The Moon Ticket count is perilous, and the recommendation ranking is worrying. Begging for Moon Tickets and recommendations with a triple update; thanks in advance! Let me recommend another book: Foggy River Mountains: Eternal Divine Sword. With but a single sword strike, who can resist me? With but a single sword strike, the world is mine to traverse! With but a single sword strike, I become Eternity! "As long as the sword is in your heart, swing it down and cut!"

This Human Sect Master, Zong Shou, recognized him; like Hu Qianqiu, this man left a deep impression. Chai Yuan, the patriarch of the Wind Bear Clan, was the martial arts powerhouse ranked fourth within Qiantian Mountain City, trailing only Hu Qianqiu and Qiu Wei! His frame was as imposing as a mountain, his aura as vast as the sea. As he strode forth from the formation, even across a distance of a thousand zhang, his presence caused Zong Yuan and the others beside him to adopt grave expressions.

Several others accompanied him: two young-looking Wind Bear tribesmen, likely Chai Yuan’s descendants, both possessing no weak strength. There was also another man, around forty, handsome of feature, who, despite his profound cultivation, still carried faint traces of fox clan characteristics. It was none other than Zong Ming, the Grand Elder of the Sky Fox Clan, now staring over with a gaze that was both eerie and astonished. Though he managed to keep a semblance of calm on his face, the slight tremor in his hands betrayed that his state of mind must be one of profound unease.

Chai Yuan surveyed his surroundings with a fierce glare. Although he spoke to command a halt, the opposing side showed no inclination to stop. Squads of armored soldiers continued to advance slowly along the razed ruins, their steps perfectly synchronized. More war machines were being assembled; even several mobile catapults had been moved to this location by the East City Army. Chai Yuan was momentarily seized by a fit of furious rage, which he forcibly suppressed, his gaze boring directly into the pavilion where Zong Shou was situated. "Is the Young Lord present? I wonder if we might speak face to face?"

Zong Shou smiled, making no delay. He descended directly from the tower, mounted his steed, and rode forward to meet the military formation. However, he did not draw too close, halting his horse a good four hundred zhang away from the opposition. Chai Yuan’s expression was incredibly complex as he scrutinized Zong Shou up and down. Moments of distress followed by sighs, then pity, which then shifted again to regret. After a brief pause, he gathered his scattered emotions and spoke once more: "The Young Lord leads an army here, tens of thousands poised for conflict—what is the meaning of this?"

"Naturally, it is to fight you!" Zong Shou smiled, his reply immediate and unequivocal: "If I win, I will set fires, slay the people, and exterminate the Wind Bear Clan!" At these words, the entire expanse spanning ten thousand zhang fell silent. Even the soldiers on Zong Shou’s side exchanged looks of astonishment. A flash of greenish pallor immediately crossed Chai Yuan’s face. The two men behind him bristled with rage, preparing to charge forward, but Chai Yuan stopped them with a raised hand. The Wind Bear Clan patriarch’s last shred of warmth receded from his eyes, replaced by a faint, implied displeasure. He cupped his fist slightly: "My Wind Bear Clan is a part of Qiantian Mountain, subjects of the late Lord. In the ten years the late Lord campaigned in the west of Yun Continent, countless sons of our clan perished, and we earned immeasurable merit. By what justification, and with what right, does the Young Lord intend to destroy my Wind Bear Clan? Are you not afraid of chilling the hearts of the other clans?"

"Ha, you are a subject of the late Lord, and the Wind Bear Clan has indeed achieved remarkable merit. But what concern is that of my Zong Shou?" Zong Shou sneered lazily, countering each point: "As for justification, why would I, Zong Shou, need any reason? I only know that your Wind Bear Clan will not serve me, and you are merely an impediment to Zong Shi’s ambitions. To execute the leader, one must first clip his wings and sever his limbs. There are countless precedents for this over ten millennia; wouldn’t Uncle Chai agree? Since you are no longer subjects of my Lord, why should we show deference? As for the notion of chilling hearts, that is simply absurd."

Chai Yuan froze instantly, his expression vacant. Only after a full score of breaths did he recover. He let out a cold snort, his hand resting on the giant axe hanging by his saddle, and said coldly: "You can sway Zong Shi and turn the tables in Jiefu City, earning scores of times the Beast Crystals. I had thought you possessed some ability, but it seems you are nothing more. Three years at Lin Hai Academy has only taught you vicious methods. Ignorant child, do you realize how many people will die if a battle breaks out? A million-man war could utterly destroy Qiantian Mountain, left by your father. How many great cities within the five provinces will seize this opportunity to declare independence? My Wind Bear Clan is far from defenseless victims. You think you can conquer us with this rabble of eighty thousand or so? A joke!"

"So Uncle Chai acknowledges that Qiantian Mountain is the foundation left by my Royal Father." Zong Shou chuckled to himself, thinking this was a classic case of the official being allowed to burn down houses while the commoner was forbidden even to light a lamp. Did these people truly believe he was restricted by the city’s safety? Did they assume Zong Shi would threaten him with the city's destruction? Shaking his head faintly, the derision in Zong Shou’s eyes intensified: "If I were not the Demon King, whether Qiantian Mountain City exists or not would be of no consequence to me, Zong Shou. If I ascend the throne, the worst that could happen is rebuilding it. If my Royal Father is watching from above, he surely would not be angry even if Qiantian Mountain were destroyed by my hand. Conversely, if this inheritance were usurped by others due to my incompetence, my father might be infuriated. Don't you agree that is the principle, Uncle Chai?"

Seeing the faces of the opposing group shift from ashen to pale, Zong Shou’s tone softened slightly: "I only have eighty thousand soldiers here; perhaps we are truly no match for your Wind Bear Clan. But I will expend every effort to drain the blood of your clan members—every single drop! Whether strong or weak, old or young. I will see you reduced to exiles, with no place left to stand. Furthermore, after you, Chai Yuan, die, you will have no face to meet your ancestors of the Wind Bear Clan! Whether you call me vicious or ignorant, before I, Zong Shou, draw my last breath, I will ensure this is accomplished with all my might!"

Chai Yuan’s composure finally broke. An incomparably deep chill immediately washed over his entire body. Even the two men behind him had their anger extinguished, replaced only by pale faces. Chai Yuan’s hand involuntarily loosened its grip on the axe handle. After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath: "Are the Young Lord’s words serious? Do you truly disregard the lives of everyone in this city?"

"More serious than you can imagine!" Zong Shou yawned, then clapped Zong Yuan on the shoulder beside him as if genuinely exhausted: "Why don't you gamble, Uncle Chai, on whether my cousin’s force of ten thousand elite cavalry can drain the blood of your Wind Bear Clan!" He then flicked his reins and wheeled his horse back around: "I give you one hundred breaths of time. You choose whether to face annihilation or to cut off Zong Ming’s head and deliver it to me, acknowledging me as your sovereign—the choice is yours. War or peace, Uncle Chai, one word decides it!"

Zong Ming’s face instantly lost all color, becoming paper-white, his eyes filled with sheer panic. Just two quarters of an hour ago, he had been elated, convinced he had successfully persuaded Chai Yuan to aid him, boasting of his silver tongue. And now, a mere two quarters of an hour later, Zong Shou had effortlessly plunged him into a desperate situation! To suppress with force, and then threaten with death—how could this Zong Shou be so venomous?

Chai Yuan’s expression once again grew distant. A murderous intent flared up first. But when his peripheral vision caught sight of Zong Lan sneering not far away, and then met the intensely vigilant gazes of Zong Yuan and Li Luo before him, his heart turned instantly cold. Zong Lan alone possessed strength comparable to his own, and with the Purple Thunder Spear Zong Yuan, they could surely overcome Chai Yuan and Zong Ming combined. Furthermore, the middle-aged man beside Zong Shou, who was at the Seventh Meridian of the Earth Wheel realm, also appeared to be formidable. Right! The Purple Thunder Spear—that was an Unmatched General. Just a few days prior, he personally commanded three thousand iron cavalry to crush a thousand armies, and now he leads an even more elite and formidable force of Black Fox Iron Cavalry, with his subordinate knights swelling to over ten thousand! Although this was street fighting, could their Wind Bear Clan truly hold them off?

He stared blankly again at Zong Shou’s retreating back. This Young Lord was truly different from his father in method. His methods were ruthless yet fierce; where would this path lead him in the end? It was laughable that they thought Qiantian Mountain would face a bleak future under Zong Shou’s control. They had completely forgotten that this Young Lord also possessed the power to destroy Qiantian Mountain City. Zong Shi threatened to flip the table; this Young Lord simply acted, showing utter indifference even if the table were overturned!

After hesitating for only a moment, Chai Yuan seemed to deflate, all spirit draining away, and he spoke: "Young Lord, please wait. Today, my Wind Bear Clan wishes to observe neutrality!" Zong Shou gave a cold sneer, showing no intention of turning back. Chai Yuan sighed, dismounted, and bowed deeply: "This matter is of grave importance. I wonder if the Young Lord could grant my clan some time to consider?"

Zong Shou still ignored him, returning to his own ranks. Zong Lan, observing from a short distance, immediately burst into loud laughter. Hu Zhongyuan had always used sycophantic flattery, praising the Young Lord as wise and mighty, which Zong Lan had always secretly scorned. But at this very moment, for the first time, he felt that this description held true merit. He felt immensely satisfied and joyful. Forcing Chai Yuan to bow his head was no small feat. Zong Lan swept his long saber forward, pointing toward the front: "Eighty breaths remain! Today, your Wind Bear Clan either submits or faces annihilation! Will you yield or fight?" The tens of thousands of arrayed soldiers, who had initially felt some apprehension, now saw the private army of the Wind Bear Clan beginning to show signs of agitation and panic. Their morale soared immediately, and they roared in unison. "Your Wind Bear Clan either submits or faces annihilation! Will you yield or fight?" The shout of tens of thousands instantly carried for dozens of li around.

Chai Yuan closed his eyes, concealing the bitterness within them, and finally let out a long sigh. "Young Lord, please hear me! This Zong Ming is an elder of the Sky Fox Royal Clan and also a guest of my Chai family. Chai Yuan cannot bear to kill him, nor dare I. Today, I can only capture him and leave him to the Young Lord’s disposal!" As his words fell, Chai Yuan abruptly drew his axe and sent a brilliant arc of light toward the rear. Zong Ming had been prepared for this and instantly sprang into the air. His entire figure fragmented into dozens of illusions, fleeing rapidly into the distance. In mid-air, dozens of whip shadows lashed out, locking down the area spanning several dozen zhang.

However, the two young Bear tribesmen behind Chai Yuan also swung their axes. The axe light swept out, severing the majority of the illusions, and also slicing off the tips of several whips that stretched for ten zhang. Chai Yuan let out a cold snort, wind swirling around him as he chased Zong Ming’s figure. A powerful suction force emanated from the tip of his axe, pulling at and disrupting Zong Ming’s movements.

In the air, it was impossible to count how many axe swings he delivered. Those observing felt only a chaotic flicker of blades, bursts of powerful gang energy radiating outward, and countless severed whip remnants falling. When the countless whips and axe lights had completely subsided, Chai Yuan had already captured Zong Ming in his grasp. He then strode forward a hundred zhang, kneeling down before the two armies, "Your subject Chai Yuan submits! The Wind Bear Clan was formerly the subject of the late Lord, and henceforth, we shall be the subject of the Young Lord!" (To be continued)