With a slight falter of his spirit, Zong Shou suddenly realized his surroundings had completely transformed.

Looking around closely, he found himself in a boundless plain, everywhere covered in vast stretches of golden-yellow wheat, with a great river flowing nearby. He must be a considerable distance from Qiantian Mountain City; even the city's outline was nowhere in sight.

His side was empty; Senior Brother Wei had vanished without a trace, his presence entirely undetectable. Zong Shou had no idea where this man currently was.

"A thousand li displacement? The methods of a Saint Realm expert are truly formidable!"

Zong Shou’s eyes narrowed, then he shook his head with a bitter smile. He sighed inwardly, wondering when he himself would attain such a realm.

But where exactly was this place?

He subtly probed with the Yuan Yi Sword nestled within his spirit. He sensed that the 'Seven Aspects of the Kingly Way' gathered within it had diminished by a substantial thirty percent, appearing weakened.

"In that case, I should still be within the Qiantian territory, about two hundred li from Qiantian City!"

Gazing up at the stars again, Zong Shou paused for only half a breath before his expression changed once more: "Isn't this the exact location where I previously sensed that Heaven Rank Martial Grandmaster lurking? So that's how it is..."

Almost instantly, Zong Shou understood. He was likely being used as bait by that Seat Venerable of the Azure Heaven Dao.

He rubbed his brow with a slight headache. This was truly frustrating—he knew that even if he wanted to retreat back to Qiantian Mountain City now, it was impossible. Zong Shou simply followed the riverbank, strolling leisurely, taking in the night scenery.

Despite a formidable enemy being near, his demeanor was exceptionally relaxed. Indeed, not long after, he felt a powerful intent suddenly probe towards him.

The person was clearly taken aback that Zong Shou had appeared here, showing a measure of suspicion. After observing cautiously for a long time, the presence no longer concealed itself, appearing by the riverbank almost soundlessly, only a hundred paces from Zong Shou.

The voice sounded like a man in his thirties, yet his entire body was shrouded in black mist, obscuring his features. Only a pair of eyes were visible, staring coldly with a probing gaze: "You are the Lord of Qiantian City, Zong Shou? Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

Zong Shou felt a surge of inner conflict; this was genuinely difficult to answer. He also felt a touch of pity for the person before him.

"If I told you someone carelessly tossed me here to wander around as bait to draw someone out, I wonder if you would believe me?"

Seeing the misty figure let out a cold chuckle, his eyes showing sharp, scornful mockery, Zong Shou knew the other party was only half-convinced. He hadn't wanted to waste words with this person, but since Wei Xu hadn't appeared even now, he had no choice but to try and say more to stall for time.

Could it be that the Seat Venerable of the Azure Life Dao had betrayed him, using another's knife to eliminate him? After all, he had only performed the initial bow and wasn't truly initiated.

Then he felt that was wrong too; with the means of a Saint Realm expert, why would they need such a roundabout method to deal with him?

Sighing softly, Zong Shou rested his hand on the Nine Qilin Sword and shifted his tone: "Coming here in the middle of the night, naturally, I came to kill! Who are you, and why are you spying on me here?"

The Dragon Qi within the Yuan Yi Sword immediately erupted, generating an aura only slightly inferior to that of this Heaven Rank Martial Grandmaster. A sword intent, hazy and seemingly capable of containing mountains and rivers, suddenly coalesced around Zong Shou.

The hundred-meter vicinity abruptly sank inward.

The black-misted figure's eyes flashed sharply, and the mist swirling around him began to boil violently.

"Kingly Way Secret Martial Art! Mountain and River Sword Intent! Very good. You are indeed the son of Zong Weiran! No wonder you dared to come here alone. Heh, the rumors in Qiantian Mountain City were indeed a smokescreen. How could someone who swept aside all factions in Qiantian Mountain be a true waste? I suppose my two junior brothers and Elder Mi also died by your hand?"

"Precisely!"

The corner of Zong Shou's lip curled up as he continued trying to stall: "So, you are from the Demon Mountain Sect, correct? I heard about twenty years ago your sect was jointly annihilated by the seven major sects of the Central Cloud Continent. Even now, the Grand Spirit Sect is still searching for traces of your sect and issuing warrants everywhere. If we talk about audacity, it should be you lot. You dare to emerge just after reviving from the ashes?"

Fierce light flashed again in the eyes of the black-misted figure. He had the urge to attack but hesitated still.

He surveyed his surroundings, his soul-sense surging like a tide, sweeping back and forth. Only after confirming that within a hundred li, even a ninth-rank Spirit Martial Venerable or a True Form realm expert could not escape his detection, did he let out another cold sneer: "So what if I am? Do you think you can leave here alive?"

He took a single step forward, and a formidable, yet strangely unpredictable, aura suddenly surged forth.

Although Zong Shou intended to encompass mountains and rivers, this person could move freely within that landscape.

He began to systematically peel away the dominance Zong Shou had gathered, even assimilating it for his own use.

When the second step was taken forward, even the sliver of 'King's Qi' within Zong Shou's Yuan Yi Sword was compressed tightly.

The black-misted figure meticulously watched Zong Shou. Seeing no fear or panic in his eyes, but rather a look of contemplation, he felt a slight disappointment and confusion. Could there truly be a high-level expert nearby? Yet, his voice remained steady and filled with mockery: "What a pity! At such a young age, your abilities are extraordinary and your talent is peerless, but you are far too arrogant. Do you truly believe that grasping a mere sliver of the Mountain and River Sword Intent, coupled with the power of a nation, allows you to contend with the Heaven Rank? Truly ignorant of heaven and earth..."

Zong Shou suddenly snapped out of his reverie and exclaimed: "This must be the Sword Intent of Swiftness, though slightly different. No! It should be called the Demon Kui Sword Intent. Could it be that your lineage has been severed?"

The face of the black-misted figure instantly contorted, but his composure remained unshaken. He continued to pace forward unhurriedly, like a casual stroll, gradually closing the distance.

He let out a cold snort: "Just relying on sharp words. Originally, I planned to act only after my Master received news of capturing that father and daughter pair from Xuan Mountain City. But since you ran out on your own, you have saved my Sect the trouble..."

Before the words were fully spoken, Zong Shou's eyes instantly constricted, and his spirit faltered slightly. He had anticipated retaliation from the Demon Mountain Sect, and he knew such a demonic sect would use unscrupulous means.

But he had never imagined that their target wouldn't be him directly, but rather Yi Ren and Xuanyuan Tong, who appeared to be his strongest anchors.

He recalled that two days prior, Ruoshui had reported that Xuanyuan Tong had advanced to the Heaven Rank Martial Grandmaster realm. With the power of a city, they should be safe for the moment.

Yet, a wave of rage and killing intent surged within his chest. In his previous life, Zong Shou had lived a solitary existence, acting as he pleased without restraint. He never placed his own life in jeopardy.

It was only now that he realized the biggest difference between then and now: in this world, he finally had people he cared about.

With this thought, Zong Shou's consciousness became entirely filled with killing intent. All the black hair behind his head floated wildly, forcibly breaking free from his hair tie. The ends were already gradually turning grayish-white.

A trace of Netherworld Death Qi began to gather. If Wei Xu did not intervene, this battle today would force him to use the final, self-injurious techniques of the Styx River Death Sword just to contend with this Heaven Rank expert!

The black-misted figure was overjoyed. Without changing his expression, he instantly arrived within a few yards of Zong Shou. And Zong Shou was indeed wavering because of the words just spoken.

Even if Xuanxu had set a trap here today, so what? At such a short distance, he could subdue this brat in an instant. The Demon Kui Sword could be so fast that even Spirit Martial Venerables couldn't react!

A nearly imperceptible black sword shadow pierced out from the black mist, almost without a sound. It was swift to the extreme, arriving before Zong Shou the moment it flashed into view.

However, before it could pierce Zong Shou's body, a dull thud sounded—Bo. The black-misted figure felt his sword strike against a steel wall.

If it were only that, he wouldn't have cared. He didn't value a mere defensive spiritual technique and expected it. He was confident enough to cleave through anything!

Then, in the next instant, he felt a colossal force, no less potent than his own, rebound towards him. It caused the sharp black sword to instantly bend. Following that, the entire figure was violently repelled and thrown back without any chance of resistance.

Looking ahead again, he saw Zong Shou's expression still icy cold, but standing behind him was a youth in scholarly robes, smiling warmly and elegantly: "Finally waited for you. It truly wasn't easy."

He glanced at Zong Shou, his voice laced with an appreciative tone: "The act was well performed! Given today's events, righteousness is on our side. Since this fellow made a move, even if those old devils from the Demon Sect intervene, they won't be able to protect the Demon Mountain Sect. However, you should use that sword technique employing the Netherworld Death Qi sparingly..."

With a gentle pat on Zong Shou's shoulder, the Netherworld Death Qi instantly dissipated. Zong Shou’s eyes regained their clarity.

The black-misted figure staggered, retreating a hundred paces before stopping. First came a blank look, then he felt the scholar-robed youth’s gaze turn piercingly cold.

"How dare you lay a hand on a direct disciple of the Azure Life Dao? You have gall!"

As this was spoken, the entire night abruptly turned into day. The bright moon in the sky vanished, replaced by a glaring sun hanging high overhead, radiating scorching heat.

The black-misted figure was instantly terrified at the sight. It had been midnight moments ago; it was impossible for it to suddenly shift to high noon in an instant.

He had only read about such methods in ancient texts left over from the Cloud Barrens Era. And those capable of wielding such divine powers were almost always those who had entered the Immortal Dao, and at a profound realm!

The person before him was actually on the Immortal Dao!

"It is the Illusion of Changing Heaven and Earth!"

The black-misted figure instinctively tried to flee, but then a light chuckle sounded, and a boundless, crushing force suddenly enveloped him, arresting his movement on the spot. (To be continued)