Qianqiu's face paled slightly, and he was about to speak when, through his peripheral vision, he spotted several flashes of red swiftly entering from outside the main gate. His brow twitched, and he grasped one of the swift red birds in his hand.

Seeing the slip of paper inside the message tube, he froze completely. He then blinked in disbelief, noticing the handwriting on the paper was still unchanged.

Looking again at the people in the hall, only Qiu Wei and he shared expressions of disbelief, shock, and wild elation. The others, who had also received messages from the red messengers, all had complexions shifting between pale and flushed. The only commonality was the look of utter disbelief in their eyes. At first glance, it was indeed unbelievable. Slaying four generals and breaking a military formation of four hundred thousand with three thousand cavalry—this was simply too exaggerated. His first thought was that his foolish son was spinning tales to deceive him. This conceited cub was getting dumber; he couldn't even lie properly. Upon his return, he definitely deserved a harsh flogging.

It was only now, seeing the expressions of everyone in the hall, that he felt a measure of certainty. His own son might make mistakes, but surely the spies sent out by the others could not all be wrong as well.

It was true—the allied forces of Yunxia and Lieyan, four hundred thousand strong, had truly been defeated! Defeated by the Young Lord's hand!

A flood of irrepressible ecstasy surged into Hu Qianqiu's heart, causing him to burst into unrestrained, booming laughter that shook the doors and windows of the hall. Countless specks of dust rained down, even reaching outside, causing the fifty thousand Qiantian Mountain soldiers assembled on the training grounds to look on in bewilderment mixed with curiosity.

Inside the hall, all the clan chiefs and the assembled officers and officials qualified to be present looked on, equally perplexed, at the wildly laughing Hu Qianqiu.

Although they didn't know precisely what had transpired, the complex expressions on the faces of Zong Ming, Zong Hao, and Ling Fakong indicated that something significant had occurred, and it was most likely something extremely favorable to the Young Lord.

The laughter continued until Qiu Wei frowned in impatience and covertly kicked the Hu Qianqiu beside him. Only then did the laughter gradually subside, though his lips remained stretched wide, seemingly unable to close, as he chuckled and rose to his feet. "A great piece of good news! Today, Qiantian Mountain has produced another peerless military talent. Just a few hours ago, Commander Zong Yuan led three thousand elite cavalry from Xuan Mountain City to shatter the fifty thousand cavalry of Yunxia Mountain, consecutively breaking seven formations, slaying four Xuanwu Grandmasters, and killing the Young Lord of Yunxia Mountain, Feng Yu. Furthermore, the Black Fox Iron Cavalry of our Qiantian Mountain arrived in time, slaying forty-five Spirit Masters and capturing Xiong Kui of Lieyan Mountain alive. The fourteen spirit stone mines within the Ruohai Mountain Range can now be secured—"

Before his words had fully faded, the entire hall erupted in an uproar. Outside the hall, a massive wave of murmuring sounds also arose.

Both inside and outside the hall, there was a clamor of excited chatter, discussion, excitement, dejection, and shared honor, all mixed together.

Zong Yuan and Zong Yang, who had not seen the message brought by the red swift birds earlier, now looked utterly pale, turning to Ling Fakong, Zong Ming, and Zong Hao with questioning eyes. They saw that these individuals all wore grave expressions and nodded slightly.

Zong Hao, in particular, was nearly bloodless, his body trembling slightly, his hands clenched tightly, his eyes flashing between ferocity and regret.

Hu Qianqiu squinted, stealing a glance at this man, and inwardly sneered, deciding to rub salt into the wound, continuing in a loud voice: "There is one more matter I must make known to all of you! Not only did that fellow Zong Yuan slay four Xuanwu Grandmasters, but on the battlefield, he achieved an epiphany of the Raging Thunder Spear Intent. It is highly likely that within one or two years, Qiantian Mountain City will have one more Xuanwu Grandmaster, one peerless fierce general! It is rumored that after the battle, when this young man swore fealty to the Young Lord, it even triggered a heavenly omen, gathering thunder as proof!"

The hall, which had quieted down slightly, immediately roared once more.

Almost everyone exchanged glances, their eyes showing astonishment and shock.

"This Zong Yuan actually followed the Young Lord?"

"It's not entirely unexpected. After all, His Highness the Young Lord is the Sovereign's legitimate son, the true orthodox heir of Qiantian Mountain. Look at the conduct of Zong Hao and Zong Yang; do they look like rulers?"

"A blood oath accompanied by a heavenly omen—this is said to happen only to those bearing the mandate of Heaven. In these ten thousand years, there have been only a handful of such instances. All these people went on to achieve great things and carve out legends. To have such a peerless military talent serve under his banner—doesn't that suggest the Young Lord also carries the mandate of Heaven?"

"It’s just a pity for Zong Hao, who meticulously nurtured and raised that talent for several years, only to have him so easily won over by another. Such a genius has been wasted on someone else—"

"And what about claiming that Zong Yuan's cultivation would never advance further in his life, that he wouldn't live long? This is truly a slap in the face!"

Blood began to seep from Zong Hao's lips. Zong Yuan's sudden rise and sudden betrayal had already caused him immense pain. He could barely endure the sarcastic gazes thrown at him from all directions, and the dozen or so looks tinged with pity only fueled the raging fire in his chest, yet he could not lash out.

Finally, he let out a heavy snort, his face ashen, and with a sweep of his sleeve, strode out of the hall.

A fierce gleam flickered in his eyes, as if a storm was brewing within.

Hu Qianqiu noticed it but remained utterly unconcerned, giving a disdainful sneer.

Since Zong Yuan grasped the Raging Thunder Spear Intent, his subsequent cultivation would face no obstacles. Breaking through to the Xuanwu realm in one or two years was no empty boast.

No matter how angry or vexed Zong Hao became, so what? Unless a Martial Ancestor of the Heaven Rank intervened, with this man's capabilities, he likely couldn't touch Zong Yuan.

He merely smiled faintly, observing the people left in the hall.

Ling Fakong's expression shifted for a moment before settling back into calmness. He stood up fully. "Brother Hu, how about we conclude today's assembly here? Everyone is dismissed!"

Without waiting for Hu Qianqiu’s agreement, he strode towards the main door. Following his departure, Zong Ming, his face also ashen, quickly followed suit.

Chai Yuan fell into deep thought. After a long moment, he stood up. He seemed about to speak to Hu Qianqiu, but then abruptly stopped himself, finally letting out a long sigh before also turning and leaving with a desolate expression.

The hall instantly fell silent. More than half of the occupants remained seated. Although there was a hint of joy in their eyes, they spoke no more, each remaining solemnly silent.

Hu Qianqiu looked at Zong Shiyuan with an unreadable smile. "Shiyuan, Zong Shi and Zong Yang, we can disregard them; since they have chosen to contest with the Young Lord, there is no turning back for them. You are the Young Lord's own uncle, and His Highness treats you like a brother. Can you truly bear to watch the position of Demon King fall into another's hands?" (To be continued)